Buying Off-Plan in Dubai 2026: Process, Costs and Risks

Buying Off-Plan in Dubai

This guide first shows all the steps to buy off-plan property in Dubai in one list. It then explains each step: what you do, what you pay, who you pay and what you sign. After that it covers the total cost, buying from abroad and the mistakes to avoid.

How to Buy Off-Plan Property in Dubai: The Steps

You buy off-plan property in Dubai in eight steps. The first five take a few weeks. The last three take as long as the building work. Follow them in this order:

1. Choose a project and check it. Use the Dubai Land Department's free service to check the project and the developer.
2. Book the home. You sign a booking form and pay a deposit, usually 10% to 20% of the price.
3. Read and sign the sale contract. This contract is called the SPA.
4. Pay into the project's escrow account. Every payment for the home goes into this protected bank account.
5. Register the sale. You pay a 4% fee and receive the Oqood certificate.
6. Pay the instalments. You pay the rest in stages while the home is built.
7. Take handover. You pay the final amount, inspect the home and collect the keys.
8. Get the title deed. The home is now fully yours.

The sections below explain each step. Step 7 in this guide covers the handover and the title deed together.

If you are still deciding whether to buy off-plan, start with our guide to off-plan property in Dubai.

Step 1: Choose an Off-Plan Project and Check the Developer

Before you pay anything, check that the project is registered with the Dubai Land Department. The Dubai Land Department is the government office that records every property sale in Dubai. People call it the DLD.

A developer must register a project with the DLD before it sells homes in it. So a registered project is the first sign that your money will be protected.

Who can buy off-plan property in Dubai

You do not need to live in the UAE to buy. UAE nationals and nationals of other Gulf countries can buy anywhere in Dubai. All other buyers can buy in the areas that Dubai has opened to foreign owners. These are called freehold areas, and most off-plan property for sale in Dubai is in them.

The free checks on the Dubai Land Department service

The DLD has a free service called Project Status Enquiry. You can use it on the DLD website or in the Dubai REST app, which is the DLD's own mobile app. You type the name of the project, and the result appears at once.

This table shows what a good result looks like, and what to do if you see something else.

Then check the developer's name in the DLD's list of licensed developers. The list is on the DLD website and in the Dubai REST app.

This check matters because some projects are advertised before they are registered. In June 2024, the DLD fined three developers AED 500,000 each for doing this.

Step 2: Book the Off-Plan Home and Pay the Reservation

To book an off-plan home, you sign a booking form and pay a reservation deposit. The deposit is usually 10% to 20% of the price.

On a home that costs AED 1.5 million, that deposit is AED 150,000 to AED 300,000. You often pay it on the day the developer starts selling.

What an expression of interest is

Some developers ask for money before the sale even starts. This is called an expression of interest, or EOI. It gives you an early place in the queue, but it does not promise you a home or a price.

An EOI is often AED 20,000 to AED 50,000. When you book, the developer counts it as part of your deposit.

We found no public Dubai rule that protects an EOI payment. So before you pay, check that the developer's form says you get all the money back if you do not book.

What the booking form means for you

The booking form is a binding document. Most forms say that the deposit is not refundable. Many also give you only about five working days to sign the full sale contract. If you do not sign in time, the developer can keep your deposit.

We found no rule in Dubai that lets you cancel a booking within a few days and get your money back. So you must read the documents before you pay.

What to get in writing before you pay

Ask the developer to email you these four things before the booking day:

• The draft sale contract, so that you have time to read it.
• The disclosure statement. The developer must give you this written summary before you sign. It covers the finishes, the estimated service charges and the estimated handover date.
• The payment plan, with every amount and date.
• The escrow account details, so that you can compare them with your screenshot from Step 1.

Also ask for one sentence on the booking form. It should say that you get the deposit back if the final contract is different from the draft.

Step 3: Read and Sign the Off-Plan Sale Contract

The sale contract for an off-plan home is called the sale and purchase agreement, or SPA. The DLD registers this contract in Step 5.

The developer's lawyers write the SPA, and developers rarely change it for one buyer. So read it before you pay the deposit, while you can still say no.

The clauses that matter in an off-plan SPA

An SPA is long, but four clauses decide most of what happens to you. This table shows what each clause usually says and why it matters.

Here is what the size rule means. On a home of 900 square feet, 5% is 45 square feet. So the finished home can be up to 45 square feet smaller, and the developer owes you nothing.

What the law says if you stop paying

Dubai's law sets the most a developer can keep if you stop paying. The limit depends on how much of the project is built:

• Less than 60% built: the developer can keep up to 25% of the price of the home.
• 60% built or more: the developer can keep up to 40% of the price of the home.

The percentage is counted on the full price. The amount you have paid so far does not change it. Here is an example with a home that costs AED 1.5 million.

In the second case, the limit is higher than everything the buyer paid. So the buyer can lose the whole AED 450,000.

The developer must first tell the DLD, and the DLD gives you 30 days' notice to pay. Even so, sign a payment plan only if you can pay every instalment from your own money.

You can pay a lawyer to read the SPA before you sign. Our guide to conveyancing in Dubai explains who does this work.

Step 4: Pay Into the Project's Escrow Account

An escrow account is a protected bank account for one building project. The bank lets the developer use the money only to build that project.

Every payment for the price of your home must go into this account. This includes the booking deposit, every instalment and the final payment.

How to check the escrow account

Check the account every time you pay. The account details should be the same in three places:

1. the DLD's Project Status Enquiry result, which you saved in Step 1
2. your sale contract
3. the payment request that the developer sends you

If one of the three is different, do not pay.

Never pay anyone else

Your agent cannot take the money for you. The law says so.

“A broker "may not deposit the price into his own account or deduct his commission".”

Executive Council Resolution No. 6 of 2010, Article 12

Keep the bank's confirmation and the developer's receipt for every payment. Our guide to escrow accounts in Dubai explains how the bank releases the money to the builder.

Step 5: Register the Sale (Oqood) and Pay the 4% Fee

Oqood is the DLD's register for homes that are sold before they are built. When your sale is entered in it, the government has a record that you are the buyer.

Dubai's Law No. 13 of 2008 says an off-plan sale "will be void unless entered in that Register". Void means the sale has no legal effect.

Who registers the sale, and when

The developer registers the sale for you. It sends the DLD a copy of your signed SPA and your Emirates ID, or your passport if you live abroad.

The contract must be registered within 90 days of the day you sign it. When the developer applies, the DLD issues the certificate in about one working day.

What you pay

You pay the registration fee to the developer, and the developer pays the DLD. The fee is 4% of the price plus AED 20. Many developers also pass on a DLD charge of AED 1,000.

On a home that costs AED 1.5 million, you pay AED 60,020, or AED 61,020 with the extra charge.

You must pay this fee from your own money. Since February 2025, banks in the UAE no longer add buying fees to a home loan. Our guide to DLD fees explains every fee.

What proof you get

The DLD emails you a document called the provisional registration e-certificate. Most people call it the Oqood certificate.

The developer's receipt for the 4% fee is a different thing. A receipt shows that you paid the developer. Only the certificate shows that the sale is registered.

If the certificate has not arrived 30 days after you paid, ask the developer for the date it applied. If you get no clear answer, you can complain to the DLD with your SPA and your payment proof.

Our guide to Oqood in Dubai explains the certificate in detail.

Step 6: Pay the Instalments While the Home Is Built

After registration, you pay the rest of the price in instalments. A common plan is called 60/40. You pay 60% of the price while the home is built, and 40% when it is finished. Our guide to off-plan payment plans in Dubai compares the plans.

How to follow the building progress

You can follow your project in the Dubai REST app. The app shows the percentage that is complete, real photos of the site and the payments you still owe.

Some plans link each instalment to a building stage. With these plans, you can ask for a letter from the project's consultant that confirms the stage is finished. The DLD says you do not have to pay that instalment until the stage is confirmed.

What to do if building is late

Late handover is common. In 2025, about 40,400 homes were finished in Dubai, but about 82,600 had been scheduled. So only about half arrived in the year that was planned.

Your contract allows some delay, because it lets the developer extend the date. If the delay goes beyond that, follow these steps:

1. Ask the developer in writing for the new completion date.
2. Keep paying while you get legal advice. If you simply stop, the developer can use the rule in Step 3 against you.
3. Go to court if you want to cancel. The DLD "does not have the authority to terminate any contract" for a buyer. Only the court can do that.

Courts do rule for buyers. In January 2026, the court cancelled the sale of a late home priced at AED 1.72 million. It ordered the developer to return the AED 516,872 the buyer had paid, plus AED 100,000 in compensation.

Our guide to filing a RERA complaint against a developer also explains court claims.

Step 7: Handover, Snagging and the Title Deed

Handover is the day you receive the keys. It starts when the developer sends you a completion notice. This notice says the building is finished and gives you a deadline to pay the final amount.

The final payment

The final payment is usually your largest. On a 60/40 plan for a home that costs AED 1.5 million, it is AED 600,000.

Prepare this money early, because the contract adds late charges after the deadline. You can use a home loan for this payment. Our mortgage in Dubai guide explains the rules.

Snagging: the checks before you accept the keys

Snagging means inspecting the new home for faults before you accept it. Do it before you sign the handover form. You can pay an independent inspector to help. Check these things:

• Water: every tap, shower, toilet and drain
• Electricity: every light, switch and socket
• Air conditioning: cooling in every room
• Doors, windows and surfaces: locks, tiles, paint and cupboards
• Size and finishes: compare them with the list in your contract

Give the developer a written list of the faults, and ask for a repair date for each one.

The law also protects you after handover. The developer must repair faulty fittings, such as plumbing and electrics, for one year from your handover. The developer is responsible for faults in the structure for ten years from the date the building was completed.

At handover you also start to pay service charges, which pay for running the building. You pay a refundable deposit to DEWA, the electricity and water company, too.

Getting the title deed

The title deed is the official document that says you own the home. After handover, the developer asks the DLD to change your Oqood registration into a title deed.

The DLD charges AED 520 for the title deed, and it takes about six working days. You do not pay the 4% fee again.

The DLD issues the title deed only to buyers who have paid everything the contract requires. So if your plan has instalments after handover, you will not have a full title deed until you pay the last one. Our guide to post-handover payment plans explains this.

What It Costs to Buy Off-Plan in Dubai

Buying off-plan in Dubai costs the price of the home plus about 4% in government fees. This table shows what a buyer pays, and when, for a home that costs AED 1.5 million. The buyer pays 20% at booking and has a 60/40 payment plan.

So this buyer needs about AED 361,000 in the first weeks. That is the deposit plus the registration fee.

The table leaves out the costs that change from home to home. These are the service charges, the utility deposits and an inspection fee. Ask the developer for these amounts in writing before you sign the SPA.

Buying Off-Plan in Dubai From Abroad

You can buy off-plan in Dubai without travelling there. People who live abroad follow the same steps and pay the same fees. Three things work differently:

• The checks. The DLD's Project Status Enquiry works from any country. Do the check yourself, and do not rely on a screenshot from an agent.
• The payments. You pay by international bank transfer into the escrow account. Send each payment a few days early.
• The handover. Someone must inspect the home and collect the keys. If you cannot come, you can give another person a power of attorney.

A power of attorney is a legal document that lets someone act for you. If you sign it outside the UAE, it needs official stamps in your country and in the UAE. So start early.

Our guide to buying property in Dubai from the UK explains these steps for UK buyers.

Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Off-Plan in Dubai

Most problems come from paying before checking. This table shows the common mistakes, what happens next and how to avoid each one.

A real case: the buyer who stopped paying

This case from the Dubai real estate court shows why the fifth mistake is serious.

An investor bought a home in 2017. The contract promised handover by December 2019 at the latest. The project was finished in February 2023, more than three years late.

The buyer had stopped paying. So the developer ended the contract and kept 40% of the price. The buyer went to court.

In February 2026, the court reduced that amount to 10% and ordered the developer to return AED 185,000. The buyer won, but the answer came nine years after the purchase. So get legal advice before you stop paying, not after.

For the wider picture, read our main guide to buying property in Dubai.