Mortgage in Dubai for Expats 2026: Rates and Minimum Salary

Mortgage in Dubai for Expats

This guide starts with whether an expat can get a mortgage in Dubai and what rate you will pay. It then explains how much you can borrow, the deposit, the requirements, the banks, how to apply, and why banks refuse some applications.

Can Expats Get a Mortgage in Dubai?

Yes. Expats who live in the UAE can get a mortgage in Dubai. The Central Bank of the UAE allows it. Most large banks offer a home loan in Dubai for expats.

Who counts as an expat

Banks put foreign buyers into two groups, so first find your group:

• An expat, or resident, is a person from another country who lives in the UAE on a residence visa.
• A non-resident is a person who lives outside the UAE and does not have a UAE residence visa.

Non-residents can borrow at some banks, but the loans are smaller. If you live abroad, read our guide to a mortgage in Dubai for non-residents.

Does your nationality matter?

The published rules are the same for every expat. The Central Bank has one set of limits for UAE nationals and another for expats. It does not separate expats by country, and the bank pages that we read do not name a nationality.

The main conditions for an expat mortgage in Dubai

Most banks ask an expat for these six things:

• a UAE residence visa and an Emirates ID
• a salary of about AED 15,000 a month, or a business with two years of audited accounts
• an age of 21 or more, and a loan that ends before you are 65 or 70
• a settled job
• a clean credit report in the UAE
• a deposit of at least 20% in your own money, plus cash for the fees

These conditions decide whether the bank will look at your application. They do not decide how much it lends. That depends on your income and your debts.

Home Loan Interest Rates in Dubai for Expats

The home loan interest rate in Dubai for expats is about 3.75% to 4.05% for the first one to five years. These are the figures for October 2026. After the fixed years, most loans move to a variable rate of about 5.3% to 6.1%.

An expat who lives in the UAE gets the bank's normal rates for residents. Three rates matter to you:

Our mortgage in Dubai guide explains fixed and variable rates in full, with a table of banks.

How Much Can Expats Borrow in Dubai?

An expat can borrow up to 80% of the price of a first home under AED 5 million. But your income sets a second limit, and the bank lends you the lower amount. For most expats, the income limit is the lower one.

The 50% rule

The bank adds up all your monthly debt repayments, with the new mortgage included. The total cannot be more than 50% of your monthly income. Banks call this the debt burden ratio.

For example, you earn AED 20,000 a month. Your mortgage payment and all your other repayments must fit inside AED 10,000.

The bank tests you at a higher rate

The bank does not use your real interest rate for this sum. It uses a higher rate, to check that you can still pay if rates go up. The Central Bank's mortgage regulations require this test.

“Lenders must "stress test the loan at (2 to 4) percentage points above the current rate of interest on the loan".”

Central Bank of the UAE, Regulations Regarding Mortgage Loans, Article 3.1

So if your rate is 5.31%, the bank checks your payments at 7.31% or more. A higher rate means a smaller loan.

How much a bank can lend on your salary

This table is for an expat with no other debts and a loan of 25 years, tested at 7.31%:

These are the highest figures you should expect. A bank can test at a rate up to four points above yours, and then the loan is about 15% smaller.

The Central Bank also limits an expat's loan to 7 times your yearly income. At today's rates, the 50% rule gives a lower figure at every salary.

What credit cards and other loans do to the amount

Other debts make your mortgage smaller, because they use part of your 50%. The bank counts these repayments, in the UAE and in your home country:

• Car loans, personal loans and instalment plans. The bank counts the full monthly instalment.
• Credit cards. Banks usually count 5% of your total card limit as a monthly repayment. They count it even if you owe nothing on the card.

Every AED 1,000 of monthly repayments makes your loan about AED 138,000 smaller.

An example with a salary of AED 25,000

An expat earns AED 25,000 a month. She has credit cards with total limits of AED 40,000, and a car loan that costs AED 2,500 a month. The bank works out her loan in four steps:

1. Half of her salary is AED 12,500.
2. The bank counts AED 2,000 for the cards and AED 2,500 for the car loan. That is AED 4,500.
3. AED 12,500 minus AED 4,500 leaves AED 8,000 a month for the mortgage.
4. At the test rate, AED 8,000 a month supports a loan of about AED 1.1 million.

With no other debts, the same buyer could borrow about AED 1.72 million. So the cards and the car loan make her loan about AED 620,000 smaller.

Which income the bank counts

The bank does not always count everything you earn. It treats three types of pay differently:

• Basic salary and fixed allowances. Banks usually count them in full, if they are written on your salary certificate. This is a letter from your employer that states your pay.
• Bonus and commission. The Central Bank tells banks to count only part of a bonus. If the bonus is not guaranteed, banks leave it out.
• End-of-service gratuity. The bank cannot count it at all.

How Much Deposit Do Expats Need in Dubai?

An expat needs a deposit of at least 20% of the price for a first home under AED 5 million. The deposit is also called the down payment.

The Central Bank sets a bigger deposit for three other types of home:

• 30% for a first home above AED 5 million
• 40% for a second home, or a home you will rent out
• 50% for a home that is not built yet, which is called off-plan

Our guide to the minimum down payment in Dubai shows these amounts in dirhams.

There is no 100% mortgage in Dubai for expats

An expat cannot get a 100% mortgage in Dubai. The deposit must be your own money, so you cannot use a personal loan or a credit card to pay it. The bank asks for proof of where the money came from.

The total cash an expat needs

You also need cash for the fees. Since February 2025, banks no longer add the buying fees to the loan. So in total you need about 28% of the price in cash:

Our guides to the cost of buying property in Dubai and how much money you need to buy property in Dubai list every fee.

Mortgage Requirements for Expats in Dubai

Each bank sets its own mortgage requirements for expats in Dubai, so the figures differ a little.

Salary

Most large banks ask for a salary of at least AED 15,000 a month. HSBC UAE, Emirates NBD and Mashreq all publish this figure.

Age

You must usually be at least 21. The loan must also end before the bank's age limit, which is 65 at some banks and 70 at others. So if you are older, your loan is shorter, and a shorter loan is a smaller loan.

Here is an example. An expat is 52 and earns AED 40,000 a month, with no other debts:

• With an age limit of 65, the loan runs for 13 years. The bank can lend about AED 2.01 million.
• With an age limit of 70, the loan runs for 18 years. The bank can lend about AED 2.4 million.

So if you are over 45, look at the bank's age limit before you look at its rate.

Time in your job

Banks want to see a settled job, but most do not publish a figure. Emirates NBD does. It asks expats for at least three years of work in the UAE. One of those years must be in your current job.

Other banks may accept less, so ask each bank. Also ask whether it lends during probation, which is the trial period at the start of a new job.

Your credit report

Every bank reads your credit report before it lends. The Al Etihad Credit Bureau, or AECB, keeps this report. It lists your loans, your card limits and your late payments. It also gives you a credit score from 300 to 900. A score of 700 or more is usually seen as good.

Two points are important for expats:

• Your credit history from home does not count here. UAE banks read only your UAE report.
• An empty report is also a problem. If you are new to the UAE, the bank has nothing to read. Use one credit card for some months, and pay it in full every month.

You can buy your own report on the AECB website or app. Read it before the bank does.

Documents for a home loan in Dubai for expats

This table shows the documents that banks ask for:

The papers for the purchase itself are in our guide to the documents you need to buy property in Dubai.

Self-employed expats

Self-employed expats can get a mortgage in Dubai, but the bank asks for more proof. The most important proof is two years of audited accounts. In 2026, banks have also asked business owners for their VAT returns.

Without audited accounts, fewer banks will lend to you. They may also lend a smaller share of the price.

Best Banks for an Expat Mortgage in Dubai

No single bank is the best for an expat mortgage in Dubai. The best bank for you is the one whose rules fit your age, your job and your pay.

This table shows what five banks publish for expats who live in the UAE:

How to choose a bank

Ask each bank these four questions:

• What is your age limit?
• How do you count my bonus or commission?
• How long must I be in my job?
• What is the margin after the fixed years? The margin is the part of the variable rate that the bank adds. It decides what you pay for most of the loan.

The Dubai Land Department also runs a First-Time Home Buyer programme with five banks. It is open to UAE residents of any nationality. It promises better rates, but it does not publish them.

When a mortgage broker helps

A mortgage broker compares banks for you and helps with the paperwork. A broker helps most when your case is not simple. For example, you are self-employed, you changed jobs recently, or you are over 50.

Brokers are often paid by the bank. So ask the broker two questions: how are you paid, and which banks do you not work with?

How to Apply for a Mortgage in Dubai as an Expat

Applying for a mortgage in Dubai takes about six to ten weeks from the day you agree to buy a home. Follow these steps in order:

1. Read your credit report. Do this about three months before you want to buy. Fix mistakes and cancel unused cards.
2. Work out your own loan figure. Use the five-minute check at the end of this guide.
3. Ask two or three banks the four questions above.
4. Get a pre-approval. This is the bank's first answer on how much it is likely to lend. It is usually valid for 60 days.
5. Find a home and agree the price. You and the seller sign the sale contract, which is called Form F. Add a line that says the sale depends on your loan.
6. Let the bank value the home. The bank sends a valuer to decide what the home is worth. Then the bank makes its final checks.
7. Sign the final loan offer and transfer the home. The bank pays the seller, and the Dubai Land Department registers the home in your name.

Do not change jobs or take a new loan between step 4 and step 7. Our guide on how to buy property in Dubai explains the purchase itself.

Why Expat Mortgage Applications Are Refused in Dubai

Most refusals happen after the pre-approval. A pre-approval is based on what you tell the bank. The bank checks your credit report, your documents and the home later.

HSBC UAE says its first approval "isn't a guarantee that we'll definitely be able to lend you the money". So the bank can still refuse, or offer less.

This table shows what goes wrong most often:

The valuation example

The bank lends a share of the price or of its own valuation, whichever is lower. Here is an example:

• You agree to pay AED 2,000,000, and you expect a loan of AED 1,600,000.
• The bank values the home at AED 1,900,000.
• The bank lends 80% of that, which is AED 1,520,000.

Your loan is AED 80,000 smaller, but the seller still wants the full price. You must find that money in cash.

Your Mortgage if You Lose Your Job or Leave the UAE

Think about these three cases before you borrow.

If you lose your job

Your mortgage payments do not stop when your salary stops. A bank can agree to change your payment plan, but it does not have to. So talk to your bank before you miss a payment.

The UAE's unemployment insurance pays 60% of your basic salary for up to three months. That is rarely enough to cover a mortgage. Many loan contracts also let the bank take what you owe from your end-of-service gratuity.

If you cannot pay

If you stop paying, the bank cannot simply take the home. Dubai's mortgage law sets out the steps the bank must follow:

1. The bank must give you 30 days' written notice through a notary.
2. The bank can then ask a court to sell the home at a public auction.
3. If the sale does not cover the loan, you still owe the rest.

If you leave the UAE

You can leave the UAE and keep your mortgage, as long as you keep paying. Tell your bank three to six months before you go.

Should You Apply for a Mortgage in Dubai as an Expat?

Apply when your own sums show the loan you need, with some room to spare. This checklist helps you decide:

A five-minute check before you apply

Do these six steps with your salary certificate and a calculator:

1. Write down your fixed monthly pay. Leave out bonus and commission.
2. Divide it by two.
3. Add up your monthly loan instalments, plus 5% of your total credit card limits. Subtract this from step 2.
4. Multiply the result by 138. This is your likely loan over 25 years.
5. Divide the loan by 0.8. This is the highest price for a first home.
6. Check that you have about 28% of that price in cash.

For a shorter loan, use a smaller number in step 4. Use 126 for 20 years, 109 for 15 years and 85 for 10 years.

If your result is close to the loan you need, your choice of bank will decide the answer.

For the next steps, read our guide to buying property in Dubai.