How to sell property in Dubai as a foreign owner: NOC, trustee office, costs and getting the money out

In brief

A non-resident owner can sell a Dubai property: the sale runs through the Dubai Land Department (DLD) and a trustee office, and for a developer-built unit you also need the developer's No Objection Certificate (NOC). Typical seller costs are an agent commission of about 2% plus 5% VAT and an NOC fee of AED 500-5,000 plus VAT; the 4% DLD transfer fee is usually paid by the buyer. For an individual there is no personal income tax or capital gains tax on the sale (see the Dubai sale tax article). Plan about 1.5-3 months from listing to a new title deed for a ready property (our estimate) and longer for an off-plan resale. Figures come from agency and law-firm guides read on 7 November 2026; confirm them with a DLD-approved trustee office. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Can a non-resident sell a Dubai property?

We found no rule that bars a non-resident owner from selling. What you need is proof of ownership (the title deed, or for an off-plan unit the sale and purchase agreement and the Oqood registration), a valid passport and, if the unit is mortgaged or has service charges, a clearance from the bank and the building.

You do not have to be in Dubai on the day of transfer if someone with a power of attorney can attend. Our search did not confirm the formalities for a power of attorney used in a Dubai sale. The common practice is a document signed before a notary in your country, apostilled or otherwise legalised for use in the UAE, and translated if the trustee office asks. Ask the trustee office or your broker before you sign anything, and see property management for remote owners if you want a local contact to handle the sale and the keys.

The sale step by step

• Listing. You sign a listing agreement with a licensed broker. Brokers call it Form A; the sources we read mention it only in passing, so ask your broker what exactly you are signing and for how long.
• Memorandum of understanding. When a buyer agrees a price, seller and buyer sign the sale memorandum, which brokers call Form F. A deposit of about 10% is usually held by the broker or in escrow. This is a common description rather than a rule we confirmed.
• Clearances. For a unit in a developer's project you request the developer's NOC. The developer normally issues it only when service charges are paid up. If there is a mortgage, you ask the bank for a settlement letter and a liability letter.
• Trustee office. Seller and buyer, or their attorneys, attend a DLD-approved trustee office. The officer uploads the signed memorandum, the NOC, passport copies and the existing title deed into the DLD system, the fees are paid and a new title deed is issued in the buyer's name.
• Timing. One guide says the NOC is valid for about 30 days, another for 30-60, so book the trustee appointment as soon as the NOC arrives.

Ready property or off-plan

A ready property with a title deed is the simple case: NOC from the developer or the owners' association, mortgage release if any, trustee office, new deed.

An off-plan unit is sold by assignment of the contract registered under Oqood. The developer's consent is mandatory, and sources say no developer processes an off-plan transfer without issuing its NOC. Many developers allow a resale only after 30-40% of the price has been paid, and some sources give 30-50%. The threshold is set by your sale and purchase agreement, not by a general rule we could find, so read the agreement first.

A developer approval fee is often quoted at 2-5% of the original price, but one source cites Law No. 13 of 2008, which limits developers to administrative expenses, so the figure is disputed. Resale of an off-plan unit can take 1-3 months because of the developer's consent process. One agent site adds that banks usually refuse to mortgage a unit bought by assignment until 50% of the price has been paid; treat that as a buyer-side risk that can shrink your pool of buyers.

What the seller pays

• Agent commission: about 2% of the price plus 5% VAT, usually paid by the seller and negotiable.
• Developer NOC: AED 500-5,000 plus 5% VAT in most sources (one gives up to AED 8,000). Sources disagree on whether the seller or the buyer carries it, so settle it in the memorandum.
• Mortgage: an early settlement fee capped at 1% of the outstanding balance or AED 10,000, whichever is lower, and a release fee of about AED 1,000-1,560. Confirm both with your bank.
• Outstanding service charges and utility clearances.
• The 4% DLD transfer fee and the trustee fee (about AED 4,000-5,250 including VAT) are usually paid by the buyer, but the allocation is negotiable and written in the memorandum.

Golden Visa and investor visa

If a residence visa depends on the property you are selling, the sale changes your position. Sources say there is no passive option to sell and keep a property-based Golden Visa. Renewal of the two-year investor visa requires that you still own a qualifying property, so a sale is a common reason for a refused renewal. One agency guide says the visa is usually dealt with before the deed is transferred and that you can sometimes move it to a new qualifying property by proving that you are buying one.

Family members may not keep their status on the same basis, and sources disagree on the term of the visa (five or ten years). The advisory blogs we read are not official guidance, so ask the Dubai residency authority (GDRFA) in writing before you list. For the visa routes see the Dubai Golden Visa article.

Getting the money out

Receiving the money is a banking step, not a land registry step. One blog says the UAE does not impose exit controls on dirham proceeds and that the limits come from the receiving side: your home bank's checks, documents and exchange costs. We could not confirm this against an official source.

Banks ask for the sale agreement, the title transfer record and a statement showing the receipt. A reported anti-money-laundering rule says proceeds should go to a UAE account in the same name as the title deed; we could not verify it, so ask the trustee office how payment is made at the appointment (often a manager's cheque or transfer to the seller's account).

If you hold a Russian, Belarusian, Kazakh or Ukrainian passport, expect enhanced checks. One report, sourced to a business outlet and not confirmed to a primary source, says a large UAE bank has begun restricting investment accounts of Russian clients. Keep the purchase documents, the proof of source of funds from the day you bought and the sale papers together. See bank checks for Russian citizens and repatriating money after selling abroad.

Tax in brief

For an individual there is no personal income tax and no capital gains tax on a Dubai property sale. The costs above are not taxes on the gain. Your home country may still tax the gain; read Dubai sale tax and fees and taxes when selling abroad by country.

Common mistakes

• Signing a listing agreement without checking its length and exclusivity.
• Letting the NOC expire before the trustee office appointment.
• Forgetting unpaid service charges, which block the NOC.
• Selling an off-plan unit before the paid-share threshold in your agreement is met.
• Selling the property behind a visa without asking the residency authority first.
• Having no clear plan for where the proceeds will land and what documents the receiving bank will ask for.

Checklist and approximate timing

• Week 0: collect the title deed or Oqood papers, service charge statement, mortgage letters and passport; choose a licensed broker.
• Weeks 1-4: listing, viewings, price, memorandum with the 10% deposit.
• Weeks 3-6: NOC, mortgage settlement letters, trustee office booking.
• Weeks 5-10: trustee appointment, DLD fees, new title deed, payment.
• After: visa position, transfer of the proceeds, tax reporting at home.

These weeks are our estimate for a ready property, not a legal timeline.

FAQ

Can I sell a Dubai apartment without being in Dubai? Our search found no rule that requires your presence, but the formalities for a power of attorney were not confirmed. Ask the trustee office what it accepts before signing.

Who pays the 4% DLD fee? Usually the buyer, but the split is negotiable and is written in the memorandum of understanding.

Is there capital gains tax on a Dubai sale? Not for an individual. Your home country may tax the gain, so check there.

Can I sell an off-plan unit? Only with the developer's consent, and often only after 30-40% of the price has been paid. Your sale and purchase agreement sets the rule.

What happens to my Golden Visa if I sell? Sources say it generally cannot be kept on the sold property. Ask the residency authority in writing before you list.