# Expat Mortgage in Dubai: Documents, Deposit & Fees | Tahani Real Estate Canonical URL: https://tahanirealestate.com/insights/dubai-mortgage-expat-guide/ Publisher: Tahani Real Estate Brokers LLC Content observed at: 2026-11-03T05:02:10+00:00 Expat mortgage documents for Dubai and the UAE, financing categories and a corrected AED 2 million deposit example. Current CBUAE, DLD and lender references. Call Tahani+971 50 222 6349 Tahani Real Estate Listings Insights Home » Insights » Expat Mortgage in Dubai: Documents, Deposit & Fees # Expat Mortgage in Dubai: Documents, Deposit & Fees By Hammad Roshan, CEO · Tahani Real Estate Brokers · Published 2026-05-17 Updated 23 October 2026. Official references checked on this date. Start with documents and cash needed. For an expat mortgage in Dubai, obtain the lender’s current eligibility checklist, confirm how much it will lend against the chosen property, and budget the deposit separately from transaction costs. Approval, rates and timelines depend on the lender and application. ## Expat mortgage documents: a lender-specific checklist Emirates NBD’s published application checklist is one concrete example, rather than a rule for every UAE bank: - Passport, residence visa and Emirates ID copies. - Salary certificate addressed to the bank; its page requests three months’ payslips when salary varies by more than 10%. - Six months of bank statements and proof of address. - For self-employed applicants: trade licence, two years of audited reports and the listed company ownership/incorporation documents. - Additional property or existing-loan documents for the relevant application type. Check the bank’s live list before sending documents. Use the bank’s secure application channel; do not post financial documents in a public inquiry. Ask how it treats variable income, probation, non-resident status and any overseas liabilities. ## Understand financing limits before choosing a price The CBUAE mortgage regulations distinguish borrower and property categories. For expatriates they list maximum financing of 80% for a first owner-occupied home below AED 5 million, 70% above AED 5 million, and 60% for a second/subsequent home or investment property. Off-plan mortgages have a 50% maximum across categories. Confirm the treatment of a property priced exactly at the threshold with the lender. These are ceilings; a lender may offer less. The same regulations set a maximum debt-burden ratio of 50% and a maximum loan term of 25 years. A personal affordability check should leave room for living costs and changing payments, rather than treating a regulatory maximum as a target. ## AED 2 million example: deposit comes before fees Illustrative arithmetic only; assumed loan, not bank approval Item80% financing assumption75% financing assumption Purchase priceAED 2,000,000AED 2,000,000 Assumed loanAED 1,600,000AED 1,500,000 Deposit before feesAED 400,000AED 500,000 The previous AED 140,000–180,000 combined deposit-and-cost example was incorrect. Even the deposit alone in these scenarios is higher. Obtain a complete completion statement before making a financial commitment. ## Separate purchase costs from borrowing costs DLD’s mortgage-registration service lists a charge of 0.25% of the mortgage value, with other title, service-partner and applicable fees. A hypothetical AED 1.6 million mortgage therefore produces AED 4,000 for that percentage component alone; it is not the full transaction bill. Separately, DLD’s property-sale service lists seller and buyer registration components of 2% each. Confirm the allocation in the agreed transaction and ask the trustee for the complete fee statement. Obtain written figures for bank processing/valuation, brokerage, developer clearance and other applicable charges; avoid a single assumed percentage for every purchase. ## Compare written offers and plan the sequence - Confirm resident/non-resident eligibility, income evidence and available deposit with the lender. - Request indicative terms and pre-approval conditions before choosing a property budget. - Check the property’s lending eligibility and valuation with the bank. - Compare the fixed period, later reference rate and margin, fees, repayment schedule and early settlement terms. - Confirm final approval, transaction funds and registration arrangements with the relevant parties before completion. A developer payment plan is a separate arrangement; do not assume its final instalment will qualify for mortgage finance. A brokerage inquiry is not a mortgage offer. ## Choose the next step Compare investment locations, model a rental property’s operating yield, or tell Tahani your property requirements. Confirm financing directly with your lender. ## Frequently asked questions What documents do expats need for a UAE mortgage? Ask your chosen lender for its current checklist. A resident applicant may need passport, residence visa, Emirates ID, income evidence and bank statements. Salaried and self-employed applicants have different requirements; the lender example below is specific to Emirates NBD. How much is the deposit on an AED 2 million home? If a lender approves a loan equal to 80% of an AED 2 million purchase, the loan is AED 1.6 million and the deposit is AED 400,000 before fees. At 75% financing the deposit is AED 500,000. This is arithmetic, not an approval or quotation. Is mortgage registration capped at AED 10,000? The DLD mortgage-registration page checked on 23 October 2026 lists 0.25% of the mortgage value plus other applicable fees. It does not state the AED 10,000 cap previously quoted in this guide. Can I rely on an advertised rate or pre-approval? Request a dated written lender quotation and confirm the conditions for final approval. Compare the introductory period, later rate calculation, valuation, fees and early settlement terms before committing. Written by Hammad Roshan — CEO, Tahani Real Estate Brokers LLC, Dubai. RERA-licensed brokerage · ORN 25557 · LinkedIn This article is one of a series of Dubai real-estate guides from Tahani Real Estate Brokers LLC. Browse all: insights.