What ID does a non-resident buyer need?

DLD registers a sale using both parties' Emirates IDs, and a non-resident can show a valid passport instead. The Emirates ID is checked for identification only and no copy is taken.

What does the seller bring to transfer?

For a freehold unit, the developer's e-NOC, which is issued through Dubai REST. If the unit is mortgaged, a liability letter from the bank, or a developer letter with the remaining balance. If someone acts for the seller, a power of attorney.

Which documents do banks ask for with a mortgage?

That depends on the bank and on your status. Commercial Bank of Dubai, for example, asks salaried applicants for a passport, visa and Emirates ID, three months of bank statements and a salary certificate. Self-employed applicants are asked for the trade licence, company documents, and 12 months of company and personal statements.

Can I buy through a company?

Yes, once the company is registered with DLD. For an LLC, DLD asks for a translated Memorandum of Association and a shareholder certificate, among other things. Foreign companies have extra requirements.

Documents to Buy Property in Dubai: Cash and Mortgage

Buying a Dubai apartment in cash takes surprisingly little paperwork on your side. You need proof of identity and the money in the right form, and the seller handles most of the rest. A mortgage changes the picture. The bank checks you, the property and the seller, so the list gets several times longer. I've put everything below by role, with links to the official DLD and bank requirements, so you can use it as a checklist.

At a glance: who brings what

Party	Cash resale deal	Mortgage deal
Buyer	Emirates ID or passport, payment	The same, plus the bank pack and mortgage contracts
Seller	Title Deed, developer e-NOC	The same, plus a bank liability letter if the unit is mortgaged
Broker	Contracts A, B and F in the DLD system	The same
Buyer's bank	—	Approval, valuation, letter to DLD, mortgage contracts

Buyer: cash purchase

Individuals

To register a sale, DLD ↗ uses the Emirates IDs of the seller and the buyer. They're checked for identification only, and nobody takes a copy. If you're a non-resident, a valid passport works instead.

On top of your ID you'll need:

Contract F, the unified sale contract. Your broker prepares it in the DLD system, and I explain it in Forms A, B and F.
Payment, which at transfer usually means manager's cheques. If the seller has a mortgage, DLD expects separate cheques: one to the seller's bank for the debt, one to the seller for the balance, and one to DLD for the 4% fee.
A power of attorney if someone attends the transfer for you. According to the DLD FAQ, a purchase power of attorney is valid for five years from notarisation. If you sign one outside the UAE, it has to be legalised in the issuing country, at the UAE embassy, and at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

No UAE bank account? Read Safe payment: manager's cheques and conveyancing before you move any money.

Companies

You can also buy through a company. DLD's condition is simple: an unregistered entity first goes through company registration with DLD.

What you submit depends on the company type. For purchases from a developer, DLD ↗ lists:

for a sole establishment, the trade licence, the licence holder's ID or passport, and a power of attorney if relevant;
for an LLC, the same documents plus a translated Memorandum of Association with annexes and a shareholder certificate;
a foreign company also needs an attested Arabic translation of the Memorandum and a free zone NOC for the purchase, valid for one year.

Company requirements change more often than the rules for individuals, so I always confirm the list with a Trustee office before anyone signs.

Buyer: off-plan from a developer

This one is easier. The developer registers the sale in Oqood through the DLD portal, and you sign the sale and purchase agreement. For individuals, DLD asks for:

the sale and purchase contract signed by the developer and the buyer;
a valid Emirates ID;
a valid passport for non-residents.

The contract has to go into the provisional register within 90 days of signing. If the buyer is a minor, the guardian signs and attaches their own ID.

If you're not sure what Oqood actually does, start with What is Oqood.

Seller

On resale, most of the paperwork sits with the seller. I go through it before Contract F is signed, because I'd rather find a problem then than a week before transfer.

Title Deed, the proof of ownership. I also use it to look up the service charge in the DLD index.
Emirates ID or passport.
Developer e-NOC for freehold units, issued through the Dubai REST app.
Liability letter from the bank if the unit is mortgaged. If a payment plan is still open, the developer issues a letter with the remaining amount instead. DLD requires this to register the sale of a mortgaged property ↗.
Power of attorney, if someone acts for the seller. DLD says a sale power of attorney is valid for two years.

When the seller owes the developer arrears and penalties, the NOC turns into a separate job. I cover how that gets resolved in Developer NOC with arrears and penalties.

From my practice. A buyer refinanced his own mortgaged apartment and put part of the money towards a unit from a developer. That unit still had a post-handover balance and late-payment penalties. We had the penalties included in the developer's statement of account. The bank's valuation came in low, so LTV was 50% instead of the expected 60%, and the buyer covered the difference with an additional loan. The deal took two and a half months and closed successfully.

Mortgage: what the bank asks for

There's no single list. Every bank publishes its own, and nearly all of them end with a line saying additional documents may be required. Two official lists give you a reasonable idea.

Salaried in the UAE

Commercial Bank of Dubai ↗ asks for:

an application form, plus consent and authorisation for a credit bureau check;
national ID or a valid passport, residence visa and Emirates ID;
for new customers, original bank statements for three months;
a salary certificate.

Self-employed

Self-employed applicants at the same bank provide:

the application form, authorisation for lending and consent for a bureau check;
copies of the trade licence, Chamber of Commerce registration, and Memorandum and Articles of Association;
for new customers, original company and personal bank statements for 12 months.

Company documents get the closest look of anything a bank reviews. I go into this in Mortgage for business owners.

From my practice. One client had already been turned down by a bank. We brought in trusted partner mortgage brokers, and they worked through his company documents. He was approved at 70% LTV and is buying a 3BR at Peninsula Four in Business Bay. We chose the layout well before handover, because in tower A the view is partly blocked by tower B.

Non-residents

Mashreq ↗, for example, asks non-residents for an application form, a passport and the latest three months of bank statements. It lends up to 50% of fair market value, as set by an independent valuer the bank approves. More in Dubai mortgage for non-residents.

Credit history

Almost every bank wants your consent to a credit bureau check. In the UAE that bureau is AECB. When you sign, you let the bank see your loans and how you've repaid them. I explain what moves the score in AECB credit score.

Mortgage: documents for DLD registration

After approval, the mortgage is registered with DLD. For an individual going through a Trustee office, DLD ↗ lists:

a letter from the lending bank;
three bank-certified copies of the mortgage contract signed by both parties;
the owner's Emirates ID, or a passport for non-residents;
a developer e-NOC for properties still in provisional (off-plan) registration;
a power of attorney if a representative acts.

In many cases the bank registers the mortgage itself through DLD's online system. You then prepare the requirements with the bank, and the documents arrive by email.

If you're buying from a developer with a mortgage, DLD adds a bank letter with the mortgage amount and date, plus the same three signed contracts.

Where deals get stuck

Your passport expires before transfer. A deal can run for weeks, and longer with a mortgage, so check the expiry date at the start.
The names don't match. Your passport, Emirates ID, bank approval and Contract F should spell your name the same way. One extra letter and the documents get redone.
The liability letter is out of date. The seller's balance changes every month, so the letter has to be current on transfer day.
The power of attorney doesn't cover what's needed. If it doesn't give the right to sign the specific document at the Trustee office, your representative will be turned away.
Statements are missing months. Banks ask for a set period. An incomplete statement causes a delay and sometimes a full resubmission.

How I check, in order

Before Contract F, I look at the seller's Title Deed, whether there's a mortgage, any service charge arrears, and NOC timing.
Before we apply to a bank, we work out exactly what it will ask for given your status. The mortgage navigator helps you find your scenario.
Before transfer, I confirm that powers of attorney are legalised, the liability letter is current, and the cheques are made out to the right recipients.

The fees that come with this paperwork, from DLD and the Trustee office to the bank, are covered in Dubai property purchase costs.

If you're unsure which pack applies to you, take the mortgage navigator or message me on WhatsApp. I'll send you a document list for your situation, whether it's cash or a mortgage, in your own name or through a company.