Dubai Mortgage Basics for Foreign Buyers: Down Payments, Rates, and Eligibility
The regulator sets the floor, not your bank
The UAE Central Bank (CBUAE) publishes ceiling rules for mortgage lending — a bank can be stricter than these, never looser. Here's what actually governs how much you can borrow.
Minimum down payment
| Buyer | Property ≤ AED 5M | Property > AED 5M |
|---|---|---|
| UAE national | 15% | 25% |
| Expat / foreign resident | 20% | 30% |
Off-plan property is different: regardless of nationality, CBUAE caps off-plan loan-to-value at 50% — you need at least a 50% down payment (though much of that can be paid to the developer in stages before completion, not necessarily as one lump sum).
How much you can borrow
Two caps apply, and the lower one wins:
- Income multiple: your loan can't exceed 7× your annual income (expat) or 8× (UAE national).
- Debt-burden ratio (DBR): your total monthly debt payments (including the new mortgage) can't exceed 50% of your monthly income — up to 60% is permitted for earners above AED 40,000/month.
Worked example
An expat earning AED 30,000/month buying a ready (not off-plan) AED 2,000,000 apartment:
- Minimum down payment: 20% × AED 2,000,000 = AED 400,000
- Loan needed: AED 1,600,000
- Income cap: 7 × AED 360,000/year = AED 2,520,000 — not binding here
- DBR cap: 50% × AED 30,000 = AED 15,000/month maximum debt service, which at a typical rate over 25 years supports well over AED 1,600,000 — also not binding
So the binding constraint here is simply the down payment. Run your own income, existing debts, and target price through our mortgage & affordability calculator — it applies these exact CBUAE caps.
Before you talk to a bank
Get pre-approved before you start viewing property seriously — it tells you your real budget and signals to sellers/developers that you're a credible buyer. These figures are regulatory ceilings sourced from CBUAE guidance and can be revised; confirm exact current terms with your lender.