To buy off-plan property in Dubai as an individual, you mainly need a valid passport (or UAE ID if you are a resident), the signed sale and purchase agreement, and evidence of where your money comes from. Companies, mortgage buyers and visa applicants need more. This guide lists the documents DLD asks for at each step, what you receive back, and how to keep them safe.
For most individual buyers, the core documents are a valid passport (or UAE ID if you live in the UAE), the signed sale and purchase agreement (SPA), and evidence of where your money comes from. Joint buyers, companies, mortgage buyers and visa applicants need more. The lists below are based on the Dubai Land Department’s (DLD) published service requirements. Developers and banks can ask for more, so always get their checklist in writing.
Identity. DLD’s off-plan registration service, called Oqood, lists for individuals:
For a ready property, DLD’s sale registration uses the Emirates ID of the seller and the buyer, or a valid passport for non-resident foreigners. See DLD’s initial sale registration service and property sale registration service.
Check that your passport will stay valid through the purchase. Use your name exactly as it appears in your passport on every form.
Address and contact details. Developers may ask for a residential address and an email address. DLD sends the Oqood registration certificate to the purchaser by email, so use an address you check.
Source of funds. Expect the developer, any bank and your broker to ask where the money comes from. Useful evidence includes:
If you are sending money from abroad, your bank at home may ask for the same evidence. Our guide to buying remotely explains these checks.
Each joint buyer provides their own identity documents, and each name appears on the SPA and the registration. Agree the names and shares before you sign.
If a buyer is a minor, DLD’s terms say the SPA is signed by the guardian, and a copy of the guardian’s passport or ID is attached. If someone will sign for you, they need a power of attorney. Several DLD services accept an official or legal power of attorney where a representative acts. Have it prepared and attested by a notary or lawyer.
DLD’s Oqood service lists separate document sets by type of company. In summary:
| Company type | Documents DLD lists |
|---|---|
| Sole establishment | Valid trade licence; UAE ID or passport of the licence holder; power of attorney if any |
| Limited liability company | As above, plus the memorandum of association and annexes with a legal translation into Arabic, and a shareholder certificate |
| Foreign company | As above, with the memorandum ratified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a no objection letter from the free zone for a purchase contract |
| GCC company | Trade licence, ID or passport of the licence holder, power of attorney if any, ratified and translated memorandum, shareholder certificate |
Buying through a company has legal and tax consequences. Take advice from a lawyer and a tax adviser first.
Your bank will set its own list for the loan application, which may cover income, identity and bank statements. Our guide to mortgages for off-plan property explains what lenders look at.
For registering the mortgage with DLD, the service lists for individuals:
When the bank files the mortgage electronically, DLD lists only the developer’s no-objection e-certificate. See DLD’s mortgage registration service.
Owning property can support a residence application under criteria set by the authorities. For the Golden Visa as a real estate investor, DLD lists:
If the property is mortgaged, DLD also asks for a no-objection letter from the bank showing the amount paid and the balance. DLD’s terms add that the applicant must be inside the UAE. Family members have their own document lists. See DLD’s Golden Visa investor service and our guide to the Golden Visa through property.
Keep these together. You will need them to track the purchase, to register a lease, to apply for residence and to sell.
| Document | When you get it |
|---|---|
| Booking form and receipt | When you reserve the unit |
| Signed SPA | After both you and the developer sign |
| Oqood provisional registration e-certificate | After the developer registers the sale on DLD’s interim register under Dubai Law No. 13 of 2008 on the interim real estate register, as amended in 2020 |
| Payment receipts | After each instalment is paid into the escrow account |
| Electronic title deed and map | After completion and transfer of the property into your name |
For a ready property, DLD’s sale registration issues an electronic title deed and map. Our guide to the off-plan buying process shows where each document fits.
No one handling your purchase needs your online banking password or one-time codes. When you share documents with us, use the channel we agree with you. Our privacy policy explains how we handle personal data. Every consultation is free, with no obligation. See our remote buying service for how we coordinate paperwork with buyers abroad.
At booking, developers may ask for a copy of your passport, your UAE ID if you have one, and contact details, along with the booking form and first payment. For DLD's Oqood registration, the developer files a copy of the signed sale and purchase agreement and your ID or passport. Each developer sets its own booking checklist, so ask for it in writing.
No. DLD's registration services accept a passport for non-resident buyers. If you live in the UAE, DLD uses your Emirates ID. Some later services, such as residence applications, have their own requirements, and the Golden Visa service asks for a UAE ID if you have one.
It is proof of where the money for the purchase comes from, such as salary statements, bank statements showing savings, a sale agreement for another asset, or proof of a gift or inheritance. Developers, banks and brokers may ask for it as part of their checks. Banks sending money abroad may ask for it too.
Official sources used on this page. Each was checked on the date shown.
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