You do not need residency, a visa, or even to have set foot in the UAE to buy property here — a valid passport is enough. What you do need to understand is where foreigners can own, and what kind of title you’re actually getting, because both change by emirate.
Abu Dhabi: full freehold in the investment zones
Since Law No. 13 of 2019, foreign nationals — individuals and foreign-owned companies — can hold full freehold title, including the land, inside Abu Dhabi’s designated investment zones, and can mortgage and resell it freely. The official list on the UAE government portal:
- →Yas Island · Saadiyat Island · Al Reem Island · Al Maryah Island
- →Al Raha Beach · Masdar City · Al Reef · Lulu Island · Sayh Al Sedairah
- →Newer master communities (Hudayriyat, Fahid Island, Al Jurf, Ramhan and others) are marketed with the same investment-zone treatment — verify the zone designation on your specific title via DARI before signing.
Outside the investment zones, ownership of Abu Dhabi land is reserved for UAE nationals. “Anywhere in the emirate” offers from any seller should be treated with suspicion.
Not all Abu Dhabi titles are freehold — know the four forms
All four register with ADREC through the DARI platform — Abu Dhabi’s registrar since late 2023. The word on the title deed matters more than the word in the brochure.
- →Freehold — permanent ownership of unit and land. Foreigners: investment zones only.
- →99-year ownership deed — full rights over the apartment or floor, excluding the underlying land.
- →Usufruct (99 years) — the right to use and enjoy the property, not to alter it.
- →Musataha (50 years, renewable) — the right to build on and alter land you don’t own; common for development plays.
Dubai: the designated-areas system
Dubai opened freehold to foreigners under Law No. 7 of 2006 with Regulation 3 of 2006 naming the designated areas by plot — Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, Downtown, Emirates Hills, JVC and the other master communities among them. The map keeps expanding: in January 2025, 457 plots on Sheikh Zayed Road and in Al Jaddaf were opened to freehold conversion for all nationalities.
Registration sits with the Dubai Land Department. The transfer fee is 4% of price (legally split half-half; in practice buyers usually absorb it) plus trustee-office fees of AED 2,000–4,000 + VAT depending on price band.
The northern emirates — including a first for Umm Al Quwain
- →Ras Al Khaimah — freehold for all nationalities in designated zones: Al Marjan Island, Al Hamra Village, Mina Al Arab. The Wynn resort effect has made this the fastest-moving market outside Dubai.
- →Sharjah — historically 100-year usufruct for non-Arab foreigners in approved projects (Aljada, Maryam Island, Masaar). Since Law No. 2 of 2022 the framework was updated and approved projects can carry stronger tenure for all nationalities — check the title type on your specific project.
- →Ajman — freehold in designated master communities (Al Zorah, Emirates City and others); confirm zone status per project.
- →Umm Al Quwain — historically 99-year leasehold, but since the October 2024 launch of Sobha’s Siniya Island, foreign buyers there are offered freehold title — the emirate’s first mainstream freehold play.
Taxes, fees and what happens when you’re gone
- →No annual property tax, no capital-gains tax, no inheritance tax on UAE residential property; residential resales carry no VAT.
- →Abu Dhabi transfer/registration: 2% (often split 1%/1%) — half of Dubai’s 4%.
- →Inheritance: since Federal Decree-Law 41 of 2022, Sharia rules no longer apply by default to non-Muslims — but register a UAE will anyway (DIFC Wills for Dubai assets; the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department for Abu Dhabi assets). A home-country will alone can face recognition delays.
- →AED 2M+ purchases in either emirate qualify you for the 10-year Golden Visa — see our dedicated guide.
Questions buyers ask
Can I buy in Abu Dhabi without living in the UAE?+
Yes. Overseas buyers of any nationality can purchase with a valid passport — no visa needed — within the designated investment zones: Yas Island, Saadiyat, Al Reem, Al Maryah, Al Raha Beach, Al Reef, Masdar City, Lulu Island and Sayh Al Sedairah, plus the newer master communities marketed under the same regime.
What’s the difference between freehold, usufruct and musataha?+
Freehold is permanent ownership of unit and land. Usufruct (up to 99 years) is the right to use and enjoy but not alter. Musataha (50 years, renewable) is the right to build on and alter someone else’s land. In Abu Dhabi all of them are registered titles through ADREC/DARI — always check which one your contract actually grants.
Is Abu Dhabi really cheaper to transact than Dubai?+
On government fees, yes: Abu Dhabi’s registration fee is 2% of price versus Dubai’s 4% plus trustee fees — and in Dubai market practice the buyer usually absorbs the full 4%. Neither emirate has an annual property tax.
Does buying property get me residency?+
A property of AED 2 million or more is the route people mean when they say “the Golden Visa” — the Dubai Land Department describes a 10-year renewable permit at that threshold, though the government portal’s summary table currently shows five years for real-estate investors. Our Golden Visa guide covers the conflict and how to confirm your own case.
What happens to my UAE property when I die?+
Since 2022, Sharia inheritance no longer applies by default to non-Muslims, but UAE property still passes through UAE procedures. Register a will where your property is: DIFC Wills Service Centre for Dubai assets, Abu Dhabi Judicial Department for Abu Dhabi assets.
Can foreigners buy freehold outside Dubai and Abu Dhabi?+
Yes — RAK offers full freehold on Al Marjan Island, Al Hamra Village and Mina Al Arab; Ajman in designated communities; and since late 2024, Siniya Island in Umm Al Quwain. Sharjah’s approved projects carry their own tenure forms — check per project.
Sources
- · UAE Government Portal — Expatriates buying property in the UAE
- · Abu Dhabi Law No. 13 of 2019 — the 2019 amendment, summarised on the government portal
- · ADREC — Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, the emirate’s property registrar
- · Dubai Land Department
- · DIFC Courts — Wills Service
- · DIFC Courts — property will
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules change — verify current requirements with the relevant authority or a licensed advisor before acting. Last reviewed 6 September 2026.