Dubai Marina · Apartment
Example project: apartment in Dubai Marina
- Project status
- Off-plan
Property investment in Dubai
Dubai property, chosen with a clear view
DACHMA Advisory supports buyers and investors from Germany, Austria and Switzerland – from a first assessment and project selection through to the next steps. Personal, transparent and without promises of returns.
For the DACH regionAdvice in German and English, with your starting point in mind.
Selected projectsA small, reasoned selection rather than a listings portal.
Clear rolesWe advise and coordinate. Legal and tax questions go to qualified professionals.
Open communicationCosts, remuneration and risks are on the table before any decision.
Context
What to examine before investing in Dubai
Dubai is not a sure thing. Anyone buying here should understand the market, the location, the property type and the legal framework – and their own tax position at home.
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A dynamic, cyclical market
Dubai’s property market is liquid and international – and it fluctuates. Prices and rents can rise sharply, and fall just as sharply.
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Rental demand varies by location
Demand differs widely by district, property type and specification. Vacancy and falling rents belong in every calculation.
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Infrastructure
Airports, metro, roads and new districts shape the quality of a location – today and in ten years’ time.
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Districts with their own logic
Downtown, Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah or family-oriented villa communities: each location attracts different occupiers.
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Property types
Apartments, townhouses and villas – completed or off-plan. Each has its own costs, timelines and risks.
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Ownership for foreign buyers
Foreign buyers can acquire freehold ownership in designated areas. Ownership is registered with the Dubai Land Department.
Key figures
The facts at a glance
Six figures for context – each with its source and date.
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6.6%
Gross rental yield, apartments
Average for Q3 2026 according to Cavendish Maxwell. Before costs, vacancy and tax.
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4.9%
Gross rental yield, villas and townhouses
Average for Q3 2026 according to Cavendish Maxwell, slightly lower than the previous quarter.
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AED 917 bn
Property transactions in 2025
More than 270,000 transactions according to the Dubai Land Department (Dubai Media Office, 12 January 2026).
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−47%
Value of residential sales, Q3 2026
Compared with Q3 2025, according to Cavendish Maxwell. The market cooled markedly in 2026.
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4%
Registration fee
Dubai Land Department fee on the purchase price; in practice usually borne by the buyer.
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0%
Personal income tax in the UAE
Tax liability in your country of residence remains. There is no double-taxation agreement with Germany.
Gross rental yield: annual rent relative to purchase price – before purchase costs, service charges, management, vacancy and tax. These are averages published by a consultancy, not official statistics and not a promise for any individual property. Past figures are no guide to future income.
The legal and tax framework
- Ownership: Under Law No. 7 of 2006, foreign nationals may acquire freehold, or rights of use for up to 99 years, in designated areas. The Dubai Land Department (DLD) confirms a plot’s status.
- Registration fee: 4% of the purchase price. By law seller and buyer share it equally unless agreed otherwise; in practice usually the buyer.
- Off-plan: Payments go into a project escrow account (Law No. 8 of 2007). This reduces certain risks; it guarantees neither completion nor refund.
- Financing: The Central Bank caps mortgages for expatriates at 60% of value for investment properties and 50% off-plan. Lending to buyers living abroad is the bank’s decision.
- 2025 market, 2026 situation: For 2025 the DLD reported over 270,000 transactions worth AED 917 billion (Dubai Media Office, 12 January 2026). Since late February 2026 the region has been affected by an armed conflict; on 17 July 2026 the IMF described moderated real-estate activity and elevated uncertainty. Official travel advice has since been restrictive; flight schedules were disrupted in 2026. Check your foreign ministry’s current advice before travelling (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).
- Currency: The dirham is pegged to the US dollar (AED 3.6725 per US dollar, Central Bank, September 2026). Buyers thinking in euros or Swiss francs carry the exchange-rate risk. A peg is a policy, not a guarantee.
- Tax: The UAE does not currently levy personal income tax on individuals; taxation in your country of residence is separate. Germany has had no double taxation agreement with the UAE in force since 31 December 2021; Austria and Switzerland each have a recently revised one.
What this means: the legal framework is clear; the 2026 market is not. Past transaction volumes say nothing about future prices or rents. Take tax advice in your country of residence before you buy.
Figures and legal statements on this website are given with their source and date. They do not replace legal or tax advice.
Our support
How we support you
We do not start with a property. We start with your plans.
- Understanding your needs
- Use, budget, time horizon and appetite for risk: we establish what you want to achieve – and what does not suit you.
- Selecting projects
- We compare suitable projects and explain location, developer, terms and open questions.
- Supporting the purchase steps
- We coordinate documents, appointments and contacts, and explain each step clearly.
- Referring you to professionals
- For legal, tax and financing questions we refer you to qualified, independent professionals.
DACHMA Advisory advises, introduces and coordinates. We do not provide legal, tax or financing advice, and we guarantee neither returns nor capital growth.
Projects
Selected projects in Dubai
A deliberately small selection. Each project page shows only information we hold and have checked.
Example content: this project is fictitious and shown for illustration only. It is not an available offer.
Downtown Dubai · Apartment
Example project: completed apartment in Downtown Dubai
- Project status
- Completed
Dubai Hills Estate · Villa
Example project: villa in Dubai Hills Estate
- Project status
- Under construction
How it works
Four steps to a well-founded decision
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First conversation
No obligation, by phone or video: we get to know your plans and answer first questions.
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Project and budget
We clarify use, budget including purchase costs, financing and time horizon.
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Relevant options
You receive a reasoned selection with pros and cons – and the points still to be verified.
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Next steps
Reservation, contract, registration: we support the steps you agree with us.
Transparency
Trust comes from clarity
Buying property abroad is a far-reaching decision. You should know where you stand with us.
- What we disclose
- Scope of service, fees and any remuneration we know of from developers or sellers – before any commitment.
- What we check
- An initial plausibility check of project, developer and documents. The final legal review rests with qualified professionals.
- What you should verify
- Registration of the project and escrow account with the Dubai Land Department, contract terms, total costs and the tax consequences in your country of residence.
- What we do not promise
- No guaranteed return, no certain capital growth, no automatic tax advantage and no automatic right of residence.
Guide
Knowledge for your decision
Buying process, costs, forms of ownership, tax: explained factually, with sources and dates.
Buying and ownership
Buying property in Dubai as a foreigner: what the law allows
Foreign nationals can acquire property in Dubai, but only in designated areas and only by registration. What the law settles, and what you need to check yourself.
Buying and ownership
The buying process in Dubai: steps for a completed property and for off-plan
From the sale contract to the title deed: the steps for a completed property and for an off-plan purchase, and which of them are law and which are market practice.
Costs and financing
Purchase costs in Dubai: fees, ongoing costs and mortgage caps
Which fees arise when you buy in Dubai, which are fixed by law and which are merely market practice, and which costs continue after the purchase.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy property in Dubai as a foreigner living in Germany, Austria or Switzerland?
Dubai law allows foreign nationals to acquire property in areas designated for that purpose (Law No. 7 of 2006, Art. 4). The text of the law turns on nationality and the location of the plot, not on where the buyer lives. Before making any commitment, have the Dubai Land Department confirm that the specific plot lies in a designated area.
What is the difference between freehold and leasehold?
Freehold is ownership without time restriction; foreign nationals can acquire it only in designated areas. Leasehold and usufruct are rights to use another party’s property for no more than 99 years. Both are registered with the Dubai Land Department.
What costs arise, and what are the steps of a purchase?
The Dubai Land Department’s registration fee is 4% of the purchase price; by law it is shared between seller and buyer unless agreed otherwise, and in practice the buyer usually bears it. There are also fixed fees, such as AED 250 for the title deed, and, where applicable, an agent’s commission that is market practice rather than a legal rate. For a completed property the transfer is carried out at a registration trustee office and becomes valid only once it is entered in the register. For an off-plan purchase the developer enters the sale in the interim register (Oqood), and payments go into the project’s escrow account.
Which risks should I be aware of, including the current situation?
Since late February 2026 the region has been affected by an armed conflict; in July 2026 the IMF described real-estate activity as having moderated, with elevated uncertainty. Rating agencies also point to a large pipeline of new apartments and to price corrections in some segments. Add to that currency risk, the risks of buying off-plan and changes to the rules. Please check the current advice of your foreign ministry before travelling.
How are rental income and sale gains taxed?
The UAE does not currently levy personal income tax on individuals; that describes the UAE side only. Germany has had no double taxation agreement with the UAE in force since 31 December 2021, and people resident in Germany are generally taxed there on their worldwide income. Austria and Switzerland each have a recently revised agreement. In all three countries the tax treatment depends on your personal situation; please clarify it with a tax adviser before you buy.
Does buying a property give me a residence visa?
No, not automatically. Owning property can, under conditions set by the authorities, support a visa application; as published by the federal authority ICP (read in November 2026), the ten-year Golden Residence for real-estate investors requires property worth at least AED 2 million. A visa is a separate application and can be refused, and conditions change; they must be confirmed with the authority at the time of application.
How does DACHMA Advisory work, and how is it paid?
We start by understanding what you need, select and compare projects, and accompany the steps of the purchase. For legal, tax and financing matters we refer you to qualified, independent professionals. Before you commit to anything, we disclose our scope of work, our fees and any remuneration from developers that is known to us.
First conversation, no obligation
Let’s talk about your plans in Dubai
Tell us in a few lines what you have in mind. We will get back to you, clarify your goals and tell you plainly what we can do for you – and what we cannot.