How It Works getting a UAE mortgage

The whole process, start to keys, and exactly what we do at each step — commission-free.

Buying with a mortgage in the UAE follows the same six steps whether you are a resident, an expat or buying from overseas. Most of the delay people experience comes from doing them out of order — usually finding the property before knowing what a bank will actually lend. Here is the sequence that works, and what we handle for you.

The six steps

1. Know your real budget

Before viewing anything, establish what a bank will lend against your income, existing commitments and residency. This is governed by your debt burden ratio. Current CBUAE guidance describes maximums of 50% of monthly income for expatriates and 60% for UAE nationals, including the new mortgage; individual banks may apply tighter limits. Check what you can borrow → · Check your DBR →

2. Get pre-approved

A pre-approval is a bank's written confirmation of how much it will lend you. Validity is lender-specific, commonly 60 days, with some banks between 30 and 90. It converts your budget from an estimate into a commitment, and it is what lets you negotiate properly. We package the file and put it to the bank most likely to approve your profile, rather than scattering applications and leaving credit enquiries across your AECB record. What pre-approval involves →

3. Find the property and sign the MOU

Once you have agreed a price, buyer and seller sign the Memorandum of Understanding, known as Contract F in Dubai, and you provide a deposit that is conventionally 10% of the price, given as a security cheque held by the registered broker until the transfer completes. How the MOU works →

4. Valuation

Your bank instructs its own valuer. This matters more than most buyers expect: the bank lends against the valuation, not the price you agreed, so a valuation below the agreed price means finding the difference in cash. We flag this risk before you commit wherever we can.

5. Final offer letter and NOC

The bank issues its Final Offer Letter with the confirmed rate and terms. In parallel the seller obtains a No Objection Certificate from the developer confirming there are no outstanding service charges. More on the developer NOC →

6. Transfer

Everyone meets at a registration trustee office. The bank releases funds, the seller is paid, the Dubai Land Department fee is settled and the title deed is issued in your name with the mortgage registered against it. What happens at the trustee office → · Your title deed →

What it costs

Budget roughly 7 to 8% of the property price in one-time costs on top of your deposit: the Dubai Land Department transfer fee, the bank's processing fee, valuation, trustee office fee and agency commission. Full cost breakdown → · The DLD fee explained →

What we do, and what it costs you

We compare the banks we cover against your actual profile, not the advertised headline rate.
We package and submit the file, then manage it through valuation, offer letter and transfer.
Free to you. We are paid by the bank on completion. You never pay us a fee. How broker fees work in the UAE →
One advisor stays on your file from first call to title deed.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get a mortgage in the UAE?

From a complete file, pre-approval typically takes three to five working days and the full journey from accepted offer to keys usually runs four to eight weeks. The two things that stretch it most are incomplete documents at the start and waiting on a mortgaged seller's liability letter or the developer's No Objection Certificate.

Does it cost me anything to use a mortgage broker in the UAE?

Not with Mortgease. We are paid by the bank on completion, so our advice and the whole application process are free to you. You still pay the bank's own processing fee, the valuation fee and the standard government charges.

Do I need pre-approval before I start viewing property?

It is strongly advisable. Pre-approval tells you the real budget a bank will support rather than the one a calculator suggests, and agents treat pre-approved buyers more seriously. Validity is lender-specific, commonly 60 days, with some banks between 30 and 90.

Can I apply to more than one bank at the same time?

You can, but multiple simultaneous applications leave multiple credit enquiries on your AECB record, which can work against you. We compare the banks first and submit to the one most likely to approve your profile on the best terms.

Full stage-by-stage timeline → · Mortgage calculator → · Compare rates → · All guides →