Planning a property buying trip to Dubai

Weeks before: decide what you are looking for

Write down the purpose (own use, family base, rental investment), your all-in budget including fees, and whether you will consider off-plan. Take advice from a qualified tax adviser in your home country before you travel. If you need a mortgage, speak to UAE lenders early about pre-approval as a non-resident; see mortgage pre-approval in Dubai.

Then share your brief with a RERA-licensed agent and ask for a pre-shortlist with DLD sale evidence, service-charge figures and floor plans. Video walk-throughs let you cut weak options before you fly, so your days in Dubai are spent on serious contenders.

Which documents should you bring?

• Passport, with copies.
• Proof of address in your home country.
• Recent bank statements and source-of-funds evidence.
• Any mortgage pre-approval or bank correspondence.
• Documents for opening a UAE bank account, if you plan to; ask the bank in advance what it needs.
• Your home-country adviser's notes.

If you might sign a power of attorney during the trip, ask in advance which notary or court service you would use in Dubai and what they need.

Structuring viewing days

Group viewings by area to avoid wasting time in traffic, and keep each day realistic. Leave time between viewings to write notes and take photographs; after a dozen apartments, they blur together.

Use our property viewing checklist at each unit. Look beyond the apartment: lobby, lifts, parking, gym, pool and how the building is maintained. Visit the community at different times of day if you can, including the evening, to see how it feels and how busy the roads are. For off-plan, visit the site and the developer's completed projects nearby, and verify the project on Dubai REST.

Using the trip for paperwork

Being in Dubai is the best time to do things that are slower from abroad:

• Open a UAE bank account, if eligible.
• Meet mortgage lenders in person.
• Sign a power of attorney in Dubai, which avoids overseas attestation steps.
• Meet a property manager if you will let the property; see management for overseas landlords.
• Meet a conveyancer if you are using one; see conveyancing in Dubai.

How do you make an offer under time pressure?

A short trip can create pressure to commit. Do not let a flight home drive the decision. If you find the right property, you can make an offer, sign Form F and leave the rest to your attorney and agent. If you are unsure, it is better to go home, review the numbers and act within a few days than to buy in a rush.

Read Form F MOU explained before you sign, and check every fee in Dubai property buying costs, including the DLD transfer fee of 4% of the price.

What should you finish before you fly home?

Make sure you leave with:

• A signed Form F or a written plan for next steps.
• An attorney in place, if you will not return for transfer.
• Clear instructions on where funds must be sent and when; see sending money for a Dubai property purchase.
• Contact details for your agent, conveyancer, bank and property manager.

After that, most purchases can complete without you returning.