Buying Property in Dubai from Abroad: The Due Diligence Checklist (2026)

Most of the overseas buyers we advise never stand inside the unit before they pay for it. In Dubai that can be safe. The Dubai Land Department gives you official tools to verify the broker, the advert, the project, the escrow account and the title deed from anywhere in the world.

The buyers who get hurt are rarely the ones who bought the wrong community. They are the ones who skipped a check because the deal felt urgent. This is the due diligence checklist we run for every client buying Dubai property from abroad.

Start with the checks

Install Dubai REST, the official DLD app, before you speak to anyone. Then verify these seven things in order:

1. Check the broker and the advert

Every broker in Dubai must be licensed, and the DLD brokerage practice guide says broker data sits in the Dubai REST app. Ask for the broker’s name and the office registration number (ORN) in writing and check both.

Then scan the Madmoun QR code on the advert. Since 24 April 2023 every property advert in Dubai must carry one. The scan shows the advertising company, the property details and whether the unit is already sold or rented. DLD tells buyers to deal only with adverts that show the code.

• The broker’s name matches the person you speak to.
• The Madmoun scan shows the same unit, building and price you were offered.
• You and your broker sign Contract B, the DLD smart contract between buyer and broker.

2. Check the project before you pay

For off plan property, search the project in the DLD Project Status Enquiry by project name, project number or land number. It shows the completion percentage and is free on the DLD website, in Dubai REST and on DLD WhatsApp at 800 4488. Check it again before every large payment.

Next, the escrow account. Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 requires a separate escrow account for each project, and the developer’s creditors cannot attach the money in it, as Khaleej Times explains. Your payments must go into that account, in the project’s name, and nowhere else.

After you sign, the developer must register your SPA in the interim register under Dubai Law No. 13 of 2008. DLD expects this within 90 days of signing, according to a Mondaq legal review. Ask for the Oqood certificate and verify it in Dubai REST with the contract number and year.

Track records matter too. Our guide on how to check a developer’s delivery record shows you where to look.

3. Check the unit and the seller

For a ready unit, open Dubai REST, choose Title Deed Verification and enter the certificate number, the certificate year, the property type and the owner’s name, as set out in this step by step guide. The name must match the person selling to you.

• If the seller will not sign in person, their power of attorney must verify on an official portal (see section 4).
• If there is a mortgage on the unit, ask for the bank’s liability letter before you sign Contract F.
• Ask for the developer NOC, which confirms there are no unpaid service charges.
• Compare the price with registered sales in the same building, not with other listings.

You can see what buyers actually paid with our guide on how to check Dubai property sold prices.

4. Check the power of attorney

Most remote purchases are signed through a power of attorney. On 16 July 2025 DLD issued Circular 29/R/2025, which tightened the rules for documents issued outside the UAE, as BSA Law reports:

• It must have been issued within the last two years.
• It must name the exact transaction, for example purchase, with your share. Broad wording such as full authority to manage property is refused.
• It must be notarised in your country, legalised by the UAE embassy or consulate and attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• It needs a full Arabic legal translation from a UAE licensed translator if it is not in Arabic.
• The original must be presented. Scans are not accepted.
• It is verified only on the Dubai Courts, Abu Dhabi Courts or Ministry of Justice portals. QR codes are not accepted.

Give the power of attorney to someone on your side: a family member, your lawyer or your own broker. Never to someone introduced by the seller.

5. Check the money

Pay every amount by bank transfer into an account in the name of the developer, the escrow account or the seller. Never pay a reservation into a personal account, including a broker’s.

Confirm bank details by phone on a number you already have before every transfer. Fraudsters copy real emails and change only the account number.

Keep proof of where your money came from. Since 1 July 2022 UAE brokers must report any purchase paid with AED 55,000 or more in cash, or with crypto, through the goAML system under Ministry of Economy Circular 5/2022, as Afridi and Angell summarise.

Budget for the full cost, not just the price. Our guide on how much money you need to buy property in Dubai lists every fee.

Red flags: stop and call before you pay

• The price is far below registered sales in the same building.
• You are asked to pay today, or to send a reservation to a personal account.
• The advert has no Madmoun QR code, or the scan shows a different unit.
• The seller cannot show a title deed that verifies on Dubai REST.
• Payment details change by email or WhatsApp.
• Nobody can give you the project number or the escrow account.

Get the full due diligence checklist

Our 8 page checklist covers 29 checks across the people, the project, the unit, the paperwork and the money, with the official place to verify each one. Tick it off as you go.

Buying from a specific country

The checks above apply to every buyer. Tax and money transfer rules depend on where you live:

• How Americans can buy property in Dubai
• How British buyers can buy property in Dubai
• How Europeans can buy property in Dubai
• How GCC nationals can buy property in Dubai
• How Pakistanis can buy property in Dubai
• How Chinese buyers can buy property in Dubai

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy property in Dubai without visiting?

Yes. You can verify the broker, the advert, the project and the title deed online with Dubai REST and the DLD website, and complete a transfer through a power of attorney that meets DLD Circular 29/R/2025.

How do I check that a Dubai property advert is real?

Scan the Madmoun QR code on the advert. Since 24 April 2023 every property advert in Dubai must carry one, and the scan shows the advertising company, the property details and whether the unit is already sold or rented.

How do I verify a title deed in Dubai?

Use Title Deed Verification in the Dubai REST app. Enter the certificate number, certificate year, property type and owner’s name. For off plan property use the Oqood contract number and year.

Is my off plan payment protected in Dubai?

Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 requires every off plan project to have its own escrow account, and the developer’s creditors cannot attach it. Check that every payment goes into that account in the project’s name.

What does a power of attorney need for a Dubai property purchase?

Under DLD Circular 29/R/2025 it must be issued within two years, name the purchase, be notarised, legalised by the UAE embassy, attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, translated into Arabic and presented in original.

Sources: Dubai Land Department, Madmoun, April 2023; DLD Project Status Enquiry; DLD Real Estate Brokerage Practice Guide; BSA Law on DLD Circular 29/R/2025; Khaleej Times on Law No. 8 of 2007; Mondaq on Law No. 13 of 2008; Afridi and Angell on Circular 5/2022. Checked 28 October 2026. This is general guidance, not legal advice.