Answers, before you ask.

Yes. In freehold areas — Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, Business Bay, Emirates Hills and others — foreigners can acquire property without restrictions. The buyer needs only a valid passport, no UAE residence and no local partner. Transfer of ownership is centralised at the Dubai Land Department (DLD); brokerage is regulated by RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Agency).

Standard purchase costs include: 4 % DLD transfer fee (commonly split between buyer and seller), 2 % broker commission plus 5 % VAT, AED 4,000 DLD transfer fee, AED 580 title-deed fee, and AED 2,000–3,500 NOC fee from the developer. On a 1 M EUR purchase, expect roughly 6–7 % in side costs — and no land-acquisition tax of the German kind.

For ready properties, DLD standard contracts protect the transaction reasonably well and a lawyer is optional. For off-plan and complex structures (multi-owner, trust structures, joint ventures), we recommend a UAE-licensed property lawyer — typical fees range AED 8,000–25,000 for due diligence + contract review.

A ready-property cash purchase typically takes 4–6 weeks: 2 weeks due diligence, 1 week NOC at the developer, 1 week DLD appointment, then the actual transfer on a single day. Off-plan takes longer — you pay in instalments tied to construction progress and receive the title deed only after hand-over.

Off-plan = property under construction. Buyers typically receive a 10–20 % discount versus the eventual completion price and can pay in 5–6 instalments over 2–4 years. The return on deployed capital is therefore attractive. Risks: construction delays, market risk and developer risk — we vet each developer for solvency, track record and escrow compliance.

Every licensed Dubai developer must keep all customer payments for a specific project in a RERA-supervised escrow account. Releases to the developer are gated on documented construction progress. In the event of delay or insolvency, the escrow protects the deposited funds — a substantial difference to regulations in many other markets.

The established premium developers with the strongest track records are Emaar, Damac, Sobha Realty, Nakheel, Meraas, Aldar (Abu Dhabi focused), Omniyat, Ellington Properties, Binghatti, Azizi and Dubai Holding. We maintain direct relationships with each, securing pre-launch allocations and preferential terms for our clients.

In the current market, gross rental yields for premium apartments range 6–9 %, for villas and townhouses 4–6 %. Net yields after service charges, DEWA, management fees and 5 % VAT on short-let income are typically 1.5–2 percentage points lower. Yields vary substantially across neighbourhoods — Dubai Marina + Business Bay trend higher; Palm Jumeirah + Emirates Hills lower, with stronger capital appreciation.

The UAE levies no income tax on long-let rental income from residential property — no personal income tax, no wealth tax. Short-lets (holiday-home / Airbnb licence) attract 5 % VAT on rental revenue. Important: in your country of residence (Germany etc.) rental income may still be declarable and possibly taxable — we recommend cross-border tax counsel.

The UAE charges no capital-gains tax on the sale of a private property. On sale you pay only the DLD transfer fee (2 % buyer portion paid by the incoming owner), broker commission and any NOC fees. The full sale proceeds (in EUR at the day-of-sale exchange rate) are yours to keep — again with the caveat that your country of residence may have other rules.

The UAE Golden Visa via property investment grants 10-year renewable residency. Requirement: purchase of a ready property worth at least AED 2,000,000 (~ EUR 510,000). Off-plan counts only if construction is complete and at least AED 2 M has been paid. The visa covers the main holder + spouse + unmarried children + parents. Importantly, no UAE residency is required — but you must briefly enter the country every six months to keep it active.

Every brokerage activity in Dubai requires a valid RERA licence and a DLD-registered trade name. A RERA-certified broker is liable for accurate property representation, proper contract handling and adherence to Anti-Money-Laundering rules (AML). Heinzmann Partners is RERA-registered.

The "No-Objection Certificate" (NOC) is the developer's clearance certifying that all service charges, dues and other liabilities are settled as of the cut-off date. Without an NOC, the DLD cannot register the transfer. The application typically takes 5–10 working days and costs AED 1,500–3,500 depending on developer.