Buying Dubai property from Canada, step by step.

1. Can Canadians buy in Dubai?

Yes. Foreigners, including Canadians living in Canada, can buy freehold property in Dubai’s designated freehold areas, such as Dubai Marina, Downtown, Business Bay, JVC and Dubai Hills. You own it outright, the title is registered with the Dubai Land Department (DLD), and you can sell, rent or pass it on. You do not need UAE residency to buy.

2. What it costs

• DLD transfer fee: 4% of the price (on off-plan, usually paid at booking).
• Trustee office fee: about AED 4,000 plus VAT on a resale.
• Agency commission: usually 2% plus VAT on resale. On new launches the developer normally pays the agent.
• Mortgage costs, if any: 0.25% registration, bank arrangement fee and valuation.
• Running costs: yearly service charges (often AED 12 to 25 per sq ft) and utilities. There is no annual property tax in Dubai.

Work out your exact figure with the Purchase & Mortgage Calculator.

3. Sending money from Canada

Payments go by bank wire from your Canadian account, or through a regulated transfer service, which is often cheaper on the exchange rate. For off-plan projects, payments go to the project’s escrow account regulated by the DLD, never to a broker. Keep every transfer receipt: you will need them for the title deed and for your Canadian records.

4. Mortgages for Canadians

Some UAE banks lend to non-residents, and Canadian citizens are on the eligible list at several of them. Expect to borrow about 50% of the value (40% above AED 5 million), mostly on ready property. Banks will ask for 6 months of payslips and bank statements, and tax returns if you are self-employed. Most off-plan buyers instead use the developer’s payment plan, paying in instalments during construction. Try the numbers in our calculator.

5. Buying without flying: power of attorney

Many clients never travel until handover. For off-plan, reservation and sale agreements can usually be signed digitally. Where a signature in person is needed, for example at a resale transfer, you can give a trusted person a power of attorney. For a document signed in Canada to be valid in Dubai:

1. Sign it before a Canadian notary public.
2. Have it authenticated (by Global Affairs Canada, or by your province’s office in Ontario, British Columbia and some other provinces).
3. Have it legalised by the UAE Embassy in Ottawa (handled through VFS Global). An apostille alone is not accepted, because the UAE is not part of the Apostille Convention.
4. In Dubai, it is translated into Arabic and attested before use. We arrange this step.

6. Canadian tax and reporting

The UAE has no personal income tax on rent and no capital gains tax on property. As a Canadian resident, though, you are taxed in Canada on your worldwide income. In general:

• Rental income from Dubai is reported on your Canadian return, after allowable expenses.
• Capital gains when you sell are reported in Canada.
• Form T1135: if the total cost of your foreign property (excluding personal-use property) is more than CAD 100,000 at any time in the year, you must file a T1135 foreign income verification statement. A Dubai rental property counts.
• Canada and the UAE have a tax treaty. Because the UAE does not tax this income, there is usually no foreign tax credit to claim.

7. Residency and the Golden Visa

Property worth AED 2 million or more can qualify you for the UAE’s 10-year Golden Visa, and smaller completed properties can qualify for a 2-year investor visa. It is a residence permit, not citizenship, and it does not by itself change your Canadian tax residency. Check your property in the Golden Visa checker.

8. The process, start to finish

1. Call with us to set your budget, goal and timeline.
2. Shortlist of 3 to 5 projects with payment plans, pros and cons.
3. Video tours of show units, sites and the area.
4. Reserve with a booking deposit and sign the reservation form, often digitally.
5. Sign the sale agreement (SPA) and pay the 4% DLD fee. Off-plan is registered with an Oqood certificate.
6. Pay instalments into escrow as construction progresses.
7. Handover: inspection, title deed in your name, and rental set-up if you want it.

Sources: iDocs Canada, Canadian documents for the UAE (2026) · Dubai mortgages for non-residents 2026 · CRA, Form T1135 questions and answers. Last reviewed November 2026.