The valuation comes in low
The loan follows the valuation, not the price you agreed. A shortfall lands on you in cash, at the worst possible moment. We pull comparable transfers before you sign the MOU so the number is not a surprise.
Home Mortgages
How a UAE mortgage actually works
Seven stages, roughly four to eight weeks from first conversation to keys. Here is every one of them — what happens, who holds it, what it costs and where it usually goes wrong.
18Lenders on the panelConventional and Islamic
48hTo pre-approvalOn a complete file
4–8Weeks to keysFrom signed MOU
AED 0Our fee to youThe lender pays us
The whole journey
Nothing here is hidden until you are committed. If a stage has a cost, it is named at the point it happens.
- Stage 01Day 1
Eligibility and budget
We check the things that actually decide your number: residency, income type, existing debt, and whether this is a first or second property. That fixes your loan-to-value ceiling and the stress-tested payment a lender will accept. No credit bureau check happens here.
No credit pullFree - Stage 02Days 1–2
Policy matching across 18 lenders
Rates are the easy part. What matters is policy — whether a bank accepts your visa type, your developer, your building, commission income, or a second property. We hold all of it and shortlist only the lenders you actually clear.
Same-day shortlist
- Stage 03Days 2–5
Pre-approval
You upload documents once. We submit to the shortlist, negotiate the margin and the processing fee, and the bank issues a pre-approval letter — typically within 48 hours of a complete file. It is usually valid for 60 days.
48 hours typicalValid 60 days
- Stage 04On agreement
MOU and deposit
You sign the Form F with the seller and pay the deposit, normally 10%, to the agent or a trustee office. This is the point the transaction becomes real, which is why we push to have pre-approval in hand before you get here.
10% deposit typical - Stage 05Days 5–10
Valuation
The bank appoints its own valuer, at your cost — usually AED 2,625 to 3,150. If the valuation comes in under the agreed price, the loan is calculated on the valuation, not the price, and you cover the difference in cash. It is the most common late surprise in a UAE purchase.
AED 2,625–3,150 - Stage 06Days 10–20
Final offer letter
The bank issues the FOL with the binding rate, fees and conditions. We read it against what was agreed at pre-approval, because the two do not always match. You sign, and the bank prepares the manager's cheque for the seller.
Binding terms - Stage 07Weeks 4–8
Transfer and keys
Seller's liability letter, developer NOC, then the trustee office appointment where the DLD registers the transfer and the mortgage simultaneously. You leave with the title deed. We keep watching rates afterwards and tell you when a refinance beats the switching cost.
Rate watch for life of loan
Every fee, and who takes it
Budget roughly 6% to 7% of the purchase price in transaction costs on top of your deposit.
| Cost | Paid to | How it is calculated | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| DLD transfer fee | Dubai Land Department | 4% of price + AED 580 | On transfer |
| Agency commission | Your broker | 2% of price + 5% VAT | On transfer |
| Registration trustee | Trustee office | AED 4,000 + VAT above AED 500k | On transfer |
| Mortgage registration | Dubai Land Department | 0.25% of loan + AED 290 | On transfer |
| Bank processing fee | Your lender | 0.25%–1% of loan + VAT | On drawdown |
| Property valuation | Bank's valuer | AED 2,625–3,150 | Before the offer letter |
| Life cover | Your lender | About 0.019% monthly on the balance | Monthly |
| Building cover | Your lender | About 0.04% a year on the value | Yearly |
Four things that catch people out
The follow-on rate is the real rate
A three-year fix is three years of a twenty-five year loan. What the loan reverts to — EIBOR plus a margin — is what most of your term is priced at, and it is the number least often quoted.
Early settlement is capped, not free
UAE regulation caps the settlement fee at 1% of the outstanding balance or AED 10,000, whichever is lower. Partial settlement allowances differ sharply by bank — some allow 30% a year free, others 15%.
Your credit card limits count against you
Lenders add 5% of your total credit card limit to your monthly obligations, whether or not you use the cards. Closing an unused card can move your debt burden ratio more than a salary rise.
Track every stage
from your phone
Documents, lender responses, valuation dates and the offer letter — one timeline, no chasing.
The things people ask us first
Who can get a mortgage in the UAE?
UAE nationals, UAE residents on a valid visa, and non-residents. Nationals borrow up to 85% of the value on a first completed property, residents up to 80%, and non-residents typically up to 65% from a narrower panel. Second properties are capped lower for everyone.
What is the minimum down payment?
15% for UAE nationals and 20% for expatriate residents on a first completed property under AED 5 million, set by Central Bank regulation. Above AED 5 million and on second properties the requirement rises. The transaction fees — roughly another 6% to 7% of the price — must also be paid in cash unless your lender allows fee financing.
Can I borrow the down payment?
No. Lenders require the deposit to come from your own funds and will look for it in your bank statements. A personal loan taken shortly before an application is visible on the credit bureau and will usually sink the file.
Do you handle buyouts and equity release?
Yes. A buyout moves an existing mortgage to a lender with better pricing; an equity release borrows against a property you already own. Both are priced differently from a purchase, and the switching cost has to beat the saving — we model that before recommending it.
What does TRIPLE charge?
Nothing. Our fee is paid by the lender at drawdown. You pay the same processing and valuation fees you would pay walking into the branch yourself.
How long does the whole thing take?
Pre-approval typically within 48 hours of a complete file, and four to eight weeks from signed MOU to keys. The variables are how fast the developer issues the NOC and whether the seller has an existing mortgage to settle first.
Start with the number, not the paperwork
Six steps and you will know your real monthly payment and the cash you need on the day.