Buying in Dubai Marina.
What a foreign buyer needs to know, from the reservation to the title deed: the steps, the costs on top of the price, residency, and renting the home out.
Before you start
Freehold, and fully registered.
Dubai Marina is one of the areas where Regulation No. 3 of 2006 allows non-UAE nationals to own property freehold. Every sale is registered with the Dubai Land Department, which issues the title deed; off-plan purchases are registered too (Oqood) and paid into the project’s escrow account.
You choose between a ready home, bought from its owner and transferred at a Dubai Land Department trustee office, and an off-plan unit bought from the developer on a payment plan. The first gives keys and rent straight away; the second spreads the payments until handover.
Step by step
From reservation to title deed.
A resale usually completes within weeks; an off-plan purchase runs until handover. Both can be done from abroad with a power of attorney.
Choose and check
The home, its title deed or the project’s RERA registration, its service charges and, for off-plan, the developer’s escrow account.
Reserve and sign
Resale: an agreement between buyer and seller (Form F) and a deposit. Off-plan: a booking payment, then the developer’s sale and purchase agreement.
Pay and register
Resale: transfer at a Dubai Land Department trustee office, with the 4 % fee. Off-plan: payments into escrow and the Oqood registration.
Receive the keys
The title deed is issued in your name; for off-plan, at handover once the balance is paid.
Costs
What you pay on top of the price.
The Dubai Land Department publishes its fees; agency fees and service charges are agreed or set per building.
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Land Department fee | 4 % of the price, usually paid by the buyer (DLD lists 2 % buyer + 2 % seller, split by agreement) | DLD |
| Title deed and registration | AED 250 title deed, plus small map and knowledge fees | DLD |
| Trustee office | AED 4,000 + VAT for a price of AED 500,000 or more (AED 2,000 + VAT below) | DLD |
| Agency fee (resale) | Agreed in writing with the RERA-licensed agent | Contract |
| Service charges | Per building, per sq ft a year; secondary sources put Marina towers at about AED 15–22 | DLD Mollak index |
Fees as published by the Dubai Land Department on 29 September 2026. A mortgage adds the bank’s fees and a mortgage registration fee; developers sometimes pay part of the DLD fee on launches. We confirm the full cost sheet in writing before you commit.
Residency
The Golden Visa, from AED 2 million.
A property worth at least AED 2 million at purchase, alone or with others you own, can support a 10-year Golden Visa application with the Dubai Land Department. The visa can include your spouse, children and parents; the DLD lists total fees of AED 9,884.75 and a processing time of 7 to 10 working days.
- Off-plan and mortgaged homes can qualify under conditions; for a mortgaged home the DLD asks for a bank letter showing AED 2 million paid
- No minimum stay in the UAE is required to keep the visa (Gulf News, 2026 guide)
- Rules change: we check the current conditions with the DLD when your file is prepared
Renting it out
Long let or holiday let.
A long let runs on a yearly tenancy contract registered on Ejari. Bayut’s H1 2026 report gives average Dubai Marina rents of AED 103,000 a year for a one-bedroom and AED 157,000 for a two-bedroom; rents per square foot fell about 9 % over the twelve months to August 2026.
Any stay under six months needs a holiday-home permit from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, and the Tourism Dirham is charged per night. Many owners hand the unit to a licensed operator; income varies with the season, and the building must allow it.
Questions
Buyers ask us.
Yes. Viewings can be done by video, contracts signed electronically, and the transfer completed by a representative holding a power of attorney.
Off-plan payments go into the project’s escrow account under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, and only projects registered with the escrow department may be advertised. Pay only into the escrow account named in your contract.
Yes: write to us in English, French or Russian and we answer in the same language. Contracts and Dubai Land Department documents are in English and Arabic; we explain them before you sign.
Not nearby. The Russian International School is in Muhaisnah 4 and the French lycées are in central and eastern Dubai; the closest schools to the Marina teach British, American and IB programmes.
Sources · Facts checked 29 September 2026
- dlp.dubai.gov.ae · Legislation%20Reference/2006/Regulation%20No.%20(3)%20of%202006.html
- dubailand.gov.ae · en/eservices/property-sale-registration/
- dubailand.gov.ae · en/eservices/request-for-golden-visa-investor/
- gulfnews.com · living-in-uae/visa-immigration/dubai-residency-by-investment-guide-1.500523250
- dlp.dubai.gov.ae · Legislation%20Reference/2007/Law%20No.%20(8)%20of%202007.html
- dubailand.gov.ae · en/eservices/real-estate-ad-permit/
- bayut.com · mybayut/dubai-rental-market-report-h1-2026/
- dubailand.gov.ae · en/eservices/service-charge-index-overview/
General information for buyers, checked on 29 September 2026, not legal or tax advice. Fees and visa rules are set by the Dubai Land Department and federal authorities and change: we confirm the rules in force for your purchase.
Enquire
Buy in the Marina, with the numbers.
Tell us your budget, timing and whether you will live in the home or let it: we send the options that fit, with the full cost sheet.
Thank you.
Your request is with our Marina desk. An advisor replies the same working day (Monday to Saturday, Dubai time). Prefer to talk now? Your details are saved.
The Marina desk
One advisor for every project and home in the MarinaNew launches with the developers · resale and rentals with RERA-licensed agents · valuations for owners
- Hours
- Mon – Sat · 9:00 – 19:00 (Dubai time)
- Languages
- English · Français · Русский