Can Canadians Get a Mortgage for Property in Dubai?

Quick Answer

• A Dubai mortgage for Canadians is available through two named banks

• Central Bank caps expatriate LTV at 70 to 80 percent

• Non-resident banks often cap financing near 50 to 60 percent

• Mashreq and HSBC both offer dedicated non-resident home loans

• DLD mortgage registration costs 0.25 percent of the loan value

Many Canadians assume a Dubai property purchase has to be paid entirely in cash, which rules out a Dubai mortgage for Canadians before they even ask a bank.

You will find the official loan-to-value caps that apply to expatriate buyers, how a Dubai mortgage for Canadians differs from resident lending in practice, which banks currently publish non-resident mortgage products, and the registration fees that apply once financing is in place. 

Can Non-Residents Get Financing

The short answer is yes, but the terms differ meaningfully from what a UAE resident with a local salary account can access. A Dubai mortgage for Canadians sits under Central Bank of the UAE regulation, and separately, individual banks set their own non-resident lending policy within those limits.

Central Bank LTV Rules

The Central Bank of the UAE's Circular No. 31/2013, as amended in 2020, sets the maximum loan-to-value ratio a bank may lend against a residential property. The rules differ by nationality, property value, and whether the purchase is a first home or an investment property.

These figures come directly from the Central Bank of the UAE's published rulebook, under Circular No. 31/2013 Article 3, as amended by Resolution No. 31/2/2020. A Canadian buying as an investor rather than an owner-occupier falls into the 60 percent category, and an off-plan purchase is capped at 50 percent regardless of buyer category. 

These are regulatory ceilings on what any bank may lend, not a guarantee that every bank will lend up to that limit to every applicant.

Non-Resident Bank Terms

The Central Bank's rules set the legal ceiling, but individual banks apply their own, often tighter, policy for applicants who do not live or bank in the UAE. Two major banks publish dedicated non-resident mortgage products, and their terms show how far actual lending sits below the regulatory maximum.

• Mashreq finances non-residents up to AED 15 million per loan

• Mashreq's own page states both 50 and 60 percent LTV figures

• Mashreq sets a maximum loan tenure of 25 years

• HSBC lends non-residents up to 60 percent of property value

• HSBC requires Private Bank or Premier account eligibility to apply

• HSBC charges a property valuation fee of AED 2,625 including VAT

Mashreq's own non-resident home loan page states a maximum financing figure of up to 60 percent in its banner copy, while its FAQ section separately states 50 percent. That inconsistency sits on the bank's own page, not introduced by this guide, and it means a Canadian applicant should confirm the exact figure directly with Mashreq before budgeting a deposit. 

Deposit Budgeting Reality

Working backward from these figures, a Canadian buyer should plan around a deposit closer to 40 to 50 percent of the purchase price for a non-resident mortgage, rather than the 20 to 30 percent a resident with local income might secure on a first home. The gap exists because non-resident lending carries more risk for the bank, with no local salary transfer and no UAE credit history to draw on.

A buyer should treat the 40 percent regulatory ceiling as a best-case scenario rather than a default expectation, since the two named banks above both apply a tighter 50 to 60 percent LTV cap in their own published terms, which pushes the required deposit higher than the Central Bank minimum alone would suggest.

Applying For The Loan

Beyond the loan-to-value math, securing a Dubai mortgage for Canadians means preparing a specific documentation package and understanding how the two named banks handle the application process differently from one another.

Documents Banks Require

A Dubai mortgage for Canadians starts with the same core paperwork at most lenders, since both Mashreq and HSBC publish a documentation list for non-resident applicants that overlaps closely enough to show a consistent pattern across the market.

• A valid passport, plus a residence visa page where one exists

• Three months of personal bank statements as proof of funds

• A completed mortgage application form

• Confirmation of salaried or self-employed income status

• An HSBC Premier or Private Bank account for HSBC applicants specifically

A Mashreq applicant's approval ultimately rests on the bank's own assessment of "financials," in the bank's own phrasing, rather than a published minimum income threshold, so a Canadian should expect the proof-of-funds documentation above to carry real weight in the bank's decision.

Approval Timeline Expectations

The two named banks differ noticeably in how fast they move a non-resident application from enquiry to funded loan, and that gap matters for a Canadian buyer working against a developer's reservation deadline.

• HSBC issues an Approval in Principle in roughly 60 minutes on average

• HSBC typically arranges the full loan within up to 14 working days

• Mashreq finances up to AED 15 million per approved non-resident loan

• Mashreq caps loan tenure at a maximum of 25 years

• Both banks require an in-person signature to complete registration

HSBC's published timeline is the faster of the two on paper, though a buyer should still expect delays if supporting documents arrive incomplete or require translation, since neither bank's page states an exception for documents in a non-English, non-Arabic language. A Canadian planning a related relocation timeline alongside the purchase should also check this site's guide on moving to Dubai from Canada, since visa processing and mortgage approval often need to be sequenced together rather than treated as separate projects.

Property Valuation Process

Every mortgage application triggers an independent valuation of the property, carried out by a bank-approved valuation agency rather than the bank itself, which exists to confirm the loan amount matches the property's actual market value rather than the agreed sale price.

HSBC states its valuation fee plainly at AED 2,625 including VAT, while Mashreq's page confirms a valuation step without publishing a specific fee, which means a Canadian comparing the two should request Mashreq's current valuation cost directly before assuming it matches HSBC's figure. 

A property that values below the agreed sale price can reduce the loan amount a bank is willing to approve, which is a separate risk from the LTV percentage itself and worth raising with a bank before signing a reservation agreement.

What Financing Actually Costs

A mortgage adds its own registration cost on top of the standard DLD transfer fee charged on every sale, financed or not, which is set at 4 percent of the sale value regardless of how the purchase is funded.

DLD Mortgage Registration

DLD's own mortgage registration service states the fee as 0.25 percent of the mortgage value, charged separately from the property transfer fee covered in other guides on this site. This applies to an ordinary mortgage registered against a title deed or usufruct right.

On top of the percentage fee, DLD lists fixed charges for the same transaction:

• AED 250 for issuing the title deed

• AED 10 knowledge fee per drawing

• AED 10 innovation fee per drawing

• AED 4,000 plus VAT in service partner fees, where applicable

These fixed charges apply whether a registration trustee centre processes the mortgage or DLD does so directly, though the service partner fee only applies when using a trustee centre rather than DLD's own counter. A financed purchase at AED 5 million, for example, would add roughly AED 12,500 in mortgage registration fees on top of the standard transfer fee and any bank-side processing charges.

Stacking The Full Cost

Bringing together the transfer fee, the mortgage registration fee, and bank charges gives a more realistic picture of total upfront cost than the sale price alone.

A Canadian financing a AED 3 million property at 50 percent LTV would pay roughly AED 120,000 in transfer fees, AED 3,750 in mortgage registration, plus the bank's own valuation and processing charges, before the deposit itself is counted. Budgeting for these costs separately from the deposit avoids a shortfall at the final signing stage.

Alternatives To Bank Financing

Not every Canadian buyer qualifies for or wants a non-resident mortgage, and developers in Dubai commonly offer their own payment structures as an alternative.

Developer Payment Plans

Many off-plan developments sell under extended payment plans that spread the purchase price across construction milestones, sometimes continuing for a period after handover. These plans sit outside Central Bank mortgage regulation because the developer, not a bank, is financing the purchase, so the LTV caps discussed above do not apply to them. Buyers considering this route should review this site's guide on pre-construction properties in Dubai, which covers how these structures typically work.

Cash Purchase Comparison

A cash purchase avoids mortgage registration fees, bank valuation charges, and the deposit-size pressure covered above entirely, since no loan is registered against the title. For a full breakdown of what cash buyers should expect to pay across the purchase, this site's guide on Dubai property pricing covers the base costs a financing decision sits on top of.

Choosing between financing and cash ultimately comes down to how a buyer wants to deploy capital, since the bank's published LTV limits cap how much leverage a non-resident can actually access regardless of preference. 

A Canadian weighing whether property ownership supports a residency goal should also factor in that the Central Bank's lending rules make no exception for Golden Visa applicants, so a mortgaged property still needs to meet the property value threshold covered in this site's Golden Visa guide based on its full value, not just the equity a buyer has paid down.

Dubai Mortgages for Canadians

A Dubai mortgage for Canadians is genuinely available through named banks like Mashreq and HSBC, but the real-world deposit requirement sits closer to half the purchase price than the headline regulatory ceiling suggests. 

Speak with the Dubai Property Expo Canada team at dubaipropertyexpocanada.com to discuss financing options that fit your specific property and budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Canadian get a mortgage to buy property in Dubai?

Yes. A Dubai mortgage for Canadians is available through UAE banks including Mashreq and HSBC, both of which offer dedicated non-resident mortgage products to foreign buyers who do not live in the UAE, though eligibility and required deposit size are stricter than for UAE residents.

How much deposit does a non-resident need for a Dubai mortgage?

Published non-resident terms from Mashreq and HSBC both cap financing at 50 to 60 percent loan-to-value, meaning a buyer should budget a deposit of roughly 40 to 50 percent of the purchase price rather than the lower amount a UAE resident might need.

What is the maximum loan-to-value for an expatriate buying in Dubai?

The Central Bank of the UAE caps expatriate first-home financing at 80 percent for properties up to AED 5 million and 70 percent above that value, while investment properties are capped at 60 percent regardless of price, under Circular No. 31/2013 as amended in 2020.

How much does mortgage registration cost in Dubai?

The Dubai Land Department charges a mortgage registration fee of 0.25 percent of the mortgage value, separate from the standard property transfer fee, plus a small set of fixed charges for title deed issuance and mapping.

Is it better to pay cash or get a mortgage for a Dubai property?

Cash purchases avoid mortgage registration fees and bank valuation charges entirely, while financing preserves capital but requires a larger deposit than UAE residents typically need. The right choice depends on how a buyer wants to allocate capital across one purchase versus multiple opportunities.

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