Certificate of ownership for apartments in the UAE

When you buy a property overseas you may have some questions. For instance, how does one get a certificate of property ownership in the UAE? How can you register your property in the UAE according to the local legislation? How is the property transaction information added to the UAE real estate register? What is the procedure for registering real estate in the UAE? Can you view your property in the UAE real estate registry? Emirates.Estate will help you answer these questions.

Table of contents

• Real estate registration law in the UAE
• How is the property transaction information added to the UAE real estate register?
• Can I check my property in the UAE real estate registry
• The procedure to register real estate in the UAE
• We will help you choose the best property in the United Arab Emirates

Real estate registration law in the UAE

Let's look at the property registration legislation in the UAE in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

• Citizens of the United Arab Emirates are legally granted the ability to buy a property in any part of Abu Dhabi. A foreigner can become the owner of residential and commercial properties in Abu Dhabi only in certain areas - investment zones. A national of a foreign country does not automatically become the owner of the land plot on which the purchased building stands since this requires special permission from the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.
• Dubai has areas (freehold areas) where real estate can be purchased along with full ownership rights so that the property owner can rent out, gift or resell it. These areas include Palm Islands, Dubai Marina, Greens, Peace Archipelago, Jumeirah Beach Resident and many others.
• Freehold areas can also be found in Ajman, Abu Dhabi and some other emirates. Foreign buyers can also consider leasehold properties which means that they lease their property for 99 years.
• The Dubai Land Department maintains a temporary register that registers all transactions for off-plan projects and any developer is obliged to register such buildings. If the building is completed then it must be registered by the same Land Department in the real estate registry.
• According to the seventh article of Law No. 15 of 2008, if you lease a property in Dubai, you need to provide the details of your lease contract to the Real Estate Registry Office.
• When mortgaging a property, you should also keep in mind that you need to register the mortgage agreement in the Dubai Land Department according to the seventh article of Law No. 14 of 2008.
• After you sign the property purchase contract, you must register it in the Dubai Real Estate Registry Authority otherwise the contract will be considered invalid.

How is the property transaction information added into the UAE real estate register?

Property registration in each emirate has its own rules that regulate the procedure for the transfer of ownership. In Dubai, the buyer and the seller must meet in the Land Department or with a real estate registration agent to register the property transaction. This meeting includes several steps:

• You are issued a certificate proving that the developer approves the property transaction.
• Signing a sales contract.
• Passports and visas of the buyer and the seller if they are individuals or documents of legal entities.
• Buyer and seller sign the Dubai Land Department forms to transfer the title.
• The buyer pays for the property.
• Payments are also made to the Land Department and the trustee if present at the registration.
• The buyer receives a title deed for the property from the Dubai Land Department. It is important to remember that you cannot register a property transaction in Dubai online.

It is important to remember that you cannot register the property transaction in Dubai online.

Can I check my property in the UAE real estate registry?

The real estate register includes the details about all transactions that entitle, transfer, change or cancel property rights as well as the description of the property that is being sold and its address.

Can I check my property in the UAE real estate registry?

Unfortunately, you cannot check the property you are buying in the real estate register in Dubai on your own. However, judicial officials as well as property owners can request copies of the registered documents. All issued documents must be certified by the seals and signatures of authorized persons.

The information from the registers of the Arab Emirates are commonly used for the following reasons:

• to confirm ownership rights;
• to get information about the building;
• for debt collection;
• for real estate market research; for example, analysis of the value of residential and commercial properties;
• for other analytical and commercial purposes.

The state guarantee for ownership of real estate is not provided in the UAE and if necessary, according to article 7 of Law No. 7 of 2006, the accuracy of the information provided by the register can be disputed based on identified forgery or fraud. If successful, the Dubai Land Department will correct any inaccuracies.

The procedure for registering real estate in the UAE

The procedure for registering real estate in the UAE is different for each emirate. For example, in Dubai, to register the transfer of ownership, the parties to the transaction must meet at the city Land Department. Another option is to use a trustee who can come to the Land Department instead of the buyer and seller and register the property transaction in the UAE.

At the meeting, the seller and buyer provide the originals of the following documents:

• a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the developer;
• the contract for the sale of real estate;
• a passport, visa or "Emirates ID" of the seller and the buyer (for individuals) or corporate documents of the seller and the buyer (for companies).

The next steps are:

• the buyer and seller sign the Dubai Land Department forms for the transfer of ownership;
• the buyer pays for the property;
• the required payments are made to the City Land Department and the real estate registration agent;
• The Dubai Land Department issues a title deed to the property buyer.

We will help you choose the best property in the United Arab Emirates

Find your dream house for sale in the UAE today! Emirates.Estate has collected the best properties for sale in the United Arab Emirates! Our experts will help you find and buy your dream apartment in the UAE and arrange the paperwork. Emirates.Estate makes buying an apartment in the UAE as safe and easy as possible.