Guides · Off-plan
How to buy off-plan in Abu Dhabi
The short answer: choose a project in an investment zone, sign the developer’s sale agreement, and the developer registers the sale on DARI for a 2% fee. Your payments go into a project escrow account. Here is each step, with the official figures.
Key figures
The numbers, dated and sourced
- 2%
Registration fee on an off-plan sale, of the total sale price. AED 10,000 is added if the sale is registered more than 21 days after the contract date.
Source: DARI (checked 8 Nov 2026)
- 20%
Construction the developer must complete before escrow money can be released, unless approved bank guarantees of at least 20% are in place.
Source: ADREC (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- 50%
Maximum mortgage loan-to-value on property bought off plan, for every buyer category, under UAE Central Bank rules.
Source: CBUAE Rulebook (checked 8 Nov 2026)
- AED 2M
Paid to an approved developer on an off-plan unit for the 10-year Real Estate Investor Golden Visa.
Source: Abu Dhabi Residents Office (checked 8 Nov 2026)
Step by step
How it works
Check where you can buy
Nationals of any country can buy in Abu Dhabi’s designated investment zones; other areas are for UAE nationals. Confirm the unit’s zone on DARI before you commit. A buyer outside the UAE can buy without an Emirates ID.
Source: DARI (checked 3 Nov 2026) · UAE Government portal (checked 3 Nov 2026)
Shortlist and check the project
Compare price, payment plan, handover date and service charges. Ask for the project’s escrow details: under Law No. 3 of 2015, off-plan payments go into an escrow account with an accredited bank.
Source: ADREC (checked 3 Nov 2026)
Reserve and sign the sale agreement
On off-plan, the developer’s Sale and Purchase Agreement takes the place of the resale MOU, and you pay the booking amount set by the developer.
Registration on DARI
Only the developer can register an off-plan sale on DARI, in the Interim Real Estate Register; the Department of Municipalities and Transport approves it. The fee is 2% of the total sale price. On Al Reem and Al Maryah islands (ADGM), registration runs through the ADGM Registration Authority instead.
Source: DARI (checked 8 Nov 2026) · ADGM Registration Authority (checked 8 Nov 2026)
Pay through the plan
Instalments follow the payment plan in your agreement and are paid into escrow. A bank funding an off-plan purchase must use your own share of the price first, before releasing any loan money.
Source: ADREC (checked 3 Nov 2026) · CBUAE Rulebook (checked 8 Nov 2026)
Handover and title
When the project is complete and you have paid the full price or met the agreed terms, the unit moves from the interim register to the main Real Estate Register in your name.
Source: ADREC (checked 3 Nov 2026)
Buyer protection
What protects your money
Escrow
Buyers’ payments sit in a project escrow account. Escrow money cannot be used to pay for the land or brokers’ commissions.
Source: ADREC (checked 3 Nov 2026)
Late handover
Under Article 25 of Law No. 3 of 2015, if handover is more than 6 months late, the Department may impose a delay penalty in favour of buyers, unless the developer proves the delay was beyond its control.
Source: ADREC (checked 3 Nov 2026)
Resale before completion
Article 29 allows units in the Interim Real Estate Register to be sold or mortgaged under the Executive Regulation. Developers can set their own resale conditions, so check your agreement.
Source: ADREC (checked 3 Nov 2026)
Mortgage limits
Up to 50% loan-to-value off plan, a 25-year maximum term, and total debt repayments of no more than 50% of gross income.
Source: CBUAE Rulebook (checked 8 Nov 2026)
How Beyond helps
Where Beyond fits in
Buying, with no commission from the developer
Buy off-plan or first-hand from the developer through Beyond and you pay no commission; the developer pays the agent.
Mortgage support: an introduction
We are a real estate brokerage, not a bank. We introduce you to mortgage advisers and UAE banks, who arrange the loan.
Golden Visa guidance
We help you choose property that meets the Golden Visa property rules and explain the official steps. The visa itself is issued by the UAE authorities.
Property management
We look after your rented property day to day: tenants, rent, maintenance and renewals, with one point of contact. Management fees on request.
- Buying costs calculator →
- 2026 Abu Dhabi launches →
- Golden Visa through property →
- Al Reem agency guide →
- Overseas investors guide →
Ready when you are
Tell us what you have in mind and we will come back with next steps.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Can foreigners buy off-plan property in Abu Dhabi?
Yes, in Abu Dhabi’s designated investment zones, which are open to all nationalities. Other areas are reserved for UAE nationals. A buyer outside the UAE can buy without an Emirates ID (DARI, checked 3 Nov 2026).
How much is the registration fee on an off-plan purchase?
2% of the total sale price, paid on DARI once the Department of Municipalities and Transport approves the developer’s registration. AED 10,000 is added if the sale is registered more than 21 days after the contract date (DARI, checked 8 Nov 2026).
Is my off-plan money protected?
Under Law No. 3 of 2015, payments go into a project escrow account managed by an accredited bank, and no money can be released until the developer completes at least 20% of construction, unless ADREC accepts bank guarantees worth at least 20% of construction value (ADREC, checked 3 Nov 2026).
Can I get a mortgage on an off-plan property?
UAE Central Bank rules cap the loan at 50% of the value for property bought off plan, whatever the buyer category or price (CBUAE Rulebook, checked 8 Nov 2026). Beyond introduces you to mortgage advisers and UAE banks; the bank arranges the loan.
Does off-plan property count for the Golden Visa?
Yes. The Abu Dhabi Residents Office asks for a purchase agreement from an approved developer and proof that at least AED 2,000,000 has been paid to the developer (ADRO, checked 8 Nov 2026). Beyond gives guidance on the property rules; the visa is issued by the UAE authorities.
Do I pay Beyond a commission when I buy off-plan?
No. When you buy off-plan or first-hand from the developer through Beyond Real Estate, you pay no commission; the developer pays the agent. You still pay the 2% registration fee.
Sources
Where these figures come from
- ADGM Registration Authority: Real estate services, checked 8 Nov 2026
- ADREC: Rules and regulations (Law No. 3 of 2015, Resolution No. 49 of 2018), checked 3 Nov 2026
- Abu Dhabi Residents Office: Golden Visa for investors, checked 8 Nov 2026
- CBUAE Rulebook: Regulations regarding mortgage loans, checked 8 Nov 2026
- DARI: Off-plan unit sale registration, checked 8 Nov 2026
- DARI: Sell property (who can buy), checked 3 Nov 2026
- Beyond Real Estate: Our services, checked 8 Nov 2026
- UAE Government portal: Expatriates buying property, checked 3 Nov 2026
Prepared 8 November 2026. Rules and fees change; check the latest with the official source or with Beyond before you buy. General information, not legal or financial advice.
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