Investing in Dubai, from Switzerland.

Buying freehold

A resident of Switzerland, whatever their nationality, can buy freehold in the areas of Dubai open to foreign buyers, under Law No. 7 of 2006 on real property registration.

The property is registered in your name with the Dubai Land Department. No UAE residency, no local company and no partner is required.

Paying in Swiss francs

You pay by international transfer from your bank in Switzerland. The UAE dirham is pegged to the dollar at 3.6725 AED per USD, so the Swiss franc amount of each instalment depends on the franc-dollar rate on the day of the transfer. I show you this effect in every simulation.

Your bank will check the source of funds, as for any large transfer. Payments go into the project's escrow account for an off-plan purchase, or follow the DLD process for a ready property. See paying for a Dubai property from abroad.

A fully remote purchase

Dubai is three hours ahead of Geneva and Zurich in winter, two hours in summer. We talk by video call, in French, English, Arabic or Darija, and every document reaches you electronically.

For an off-plan property, the contract is generally signed online. For a ready property, a representative can sign the transfer with a power of attorney that meets DLD requirements, legalised under the rules that apply in Switzerland. See buying in Dubai remotely.

Off-plan or ready

Off-plan, you pay in stages, under the protection of Law No. 8 of 2007: an escrow account supervised by RERA, Oqood registration, progress tracked on the Dubai REST app. Read buying off-plan in Dubai.

A ready property can be let or lived in straight away; the steps are in buying a resale property in Dubai. If the Golden Visa interests you, read the Golden Visa and property.

The costs to plan for

The Dubai Land Department charges 4% of the price, plus administrative and registration fees. Service charges are approved by RERA and published in its official index. The details: Dubai buying costs.

Off-plan, the agency commission is paid by the developer. On a resale, it is usually 2% of the price, confirmed in writing before you commit.

On the Swiss side: your tax return

The UAE levies no personal income tax. As a Swiss tax resident, you declare your property and accounts abroad according to the rules of your canton and the Confederation, taking into account, where relevant, the tax treaty between Switzerland and the UAE. The Swiss Federal Tax Administration publishes the official texts.

A tax adviser in your canton validates your situation before you buy; I send them all the relevant documents. For the general framework, see Dubai property taxation.

The steps, in order

The right order avoids any rush: budget and payment channel first, then the choice of property, and the reservation last.

• A call to frame the goal: rental income, a second home, Golden Visa
• Checking the payment channel from your Swiss bank
• A short selection of properties, with official documents
• The reservation, then the contract (SPA), signed online
• Registration with the DLD and following the instalments
• The handover of the keys and letting the property if you wish

Let's talk about your project

I run Cevitas Real Estate, a RERA-licensed brokerage in Dubai, after more than twenty years in finance. If you are a Moroccan living in Switzerland, the Moroccans abroad page also covers buying in Morocco, with a power of attorney drawn up through Morocco's consular network or a notary.

A free 30-minute call is enough to define the right approach. Book your call.