Buying property in Dubai from India

Yes, an Indian resident can buy freehold property in Dubai. The money has to leave India through your bank under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme: up to USD 250,000 per person per financial year, about ₹2.38 crore today. Your bank collects 20% TCS on whatever you send above ₹10 lakh in a year, which you claim back against your income tax. Below: what your budget actually buys, from real Jan–Sep 2026 Dubai Land Department sales converted to rupees.

Rate: AED 1 = ₹25.88 on 20 Oct 2026 (ExchangeRate-API (open.er-api.com)), updated every morning. Sales: Dubai Land Department transactions, Jan–Sep 2026. Rules: RBI LRS FAQ, checked 20 Oct 2026.

The rupee effect: Dubai is 14% dearer for Indians since 2024

The dirham is pegged to the US dollar, so when the rupee falls a Dubai home costs more in rupees even if its dirham price never moves. One dirham cost ₹22.63 in January 2024 and ₹25.85 on 19 Oct 2026. The same AED 1 million home went from ₹2.26 crore to ₹2.58 crore.

It also changes what a price drop means for you. Between Jan 2026 and Aug 2026 the median off-plan price per sq ft on the DLD register moved −7.3% in dirhams, but only −2.6% in rupees: the weaker rupee took back most of the fall.

Median of all recorded off-plan sales in the month on the Dubai Land Department register, converted at that month's average rate.

What your budget buys in Dubai

Projects with ten or more recorded sales in Jan–Sep 2026 whose median sale price fits the budget at today's rate. The three most bought in each band are shown.

Dubai property prices in Indian rupees

The 30 most bought off-plan projects in Jan–Sep 2026, by recorded sales. Median price, lowest recorded sale and price per sq ft are the DLD sale figures converted at AED 1 = ₹25.88.

How to send the money from India

1. Through your bank, under LRS. Buying property abroad is allowed under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, up to USD 250,000 per person per financial year (April to March). The bank is your authorised dealer and handles the paperwork.
2. Not with a loan from an Indian bank. The RBI's FAQ says LRS does not envisage banks giving fund-based facilities for capital account remittances, which is what a property purchase is.
3. Family limits only add up for co-owners. The RBI allows relatives to combine their remittances for property only if they are co-owners of it.
4. Pay into the project's escrow account, and nowhere else. Off-plan payments in Dubai must go to the escrow account registered with the DLD. Check it is open on the DLD project status tracker before you send anything.

Payment plans and the yearly limit

An off-plan payment plan spreads the price over several years, so it usually fits inside one person's LRS limit even when the whole price would not. Example: a unit at AED 1,500,000, about ₹3.88 crore, on a 20/40/40 plan:

Each payment is below one person's yearly limit of about ₹2.38 crore, as long as two of them do not fall in the same financial year. Check the plan's dates against April–March before you sign.

Tax in India and in Dubai

• TCS when you send money: 20% of the amount above ₹10 lakh in a financial year. Sending ₹50 lakh means ₹8 lakh collected, which you claim back against your income tax.
• Declare the property: as an Indian tax resident you list foreign assets, property included, in Schedule FA of your return. Leaving it out carries heavy penalties under the Black Money Act.
• Rent and sale profit are taxable in India for a resident. The UAE does not tax individuals on rent, so there is usually no UAE tax to offset.
• In Dubai you pay the Dubai Land Department transfer fee on purchase (4% of the price) and a yearly service charge. Check a building's service charge.

If you live outside India (NRI)

The Liberalised Remittance Scheme applies to residents of India. If you live and earn abroad, in the UAE or anywhere else, you pay from money you hold outside India and the LRS limit does not apply. What does not change: pay only into the project's escrow account, and check the project on the DLD register first.

Golden visa through property

The UAE's real estate route needs property worth at least AED 2 million, about ₹5.18 crore today. 42 of the projects above had a median sale at or above that in Jan–Sep 2026. Rules for off-plan and mortgaged property change, so confirm with the Dubai Land Department before you count on it.

Check before you pay

DLD project status tracker: escrow, % built and filed completion for every project on the register. Projects behind schedule. How to check an escrow account.

Questions Indian buyers ask

This page explains the rules; it is not tax or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with your bank and a chartered accountant before you send money.