Mortgage at handover calculator
By Tyler Newman, Host of The Off Plan ShowLast updated
If you are an expatriate buying your first home for AED 5 million or less, a UAE bank can lend up to 80% of its value at handover; 70% above AED 5 million and 60% on a second home. On a AED 2.5 million unit where you have paid AED 1.5 million, a AED 1 million loan over 25 years at 4.5% costs about AED 5,560 a month.
Enter your price, what you will have paid by handover, and a rate from your bank to see the monthly payment, total interest and the income banks will look for.
- Monthly payment
- AED 5,558
- Total interest
- AED 667,497
- Extra cash at handover
- AED 0
| Balance due at handover | AED 1,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Maximum loan-to-valueExpatriate, first home up to AED 5M: 80% | 80% |
| Most a bank can lend on this price | AED 2,000,000 |
| Loan used here | AED 1,000,000 |
| Total repaid (loan plus interest) | AED 1,667,497 |
| Income banks will look for, at leastRepayments within 50% of income and a loan within 7 years' income, before the bank's rate stress test | AED 11,905 a month |
| Dubai mortgage registrationDLD: 0.25% of the loan + AED 270 | AED 2,770 |
Illustrative, not advice. This uses the Central Bank's maximum limits and a fixed rate. Your bank sets its own lending policy, valuation, fees and rate, and may lend less. On off-plan, the Central Bank caps loans at 50% and requires your own money to be paid to the developer before the bank's, so in practice the loan is drawn at or near handover.
Quick answers
How much can an expat borrow in the UAE?
Under Central Bank rules, up to 80% of the value on a first home worth AED 5 million or less, 70% above AED 5 million, and 60% on a second home or investment property whatever its value. UAE nationals can borrow 85%, 75% and 65%.
Can I get a mortgage on an off-plan property?
The Central Bank caps lending on property bought off-plan at 50% of the value for every buyer. Lenders must also use your own money for the developer's stage payments before releasing theirs, so most buyers pay the pre-handover instalments in cash and take a mortgage for the handover balance, when the normal caps apply.
What is the longest mortgage term in the UAE?
25 years, under the Central Bank's mortgage regulations. Banks set the maximum age at the last repayment themselves.
How much do I need to earn?
Your total debt repayments can be no more than 50% of your income, and expatriates can borrow no more than seven times their annual income (eight for UAE nationals). Banks also test the loan at 2 to 4 percentage points above the current rate, so they will want more income than this calculator's minimum.
Does a 60/40 plan mean I only need a 40% mortgage?
Yes, if you have paid the 60% before handover, you only need to borrow the 40% balance, which sits inside every Central Bank cap for a completed home. The bank still values the property and may value it below your purchase price.
Sources
- CBUAE Rulebook: Regulations Regarding Mortgage Loans, Article 3, Important Ratios (LTV caps, off-plan 50%, 25-year term, 50% DBR, income multiples), checked 31 Oct 2026
- CBUAE Rulebook: Board Resolution No. 31/2/2020 amending the first-home LTV caps (in force from 8 Apr 2020), checked 31 Oct 2026
- CBUAE Rulebook: Regulations Regarding Mortgage Loans, Article 2 (owner’s equity paid to the developer before the loan on stage payments), checked 31 Oct 2026
- Dubai Land Department: Mortgage registration application (0.25% of the loan, AED 250 title deed, AED 10 + AED 10 fees), checked 31 Oct 2026
Illustrative only, not financial advice. The Off Plan Show is not a lender or a licensed mortgage adviser. Rates, fees and lending policies vary by bank and change often; get a written offer before you commit.