Buy a house in Germany from Dubai: do German banks lend to UAE residents?
Resident in Dubai or the UAE — and still a property owner in Germany? Since August 2025 the UAE has been removed from the EU risk list. That has clearly improved banks’ willingness to lend. A residence permit in Germany is one factor among several the bank weighs, not a blocker on its own.
Do German banks finance you to buy a house in Germany from Dubai?
Yes, German banks lend noticeably more readily to residents of Dubai than three years ago. Until August 2025 the United Arab Emirates sat on the EU list of high-risk third countries for money laundering, and many banks declined as a blanket policy. Since its removal willingness to lend has improved, though dirham income is credited with a safety discount.
Buy a house in Germany from Dubai: the key facts
You can buy a house in Germany from Dubai — since August 2025 German banks lend to UAE residents more readily.
Non-resident mortgage: which income and loan-to-value do banks accept?
Income in AED or USD is accepted at specialist banks, with a loan-to-value of 60–100 % depending on income type and creditworthiness.
Non-resident mortgage: can I buy a house in Germany while living in Dubai or the UAE? Yes. Since the UAE was removed from the EU risk list in August 2025, banks’ willingness to lend has clearly improved.
Income in AED or USD is accepted at specialist banks. Loan-to-value 60–100 %, depending on income type and creditworthiness — the country of residence decides which banks take the case, not the range; equity up to 40 % depending on the case, plus incidental costs. Calculate the closing costs.
Is tax-free UAE income financeable?
Yes. What matters is the demonstrable level and stability of income and the security registered in the German land register — not whether the income is taxed in the UAE.
UAE/Dubai residence at a glance (as of 2026)
The UAE have been removed from the EU risk list since Aug. 2025, equity is up to 40 % depending on the case plus incidental costs, and income in AED or USD is handled at specialist banks.
✓ Removed EU risk list since Aug. 2025; up to 40 % Equity depending on the case + incidental costs; AED · USD At specialist banks.
What's typical with a UAE residence
Typical points are income in AED or USD, a preference for corporate employment with a contract term of at least 2 years, a loan-to-value of 60–100 %, separately assessed tax-free income, UAE official documents in English and the notary appointment.
Income in AED or USD: both possible; USD is often accepted more easily (counts as a hard currency); Employer: corporate employment with a contract term ≥ 2 years is preferred — the self-employed have a narrower circle of banks; Loan-to-value: 60–100 %, depending on income type and creditworthiness — the country of residence decides which banks take the case, not the range; equity up to 40 % depending on the case, plus incidental costs;
Tax-free income: banks assess it separately (employment contract, payslips and bank statements instead of a tax assessment) — which bank takes your case is settled in the conversation; UAE official documents: Emirates ID, visa, tenancy agreement or proof of ownership in Dubai/AUH — accepted in the original English; Notary appointment: travelling in person to Germany (visa-free entry with a German passport) or a power of attorney with apostille from a UAE notary.
Frequently asked questions
Is financing possible despite tax-free income?
Yes. What matters is the demonstrable level and stability of income and the security registered in the German land register — not whether it is taxed in the UAE.
Why wasn't it possible before?
The UAE was on the EU list of high-risk countries, which forced German banks to decline. That classification was lifted in August 2025.
Does this also apply to a let apartment?
Yes, buy-to-let properties are possible too. Discuss the tax side (no double-taxation treaty with the UAE) with your tax adviser; we handle the financing.
Do I have to be a German citizen?
No. What is decisive is the overall constellation of residence, income and property, not citizenship.
I'm planning to return from the UAE to Germany — what changes?
Residence permits and employment contracts in the UAE are usually fixed-term anyway — many clients are already planning the return. Buying for owner-occupation after your return widens the pool of banks compared with pure investment, and regular KfW programmes can become accessible with a fixed return date.
As long as you still live outside the EU and Switzerland, KfW requires a legal opinion that hardly any bank provides — so KfW usually only applies once you have moved to Germany. The missing UAE tax certificate remains the central evidencing challenge until your return — we assemble the alternative documentation in advance.
Request a feasibility check
We review your specific financing situation — free, non-binding, in German, English or Russian.
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Editorially responsible: Olga Nikushkina — owner, §34i GewO (German mortgage brokerage), adviser register D-W-132-ZUCB-95. Specialised in German property financing with an international dimension: non-residents, foreign-currency income, cross-border workers, expats. Siegfried Perini is entered in the German intermediary register under this licence as a person directly involved in brokerage and advice (§ 11a GewO), active in real estate since 1992. Not legal or tax advice.