How much home can you actually afford?
Answer five quick questions. We'll show your maximum property price, monthly repayment and the total cash you need up front — built on the CBUAE 50% debt-burden cap, the 7×/8× income-multiple limit and the current LTV rules for expats, UAE nationals and non-residents.
Who's buying?
Your residency sets the maximum loan-to-value and the income multiple a UAE bank will lend you.
What's your monthly income?
Banks count 100% of basic salary, 50% of a housing allowance and 0% of variable pay.
Any monthly loan or card repayments?
Existing commitments eat into the 50% debt-burden ceiling. Enter the monthly payment for each.
What are you buying, and where?
Property type changes the LTV cap; the emirate sets the transfer fee in your total cash.
Your mortgage terms
The 5-bank July 2026 median is 3.99%. Your term is capped by your age and buyer type.
The UAE mortgage rules behind the number
Every figure above is derived from the Central Bank of the UAE mortgage regulations and the current lender market — not from marketing. Expand for the full input list and its sources.
Key UAE NumbersMethodology & Data Sources — 21 UAE-specific inputs cited (click to expand)
Every ceiling this calculator applies, in one table.
A UAE bank does not size your mortgage on one number. It works out four separate ceilings and lends up to the lowest of them. These are the four, exactly as the calculator above applies them.
| Buyer | Property | Max LTV | Min deposit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expat | First home, up to AED 5M | 80% | 20% |
| Expat | First home, above AED 5M | 70% | 30% |
| Expat | Second or subsequent property, any price | 60% | 40% |
| Expat | Off-plan (under construction) | 50% | 50% |
| UAE National | First home, up to AED 5M | 85% | 15% |
| UAE National | First home, above AED 5M | 75% | 25% |
| UAE National | Second or subsequent property, any price | 65% | 35% |
| UAE National | Off-plan (under construction) | 50% | 50% |
Off-plan (under-construction) purchases are capped at 50% LTV for both buyer types. GCC nationals are not a third regulatory band: lenders commonly extend them UAE-national terms at their own discretion, which is bank policy rather than a Central Bank rule.
| Rule | What it caps | The limit | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt Burden Ratio (DBR) | Every monthly loan and card repayment you have, including the new mortgage, as a share of gross monthly income | 50% of gross monthly income, for every borrower | Regulation No. 29/2011, Article (7)(a) |
| Income multiple | Total mortgage financing as a multiple of annual gross income | 8× annual income (UAE national) · 7× (expat) | Circular No. 31/2013, Article (3) |
| Maximum tenure | The amortisation period — a longer term lowers the instalment and so raises what the DBR test allows | 25 years | Circular No. 31/2013, Article (3) |
| Maximum age at maturity | The age by which the loan must be fully repaid, which caps your term | Typically 65–70 expat / 70–75 national (set by lender) | UAE bank policy — not set by the regulator |
LTV, tenor and income-multiple caps are Circular No. 31/2013 — “Regulations Regarding Mortgage Loans”, Article (3); the Debt Burden Ratio is a separate instrument, Regulation No. 29/2011 — “Regulations Regarding Bank Loans and Other Services Offered to Individual Customers”, Article (7)(a). Effective 28 December 2013; amended by Board Resolution 31/2/2020. Article (3) “Important Ratios” sets the LTV caps, the 25-year tenor cap and the income multiple. The age at maturity is lender policy, not regulation, and self-employed applicants are often held to a tighter limit rather than a looser one. Banks additionally stress-test affordability a few percentage points above today's rate. Generated from the same constants the calculator computes against and cross-checked against its own loan-to-value function — never hand-typed. Planning tool, not financial advice.
How UAE banks decide your maximum mortgage
When a UAE bank sizes your mortgage, it doesn't pick one number — it takes the lowest of three separate ceilings and lends up to that. Understanding all three tells you which one is actually holding you back.
1. The 50% Debt Burden Ratio (DBR). UAE Central Bank rules cap your total monthly debt repayments — the new mortgage instalment plus car loans, personal loans and roughly 5% of your credit-card limits — at 50% of your gross monthly income. For most salaried buyers this is the binding limit. Clearing existing loans before you apply is usually the fastest way to raise your ceiling.
2. Loan-to-Value (LTV) caps. The bank will only finance a set share of the property's value, so the rest is your down payment. For a first home up to AED 5 million, expatriates can borrow up to 80% (a 20% deposit) and UAE nationals up to 85%. Above AED 5 million the caps drop to 70% and 75%, a second property is capped near 60–65%, and off-plan purchases are typically limited to 50%.
3. Tenure and age. The 25-year maximum term is a Central Bank rule. The age limit is not: the Regulations Regarding Mortgage Loans leave it to the lender — “the maximum age at the time of the last repayment should be determined by the mortgage loan providers in accordance with their risk management and lending policies.” In practice most UAE banks want the loan cleared by around age 65 for salaried expats and around 70 for UAE nationals, and self-employed applicants are often held to a tighter limit rather than a looser one. Ask your lender for its own figure. If you're older, a shorter remaining term means a higher monthly payment for the same loan — which then pushes back on your DBR ceiling.
Banks also stress-test affordability a few percentage points above today's rate, so you can absorb future rises. Your maximum property price is simply the largest loan these rules allow plus your down payment — then budget another 7–8% of the price for upfront costs (using Dubai's 4% DLD transfer fee as the default example, plus agency, mortgage registration and trustee fees).
Frequently asked questions
How much mortgage can I get in the UAE on my salary?
UAE banks size your mortgage on two independent caps. The debt-burden ratio (DBR) limits all your loan and card repayments to 50% of gross monthly income, and the Central Bank income-multiple rule caps total financing at 7× annual income for expats and non-residents, or 8× for UAE nationals. Your maximum loan is the lower of the two. On an AED 20,000 basic plus AED 5,000 housing allowance with no other debts, that works out to roughly AED 1.89M of borrowing.
How much deposit do I need to buy in the UAE?
For a first home under AED 5 million the minimum down payment is 20% for expats (80% LTV), 15% for UAE nationals (85% LTV), and typically 40% for non-residents (60% LTV). Above AED 5 million the caps tighten. Second homes and off-plan purchases require larger deposits: the LTV drops to 60–65% for a second property (a 35–40% deposit) and 50% on off-plan. On top of the deposit budget 7–8% of the price in transfer, agency, registration and valuation fees.
What upfront cash do I need beyond the deposit?
Budget for the Dubai Land Department transfer fee (4% of the price in Dubai, 2% in Abu Dhabi and an indicative 3% in Sharjah), the agency commission (2%), mortgage registration (0.25% of the loan plus AED 290) and a property valuation (around AED 3,000). Together these typically add 7–8% of the purchase price to your deposit — the calculator shows the exact total cash to buy for your numbers.
Does my age affect how much I can borrow?
Yes. A UAE mortgage must be fully repaid by the maximum age at maturity your lender allows — typically 65 for expats and non-residents and 70 for UAE nationals. Your maximum term is that age limit minus your current age, capped at 25 years. A shorter term raises the monthly payment, which lowers the loan the 50% DBR test will allow.
Do non-residents pay higher rates or bigger deposits?
Non-residents buying from abroad can still get a UAE mortgage, but banks cap the loan-to-value lower — usually around 60% for a first home (a 40% deposit) and often 50% for a second home or off-plan. The income multiple is the same 7× as a resident expat. Rates are set by the lender and salary-transfer discounts generally don't apply, so choose Non-resident above to model the tighter LTV.