What they will lend you
Note: Educational estimate for planning. Confirm final amounts on official channels.
What this calculator does
It runs the two tests a UAE lender runs, and reports the smaller answer, because the smaller answer is the one that decides your purchase.
The income test caps your total monthly debt — the new mortgage plus everything you already owe — at a share of your income, widely reported as 50%. The property test caps the loan at a percentage of the property’s value. Pass one and fail the other and you have not qualified; you have simply found out which number to work on.
Why your existing debts matter more than you expect
The income test is applied to total debt, not to the mortgage alone. A AED 3,000 car loan instalment does not reduce your borrowing power by AED 3,000 — it reduces it by the entire loan that AED 3,000 a month would have serviced, which over 25 years at typical rates is in the region of half a million dirhams.
Credit cards are the quiet one. Lenders commonly count a percentage of your limit rather than your balance, so an unused card with a high limit can cost you borrowing capacity even at a zero balance. Closing a card you do not use is often the cheapest thing you can do before applying.
The loan-to-value caps, and where sources disagree
The figures lenders and brokers consistently report are 80% for an expatriate buying a first home priced under AED 5 million, 85% for a UAE national in the same position, around 60% for a second or investment property and 50% for off-plan.
Above AED 5 million the published figures diverge: some sources give 70%, others 65%, and at least one guide puts the expatriate first-home cap at 75% rather than 80%. We have not been able to read the Central Bank’s own rulebook to settle it, so this page does not pretend to. The cap is an editable field for exactly that reason — put your lender’s number in it.
The deposit is not the only cash you need
A 20% deposit on a AED 1.8 million apartment is AED 360,000. The purchase fees — the 4% DLD transfer fee, trustee, title deed and map fees, agency commission, valuation, mortgage registration and arrangement fees — add roughly another 6% of the price, and no lender will finance them.
So the real cash requirement is closer to 26% of the price than 20%. The purchase cost calculator itemises it.
Worked examples
50% of income is AED 12,500 a month, which at 4.25% over 25 years services roughly AED 2.3 million. On a AED 1.8m property the 80% LTV cap bites first at AED 1.44m — the property is the constraint, not the salary.
Only AED 6,500 a month is left, servicing about AED 1.2 million. Now the income test binds and the car loan has cost more borrowing power than the deposit.
Half the price in cash before fees. This is the tier that surprises people who budgeted for a 20% deposit.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the monthly income a lender will count, not your gross package.
- Add up every existing monthly repayment, including credit card minimums.
- Enter the price of the property you have in mind.
- Pick your buyer type to load the usual loan-to-value cap, then override it with your lender’s figure if you have one.
- Set a rate and term — a longer term raises what the income test allows and raises the total interest.
- Read which of the two ceilings is binding, and work on that one.
- Add roughly 6% of the price for purchase fees on top of the deposit.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I borrow for a mortgage in the UAE?
The lower of two limits: what your income supports with total monthly debt capped at a share of income, widely reported as 50%, and what the property supports under the loan-to-value cap, commonly 80% for an expatriate first home. This calculator works out both and names whichever binds.
What is the debt burden ratio in the UAE?
The share of your monthly income that all debt repayments combined may take. The Central Bank limit is consistently reported at 50%, counting the new mortgage plus car loans, personal loans and credit card commitments. Some government-backed housing schemes are reported at 60%.
What deposit do expats need for a Dubai mortgage?
Commonly 20% for a first home under AED 5 million, since those mortgages are generally reported as capped at 80% of value. Above AED 5 million the reported caps vary between 65% and 75% depending on the source, and off-plan is commonly capped at 50%. Confirm with a lender.
Do credit cards affect how much I can borrow?
Yes, often more than people expect, because lenders commonly count a percentage of your credit limit rather than your outstanding balance. An unused card with a large limit can reduce your borrowing capacity even at zero balance.
Can non-residents get a mortgage in the UAE?
Some UAE banks lend to non-residents, generally at lower loan-to-value ratios and on a narrower list of eligible properties and developers than residents face. Terms vary considerably between lenders, so this is a question for a broker rather than a calculator.
Does a longer term let me borrow more?
Yes, under the income test, because it lowers the monthly payment. It does not change the loan-to-value cap, and it increases the total interest you pay. UAE lenders also limit the term by your age at maturity, so the longest term on paper may not be available to you.
Are the purchase fees included in the mortgage?
No. The roughly 6% in transfer, trustee, agency and mortgage fees must be paid in cash alongside the deposit, which is why the real cash requirement on an 80% mortgage is closer to 26% of the price than 20%.
Do you store my numbers?
No. Calculations run in your browser and nothing is sent to a server. See our Privacy Policy for analytics and AdSense cookie details.
Where these figures come from
The amortisation arithmetic is standard and definitional. The two limits are not — they are regulatory, and this is what we could and could not verify.
The 50% debt burden ratio is reported consistently across lender, broker and guidance sources as the Central Bank cap on total monthly debt repayments as a share of income. The loan-to-value caps are reported consistently at 80% for an expatriate first home under AED 5 million, 85% for a UAE national, around 60% for a second or investment property and 50% for off-plan. Above AED 5 million the published figures conflict — some sources give 70%, others 65%, and one puts the expatriate first-home cap at 75% rather than 80%.
What we could not verify. We were not able to read the Central Bank of the UAE’s own mortgage regulation text to transcribe these caps directly, so none of them is presented here as an official quotation. Every one is an editable field. Put your lender’s quoted figure in rather than trusting the default.
Last checked against the source: 30 October 2026. Not affiliated with the Central Bank of the UAE or any lender.
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Disclaimer
Disclaimer: Educational estimate. The debt burden and loan-to-value caps used here are figures reported consistently by lenders and brokers, not text we transcribed from the Central Bank rulebook, and published sources disagree on the tiers above AED 5 million. Only a licensed lender can tell you what you can borrow. Not mortgage, financial or legal advice.