Buying guide
From enquiry to title deed
Eight steps, one document checklist and no surprises. This is how an off-plan purchase at EYWA works for a buyer who does not live in the UAE — written factually, with the only fee we can source stated in full.
Before you start
What the process actually is
An off-plan purchase in Dubai is more procedural and less improvised than most buyers expect. The sequence is fixed by regulation rather than by the seller: the unit is reserved, a sale and purchase agreement is signed, the transaction is registered in an interim register before any title deed exists, the money goes into a project escrow account rather than to the developer, and releases from that account are tied to verified construction progress. Understanding the sequence removes most of the anxiety, because at every stage there is a document that proves where you stand.
For a non-resident the process adds one practical layer — identification and, if you are not travelling, representation — and removes another, since residency is not a condition of ownership in a designated freehold area such as Business Bay. You can complete the purchase without living in the UAE and without a local partner.
What follows is the sequence, the paperwork and the money, in order. Where a cost is documented in the developer material we state it; where it is not, we say it is quoted rather than guess at a number. Nothing on this page is legal, tax or immigration advice, and none of it replaces your own advisers.
The process
Eight steps, in order
Each step produces a document. If a step has passed and you do not have the document, the step has not really happened.
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01
Enquiry and unit selection
You tell us the format — number of bedrooms, tower, floor band, orientation, budget — and we reply in writing with the live availability list, the price list with areas and parking allocation, the floor plans of the matching units and the payment schedule. In a building of this size availability is the binding constraint rather than price: there are only four 4-bedroom Sky Collection residences and four 5-bedroom ones in Tree of Life, and two penthouses in total.
You should hold: Availability list, price list, floor plans, payment schedule
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02
Reservation form and booking deposit
When a unit is chosen you sign a reservation form that fixes the specific unit, the agreed price and the payment schedule, and you pay the booking instalment — the first stage of the plan, 10% on both the Tree of Life and Way of Water schedules. From this point the unit is taken off the availability list. Confirm in the reservation form how long the price and unit are held for and what happens to the deposit if the sale does not proceed.
You should hold: Signed reservation form, receipt for the booking instalment
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03
SPA signing and the 4% DLD fee
The sale and purchase agreement is the contract: the unit, the area, the specification, the payment schedule, the completion obligations and the handover terms. On the Tree of Life schedule the second instalment of 10% falls due at SPA signing, and the Dubai Land Department registration fee of 4% of the purchase price is paid alongside it. That 4% is a transaction cost, not part of the price — budget it separately from day one.
You should hold: Executed SPA, proof of payment of the 4% DLD registration fee
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04
Oqood pre-title registration
Before the building exists there can be no title deed, so the transaction is entered into the interim off-plan register, known as Oqood. The registration links your name to that specific unit in the official record and converts the contract from a private agreement into a registered interest. It is handled as part of the SPA process; administration charges associated with it are confirmed in writing at reservation.
You should hold: Oqood registration certificate for the unit
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05
Instalments into the project escrow account
Every subsequent instalment is paid into the regulated escrow account held for the project, not to the developer directly. The developer draws from that account against verified construction progress. Keep the payment references and the receipts: they are the evidence trail that supports your position at handover, and they are what an assignment buyer will ask to see if you ever sell before completion.
You should hold: Payment receipts and escrow references for each instalment
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06
Construction milestones
The Tree of Life schedule ties two instalments to construction rather than to the calendar: 10% at 40% completion and 10% at 60% completion, after the earlier date-based payments at 60, 90 and 180 days from SPA. Ask for the construction progress reporting cadence and take it in writing — the milestone is a verifiable state of the building, not an announcement, and the same reports tell you whether the handover quarter is holding.
You should hold: Construction progress reports at each milestone
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07
Handover and final payment
The final 40% falls due on completion. Before you release it, inspect the residence against the SPA specification — the delivered finishes, the brands, the systems and the areas — and record any snags formally so they are fixed under the handover process rather than argued about afterwards. Handover is also the point at which the service charge becomes a live cost, so make sure you have the figure in writing well before this stage.
You should hold: Snagging report, handover certificate, keys
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08
Title deed
Once the building is complete and the unit handed over, the interim registration is replaced by a title deed issued by the Dubai Land Department in your name — freehold ownership, with no term. This is the document that matters for resale, for inheritance planning and for any property-linked residency application you may pursue with your own adviser.
You should hold: Title deed issued by the Dubai Land Department
Source: EYWA Tree of Life — developer presentation (73 pp.)
Data updated: 2026-08-29
Checklist
What to have ready
The exact set depends on whether you buy personally or through a company, and on the checks the developer and the escrow bank are required to run. This is the standard baseline.
Passport
A clear colour copy of the photo page, valid well beyond the expected handover date. For a corporate purchase, passports of the beneficial owners and the authorised signatory as well.
Proof of address
A recent utility bill, bank statement or government correspondence showing your name and residential address, usually dated within the last three months.
Source of funds, where requested
Anti-money-laundering rules apply to the escrow bank and the developer. Depending on the amount and the origin of the transfer you may be asked to evidence the source of funds — sale contracts, dividend records, employment or business documentation. Preparing this early prevents the most common cause of delay between reservation and SPA.
Corporate documents, for a company purchase
Certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, register of shareholders and directors, and a board resolution authorising the purchase and naming the signatory. Documents issued outside the UAE commonly need to be legalised or apostilled.
Power of attorney, if you are not travelling
A purchase can be completed without you being in Dubai. If you appoint a representative to sign on your behalf, the power of attorney must be drafted for this purpose and legalised for use in the UAE; the requirements depend on the country of issue, so start it well before the SPA date.
Bank details for the transfer
International transfers to the project escrow account should quote the reference given in the reservation pack. Confirm every bank detail through a channel you initiated yourself — never act on account details that arrive unexpectedly by email.
Questions
The questions buyers ask first
Can a foreigner buy at EYWA without living in the UAE?
Yes. Business Bay is a designated freehold area in which non-UAE nationals may own property outright, in their own name or through a company. Residency in the UAE is not a condition of ownership, and no local partner is required.
What is the total registration cost?
The Dubai Land Department registration fee documented in the developer payment plan is 4% of the purchase price, payable at SPA signing on the Tree of Life schedule. Oqood and trustee administration charges are confirmed in writing with the reservation pack; we do not publish a figure for them because we cannot source one.
Where does my money go before the building is finished?
Into the regulated escrow account held for the project, not to the developer directly. Releases from that account are tied to verified construction progress, which is why parts of the schedule are attached to completion milestones rather than to dates.
What is Oqood?
Oqood is the interim register for off-plan property in Dubai. It records your name against the specific unit before a title deed can exist, and is replaced by the title deed once the building is complete and handed over.
Can I buy without travelling to Dubai?
Yes, by appointing a representative under a power of attorney drafted for the purpose and legalised for use in the UAE. Because legalisation requirements depend on the issuing country, start the process well before the SPA date.
What are the service charges?
They are quoted on request. EYWA has 59 shared amenities, a dedicated amenities floor and a hospitality-grade service model, so its service charge is not comparable with a standard tower. Ask for the current position in writing before you reserve.
Does buying property give me UAE residency?
The UAE operates residency routes linked to property ownership, but eligibility depends on the value and status of the asset, on the applicant and on the rules in force when the application is made. We deliberately publish no thresholds or durations; your immigration adviser or the relevant authority is the correct source.
Can I resell before completion?
Assignment of an off-plan unit before handover is generally possible but is governed by the terms of your SPA and the developer’s conditions, including how much of the price must be paid first. Check the assignment clause in the SPA before you sign, not after.
Scope of this guide
This page describes the standard procedural sequence of an off-plan purchase and the one fee documented in the developer material, the 4% Dubai Land Department registration fee. It is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice, and it is not a substitute for your own advisers or for the terms of the sale and purchase agreement you sign. Procedures and official requirements change; confirm the current position before you act.
Next
Where to begin
The first step costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Send us the format you are looking for and we reply in writing with the live availability list, the price list, the floor plans of the matching units and the full payment schedule — the four documents that let you judge the purchase on your own terms rather than on a sales conversation.
If you already have those documents and want to move, tell us the unit and we will send the reservation form and the exact payment references. Every stage of the process above is handled in writing, and every stage leaves you with a document you can check.
Enquiry
What you receive in reply: current availability, the full price list with areas and parking, floor plans of the units that match your brief, the payment schedule and the handover timeline.
Start the purchase process
Tell us the tower, the format and your timing. We reply in writing with availability, the price list, floor plans, the payment schedule and the reservation steps for the unit you want.
Thank you — enquiry received
Our team will come back to you with availability, floor plans and pricing.