Buying Dubai Property from India: LRS Limit and TCS Calculator

Indian residents are the largest or second-largest group of foreign buyers in Dubai every year. The two numbers that decide how an Indian buyer pays for a Dubai property are the Liberalised Remittance Scheme limit and Tax Collected at Source. This page explains both, and the calculator shows whether your purchase fits within the limits, how many family members or financial years you need, and how much tax is collected upfront.

The two rules in one minute

• LRS limit. Every resident individual may remit up to USD 250,000 per financial year (April to March) under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme for permitted purposes, and buying property abroad is one of them. The limit is per person, so a family of two can send USD 500,000 a year, and a purchase can be spread over two or three financial years to match an off-plan payment plan.
• TCS. On LRS remittances for purposes other than education and medical treatment, the bank collects tax at source at 20% on the amount above INR 10 lakh per person per financial year. It is not an extra tax: the amount appears in your Form 26AS and is credited against your income tax when you file the return, or refunded. It does, however, lock up cash until the refund.

Calculator

Enter the property price in dirhams, how many family members will remit, and over how many financial years. Exchange rates are editable; the defaults are approximate.

How Indian buyers usually structure the payment

1. Split between family members. Spouse, parents and adult children each have their own USD 250,000 limit. Joint ownership of the Dubai unit is allowed, and the Golden Visa threshold of AED 2 million applies to the property as a whole, so co-owners do not lose visa eligibility by splitting the purchase.
2. Spread over financial years. An off-plan payment plan that runs 2 to 4 years aligns naturally with the LRS year ending 31 March. A ready property can be paid in two tranches across the March boundary if the seller agrees in the sale agreement.
3. Use NRE or NRO funds where available. Non-resident Indians remitting from NRE accounts are outside the LRS limit. Resident buyers with family members abroad often combine routes.
4. Purpose code and paperwork. The bank files the remittance under purpose code S0005 (purchase of immovable property abroad). You need Form A2, a PAN, the sale agreement or developer booking form, and the developer’s escrow account details. Keep the bank’s outward remittance advice: DLD and the developer accept it as proof of source of funds.
5. Mortgage in Dubai. A UAE bank mortgage reduces the amount that has to leave India. Non-residents typically get 50 to 70% of the value on ready property; instalments are then paid from rental income or from India within the LRS limit.

What the money buys in Dubai

Our property fees calculator shows the full purchase cost: 4% DLD fee, trustee and agency charges. The residency page explains which price gives a 2-year or a 10-year visa, and every project page on this site shows registered DLD transactions, so you can check what similar units actually sold for before you remit.

Questions Indian buyers ask

Can I buy a Dubai property with INR directly?

No. The payment reaches the developer or seller in AED through the LRS route from your Indian bank, or from an NRE/NRO account. Developers do not accept rupees.

Is the LRS limit per family or per person?

Per person, per financial year. Family members can each use their own limit for the same property, and the limits reset on 1 April.

How much TCS will my bank collect?

20% of the amount above INR 10 lakh remitted by that person in the financial year for purposes other than education and medical. The calculator shows the total across all remitters.

Do I get the TCS back?

Yes. It is credited against your income tax liability when you file your return; any excess is refunded. The money is tied up until then, so plan the cash flow.

Can an NRI use LRS?

LRS applies to resident individuals. NRIs remit from NRE accounts without the LRS limit, or from NRO accounts within the USD 1 million per year repatriation rules.

Does paying over several years affect the Golden Visa?

No. Eligibility depends on the property value, not on how the payment was spread. Off-plan units registered in Oqood count towards the AED 2 million threshold.

This is general information as of October 2026 and not tax advice. RBI and Income Tax rules change with each Budget; confirm the current limits with your bank or chartered accountant before remitting.