Paid cash for off-plan property in Dubai: next steps for Australia investors

Work out what your receipt proves, then match it against the official project record.

Paid cash for off-plan property in Dubai? What Australia investors should do next

Australia investors who paid cash should secure an official receipt, confirm the money was deposited to the project's escrow account, and check that account against Dubai REST. Cash is lawful in Dubai property deals, but it is the hardest payment to trace later.

An escrow account is a bank account opened in the project's name under Law No. 8 of 2007; buyer payments go there and can be withdrawn only for defined purposes. Dubai REST is the Dubai Land Department's official app, which shows a project's escrow account number.

Broker reporting threshold

AED 55,000

Cash, single or combined (Circular 05/2022)

In force since

1 Jul 2022

Ministry of Economy circular

Developer cash limit

AED 55,000

Policy at several large developers since May 2024

Minimum penalty

AED 100,000

Art. 16, Law No. 8 of 2007

Branch 1: you have no official receipt

Ask in writing today for an official receipt showing the payer, the amount, the unit, the date and the account the cash was deposited into. A handwritten note or a chat message is weaker evidence than a company receipt.

Branch 2: the receipt shows an escrow account

Compare the account number with the escrow details in Dubai REST's Project Status (Mashrooi) service. If they match, keep tracking the paperwork: the SPA should be registered in the Interim Property Register within 90 days of signing. Our guide to verifying a Dubai escrow account from Australia walks through the lookup.

Branch 3: no account shown, or a mismatch

Treat the payment as possibly outside escrow until proven otherwise. The director of RERA's Real Estate Control Department has urged investors not to make payments outside the project's escrow account. The next steps are set out in money paid outside escrow, for buyers in Australia.

The reader quoted bought in another emirate; in Dubai, the same gap is what the escrow check exposes.

Cash payment at a sales office in Dubai: the rule buyers in Australia should know

The AED 55,000 rule is often misread as a cap. Circular No. 05/2022 makes UAE-licensed brokers and agents file a Real Estate Transaction Report (REAR) through the Financial Intelligence Unit's goAML platform when cash reaches AED 55,000 or more, or when virtual assets are involved. Records are kept for at least five years.

Example: a hypothetical buyer hands over AED 30,000 in cash on two visits, AED 60,000 in total. The circular counts single or combined payments, so the combined amount crosses the threshold.

Cash deposit to a Dubai developer: what Australian buyers can do from home

Cash paid in Dubai leaves no Australian bank transaction to stop, so the home side is about reporting suspected fraud, tax records and timing.

If the cash was a booking deposit you now want back, see booking deposit refunds from Australia. The global guide to paying cash for off-plan and the Australia hub for Dubai off-plan problems cover related topics.

FAQ

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws and procedures change; check the official source before acting. Published 12 October 2026, last updated 12 October 2026.