Paid cash for off-plan property in Dubai? A follow-up playbook for US buyers

Cash leaves a thinner paper trail than a wire, so the work is proving what you paid, to whom, and for which unit.

Paid cash for off-plan property in Dubai as a US buyer: what now?

Get a proper receipt, confirm the money reached the project escrow account, and check that your purchase is registered. Cash of AED 55,000 or more triggers a reporting duty for the broker or agent, not for you.

1. Get a full receipt

   Payer, payee, amount, unit, date.

2. Confirm the escrow deposit

   Ask for proof it reached escrow.

3. Check registration

   Oqood e-certificate after the SPA.

4. Rebuild the record

   Withdrawal slips, messages, photos.

5. Act on red flags

   Escalate in Dubai, report in the US.

Step 1: Get a receipt that names everyone

A useful receipt shows who paid, which company received the money, the amount in AED, the date, the unit and project reference, and a signature or stamp.

Step 2: Ask for proof that the cash reached escrow

Cash or wire, an off-plan buyer's money should land in the project's escrow account, according to the DLD FAQ. Ask the developer for proof your payment was credited there, and compare the account number with Dubai REST. See our escrow verification playbook.

The letter writer's project was in another emirate; the question to ask in Dubai is the same.

Step 3: Understand the AED 55,000 cash payment rule at a sales office

Under Ministry of Economy Circular No. 05/2022, effective July 1, 2022, UAE-licensed real estate brokers and agents must file a Real Estate Transaction Report (REAR) through the FIU's goAML platform for freehold deals where cash, alone or combined, reaches AED 55,000 or more. This is a reporting duty, not a ban.

Reporting threshold

AED 55,000

About $14,976 at the peg

Source: MoE Circular 05/2022

Who reports

Brokers and agents

Law firms too, via the Ministry of Justice

Where

goAML (UAE FIU)

Developer cash limit

AED 55,000

Policy at several large developers since May 2024

Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 on anti-money laundering took effect on October 14, 2025; no change to this threshold was verified.

Step 4: Rebuild your record from the US side

Collect what proves where the cash came from and went: withdrawal or exchange slips, travel dates, messages arranging the payment and receipt photos. Keep originals and scans together with the SPA.

Step 5: Check registration and act on red flags

After an SPA is signed, the DLD says it must be registered in Oqood, the DLD's interim register for off-plan sales, within 90 days, and the buyer receives an e-certificate by email. If not, the DLD FAQ points to its Real Estate Registration Assurance section.

If the seller disappears or the project is missing from DLD records, report it. Stateside, file with IC3 (the FBI's complaint center) and with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. In Dubai, Law No. 8 of 2007, Article 16, sets a jail term and/or a fine of at least AED 100,000 for knowingly selling units in fraudulent projects or misappropriating development money.

Call Dubai early in your morning: 7 a.m. in New York is 3 p.m. in Dubai during daylight saving time. If you paid a booking deposit in cash, see the booking deposit refund playbook. The global guide to cash payments and the US buyers' overview give more context, and you can look up a developer's record before paying again.

Cash payment questions from American buyers

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.