ENENFRRU中文عربي
Contact us
ProjectsDevelopersCommunitiesGuidesContact us
← All guides

Dubai property registration fees: the 4% DLD transfer fee, Oqood and escrow

Guide 07 · Updated 29 September 2026 · Property Radar

In short
  • 4% Dubai Land Department fee, usually paid when the sales agreement is signed.
  • Oqood: the off plan sale must be registered in the interim register within 90 days of signing.
  • Escrow: your payments go into an account dedicated to the project.

The Dubai property registration fee, also called the transfer fee, is 4% of the price, paid to the Dubai Land Department: 60,000 AED on a 1,500,000 AED apartment.

The price on a Dubai brochure is never the full cost of the purchase. On top of it you pay government registration fees, small fixed charges, and later a service charge that never stops. This guide lists each cost, says where the figure comes from, and shows the total on a 1,500,000 AED apartment. Every amount below was read on an official page or in a named publication in September 2026.

Fees change. Treat this page as a checklist to take to the developer or trustee, not as a quote.

The Dubai Land Department fee, 4% of the price

The largest cost on top of the price is the registration fee charged by the Dubai Land Department (DLD). It is 4% of the sale value.

On the official DLD service pages, the 4% is written as two halves. The seller pays 2% and the buyer pays 2%. This split appears both on the page for registering a ready sale and on the page for registering an off plan sale.

In practice, the market works differently. Several buyer guides report that, by near universal convention, the buyer pays the full 4%. One guide also notes that some sale contracts share the fee between buyer and seller. The contract decides, so read the clause that allocates the fee before you sign.

For an off plan purchase, the timing matters too. A DLD announcement explains that the developer carries out the registration after the buyer has paid the 4%. The same announcement asks developers to start paying registration fees within a maximum of 60 days. Gulf News reports that the fee is usually paid when the Sales and Purchase Agreement is signed.

On a 1,500,000 AED unit, 4% is 60,000 AED.

Oqood, the off plan register

A unit bought off plan has no title deed yet. The sale is recorded instead in the interim register, known as Oqood. The DLD service for this is called provisional sale registration.

The DLD page sets three rules worth knowing:

  • The sale contract must be registered in the interim register within 90 days of signing.
  • The fee is 2% of the sale value for each party, plus an 10 AED knowledge fee and an 10 AED innovation fee.
  • The developer pays an 1,000 AED self registration fee through the Oqood portal.

The buyer receives a provisional registration certificate by email. Keep it. It is the document that proves your purchase until the title deed is issued.

Developers often add their own administration fee for preparing the contract and the Oqood file. This amount is not set by DLD. One buyer guide reports a range of 1,000 AED to 6,000 depending on the developer. Gulf News quotes a market range of around 580 AED to 4,000 for trustee or administrative fees. The ranges differ because they describe different charges, so ask the developer for its exact figure in writing.

Escrow, what it protects and what it does not

Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 governs escrow accounts for real estate development. Under Article 7, payments made by off plan buyers go into an account dedicated to the project. The developer cannot move that money to another project.

Article 14 adds a retention. Five percent of the value of each escrow account is held back once the developer obtains the completion certificate. It is released one year after the units are registered.

Article 15 covers the worst case. If a project runs into serious difficulty, the escrow agent must ensure that the project is completed or that depositors are refunded.

Escrow is real protection. It is not protection against every risk:

  • It does not guarantee the handover date.
  • It does not guarantee the finish or the quality of the building.
  • It only protects money that actually went into the escrow account, so always pay to the escrow account named in your contract.

You can check the completion percentage of a registered project on the DLD Project Status Enquiry service, free, by project name or number. Our guide on how to check a Dubai developer explains what else to look at.

Fees on a ready property

A ready purchase goes through a registration trustee office. The DLD page for property sale registration lists these charges:

  • Registration fee, 2% for the seller and 2% for the buyer, commonly paid in full by the buyer as explained above.
  • Title deed certificate issuance, 250. AED
  • Map fee for villas and apartments, 250. AED
  • Knowledge fee 10 AED and innovation fee 10. AED
  • Service partner fee, 4,000 AED plus VAT if the sale value is 500,000 AED or more, and 2,000 AED plus VAT below that.

In freehold areas, the seller must also provide an electronic no objection certificate from the developer. The developer charges for it. Market guides report amounts up to around 5,000, AED and the figure varies by developer.

A resale usually also involves a brokerage fee. We do not quote it here because it is negotiated, but put it in your budget.

If you use a mortgage

The DLD mortgage registration page lists a fee of 0.25% of the mortgage value. It also lists an 250 AED title deed fee, 10 AED knowledge and 10 AED innovation fees, and a service partner fee of 4,000 AED plus VAT.

Banks add their own charges. One international agency reports valuation fees of typically 2,500 AED to 3,500 plus VAT, and an arrangement fee of usually 1% of the loan plus VAT. Ask your bank for its exact schedule.

The amount a bank can lend is capped by the UAE Central Bank. For an expatriate buying a first home worth up to 5 AED million, the cap is 80% of the value. For a property bought off plan, the cap is 50%, whatever the buyer's profile. Our guide to Dubai payment plans explains how this affects the handover payment.

Table of the main fees

CostAmountSource
DLD registration fee4% of the sale value, written as 2% buyer and 2% sellerDLD service pages
Oqood knowledge and innovation fees10 AED plus 10 AEDDLD, provisional sale registration
Oqood registration deadlineWithin 90 days of signingDLD, provisional sale registration
Developer administration feeReported 1,000 AED to 6,000, set by each developerMarket guide, confirm with developer
Title deed certificate250 AEDDLD, property sale registration
Map fee, villas and apartments250 AEDDLD, property sale registration
Trustee office fee4,000 AED plus VAT from 500,000, AED 2,000 AED plus VAT belowDLD, property sale registration
Mortgage registration0.25% of the loanDLD, mortgage registration
DEWA security deposit2,000 AED for a flat, 4,000 AED for a villaDEWA, move in service
DEWA connection125 AED small meter, 300 AED large meterDEWA, move in service

Worked example on a 1,500,000 AED apartment

Here are the one off costs on an apartment priced at 1,500,000 AED, bought in cash. We assume the buyer pays the full 4%, as the market reports is usual.

Bought off plan

  • DLD fee, 4% of 1,500,000 AED, 60,000 AED.
  • Knowledge and innovation fees, 20 AED.
  • Developer administration fee, reported between 1,000 and 6,000 AED.

Total at registration, between 61,020 and 66,020 AED, depending on the developer.

At handover, add the title deed fees and the DEWA set up. For a flat with a small meter, DEWA lists a 2,000 AED deposit, a 125 AED connection charge and three fees of 10 AED each, so 2,155 AED. Developers may also ask for service charges in advance and a reserve fund contribution, as The National reports. Those amounts are set per building.

Bought ready

  • DLD fee, 60,000 AED.
  • Title deed certificate, 250 AED.
  • Map fee, 250 AED.
  • Knowledge and innovation fees, 20 AED.
  • Trustee office fee, 4,000 AED plus 5% VAT, so 4,200 AED.

Total, 64,720 AED, before the developer no objection certificate, brokerage and DEWA.

In both cases the fees add a little more than 4% to the price. The 4% dominates everything else.

The costs that continue every year

The fee most buyers underestimate is not paid once. It is the annual service charge.

Service charges pay for the common areas, security, lifts and the building reserve. They are billed per square foot per year. In jointly owned buildings they are approved by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA). You can look up the approved figure for a named project and year on the DLD Service Charge Index, through the Mollak system or the Dubai REST app.

Many towers also bill cooling separately, through a district cooling provider. Ask whether chiller charges are included in the service charge or billed on top.

A short illustration shows why it matters. Take a hypothetical 700 square foot apartment. At 15 AED per square foot, the service charge is 10,500 AED a year. At 25 AED per square foot, it is 17,500 AED. That 7,000 AED gap comes straight out of your rent. On a 1,500,000 AED purchase, it is almost half a point of net yield, since 7,000 divided by 1,500,000 is 0.47%.

These rates are illustrations, not market figures. Look up the real figure on the index before you compare two projects. The rental data on our project pages helps with the other half of the calculation.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Budgeting only the price. Keep at least the 4% DLD fee in cash on top of the deposit.
  • Assuming the seller pays half. The official pages show a 2% and 2% split, but the market reports the buyer usually pays all of it. Check your contract.
  • Paying outside escrow. Instalments paid to a personal or unrelated account are not protected by the escrow law.
  • Missing the Oqood registration. The contract must be in the interim register within 90 days. Ask for your certificate.
  • Ignoring service charges. Two towers with the same price can deliver very different net returns.
  • Forgetting the handover bill. Service charges in advance, cooling registration and DEWA are paid when you collect the keys.

Fee amounts are set by the Dubai Land Department, DEWA, banks and each developer, and they can change. Confirm every amount with the trustee office or developer before you pay. This page is general information, not legal or financial advice.

Questions

Who pays the 4% DLD fee in Dubai?

The official DLD pages split it into 2% for the buyer and 2% for the seller. Market guides report that the buyer usually pays the full 4%. Your sale contract decides, so check the clause before signing.

Is the 4% fee the same for off plan and ready property?

Yes. Both the provisional sale registration for off plan units and the sale registration for ready units list 2% for each party, so 4% in total. The smaller fixed fees differ between the two.

What is an Oqood certificate?

It is the provisional registration certificate for an off plan sale. It records your purchase in the interim register until the title deed exists. DLD requires registration within 90 days of signing the contract.

Does escrow protect me if the project is late?

No. Escrow keeps your payments tied to the project and provides for completion or refunds in serious cases. It does not guarantee the handover date. Read our guide on off plan versus ready for more on delays.

What is the property transfer fee in Dubai?

It is the Dubai Land Department registration fee, 4% of the sale value. Official pages split it 2% buyer and 2% seller, but in practice the buyer usually pays the full 4%. Check the clause in your sale contract.

How much are the total fees on a 1,500,000 AED apartment?

Between 61,020 and 66,020 AED at registration for an off plan unit, and 64,720 AED for a ready unit, before brokerage and DEWA.

See the total cost on any projectCost calculator

Off plan projects to compare

Compared on official Dubai Land Department figures

Under 750,000 AED

Azizi Waresfrom 555,000 AEDHandover Q1 2028Azizi Gabrielfrom 564,000 AEDHandover Q4 2028Azizi Nourafrom 570,000 AEDHandover Q4 2027
See all 16 projects

Under 1 million AED

One Sky Park by Imanfrom 750,000 AEDHandover Q1 2028Binghatti Ethereafrom 764,999 AEDHandover Q3 2027Binghatti Luxuriafrom 766,999 AEDHandover Q3 2027
See all 32 projects

Under 2 million AED

Arancia Yards by Beyondfrom 1,000,000 AEDHandover Q4 2028DAMAC Districtfrom 1,100,000 AEDHandover Q3 2029Golf Valefrom 1,100,000 AEDHandover Q1 2030
See all 59 projects

Sources

Compare the projects All guides