How much does it cost to buy property in Dubai?
Expect to pay the DLD transfer fee, agency commission and a few fixed fees on top of the price: on a AED 1,500,000 apartment bought in cash, with the buyer paying the whole transfer fee, that came to AED 96,220. The DLD transfer fee is 4% of the price in total, listed by the DLD as 2% from the buyer and 2% from the seller; check who pays in your contract. A mortgage adds 0.25% of the loan in DLD registration, plus bank charges.
Steps
Agree who pays the transfer fee
Who: You and the seller
Documents:
- Form F (sale contract between buyer and seller)
The DLD transfer fee is 4% of the price in total, listed by the DLD as 2% from the buyer and 2% from the seller; check who pays in your contract. Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013 sets the fee and says it is shared equally by seller and purchaser unless they agree otherwise; Property Finder reports that in practice buyers often pay all of it, so read the clause in Form F before you sign.
Agree the agency commission in writing
Who: You and your broker
Documents:
- Contract B (buyer and broker)
The DLD's brokerage practice guide sets out the smart contracts: Contract A between seller and broker, Contract B between buyer and broker, and Contract F between seller and buyer. Agency commission on a resale is commonly 2% of the price plus VAT, as reported by Property Finder; it is market practice, not a regulated rate, so agree it in writing. VAT is charged at 5% on the commission.
Get the developer's no-objection certificate
Who: The seller, with the developer
Documents:
- Developer e-NOC
To register a resale in a freehold area, the DLD requires a no-objection e-certificate from the developer, issued through the Dubai REST app. The DLD does not list a fee for it, so ask the developer what it charges and who pays.
Pay the fees at the trustee office
Who: You, the seller and the trustee office
Documents:
- Passport
- Manager's cheques or transfers for the price and fees
The DLD lists the trustee office fee as AED 4,000 plus VAT where the price is AED 500,000 or more, or AED 2,000 plus VAT below that, alongside the title deed, map, knowledge and innovation fees in the table. The DLD gives the expected completion time for a sale registration as 20 minutes.
Add the mortgage costs, if borrowing
Who: You, the bank and the trustee office
Documents:
- Bank offer letter
- Key facts statement
The DLD charges 0.25% of the mortgage amount to register it, plus a title deed fee and per-drawing fees, and the trustee office charges its own service fee. Ask the bank for its arrangement, valuation and insurance costs in writing.
For off-plan, budget Oqood and developer charges
Who: You and the developer
Documents:
- Sale and purchase agreement
Oqood registration of an off-plan sale is listed by the DLD as 2% of the sale value from the purchaser and 2% from the seller, and the contract must be registered within 90 days of signing. Developers may add their own admin charges; ask for them in writing before you sign.
Costs and fees
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| DLD transfer fee on a resale, total (listed as buyer and seller shares below) | 4% |
| DLD transfer fee, buyer share as listed by the DLD | 2% |
| DLD transfer fee, seller share as listed by the DLD | 2% |
| Title deed issuance | AED 250 |
| Map fee, villas and apartments | AED 250 |
| Knowledge fee | AED 10 |
| Innovation fee | AED 10 |
| Trustee office fee, price at or above the threshold below, plus VAT | AED 4,000 |
| Trustee office fee, price below the threshold, plus VAT | AED 2,000 |
| Trustee office fee threshold (sale value) | AED 500,000 |
| Agency commission on a resale, common practice reported by Property Finder, plus VAT | 2% |
| VAT on services such as the trustee fee and commission | 5% |
| Oqood (off-plan), purchaser share as listed by the DLD | 2% |
| Oqood (off-plan), seller share as listed by the DLD | 2% |
| Oqood knowledge fee | AED 10 |
| Oqood innovation fee | AED 10 |
| Mortgage registration, share of the loan | 0.25% |
| Mortgage title deed issuance | AED 250 |
| Trustee office fee for a mortgage, plus VAT | AED 4,000 |
| Trustee office fee for a provisional (Oqood) mortgage, plus VAT | AED 5,000 |
| Early settlement fee cap, share of the outstanding balance (or the AED cap below, whichever is less) | 1% |
| Early settlement fee cap, AED | AED 10,000 |
Source: dlp.dubai.gov.ae, dubailand.gov.ae, www.propertyfinder.ae, u.ae, centralbank.ae. Data as of .
Worked example: ready apartment bought in cash
Assumptions: price AED 1,500,000; the buyer pays the whole transfer fee and uses a buyer's agent at the commonly reported commission; VAT at 5% on the trustee fee and the commission; DLD fees as listed when we checked. This is arithmetic on the published fees, not a quote.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| DLD transfer fee, whole fee paid by the buyer | AED 60,000 |
| Title deed | AED 250 |
| Map | AED 250 |
| Knowledge and innovation fees | AED 20 |
| Trustee office fee with VAT | AED 4,200 |
| Agency commission with VAT | AED 31,500 |
| Total on top of the price | AED 96,220 |
| Developer e-NOC | Set by the developer: ask before you sign |
Calculated by Eagle Star from the DLD fee pages and the Property Finder commission figure above. Data as of .
If a bank lends AED 1,000,000 of this price, add AED 2,500 for mortgage registration, plus the other mortgage fees above and the bank's own charges.
Timings
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Sale registration at the trustee office, DLD expected completion time | 20 minutes |
| Register an off-plan sale in Oqood after signing | 90 days |
Figures as of ; sources: dubailand.gov.ae.
Documents checklist
- Form F, with the clause on who pays the transfer fee
- Contract B with your broker, showing the commission
- Developer e-NOC (resale)
- Passport
- Payment instruments for the price and fees
- Bank offer letter and key facts statement, if borrowing
Common mistakes
- Assuming the seller pays half the transfer fee without checking the contract.
- Leaving VAT out of the commission and trustee fee.
- Forgetting the developer's e-NOC charge on a resale.
- Budgeting a full transfer fee for an off-plan purchase instead of the purchaser's listed Oqood share.
- Using portal fee summaries instead of the DLD's own fee pages.
Frequently asked questions
How much are DLD fees when buying property in Dubai?
The DLD transfer fee is 4% of the price in total, listed by the DLD as 2% from the buyer and 2% from the seller; check who pays in your contract. On top of that the DLD lists a title deed fee of AED 250, a map fee of AED 250 for villas and apartments, and knowledge and innovation fees of AED 10 each, and the trustee office charges AED 4,000 plus VAT on a sale of AED 500,000 or more.
Who pays the 4% transfer fee in Dubai, buyer or seller?
Whoever the contract says. Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013 shares the fee equally unless the parties agree otherwise, and Property Finder reports that buyers often pay all of it in practice, so check Form F.
How much is agent commission when buying in Dubai?
Agency commission on a resale is commonly 2% of the price plus VAT, as reported by Property Finder; it is market practice, not a regulated rate, so agree it in writing. On off-plan purchases bought from a developer, Property Finder reports that the developer typically pays the broker.
What are the extra costs of buying with a mortgage?
The DLD charges 0.25% of the loan to register the mortgage, plus a title deed fee of AED 250 and per-drawing fees, and the trustee office charges AED 4,000 plus VAT. Banks add their own arrangement, valuation and insurance costs.
What fees do I pay on an off-plan purchase?
Oqood registration of an off-plan sale is listed by the DLD as 2% of the sale value from the purchaser and 2% from the seller, and the contract must be registered within 90 days of signing. Developers may also charge admin fees, which vary.