Government and registration
The Dubai Land Department charges a flat transfer fee on every sale, paid at the trustee office on the day of transfer.
- DLD transfer fee: 4 percent of the purchase price, plus AED 580 admin fee for apartments and AED 430 for land.
- Trustee office fee: AED 4,000 plus VAT for properties above AED 500,000, AED 2,000 plus VAT below.
- Title deed issuance: AED 250.
- Off-plan: registration through Oqood at 4 percent, often absorbed by the developer as a launch incentive.
Agency and developer
Secondary market purchases carry a brokerage fee. Direct off-plan bookings from a developer usually do not.
- Agency commission on resale: 2 percent of the price plus 5 percent VAT on the commission.
- Developer NOC fee on resale: AED 500 to 5,000 depending on the developer.
- Conveyancing, if you use a firm: AED 6,000 to 10,000.
If you take a mortgage
Bank-financed purchases add a second set of fees, most of them fixed by regulation.
- Mortgage registration: 0.25 percent of the loan amount plus AED 290.
- Bank arrangement fee: typically 0.5 to 1 percent of the loan.
- Valuation: AED 2,500 to 3,500.
- Life and property insurance as a condition of the loan.
A worked example
On a ready AED 2,000,000 apartment bought with cash on the secondary market, budget roughly AED 128,000 on top of the price: AED 80,580 to the DLD, AED 4,200 trustee, AED 42,000 agency commission including VAT, and a developer NOC. Use the calculator on our ready properties page for your own figures.
General information, not financial or legal advice. Fees and rules are those published by the Dubai Land Department and UAE authorities at the time of writing and can change.