The DLD fee is the Dubai Land Department's registration fee on a property sale: 4% of the sale value, set by Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013. The law splits it equally between buyer and seller unless they agree otherwise, but in practice the buyer usually pays all of it. On an off-plan home you pay the 4% once, to the developer, who registers the sale on Oqood; no second 4% is due when the title deed is issued at handover. Fixed fees of a few hundred dirhams and a trustee service fee are added on a ready resale, and mortgages, gifts and inheritance are charged at much lower rates.
Key takeaways
- The DLD fee is 4% of the sale value. On an AED 1,500,000 home that is AED 60,000; on AED 2,000,000 it is AED 80,000.
- Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013 splits the fee equally between seller and buyer unless agreed otherwise. Dubai Land Department service pages list 2% each, but the contract decides, and buyers commonly pay all 4%.
- On off-plan you pay the 4% to the developer, which must pay it to DLD and register the sale on Oqood within 60 days. It is paid once: converting Oqood to a title deed at handover costs only small issuance fees.
- A ready resale adds fixed charges: AED 250 for the title deed, AED 250 for villas and apartments, AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees, and a trustee service fee of AED 4,000 plus VAT at AED 500,000 and above.
- Not every transfer costs 4%. Mortgage registration is 0.25% of the loan, a gift to a parent, spouse or child is 0.125% with a minimum of AED 2,000, and inheritance registration is AED 1,000 per property.
- The 4% is cash. Banks have not financed it since 1 February 2025, though first-time buyers can spread it over interest-free instalments on an eligible credit card.
- A developer "DLD waiver" means the developer pays some or all of the 4% for you. The fee itself is not waived, so compare the price with and without the offer.
01What is the DLD fee?
The DLD fee is the Dubai Land Department's fee for registering a property sale. It is 4% of the sale value, and it applies whether the home is ready, under construction or sold off-plan.
The rate comes from Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013, which sets the Land Department's fees. Item 1 of its schedule charges 4% of the value of the sale contract. Article 2 applies the fees to completed, under-construction and off-plan property alike.
The fee is the price of registration, and registration is what makes a transfer of ownership official in Dubai. Until the sale is registered, on the Oqood interim register for off-plan or the Real Property Register for a completed home, your ownership is not recorded.
This guide covers the DLD fee in depth: who pays, when, the fixed charges around it and the transactions that cost less. For every other cost of a purchase, from service charges to district cooling and resale, see the true cost of buying off-plan in Dubai.
02How much is the DLD fee?
It is 4% of the sale value in the contract. A simple way to check the figure is to move the decimal point one place to the left and multiply by 0.4.
| Sale value | DLD fee at 4% | If split 2% each |
|---|---|---|
| AED 500,000 | AED 20,000 | AED 10,000 each |
| AED 750,000 | AED 30,000 | AED 15,000 each |
| AED 1,000,000 | AED 40,000 | AED 20,000 each |
| AED 1,500,000 | AED 60,000 | AED 30,000 each |
| AED 2,000,000 | AED 80,000 | AED 40,000 each |
| AED 3,000,000 | AED 120,000 | AED 60,000 each |
| AED 5,000,000 | AED 200,000 | AED 100,000 each |
| AED 10,000,000 | AED 400,000 | AED 200,000 each |
The 4% is a percentage with no cap. It is the single largest fee in a Dubai purchase, larger than every other registration and service charge put together.
If you are working to a budget, add the 4% before you choose a price band. A buyer with AED 1,000,000 of cash cannot spend all of it on the price. Our under AED 1M and AED 1M to 2M pages list projects by price, so you can set the fee alongside the price from the start.
03Who pays the DLD fee, the buyer or the seller?
The law splits it equally unless the parties agree otherwise. In practice the buyer usually pays all of it, and on an off-plan purchase the developer collects it from the buyer.
Article 3(1) of Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013 says that, unless agreed otherwise, the fee for the sale of real property is shared equally by seller and buyer. The Land Department's own service pages reflect that default. Both the property sale registration page and the initial sale registration page list the seller at 2% of the sale value and the purchaser at 2%.
The words "unless agreed otherwise" matter. Dubai's market convention is for the buyer to pay the full 4%, and most sale contracts are written that way. Nothing stops a seller from agreeing to pay their 2%, or part of it, as part of the deal.
On a resale, agree it in writing. The split should be in the sale contract before anyone pays a deposit. A seller who wants a quick sale may accept paying their half, and on AED 2,000,000 that is worth AED 40,000 to the buyer.
On an off-plan purchase, the developer decides. The buyer pays the 4% to the developer, which registers the sale. The Land Department said in 2021 that developers carry out the registration after the buyer hands over the fees, which equal 4% of the property's value.
For other transfers the rule is different. Article 3(5) says mortgage, gift and certain heir fees are paid by the person who receives the rights, again unless agreed otherwise.
04When is the 4% paid on an off-plan home?
Once, at the start. You pay the 4% to the developer, usually with or soon after the booking payment, and the developer pays it to DLD and registers your purchase on Oqood.
The Land Department's initial sale registration is done by the developer through the Oqood portal. The developer selects the unit, enters the details and documents, pays and submits, and the Oqood certificate is emailed to the buyer.
The 60-day rule. In May 2021 the Land Department told developers to pay registration fees to DLD within a maximum of 60 days and warned of penalties for delay. Buyers can pay the developer by approved bank cheque through the Noqodi developer wallet, through a RERA-approved escrow account or through ePay channels.
No second 4% at handover. The fee belongs to the sale, not the building stage. When the project is complete, the Oqood entry is converted to a title deed and you pay only issuance and administration fees. Our guide to the handover process lists what is paid at that stage.
Check your Oqood certificate. It is your proof that the sale, and the fee, are registered. If it has not arrived within a few weeks of paying, ask the developer for the registration status in writing. Our guide to checking an off-plan project explains what the certificate should show.
If you sell before handover. An assignment is a new sale. Your buyer is charged 4% on the price they pay, and the developer's own transfer charges apply on top. The full costs are in our guide to selling off-plan before handover.
05When is the DLD fee paid on a ready home?
On transfer day. The buyer and seller, or their representatives, complete the transfer at a Real Estate Registration Trustee centre, the fees are paid and the title deed is issued in the buyer's name.
The Land Department's property sale registration page describes the steps:
- The parties attend a Real Estate Registration Trustee centre and submit the documents for verification.
- An employee enters the transaction and audits it.
- The fees are paid and a receipt is emailed.
- The buyer's details are entered using Emirates ID or passport, and the request is submitted.
- A reference number is issued to track the request.
DLD gives the time to complete as 20 minutes, and lists ePay, Dubai Pay, a Noqodi wallet and a manager's cheque as payment methods. The buyer and seller need Emirates ID, or a valid passport for non-residents. In freehold areas the seller also needs a developer e-NOC, obtained through the Dubai REST app.
If the home is mortgaged. Where the seller still has a mortgage, DLD's process for selling mortgaged property uses separate payments: one for the Land Department's 4%, one to clear the bank's debt and one for the seller's remaining balance.
06What other fees come with the DLD fee?
On a ready resale, a handful of fixed charges and a trustee service fee. They are small next to the 4% but worth knowing so the final figure is not a surprise.
| Fee | Amount | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | 4% of the sale value | 2% seller and 2% buyer by default |
| Title deed certificate | AED 250 | Issuing the new title deed |
| Villas and apartments | AED 250 | Charged on villa and apartment transfers |
| Map, land under Dubai Municipality | AED 225 | Unified map, where a plot is involved |
| Map, land not under Dubai Municipality | AED 100 | Where a plot is involved |
| Knowledge fee | AED 10 | Fixed fee on each transaction |
| Innovation fee | AED 10 | Fixed fee on each transaction |
| Service partner (trustee) fee | AED 4,000 plus VAT at AED 500,000 and above; AED 2,000 plus VAT below | The trustee centre that processes the transfer |
VAT. The Land Department adds VAT to the service partner fee, which is a private service. The UAE's standard VAT rate is 5%.
On an off-plan initial sale, the page lists AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees alongside the 2% and 2%. Developers add their own administration or Oqood processing charges, which vary; ask the developer for the figure and have it written into the contract.
07Worked examples
These examples use the fees above. They assume the buyer pays the full 4% and the fixed fees, which is the most common arrangement. Your own contract decides.
Example 1: an off-plan apartment at AED 1,200,000
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| DLD fee, 4% | AED 48,000 |
| Knowledge and innovation fees | AED 20 |
| Developer administration or Oqood processing | On request |
| Paid towards registration | AED 48,020, plus the developer's charge |
On a 10% booking, the buyer pays AED 120,000 of the price and AED 48,020 of registration at about the same time. That is why the cash needed to reserve is usually far more than the booking percentage suggests. Our payment plan guide and payment plan calculator show how the rest of the price is spread.
Example 2: a ready apartment at AED 2,000,000, paid in cash
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| DLD fee, 4% | AED 80,000 |
| Title deed certificate | AED 250 |
| Villas and apartments fee | AED 250 |
| Knowledge and innovation fees | AED 20 |
| Service partner fee, AED 4,000 plus 5% VAT | AED 4,200 |
| Total registration cost | AED 84,720 |
If the seller agrees to pay their 2%, the buyer's share falls by AED 40,000, to AED 44,720 if the buyer still covers the fixed fees. Agency commission, where it applies, is separate and is not a DLD fee.
Example 3: the same apartment with an AED 1,600,000 mortgage
A mortgage is registered with DLD as well, at a much lower rate. The Land Department's mortgage registration page lists 0.25% of the mortgage value, AED 250 for the title deed, AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees, and a service partner fee of AED 4,000 plus VAT.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sale registration, from Example 2 | AED 84,720 |
| Mortgage registration, 0.25% of AED 1,600,000 | AED 4,000 |
| Title deed, knowledge and innovation fees | AED 270 |
| Service partner fee, AED 4,000 plus 5% VAT | AED 4,200 |
| Total paid to register the sale and the mortgage | AED 93,190 |
Where a mortgage is registered on an Oqood, before handover, DLD lists a service partner fee of AED 5,000 plus VAT instead of AED 4,000. How the interest rate on that loan is set is explained in our guide to EIBOR and UAE mortgages.
Example 4: a flat given to a son or daughter
A gift to a first-degree relative is registered at 0.125% of the property's valuation, with a minimum of AED 2,000. DLD's gift page lists the title deed and villas and apartments fees at AED 250 each, and a service partner fee of AED 2,000 plus VAT below AED 2,000,000, or AED 4,000 plus VAT at AED 2,000,000 and above.
| Valued at AED 1,600,000 | Valued at AED 3,000,000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gift fee, 0.125% | AED 2,000 | AED 3,750 |
| Title deed and villas and apartments fees | AED 500 | AED 500 |
| Service partner fee with 5% VAT | AED 2,100 | AED 4,200 |
| Total | AED 4,600 | AED 8,450 |
| The 4% sale fee, for comparison | AED 64,000 | AED 120,000 |
08Which transactions cost less than 4%?
Mortgages, gifts to close family and inheritance. Each has its own line in the fee schedule, and each is a fraction of the sale fee.
Mortgage registration: 0.25% of the loan. Item 10 of the schedule. Varying or discharging a mortgage is a fixed AED 1,000 each, under items 11 and 13, and transferring a mortgage to another bank is 0.25%.
Gifts: 0.125%, minimum AED 2,000. Item 5 of the schedule and DLD's gift registration page. The reduced rate is for gifts to a mother, father, spouse or children, or to companies. Brothers, sisters and other relatives are not on that list, so ask a trustee centre how a transfer to them would be charged before you plan around the lower rate. The property must not be restricted or granted land.
Inheritance: AED 1,000 per property. Item 27 covers registering inherited property in the heirs' names. If one heir then gives up their share to the others, known as Takharuj, item 29 charges 1% of the property's value. A will registration is 0.125% of the value under item 33.
Parking spaces and storage units. DLD's own answers say buying a parking space or store is charged 4% of its value, like any other sale.
09Can I pay the DLD fee in instalments?
Yes, if you qualify for the First-Time Home Buyer Programme. Otherwise the fee is paid in full, in cash, when the sale is registered.
The Dubai Land Department's programme offers relaxed payment plans for DLD registration fees through eligible credit cards, with interest-free instalments. Standard DLD fees and any developer or bank charges still apply; the programme spreads the cost rather than removing it.
Who qualifies. A UAE resident of any nationality, aged 18 or over, who does not currently own freehold residential property in Dubai, buying a home valued under AED 5 million. Owning property outside Dubai does not count against you.
How to register. Apply on the DLD website or in the Dubai REST app. If you are eligible, DLD emails a First-Time Home Buyer QR code, which you show to participating developers and banks. Registration is free.
One developer, one bank. You may approach any partner, but the benefits can be used with only one partner developer and one partner bank.
Why it matters more since 2025. From 1 February 2025 UAE banks stopped financing the 4% DLD fee and agency commission as part of a mortgage, so it is cash for every buyer. Spreading it interest-free can make a real difference to the cash needed on completion day. The wider effect on deposits is set out in our cost guide and our guide to off-plan mortgages.
10What does a "DLD fee waiver" offer mean?
It means the developer pays some or all of the 4% for you, for a limited time. The government fee is not waived; it is still paid to DLD, just by someone else.
Waivers come in different sizes. Some cover the full 4%, others 2%, and some are tied to a particular payment plan or booking window. On an AED 1,200,000 home, a full waiver is worth AED 48,000 and a 2% waiver AED 24,000.
How to judge one:
- Compare like with like. Ask for the price with the waiver and the price for the same unit without it, or with a cash discount instead.
- Read the conditions. Check the deadline, the plan it applies to, and whether it is paid upfront or credited later.
- Get it in the SPA. The contract, not the brochure, should say who pays the 4%.
Current developer offers, including fee waivers, are listed on our offers page, and new projects on new launches.
11Is the DLD fee refundable?
Plan as if it is not. Once a sale is registered, the fee has done its job, and a later cancellation is a separate matter between buyer and developer.
If an off-plan purchase may be cancelled, for example because the project does not go ahead or you cannot continue, the outcome depends on your contract and on Dubai's rules on termination. Ask the developer, in writing and before you sign, what happens to the 4% in each case. Our guide to off-plan buyer protection covers cancelled projects, and our guide to missed instalments covers termination for non-payment.
12Common mistakes with the DLD fee
- Budgeting for the price but not the fee. On AED 1,500,000 the fee is AED 60,000 of cash on top.
- Assuming a second 4% at handover. There is none on an off-plan home you already own.
- Assuming the seller pays half. The legal default is an equal split, but most contracts put it all on the buyer. Read yours.
- Expecting the bank to lend it. Banks stopped financing it in February 2025.
- Treating a waiver as a discount on everything. It covers the fee, not the developer's own administration charges.
- Applying the gift rate to any relative. The reduced rate covers parents, spouse and children, or a company.
- Using Dubai's 4% elsewhere. Other emirates charge different fees.
13How does the DLD fee compare with other emirates?
The 4% is Dubai's. Other emirates set their own registration fees through their own land departments.
In Abu Dhabi, the registration fee is 2%, and the regulator is the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre rather than the Dubai Land Department. Our guide to buying property in Abu Dhabi as a foreigner sets out its fees and process. For Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and the other emirates, confirm the fee with the emirate's land department before you budget.
14Key terms
- DLD. The Dubai Land Department, the government body that registers property in Dubai. RERA, its regulatory arm, oversees developers, brokers and escrow.
- Oqood. DLD's interim register for off-plan sales, and the portal developers use to register them.
- Title deed. The certificate of ownership of a completed property, issued by DLD.
- Trustee centre. A Real Estate Registration Trustee office licensed by DLD to process transfers. Its service fee is the "service partner fee".
- Knowledge and innovation fees. Two fixed AED 10 charges on each transaction.
- e-NOC. An electronic no objection certificate. A developer e-NOC is needed to sell in freehold areas.
- Takharuj. An heir giving up a share of inherited property to the other heirs.
15Checklist before you pay the DLD fee
- Work out 4% of the price and add it to the cash you need.
- Agree in writing who pays it, and put it in the sale contract.
- On off-plan, ask the developer for its administration charge and when the 4% is due.
- Pay only through the channels DLD lists, and keep the receipt.
- Get your Oqood certificate or title deed and check the details.
- If you are a first-time buyer, register for the programme before you book.
- If you are using a mortgage, add 0.25% of the loan and the service partner fee.
16Where to go next
Once the fee is in your budget, the next question is the whole cash plan. Our step-by-step guide to buying off-plan shows where the fee falls in the process, and the true cost guide covers service charges and resale costs. To check a project and your registration yourself, see our guide to the Dubai REST app. When you are ready to compare homes, browse all projects.
FAQQuestions buyers ask.
What is the DLD fee in Dubai?
It is the Dubai Land Department's fee for registering a property sale, set at 4% of the sale value by Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013. It applies to ready, under-construction and off-plan property. The money goes to the government, not to the developer or the agent, and registration is what makes the transfer of ownership official.
Who pays the 4% DLD fee, the buyer or the seller?
By default the fee is shared equally, 2% each, under Article 3 of Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013, unless the parties agree otherwise. Dubai's market practice is for the buyer to pay the full 4%, and on an off-plan purchase the developer collects it from the buyer. Whatever you agree should be written into the sale contract.
Do I pay the DLD fee twice on an off-plan property?
No. The 4% is paid once, when the developer registers your purchase on Oqood, the interim register. When the building is complete and the Oqood registration converts to a title deed, you pay only issuance and administration fees. A new 4% is charged only if the property is sold again, and it is calculated on the new price.
How much is the DLD fee on a AED 1 million property?
AED 40,000. On a ready resale add AED 250 for the title deed, AED 250 for an apartment or villa, AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees, and a trustee service partner fee of AED 4,000 plus VAT, which is AED 4,200. That brings the registration total to about AED 44,720 if the buyer pays it all.
Can I add the DLD fee to my mortgage?
No. Since 1 February 2025 UAE banks have not financed the 4% DLD fee or agency commission as part of a mortgage, so it has to be paid in cash. Buyers registered in Dubai's First-Time Home Buyer Programme can pay DLD registration fees in interest-free instalments through eligible credit cards.
What is the DLD fee for gifting property to family in Dubai?
Registering a gift to a first-degree relative, meaning a mother, father, spouse or child, or to a company, costs 0.125% of the property's valuation with a minimum of AED 2,000. Add the AED 250 title deed fee, AED 250 for villas and apartments and a service partner fee of AED 2,000 or AED 4,000 plus VAT, depending on value. Gifts to siblings are not on that list.
Is the DLD fee negotiable?
The rate is not. It is a government fee fixed at 4%. What can be negotiated is who pays it. A seller can agree to cover part of it, and developers sometimes run time-limited offers in which they pay the fee on your behalf. Ask what the price is with and without the offer.
When is the DLD fee paid on a resale?
On transfer day, at a Real Estate Registration Trustee centre, before the title deed is issued in the buyer's name. DLD lists ePay, Dubai Pay, a Noqodi wallet or a manager's cheque as payment methods. On an off-plan purchase it is paid to the developer, usually at or soon after booking, and the developer pays DLD.
Does Abu Dhabi charge the same DLD fee?
No. The Dubai Land Department fee applies only in Dubai. Abu Dhabi's property registration fee is 2%, and other emirates set their own fees. Check the fee with the land department of the emirate where the property is.
Sources & methodWhere these figures come from.
Sources
- Dubai Legislation Portal: ECR 30 of 2013
- Dubai Land Department: Property sale registration
- Dubai Land Department: Request to register the initial sale
- Dubai Land Department: Request for mortgage registration
- Dubai Land Department: Property gift registration
- Dubai Land Department: Request for sale of mortgaged property
- Dubai Land Department: First time home buyer overview
- Dubai Land Department: DLD calls on developers to pay property registration fees within 60 days
- Dubai Land Department: Frequently asked questions
- UAE Government portal: Taxation
- The National: UAE property mortgages fees
What we could not verify
- That buyers commonly pay the full 4% on a resale, and that off-plan buyers usually pay it with the booking payment, is market practice; the law's default is an equal split and each contract decides.
- Who pays the fixed title deed, knowledge, innovation and trustee service fees on a resale is not set by the fee pages; the worked examples assume the buyer pays them.
- Whether DLD charges the 4% on a figure other than the contract price, such as a valuation where the declared price looks low, could not be confirmed; the text uses the sale value in the contract.
4 Nov 2026 · Reviewed by OffPlan Insider Research. First published 4 Nov 2026.