Dubai property purchase costs
Every figure below is a published Dubai Land Department fee. Agency commission and developer charges are not department fees and are noted separately, because quoting them as fixed costs is where most published breakdowns go wrong.
The registration fee, and who actually pays it
The sale registration fee is 4% of the sale value. The statutory position divides it evenly, 2% to the seller and 2% to the buyer, under the Dubai Executive Council resolution in force since September 2013. Market convention places the entire 4% on the buyer. Sources: Dubai Land Department for the 4% registration fee; the even statutory split derives from the Dubai Executive Council resolution in force since September 2013.
The distinction matters because the allocation is contractual, not fixed by the department. It is settled in the memorandum of understanding, and it is negotiable. A buyer who treats the full 4% as immovable has given up a position without testing it. Source: Dubai Land Department, published service fees.
Published department fees
| Item | Published fee |
|---|---|
| Sale registration fee | 4% of sale value |
| Registration trustee fee, price at or above AED 500,000 | AED 4,200 |
| Registration trustee fee, price below AED 500,000 | AED 2,100 |
| Title deed issuance, per certificate | AED 250 |
| Apartment or building map | AED 250 |
| Unified land map, Dubai Municipality | AED 225 |
| Land plot map, outside the jurisdiction | AED 100 |
| Knowledge fee, per drawing | AED 10 |
| Innovation fee, per drawing | AED 10 |
Source: Dubai Land Department, published service fees.
Where a mortgage is involved
| Item | Published fee |
|---|---|
| Mortgage registration | 0.25% of mortgage value |
| Title deed issuance on mortgage | AED 250 |
| Mortgage release, on sale of a mortgaged property | AED 1,290 |
| Registrar fee to effect the release | AED 315 |
| Property valuation, residential unit or villa | AED 4,000 |
Valuation is charged separately and is not required on every transaction. Where it is, the department lists residential units and attached villas as issued instantly, with other property types at seven working days. Source: Dubai Land Department, published service fees.
What the stack comes to
Completed residential purchase, buyer paying the full 4% by convention, no mortgage. Department fees only. Source: Dubai Land Department, published service fees.
| Item | AED 2m | AED 5m | AED 15m |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sale registration fee, 4% | 80,000 | 200,000 | 600,000 |
| Registration trustee fee | 4,200 | 4,200 | 4,200 |
| Title deed issuance | 250 | 250 | 250 |
| Property map | 250 | 250 | 250 |
| Knowledge and innovation | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Total | AED 84,720 | AED 204,720 | AED 604,720 |
| As a share of price | 4.24% | 4.09% | 4.03% |
The flat fees are the reason the percentage falls as value rises. They matter at AED 2 million and are rounding at AED 15 million. Add AED 6,500 on a AED 2.5 million mortgage, being 0.25% of the loan plus the AED 250 title deed. Source: Dubai Land Department, published service fees.
What is not a department fee
Agency commission is contractual between the parties, commonly expressed as a percentage of price plus VAT. It is not a Dubai Land Department charge and does not appear in the published schedule.
A developer no objection certificate is priced by the developer and varies between them. Any single figure quoted for it is that developer's figure, not a market rate.
Conveyancing, if used, is a professional fee. Service charges are an ongoing cost of ownership rather than a cost of acquisition, and are levied by the owners association, not the department.
Frequently asked questions
Who legally pays the 4% DLD transfer fee in Dubai?
The registration fee is 4% of the sale value. The statutory position divides it evenly, 2% to the seller and 2% to the buyer, under the Dubai Executive Council resolution in force since September 2013. Market convention places the whole 4% on the buyer, and that allocation is contractual rather than fixed by the department, so it can be negotiated in the memorandum of understanding. Sources: Dubai Land Department for the 4% registration fee; the even statutory split derives from the Dubai Executive Council resolution in force since September 2013.
What is the registration trustee fee on a Dubai property purchase?
The Dubai Land Department publishes the registration fee as AED 4,200 where the property price is AED 500,000 or above, and AED 2,100 where it is below that figure. The fee is flat, so it falls as a proportion of price as the value rises. Source: Dubai Land Department, published service fees.
What does it cost to register a mortgage in Dubai?
Mortgage registration is charged at 0.25% of the mortgage value, with AED 250 for issuing the title deed. Releasing an existing mortgage on a sale carries a separate fee of AED 1,290, with AED 315 for the registrar to effect the release. Source: Dubai Land Department, published service fees.
What are the total DLD costs on a AED 5 million Dubai property?
On a completed residential purchase at AED 5 million with the buyer paying the full 4%, the published department costs total AED 204,720. That is the 4% registration fee of AED 200,000, the AED 4,200 trustee fee, AED 250 for the title deed, AED 250 for the property map and AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees. Source: Dubai Land Department, published service fees.
Are agency commission and developer NOC fees set by the DLD?
No. Agency commission is contractual between the parties, commonly expressed as a percentage of price plus VAT, and it is not a department fee. A developer no objection certificate is priced by the developer and varies between them. Neither appears in the department's published schedule, so neither can be quoted as a fixed cost.
Last reviewed: 7 September 2026