Buying property in Dubai carries a short, well-defined list of fees on top of the price: a government transfer fee, a registration charge at the trustee office, and, for an off-plan purchase, the Oqood registration due at the start. Each falls due at a different point in the purchase, from the trustee appointment through to the years of ownership that follow. This guide sets out every fee the Dubai Land Department publishes, for a ready home and an off-plan purchase alike.
Every Fee, in the Order You Meet It
| Fee | Amount | Falls due |
|---|---|---|
| Land Department transfer fee | 4% of the sale value: 2% from the seller, 2% from the buyer | Ready home: at the trustee appointment. Off-plan: at Oqood registration, at the start |
| Trustee registration fee | AED 4,200 (AED 4,000 plus VAT) at AED 500,000 or more; AED 2,100 (AED 2,000 plus VAT) below | At the trustee appointment |
| Title deed fee | AED 250 | At the trustee appointment |
| Land map fee | AED 100 to 250 | At the trustee appointment |
| Knowledge and innovation fees | AED 10 each | At the trustee appointment |
| Developer's no-objection certificate | Set by the developer; not published by the Land Department | Before the trustee appointment, on a resale |
| Mortgage registration | 0.25% of the loan amount, plus fixed deed fees | Where a mortgage is used |
| Agency commission | Customarily 2% of the price plus 5% VAT, agreed in the RERA Form B | On completion (on an off-plan purchase from the developer, the developer customarily pays the agent) |
| Service charges | Approved per building, looked up on the Land Department's Mollak index | Each year, from handover onward |
The Land Department's Transfer Fee
The Dubai Land Department's transfer fee is 4% of the sale value, split 2% from the seller and 2% from the buyer, under the Department's own Property Sale Registration schedule. On a ready home the fee is settled at the trustee appointment, alongside the transfer itself. On an off-plan purchase it falls earlier, at Oqood registration, at the start of the purchase rather than at handover; some developers pay part or all of it as a launch offer on a given project.
The Trustee Appointment and Its Fixed Charges
A ready-home transfer is completed at a Real Estate Registration Trustee office, acting for the Land Department. Its registration fee, named the service partner fee on the Department's own schedule, is AED 4,200 (AED 4,000 plus VAT) where the sale value is AED 500,000 (about USD 136,150) or more, and AED 2,100 (AED 2,000 plus VAT) below that. The title deed itself is AED 250, a land map fee runs AED 100 to 250, and the knowledge and innovation fees are AED 10 each.
Oqood: The Off-Plan Registration Fee
An off-plan purchase is recorded first in Oqood, the Land Department's interim register under Law No. 13 of 2008. It records the buyer's interest in the unit ahead of the title deed, which follows at handover. The Land Department's 4% fee is due at this registration, at the start of the purchase; the payment plan and its instalments continue afterwards under the sale and purchase agreement.
The Developer's No-Objection Certificate, on a Resale
A resale, a home bought from its current owner rather than the developer, adds one document: the electronic no-objection certificate, requested through the Dubai REST app. The developer, or in a master community the master developer, issues it, and the Land Department lists it among the documents required for the transfer. Its price and turnaround are set by the developer and are not published by the Land Department.
Financing With a Mortgage
A purchase financed with a mortgage carries one further Land Department charge: registration of the mortgage itself, at 0.25% of the loan amount plus fixed deed fees. A buyer paying in cash meets none of it.
The Agency Commission
Agency commission in Dubai is not set by law; it is agreed between the parties in the RERA Form B before the sale. The market convention is 2% of the price plus 5% VAT, customarily paid by the buyer on a resale. On an off-plan purchase from the developer, the developer customarily pays the agent, so the buyer meets no commission of his own.
Service Charges, and the Years That Follow
Ownership brings one recurring cost once the transfer is complete: the service charge, set per building by its owners' association or master developer and approved by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority. Every approved charge is published on the Land Department's Mollak Service Charge Index, searchable by community, project and budget year, which is where a rate for a specific building is confirmed rather than assumed.
No Annual Property Tax
Dubai charges no annual property tax on residential real estate. The service charge above is a facilities cost paid to the building or community, separate from any government levy, and no recurring tax on the assessed value of the property follows the purchase.
Our purchase costs calculator sets these fees against a specific price, and our team in Dubai answers what applies to a particular purchase on a call.
Sources Dubai Land Department, "Property Sale Registration", https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/property-sale-registration/ (transfer-fee split and service partner fee, quoted 2026-09-30) · Dubai Land Department, "Registering the sale of a mortgaged property", https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/registering-the-sale-of-a-mortgaged-property/ (read 2026-09-19) · Law No. 13 of 2008 and Law No. 8 of 2007, Dubai Legislation Portal · RERA Form B, as described in the company's Market Research facts.md · Dubai Land Department, Mollak Service Charge Index, https://mollak.dubailand.gov.ae/publicpages/service-charge-index.html (read 2026-09-22) · UAE Central Bank peg (read 2026-09-19).