DLD Fees in Dubai 2026: 4% Plus AED 4,720, and Who Pays

Every DLD fee on a property purchase

A property purchase in Dubai carries up to six charges connected to the Dubai Land Department. Which ones apply depends on whether the property is ready or off-plan and whether you use a mortgage.

DLD transfer fee: 4% of the price

The DLD transfer fee is 4% of the price in the sale contract. It is the DLD's charge for recording the change of ownership, and it is by far the largest DLD fee: AED 40,000 on an AED 1 million apartment and AED 80,000 on an AED 2 million villa. The rate rose from 2% to 4% in 2013 and has not changed since.

Registration trustee fee: AED 4,200 or AED 2,100

A registration trustee office is a DLD-licensed centre where the buyer and seller (or their representatives) complete the transfer. The trustee fee is AED 4,000 plus 5% VAT, or AED 4,200, when the price is AED 500,000 or more, and AED 2,000 plus VAT, or AED 2,100, below that. When a buyer's mortgage is registered at the same appointment, which is the normal practice, the trustee fee is charged once, not twice.

Title deed and map: AED 520

The DLD charges AED 250 to issue the new title deed, AED 250 for the property map of an apartment or villa, and AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees. That comes to AED 520. For land, the map costs AED 225 inside the Dubai Municipality unified map or AED 100 outside it.

Mortgage registration: 0.25% of the loan

When you buy with a mortgage, the bank's charge over the property is registered with the DLD for 0.25% of the loan amount, plus about AED 270 in title deed and admin fees. On an AED 1.6 million loan that is AED 4,270. The DLD's rules put this cost on the borrower.

“"The mortgagor shall bear the costs of the mortgage contract, unless agreed otherwise."”

Dubai Land Department, FAQs

Off-plan (Oqood) registration: 4% through the developer

An off-plan property is registered on the DLD's interim register, called Oqood, rather than with a title deed. The same 4% applies, plus the AED 20 knowledge and innovation fees. You pay it to the developer, who registers the sale and must pay the fee to the DLD within 60 days. The developer also pays a AED 1,000 DLD registration fee, which some pass on to the buyer. There is no trustee office fee, because the developer handles the registration.

How much are DLD fees on a real purchase?

Three typical purchases, using the DLD's published fees:

These are DLD and trustee fees only. Agent commission (usually 2% plus VAT on a resale), bank fees and the other costs of buying are in our guide to the cost of buying property in Dubai.

DLD fees at every price

The 4% grows with the price and the fixed charges do not, so total DLD fees fall slightly as a share of the price on dearer homes. The AED 500,000 line is where the trustee fee doubles.

Who pays the 4% DLD fee: buyer or seller?

Legally, the 4% DLD transfer fee is split equally: 2% from the seller and 2% from the buyer. In practice, the buyer pays the whole 4% in almost every Dubai sale, and asking prices assume it. The DLD allows either arrangement.

“The 4% fee "is to be paid based on the agreement concluded between seller and buyer."”

Dubai Land Department, property sale registration

If you have agreed a different split, write it into Form F, the standard RERA sale contract (also called the MOU). The trustee office applies whatever Form F says. The same rule covers the trustee fee and title deed charges, which the buyer normally pays.

When and how do you pay DLD fees?

For a ready property, DLD fees are paid on transfer day at the registration trustee office, when the new title deed is issued in your name. The DLD accepts a manager's cheque made out to the Dubai Land Department or electronic payment through ePay, Dubai Pay or Noqodi. The purchase price itself is normally handed over as manager's cheques at the same appointment. If you use a mortgage, the bank pays its own registration fees to the DLD directly.

For an off-plan property, you pay the 4% to the developer, usually with the first instalment of the payment plan, and the developer passes it to the DLD within 60 days.

Can you add DLD fees to a mortgage?

No. UAE banks stopped financing the 4% DLD fee and agent commission from 1 February 2025, so both must come from your own money. The Central Bank of the UAE also requires the deposit to come from the buyer's own funds.

Can DLD fees be waived or reduced?

The DLD does not waive the 4% for individual buyers. There are three ways to reduce what you pay:

• Developer offers. On some off-plan launches the developer pays half or all of the 4% as a sales incentive, often advertised as "DLD fee waived". The fee is still paid; the developer pays it.
• Negotiating with the seller. On a resale, the rules allow the seller to pay their 2% share. It is uncommon, but it can be part of a price negotiation.
• The First-Time Home Buyer Programme. UAE residents aged 18 or over, buying their first Dubai home under AED 5 million, can pay the DLD fee in interest-free instalments on an eligible credit card. The fee itself does not change.

“"Standard DLD registration fees and any developer or bank charges still apply, unless otherwise specified under special programme offers."”

Dubai Land Department, First-Time Home Buyer Programme

Why other websites show different DLD fee totals

If you compare guides, you will see AED 580 for the title deed, "AED 4,700 to 5,500 in admin charges" and "0.25% plus AED 290" for a mortgage. Here is where those figures come from:

• AED 580 vs AED 520. The DLD's own fee pages list AED 250 for the title deed, AED 250 for the map and AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees: AED 520. We found no DLD page showing AED 580. It may include a service charge at some trustee offices, so budget a small margin.
• "AED 4,700 to 5,500 in admin charges". This is the trustee fee (AED 4,200) and the title deed charges (AED 520) added together, with some rounding up. Our figure is AED 4,720 for homes of AED 500,000 or more.
• "0.25% plus AED 290". The DLD lists AED 250 for the mortgage deed plus AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees, which is AED 270. Brokers quote AED 290.

The DLD's own fee calculator now sits inside the Dubai REST app, which is the easiest way to get an official figure for a specific property.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

• February 2025: banks stopped lending the DLD fee and agent commission as part of a mortgage, as reported by The National.
• 2025 to 2026: the DLD's First-Time Home Buyer Programme added interest-free credit card instalments for the DLD fee.
• 2026: the DLD procedure fee calculator is now in the Dubai REST app rather than on the DLD website.
• No change to the 4% transfer fee or the AED 500,000 trustee fee threshold.

Is the DLD fee like UK stamp duty?

For UK buyers, the 4% DLD transfer fee is the nearest thing Dubai has to stamp duty: a one-off charge on buying. It works differently in three ways. It is a flat 4% at every price, with no bands. There is no extra rate for second homes or overseas buyers. And there is no annual property tax afterwards.

At about AED 4.88 to the pound (30 September 2026), AED 44,720 in DLD fees on an AED 1 million home is about £9,200 on a £205,000 purchase. UK residents may still owe UK tax on rent or gains from a Dubai property; see is there property tax in Dubai? and check your own position with a qualified adviser.