Short answer. On top of the purchase price of a Dubai property, budget roughly 6–8% in one-off fees: 4% DLD transfer, a fixed trustee registration fee, title deed and knowledge/innovation fees, agency commission (market practice, negotiable) and — if you take a mortgage — a further 0.25% mortgage registration.
The Dubai Land Department (DLD) 4% transfer fee
The Dubai Land Department levies a 4% transfer fee on the purchase price at the point of registration. It applies to both ready and off-plan transactions. In practice, most transactions in the market split this 50/50 between buyer and seller, but the MOU (Form F) can allocate it any way both parties agree. On a purchase of AED 2,000,000 the DLD 4% is AED 80,000.
Registration trustee office fee
The transfer itself happens at a DLD-approved trustee office, which charges a fixed registration fee based on the property price:
- Property below AED 500,000: AED 2,100.
- Property AED 500,000 and above: AED 4,200.
VAT may apply — always confirm the exact total at the trustee office at the time of transfer.
Title deed and knowledge / innovation fees
DLD also charges a title deed issuance fee of AED 250 plus a small knowledge fee and innovation fee. Together these run to a few hundred dirhams and are paid alongside the trustee fee on transfer day.
Mortgage registration fee
If you are buying with a mortgage, the mortgage itself has to be registered with DLD. The fee is 0.25% of the loan amount plus a small title-deed / knowledge / innovation charge. On a mortgage of AED 1,600,000 (80% LTV on an AED 2M home), the registration fee is AED 4,000.
Agency commission
Agency commission in Dubai is not a legally fixed rate — it is market practice. For sales, the common market figure is 2% of the price (plus 5% VAT), usually paid by the buyer, but this is fully negotiable, especially on higher-value deals or off-plan launches where developer commissions apply. On our on-market deals we agree the commission in writing in the MOU so there are no surprises.
Developer No Objection Certificate (NOC)
The developer of the master community issues a No Objection Certificate confirming there are no outstanding service charges before any transfer. The NOC fee varies significantly by developer — typically a few thousand dirhams — and is usually paid by the seller.
Ejari (for landlords and tenants)
If you plan to rent out the property, or you are a tenant, the rental contract must be registered on the Ejari system. Ejari registration is AED 155 online (renewal AED 100). Rental brokerage is usually 5% of the annual rent (or a minimum fee), also market practice.
Worked example — AED 2,000,000 cash purchase
- Purchase price: AED 2,000,000
- DLD transfer fee (4%): AED 80,000
- Trustee office registration fee: AED 4,200
- Title deed + knowledge + innovation fees: ~AED 580
- Agency commission (2% + 5% VAT, market): AED 42,000
- Developer NOC (varies): budget AED 500–5,000
Approximate total on top of the price: AED 127,000–132,000 — around 6.3–6.6% of the purchase price. Add another 0.25% (AED 4,000 on a 1.6M loan) if you finance.
Where the confusion happens
Different aggregator sites quote slightly different numbers because they mix up mainland transfers, off-plan Oqood registrations and older figures. Always take your final quote directly from your DLD-approved trustee office on the transfer day.
How Eylül Estate handles it
We give every client a signed fee sheet before the MOU so you know, to the dirham, what will leave your account on transfer day. Nothing on the sheet gets bigger between MOU and transfer.
