Dubai Property Buying Costs (2026): Every Fee Explained, From DLD to DEWA

Budget 6% to 8% on top of the purchase price when you buy property in Dubai, and closer to 8% to 10% if you take a mortgage. Two items make up most of it: the 4% Dubai Land Department (DLD) transfer fee and the 2% agent commission. The rest is a list of smaller fixed charges that are easy to miss until the closing statement arrives. This guide goes through every one of them: what it is, how much it costs, who pays it and when.

To get your own figure in seconds, use our Dubai property purchase cost calculator.

Every buying cost at a glance

Fee	Typical amount	Applies to	Usually paid by
DLD transfer fee	4% of the price	Every purchase	Buyer
Title deed issuance	About AED 250 to 580	Ready property	Buyer
Oqood registration admin	About AED 40	Off-plan	Buyer
Map fee	About AED 100 to 250	Ready property	Buyer
Knowledge and innovation fees	About AED 20 in total	Every purchase	Buyer
Trustee office fee	AED 2,000 + VAT below AED 500,000; AED 4,000 + VAT at AED 500,000 and above	Ready and resale	Buyer
Agent commission	2% + 5% VAT	Resale	Buyer
Developer NOC	AED 500 to 5,000	Resale	Seller, sometimes shared
Mortgage registration	0.25% of the loan + about AED 290	Mortgage buyers	Buyer
Bank arrangement fee	0.5% to 1% of the loan, plus VAT	Mortgage buyers	Buyer
Valuation fee	About AED 2,500 to 3,500, plus VAT	Mortgage buyers	Buyer
DEWA deposit	About AED 2,000 (apartment), up to about AED 2,300 or more (villa)	New owners	Buyer, refundable
Conveyancer or lawyer (optional)	About AED 6,000 to 10,000	Optional	Buyer

These are typical market figures. The small fixed fees are revised from time to time, so confirm the current amounts with the trustee office before your transfer appointment.

Government fees

The DLD transfer fee: 4% of the price

This is the largest cost in almost every deal. The DLD charges 4% of the sale price whenever a property is transferred, whether it is ready or off-plan. It is a government fee, so no agent, bank or developer can discount it.

On paper the fee is shared 2% and 2% between buyer and seller. In practice, the Dubai market has settled on the buyer paying the full 4%. That is convention and not law, so check what your contract says. Some developers cover part or all of the fee as a sales incentive on off-plan units.

For ready property you pay it at the transfer appointment. For off-plan, you pay it when the unit is registered on the interim register, known as Oqood.

Title deed, Oqood and map fees

• Ready property: the title deed issuance fee is roughly AED 250 to 580, plus a map fee of around AED 100 to 250. You receive a full title deed.
• Off-plan: there is no title deed yet, so you pay a small Oqood admin fee of about AED 40 and receive an initial sale certificate. It converts to a title deed when the project completes.

Knowledge fee and innovation fee

These are two small fixed government charges of about AED 10 each. They appear on every closing statement and confuse a lot of first-time buyers, but at around AED 20 in total they make no difference to your budget.

Trustee office fee

Every transfer is processed at a DLD-approved registration trustee office. The fee is fixed and depends only on whether the property is above or below AED 500,000:

Property value	Trustee fee
Below AED 500,000	AED 2,000 + VAT (about AED 2,100)
AED 500,000 and above	AED 4,000 + VAT (about AED 4,200)

See how to choose and book a trustee office for what happens on the day.

Agent and developer fees

Agent commission: 2% plus VAT

On resale deals the buyer normally pays the agent 2% of the price plus 5% VAT on the commission, which works out to 2.1%. On a AED 2 million property that is AED 42,000.

• Above about AED 3 million, the rate is often negotiable.
• Off-plan bought direct from a developer usually carries no buyer commission, because the developer pays the agent.
• Get the rate and who pays it in writing before you sign a reservation form.
• Ask whether the agent also represents the seller. RERA rules require dual representation to be disclosed.

Developer NOC

Before the DLD will register a resale, the developer must issue a No Objection Certificate confirming that service charges on the unit are fully paid. It costs AED 500 to 5,000 depending on the developer, takes a few days to two weeks, and is usually paid by the seller. It is not needed when you buy direct from the developer.

Never accept a verbal assurance that a unit is “cleared”. Only the developer’s NOC proves it.

Mortgage costs

If you finance the purchase, three more fees apply. See the current lending limits in our Dubai mortgage calculator.

• Mortgage registration fee: 0.25% of the loan amount plus about AED 290, paid to the DLD to record the bank’s charge over the property. It is calculated on the loan, not the property price.
• Bank arrangement fee: usually 0.5% to 1% of the loan, plus VAT. Some banks waive it for premium or high-salary customers, so ask. A bank with a slightly higher rate and no arrangement fee can be cheaper overall.
• Valuation fee: about AED 2,500 to 3,500 plus VAT, paid upfront for an independent valuation by a firm the bank appoints.

One risk to plan for: if the valuation comes in below the agreed price, the bank lends against the lower figure, and you must make up the difference in cash on top of your deposit.

Costs after the transfer

• DEWA deposit: to open an electricity and water account you pay a refundable deposit of about AED 2,000 for an apartment and somewhat more for a villa, plus a small non-refundable connection charge.
• Conveyancing (optional): a conveyancer or property lawyer typically charges AED 6,000 to 10,000 to manage the whole transaction. It is easier to justify on larger or more complex deals. A cheaper middle route is a one-off legal review of the Sale and Purchase Agreement before you sign.

Not sure what kind of ownership you are getting? See Dubai property ownership types. For the costs that continue every year, such as service charges and the housing fee, see yearly costs after buying in Dubai.

Worked example: AED 2 million ready apartment

Paying cash

Cost	Amount
DLD transfer fee (4%)	AED 80,000
Title deed, map, knowledge and innovation fees	About AED 800
Trustee office fee	AED 4,200
Agent commission (2% + VAT)	AED 42,000
DEWA deposit (refundable)	AED 2,000
Total	About AED 129,000 (6.5% of the price)

With an 80% mortgage (AED 1.6 million loan), add:

Cost	Amount
Mortgage registration (0.25% + AED 290)	AED 4,290
Bank arrangement fee (1% + VAT)	AED 16,800
Valuation (AED 3,000 + VAT)	AED 3,150
Total with mortgage	About AED 153,000 (7.7% of the price)

The mortgage buyer also needs the 20% deposit of AED 400,000, so the cash needed on day one is about AED 553,000.

How to spot hidden or inflated fees

• Ask for a written closing statement listing every fee before transfer day, and compare it with the table above.
• Question any “admin”, “processing” or “documentation” fee you cannot match to a DLD, trustee, bank or developer charge.
• Check the commission rate in the agency agreement, including the VAT.
• Confirm who pays the NOC and the DLD fee in the contract, not by word of mouth.
• Pay government fees by manager’s cheque or through official channels, made out to the DLD, never to an individual.

For the costs buyers most often overlook, read 7 hidden costs of buying property in Dubai.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much are closing costs when buying property in Dubai?

Expect 6% to 8% of the purchase price for a cash purchase and about 8% to 10% with a mortgage. The 4% DLD fee and the 2% agent commission account for most of it.

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

The fee is nominally split 2% each, but by market convention the buyer pays the full 4%. The parties can agree a different split in the contract, and some developers pay it as a promotion on off-plan sales.

Is the DLD fee different for off-plan property?

No. The 4% rate is the same. The difference is timing and paperwork: it is paid at Oqood registration, with a small admin fee in place of the title deed fee, and off-plan buyers usually pay no agent commission or trustee fee.

Can I add the fees to my mortgage?

Generally no. UAE banks lend against the property value only, so fees are paid in cash on top of your deposit.

Is there VAT on buying a home in Dubai?

Not on the property itself for residential purchases. VAT at 5% applies to services around the deal, such as agent commission, trustee fees, bank fees and valuation. See the tax position when you buy property in Dubai.

Do I need a lawyer to buy property in Dubai?

It is not required. The trustee office handles the transfer. A lawyer or conveyancer is worth considering for off-plan contracts, high-value deals, purchases through a company, or if you are buying from abroad.

This guide gives typical 2026 market figures for general information. Fees change and individual deals differ, so confirm the amounts for your transaction with the DLD trustee office, your bank and your agent.