When people say “DLD fees,” they usually mean the Dubai Land Department charge to register a property sale. The headline number is 4% of the sale value. On the official sale-registration card, that 4% is split into two lines: 2% from the seller and 2% from the buyer. Who actually pays each half is a contract point between the parties, not a fixed DLD rule. In many resale deals, the buyer ends up covering the full 4%, but that is market practice, not what the service card mandates.
The percentage is also not the whole bill. Title deed, map, knowledge and innovation fees, and a service partner (trustee) fee sit on top. The digital Dubai Now path uses the same 2% + 2% split but lists a smaller partner fee, with stricter eligibility.
This guide is for completed-unit and land sales registered with DLD. Off-plan initial registration, gifts, mortgages and mortgaged-property sales use related but separate DLD cards. The figures below come from those cards, as of 3 November 2026. Always open the live DLD page for your exact service before you pay.
Quick answer: what you pay on a normal resale
| Line | Amount (DLD Property Sale Registration card) |
|---|---|
| Seller transactional fee | 2% of sale value |
| Buyer transactional fee | 2% of sale value |
| Title deed certificate | AED 250 |
| Unified map (Dubai Municipality land) | AED 225 |
| Map (land outside Dubai Municipality) | AED 100 |
| Villa / apartment map | AED 250 |
| Knowledge fee | AED 10 |
| Innovation fee | AED 10 |
| Service partner fee (sale ≥ AED 500,000) | AED 4,000 + VAT |
| Service partner fee (sale < AED 500,000) | AED 2,000 + VAT |
Service time on the card: about 20 minutes at a Real Estate Registration Trustee centre (or via Dubai Now when you qualify).
Why the 4% is split 2% / 2%
Executive Council Resolution No. (30) of 2013 sets the sale-registration fee at 4% of the sale contract value, and says that unless the parties agree otherwise, the fee is shared equally. The modern DLD sale card prints that equal share as 2% seller and 2% buyer.
So:
- DLD collects up to 4% in total on the sale value.
- The SPA or MoU can shift who funds which half.
- If your contract is silent, expect the equal-share default from the 2013 resolution.
Treat “buyer pays all 4%” as a negotiation outcome. Price it into your offer either way so you are not surprised at the trustee desk.
Worked example: AED 2,000,000 apartment (trustee centre)
Assume a freehold apartment at AED 2,000,000, buyer and seller each paying their 2%, and the villa/apartment map line applying.
| Line | Calculation | AED |
|---|---|---|
| Seller 2% | 2% × 2,000,000 | 40,000 |
| Buyer 2% | 2% × 2,000,000 | 40,000 |
| Title deed | fixed | 250 |
| Apartment map | fixed | 250 |
| Knowledge + innovation | 10 + 10 | 20 |
| Service partner (≥ 500k) | 4,000 + 5% VAT | 4,200 |
| Cash leaving the deal (both sides) | 84,720 |
If the buyer has agreed to fund the seller’s 2% as well, the buyer’s side alone is about AED 84,720 in this example (same total, one wallet). Add developer NOC fees, bank charges, agency commission and moving costs separately. Those are not DLD sale-registration lines.
Dubai Now vs trustee centre: same 4%, different partner fee
DLD also lists Buy or Sell Property via Dubai Now. The 2% + 2% split and the AED 250 title deed stay. Differences that matter for budgeting:
- Partner / Emirates Real Estate Solutions fee on the Dubai Now card: AED 1,000 + VAT when the deal is AED 500,000 or more, or AED 500 + VAT below that (much lower than the trustee-centre AED 4,000 / 2,000 lines).
- Knowledge and innovation fees on that card are listed as AED 30 each (not AED 10).
- Eligibility is narrower: UAE ID holders, freehold, no mortgage or other restrictions, subdivided units (apartments, offices, townhouses), escrow funding, UAE PASS.
If you or the property do not meet those terms, budget for the trustee-centre partner fee instead. Non-residents buying on a passport, mortgaged units, and many company deals typically go through a trustee.
Documents you will need at sale registration
From the Property Sale Registration card (individuals):
- Emirates ID for seller and buyer for identity checks (or a valid passport for non-resident foreigners).
- Developer e-NOC in freehold areas, issued via the Dubai REST app.
Companies and representatives need extra company registration and power-of-attorney paperwork. See DLD’s own card for the current list. For the wider purchase path, start with how to buy property in Dubai as a foreigner and the buying property in Dubai hub. NOC timing and cost sit outside the 4%; our NOC guide covers why sales stall without it.
Mortgage, mortgaged sales, gifts and off-plan (related DLD fees)
These are separate services. Approximate headline rates from DLD cards / the 2013 schedule:
| Situation | Headline DLD fee (plus fixed lines) |
|---|---|
| Register a mortgage | 0.25% of the mortgage (debt) value; partner fees often AED 4,000 + VAT (Oqood / provisional path can list AED 5,000 + VAT) |
| Transfer a mortgage | 0.25% of the mortgage value, plus deed / map / partner lines on that card |
| Sell a mortgaged property | Sale still attracts 4%, plus mortgage-release and registrar lines on the mortgaged-sale card (release and registrar figures are listed in AED on that card; re-read it for your bank’s path) |
| Gift registration | 0.125% of property value, minimum AED 2,000 (2013 schedule and gift card) |
| Off-plan initial sale (provisional register) | Still the 2% + 2% pattern on DLD’s initial-sale card, with its own fixed lines |
If you are financing the purchase, read this page together with the Dubai mortgage guide and cash vs mortgage. The 0.25% mortgage registration fee is on the loan amount, not the full purchase price, unless those numbers are the same.
What is not a “DLD 4%” cost
Keep these out of the 4% line so your spreadsheet stays honest:
- Real estate agency commission (often ~2% of sale price, plus VAT, unless agreed otherwise).
- Developer NOC fees and admin.
- Bank valuation, arrangement and life/property insurance for a mortgage.
- Ejari, DEWA and move-in deposits if you will also occupy (separate from title transfer).
- Trustee or lawyer extras beyond the published partner fee.
Practical tips before you book a trustee slot
- Open the live DLD service card the morning you pay. Fees can move; this article is a snapshot.
- Put in writing who pays the seller 2%, the buyer 2%, the partner fee and the NOC.
- If the unit is mortgaged, ask the bank for the release timeline and which DLD path they use before you promise a completion date.
- Prefer Dubai Now only when both parties and the unit clearly meet the UAE ID / freehold / unencumbered rules; otherwise go straight to a trustee.
- Keep the payment receipt and the emailed title deed / map links. You will need them for bank, Golden Visa or resale files later.
FAQ
Is the DLD transfer fee still 4% in 2026?
Yes, on the Property Sale Registration card: 2% seller + 2% buyer of the sale value, plus fixed deed, map and partner fees.
Does the buyer always pay the full 4%?
No. DLD’s card splits 2% / 2%. Contracts often shift the seller’s half to the buyer. Confirm in the SPA.
Are trustee fees included in the 4%?
No. Service partner fees are separate (commonly AED 4,000 + VAT at trustee centres for deals from AED 500,000).
Can I avoid trustee fees with Dubai Now?
You can reduce the partner fee on the Dubai Now card if you qualify (UAE ID, freehold, no mortgage, subdivided unit, escrow). You do not avoid the 2% + 2%.
Do mortgages have a DLD fee too?
Yes. Mortgage registration is typically 0.25% of the mortgage value, plus the fixed lines on that card.