Buying Off-Plan in Dubai: DLD Fees, Oqood and Escrow

Buying off-plan in Dubai means your contract must be entered in the Dubai Land Department’s interim register, commonly called Oqood, within 90 days of signing. The published registration fee is 4% of the sale value (2% seller and 2% purchaser, unless you agree otherwise), and your payments should go into a project escrow account under Law No. 8 of 2007. This guide sets out the official fees, the escrow rules and the steps we use with clients at Your Key, a licensed brokerage in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

It is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the split of fees in your sale and purchase agreement (SPA), and pay only into the stated escrow account.

What is Oqood and why does it matter?

Off-plan units in Dubai are not yet on the final title register. Law No. 13 of 2008, as amended, requires every disposal of an off-plan unit — including sale and mortgage — to be registered on the Interim Real Estate Register. Unregistered disposals are treated as void.

The DLD service for this step is “Request to register the initial sale”. The developer lodges the contract on the Oqood portal. You should receive a provisional registration e-certificate. The official terms on that service card (as read on 16 Nov 2026) say the contract must be registered in the provisional register within 90 days of signing.

Until handover, this certificate is your evidence of ownership on the interim register. At completion it is converted to a title deed. The DLD registration fee is 4%, paid once, when the off-plan contract is registered on Oqood. There is no second 4% at that conversion.

How much is the official DLD fee?

The DLD initial-sale service card publishes these fees (as read on 16 Nov 2026):

Item	Official amount
Seller’s share of the sale registration	2% of the sale value
Purchaser’s share of the sale registration	2% of the sale value
Knowledge fee	AED 10
Innovation fee	AED 10
Developer self-registration (Oqood portal)	AED 1,000

The 4% total is the same figure that Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013 sets for registering a real-property sale contract, and Article 3 of that Resolution says the fee is shared equally by seller and purchaser unless they agree otherwise. The DLD property sale registration card repeats the 2% + 2% split for completed sales, and adds the title-deed, map and trustee fees that apply when a finished unit is transferred.

In many off-plan SPAs the developer collects the full 4% from the buyer. That is allowed if the contract says so; it is not the legal default. Read the fee clause before you budget. A worked comparison with Abu Dhabi is in Total cost of buying in Dubai vs Abu Dhabi.

For a completed resale, the same DLD card also lists AED 250 for the title-deed certificate, map fees, and a service-partner (trustee) fee of AED 4,000 + VAT if the sale value is AED 500,000 or more, or AED 2,000 + VAT if it is less.

How does escrow work in Dubai?

Law No. 8 of 2007 Concerning Escrow Accounts for Real Estate Development requires a developer who sells off-plan to open a separate escrow account for the project with a DLD-accredited escrow agent. Buyer payments and loan amounts advanced to fund construction must be deposited in that account and used for construction and settlement of the project’s finance, in line with the Law.

Two further rules from the same Law are easy to miss:

• The escrow agent must retain 5% of the total value of each escrow account once the developer obtains the completion certificate. That retained amount is released to the developer one year after the units are registered in the purchasers’ names (Article 14).
• If a project cannot be completed, the escrow agent must, after consulting the Department, take measures to preserve depositors’ rights, complete the project, or refund depositors (Article 15).

Before you pay a booking amount, ask for the escrow account name, bank and number, and check that the project is registered to sell off-plan. DLD has also stated that the 4% registration fee can be paid through approved channels, including the developer’s escrow account or Noqodi.

Can I take a mortgage on an off-plan unit?

Yes, if a bank licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE agrees to lend. The Central Bank’s mortgage regulations cap loan-to-value on off-plan property at 50%, regardless of the buyer’s nationality or the purpose of the purchase. The maximum term is 25 years, and the debt-burden ratio must not exceed 50% of verifiable income.

The mortgage must be registered. The DLD mortgage registration service (as read on 16 Nov 2026) charges 0.25% of the mortgage value, plus AED 250 for a title deed where one is issued, AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees, and a trustee fee of AED 4,000 + VAT (or AED 5,000 + VAT for a provisional / Oqood mortgage). See Mortgages for expats and non-residents and the mortgage calculator.

What steps should I follow?

1. Confirm the project can be sold off-plan. The developer should be licensed, the project registered, and an escrow account in place. DLD’s investor guidance is to verify these points before you sign.
2. Use a RERA-registered broker. Your Key is licensed in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Do not rely on an unregistered intermediary.
3. Read the SPA and payment plan. Note the handover date, delay provisions, who pays the 4%, and when Oqood will be lodged. Payment-plan structures differ; see our existing guide to UAE off-plan payment plans.
4. Pay the booking amount into escrow only. Keep the receipt.
5. Register on Oqood within 90 days. The developer usually files this. Ask for the provisional e-certificate and check your name, unit and price.
6. Pay construction instalments on time, into escrow. Missed payments can lead to formal default procedures under the interim-register laws.
7. At handover, inspect the unit, pay any balance due, and complete title registration. See the handover and snagging checklist. Under Law No. 6 of 2019, the developer remains liable for structural defects for 10 years from the completion certificate, and for defective mechanical, electrical, sanitary and similar installations for one year from handover (or from the completion certificate if you do not take possession).

Browse current Dubai stock on the off-plan projects list, including Kaia on Dubai Islands and Parkwood at Dubai Hills Estate. For Emaar-led inventory, see also our existing Emaar off-plan broker in Dubai guide.

A purchase of AED 2 million or more, including certain off-plan units, may support a Golden Visa application. See UAE Golden Visa through property.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the DLD registration fee on an off-plan purchase in Dubai?

The official DLD registration fee is 4% of the sale value, paid once when the off-plan contract is registered on Oqood. It is published as 2% from the seller and 2% from the purchaser, plus AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees. The parties may agree a different split in the contract. Developers also pay a self-registration fee of AED 1,000. There is no second 4% when the Oqood certificate is converted to a title deed.

What is Oqood and when must it be registered?

Oqood is Dubai Land Department’s provisional register for off-plan units. The sale and purchase contract must be registered in that register within 90 days of signing. The output is a provisional registration e-certificate.

Does the buyer usually pay the full 4%?

The legal default, unless agreed otherwise, is that the 4% is shared equally. In many off-plan contracts the developer collects the full 4% from the buyer. That is a commercial term and must be written into the SPA. Budget only after you have read it.

How does Dubai escrow protect off-plan buyers?

Law No. 8 of 2007 requires the developer to open a project escrow account with a DLD-accredited agent. Buyer payments and project finance must be deposited there and used for construction and related project finance. After the completion certificate, the agent retains 5% of the escrow account, released one year after units are registered in purchasers’ names.

Can I mortgage an off-plan unit in Dubai?

Yes, if a licensed UAE bank agrees. Central Bank rules cap off-plan loan-to-value at 50% for every category of buyer. The DLD mortgage-registration fee is 0.25% of the mortgage value, plus trustee and knowledge fees.

What should I check before I pay a booking deposit?

Confirm that the project and developer are registered to sell off-plan, that an escrow account exists, and that you will pay only into that account. Law No. 13 of 2008 makes unregistered off-plan disposals void. Use a RERA-registered broker.

Official sources (as of 16 Nov 2026)

• DLD: Request to register the initial sale — 2% + 2%, AED 10 + AED 10, AED 1,000 self-registration, 90-day deadline.
• DLD: Property sale registration — completed-sale fees, including trustee fees.
• Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013 — 4% sale-registration fee; equal split unless agreed otherwise.
• Law No. 8 of 2007 — escrow accounts; 5% retention for one year after unit registration.
• Law No. 6 of 2019, Article 40 — 10-year structural and one-year installation liability.
• DLD: Mortgage registration — 0.25% of the mortgage value plus trustee fees.
• CBUAE Article 3: Important Ratios — 50% off-plan LTV cap.

Last updated: 16 Nov 2026

Abdul Shakoor, Founder & CEO, Your Key — RERA certified (Dubai) and ADREC certified (Abu Dhabi)

Your Key Property Management LLC is a licensed real estate brokerage (sales, leasing and off-plan), founded in 2018, with offices in Dubai (Office 17, 35th Floor, Al Saqr Business Tower, DIFC) and Abu Dhabi (M01, Al Mansouri Building, Al Gheel Street, Al Danah). To review a project, contact us, call or message +971 54 451 7999, or email main@yourkey.ae.