You can calculate your Dubai property purchase fees yourself without a dedicated tool: add the 4% DLD transfer fee, 2% plus VAT agency commission, the trustee and title deed fees, and, if applicable, the developer's NOC fee, to the purchase price. On a cash purchase this comes to roughly 7% to 8% of the price on top. This guide sets out exactly what to calculate, a quick-reference table so you can check a rough figure by price point, and the four steps to work out your own number.
For the fuller picture on every cost involved in a Dubai purchase, including recurring costs after you own the property, see our guide to Dubai property purchase cost.
The fees that make up your total
| Fee | Who pays | How it is calculated | When it falls due |
|---|---|---|---|
| DLD transfer fee | Buyer, legally, though sometimes split by agreement | 4% of the purchase price, plus a small fixed admin fee | At the Dubai Land Department transfer appointment |
| Agency commission | Buyer, in most resale deals | 2% of the purchase price, plus 5% VAT on that commission | On signing, or as agreed in the offer terms |
| Trustee fee | Buyer | Roughly AED 4,000 plus 5% VAT for properties above AED 500,000; around AED 2,000 plus VAT below that | At the transfer appointment, paid to the registration trustee office |
| Title deed and admin fees | Buyer | A fixed amount, roughly AED 250 to 300, plus small knowledge and innovation fees | At the transfer appointment |
| Developer NOC fee | Buyer, in most resale deals, or as agreed with the seller | Fixed by the individual developer, typically AED 500 to AED 5,000 | Before the transfer, when the developer issues the no-objection certificate |
| Mortgage registration fee | Buyer, mortgage purchases only | 0.25% of the loan amount, plus a small fixed admin fee | At the transfer appointment, alongside the DLD fee |
| Bank arrangement fee | Buyer, mortgage purchases only | Roughly 1% of the loan amount, varies by bank | On mortgage approval, before transfer |
| Property valuation | Buyer, mortgage purchases only | A fixed fee, roughly AED 2,500 to AED 3,500 | Early in the mortgage approval process |
Quick reference: total fees by purchase price
Figures below are a cash-buyer estimate covering the DLD transfer fee, agency commission and fixed fees together, and assume a standard resale purchase with a mid-range NOC fee. Use this as a starting figure, then confirm the exact developer NOC fee and current government rates before you budget precisely.
| Purchase price | Estimated total fees (cash purchase) | Approximate percentage of price |
|---|---|---|
| AED 1,000,000 | AED 66,000 to 70,500 | 6.6% to 7.1% |
| AED 2,000,000 | AED 127,000 to 131,500 | 6.4% to 6.6% |
| AED 3,000,000 | AED 188,000 to 192,500 | 6.3% to 6.4% |
| AED 5,000,000 | AED 310,000 to 314,500 | 6.2% to 6.3% |
| AED 10,000,000 | AED 615,000 to 619,500 | 6.2% |
Each figure is the 4% DLD fee, plus 2% agency commission with 5% VAT on the commission, plus the roughly AED 4,500 combined trustee and title deed fees, plus a developer NOC fee of AED 500 to AED 5,000, added together for that price point. The percentage edges down slightly as the price rises, because the trustee and title deed fees are largely flat rather than scaling with price. These figures exclude smaller incidentals and any mortgage-related fees, which is why most cash buyers should budget nearer 7% to 8% once everything is accounted for, as set out in our full purchase cost guide.
How to calculate your own number in four steps
1. Take the purchase price and calculate 4%. This is your DLD transfer fee, the largest single line item and one you cannot negotiate down. 2. Calculate 2% agency commission, then add 5% VAT on that commission figure. For example, on AED 2,000,000, 2% is AED 40,000, and 5% VAT on that AED 40,000 is AED 2,000, for AED 42,000 total. 3. Add the fixed fees: roughly AED 4,200 for the trustee fee including VAT, and roughly AED 300 for title deed and admin fees. These barely move with the purchase price, since they are largely flat charges. 4. Add the developer NOC fee, which you should confirm directly with the seller's agent or the developer, since it varies from AED 500 to AED 5,000 depending on the building.
Add all four together and you have your total upfront cost on top of the purchase price. This is the same calculation behind the quick-reference table above, just run for your specific number.
Mortgage buyers: what to add
If you are financing the purchase, add three more figures to the total above. The mortgage registration fee is 0.25% of the loan amount, the bank arrangement fee is roughly 1% of the loan amount and varies by lender, and the property valuation is a fixed fee of roughly AED 2,500 to AED 3,500. On an 80% mortgage against a AED 2,000,000 purchase, that is a loan of AED 1,600,000, adding roughly AED 4,000 in registration, AED 16,000 in arrangement fee, and AED 3,000 for valuation, which pushes the total upfront cost past 9% of the price.
Off-plan purchases: what changes in the calculation
The fee structure above is written for a ready, resale property. Buying off-plan directly from a developer changes two lines. The 4% DLD fee still applies, but it is typically paid through the developer as part of the Oqood registration process rather than at a separate trustee appointment. Agency commission often does not apply at all on a direct developer sale, since many developers sell without a buyer-side agency fee, though this varies by project and by whether you are buying through a broker. The trustee fee, title deed fee and NOC fee are not relevant at the point of reservation either, since those apply at a transfer, which off-plan buyers only reach once the unit completes and title is issued. In practice, an off-plan purchase's upfront fee percentage is usually lower than a ready resale purchase, with most of the cost sitting in the purchase price instalments themselves rather than in transaction fees. Confirm the exact fee position for a specific launch before you reserve, since it is set by the individual developer's sales terms.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate DLD fees in Dubai? Multiply the purchase price by 4%. On a AED 2,000,000 property, that is AED 80,000. Add a small fixed admin fee for the title deed itself, roughly AED 250 to 300, which is separate from the 4% transfer fee.
Is there a free Dubai property fees calculator? The formula is simple enough to run yourself: 4% DLD fee, plus 2% plus VAT agency commission, plus roughly AED 4,500 in fixed trustee and title deed fees, plus the developer's NOC fee. Use the quick-reference table above for a rough figure by price, or contact us for an exact breakdown on a specific property.
What percentage of the purchase price are total fees in Dubai? For a cash purchase, budget roughly 7% to 8% of the price in total fees, dominated by the 4% DLD transfer fee and 2% plus VAT agency commission. A mortgage purchase adds a further 1% to 2% for loan registration, the bank arrangement fee and valuation.
Does the fee percentage change with a more expensive property? The percentage-based fees, the 4% DLD fee and the 2% agency commission, scale directly with price and stay roughly the same percentage. The fixed fees, such as the trustee fee and title deed cost, barely change with price, which is why the overall percentage edges slightly lower on a higher-value purchase.
Who pays the fees, the buyer or the seller, in Dubai? The DLD transfer fee is legally the buyer's responsibility, though buyer and seller sometimes agree to split it. Agency commission is most often paid by the buyer in a resale purchase, but this varies by deal, so confirm who pays what before you sign an offer.
If you want the exact figure for a specific property rather than an estimate, get your exact fee breakdown from ERE Homes and we will itemise every cost before you commit.
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