Insights · Ready property
Transfer day,
step by step.
A ready resale in Dubai is transferred at a Real Estate Registration Trustee office. The documents are checked, the Dubai Land Department fees are paid, and the sale is registered; the Dubai Land Department lists a service time of 25 minutes once the documents are complete. You leave with an electronic title deed in your name.
Before the appointment
- The Emirates ID of the buyer and the seller. A non-resident foreigner can use a valid passport instead.
- In freehold areas, the developer's no-objection e-certificate (e-NOC), issued through the Dubai REST app.
- The fees, ready to pay by ePay, Dubai Pay, Noqodi Wallet or manager's cheque.
At the trustee office
- First, the documents are submitted and checked. Anything missing is fixed, and the documents go into the digital vault.
- A trustee office employee enters the transaction details and audits them.
- You pay the fees and receive a receipt; the output is sent by email.
- The buyer's details are entered with an Emirates ID or passport, and the request is submitted.
- Last, the request is created with a reference number to keep, the sale is registered, and the Dubai Land Department issues an electronic title deed and an electronic map.
If the seller still has a mortgage on the unit, the Dubai Land Department uses a separate service, registering the sale of a mortgaged property.
The fees on the day
- The DLD transfer fee: 4% of the sale value. The Dubai Land Department lists it as 2% for the seller and 2% for the buyer.
- The trustee (service partner) fee: AED 4,000 + VAT for a sale of AED 500,000 or more, and AED 2,000 + VAT below that.
- Title deed and map for an apartment: AED 250 + AED 250, plus AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees, so about AED 520.
- The agency fee: usually 2% + VAT on a ready purchase.
Who pays the 4% in practice is covered in the DLD fee. The full list of costs, with a worked example, is in every buying cost.
Questions buyers ask
What documents are needed to transfer a property in Dubai?
The Emirates ID of the buyer and the seller, or a valid passport for a non-resident foreigner. In freehold areas, the developer's no-objection e-certificate (e-NOC), issued through the Dubai REST app.
How long does the transfer take at the trustee office?
The Dubai Land Department lists a service time of 25 minutes for registering a sale, once the documents are complete.
How are the transfer fees paid?
The Dubai Land Department accepts ePay, Dubai Pay, Noqodi Wallet or a manager's cheque. You receive a payment receipt, and the output is sent by email.
When do I get the title deed?
When the sale is registered. The Dubai Land Department issues an electronic title deed and an electronic map in the buyer's name.
Sources, checked 26 October 2026:
- Dubai Land Department, property sale registration (documents, steps, service time, payment methods, fees, electronic title deed)
- VILORA Dubai Property Guide 2026 (agency fee)
Figures can change; confirm the current fees before you transfer.