Buying property in Dubai
A purchase in Dubai is a documented sequence, not a negotiation in the dark. What follows is the order it runs in, what each step costs, and what can be done from abroad.
From reservation to title deed
01 Selection and reservation
The unit is held against a reservation form and the first payment. From that moment the price and the payment plan are fixed in writing.
02 Sales and Purchase Agreement
The SPA is the contract with the developer: unit, area, price, plan, handover date and what happens if it slips. Only this document is binding, not a brochure.
03 Oqood registration
An off-plan purchase is registered with the Dubai Land Department under Oqood. This is where ownership becomes a matter of public record rather than a private agreement.
04 The payment plan runs
Instalments follow the plan agreed in the SPA, against construction milestones or fixed dates. A plan that continues past handover lets the rent meet part of it.
05 Handover and transfer
On completion the unit is inspected, the balance falls due and the title deed is issued in your name at the Land Department.
What falls alongside the price
4 %
Of the purchase price, to the Dubai Land Department. In Abu Dhabi the DMT fee is 2 %.
Per developer
A fixed amount set by the developer, usually between AED 2,000 and 6,000. It is stated in every offer we issue.
Mortgage registration, trustee fees, service charges and agency fees where applicable. Every offer names them as excluded rather than leaving them unsaid.
Buying from abroad
Reservation, SPA, Oqood and transfer can all run under power of attorney. Nothing in the sequence requires your presence in Dubai, and every step is documented as it happens.
What it would look like for you
Tell us budget, type and timing, and you receive the payment plan, the acquisition cost and the comparable sales in one document.
Fees as set by the Dubai Land Department and the developer, as of the date shown on the offer. Information only, not investment, tax or legal advice.