Updated 10 November 2026.

What should you check before booking?

Open Dubai REST and choose Title Deed Verification. Select the owner-and-property check and enter the requested deed details. Match the result to the seller and the home in your agreement. Ask the trustee to explain a mismatch before booking.

For an off-plan purchase, check the Oqood registration guide before using a completed-home checklist. Ask the developer which registration document and transaction apply to your unit.

Read the sale and purchase agreement guide alongside your contract. Mark who pays each cost and what happens if a required document arrives late.

Source · Checked 10 November 2026 · DLD, verification instructions, 16 June 2021. Contract questions are our checklist.

What documents should you prepare?

DLD's individual-applicant checklist names Emirates ID for buyer and seller, or a valid passport for non-resident foreigners, and the developer's e-NOC in freehold areas, through Dubai REST.

Ask the trustee to check your file, especially if a company owns the home or someone will attend under a power of attorney. DLD requires company registration for a company applicant.

Keep the existing deed and signed agreement available for that discussion. Ask whether the e-NOC will still be valid on your appointment date. The property NOC guide covers the questions to send the developer.

Source · Checked 10 November 2026 · DLD, required documents and company condition.

How much does a title transfer cost?

For the trustee route, DLD publishes the following charges. Confirm which map charge applies to your property.

ChargePublished amount
Seller's sale fee2% of sale value
Buyer's sale fee2% of sale value
Title deedAED 250
Villa or apartment mapAED 250
Unified map under Dubai MunicipalityAED 225
Land map outside Dubai MunicipalityAED 100
Knowledge and innovation feesAED 10 each
Service partner, sale of AED 500,000 or moreAED 4,000 plus VAT
Service partner, sale below AED 500,000AED 2,000 plus VAT

Hypothetical example: at a sale value of AED 2,000,000, the two published percentage charges total AED 80,000: AED 2,000,000 × (2% + 2%). That excludes the fixed charges above and any bank, developer or other transaction costs.

Ask for a written cost sheet showing who pays each line. Don't treat a percentage quoted in conversation as the whole completion budget.

Source · Checked 10 November 2026 · DLD, trustee-route fees. Example arithmetic by iOffPlanDubai.

Can you transfer through Dubai Now?

DLD limits this route to individuals with UAE ID, using UAE PASS, for subdivided units in freehold areas. The property must have no mortgage or restrictions. Its examples include apartments, offices and townhouses.

In Dubai Now, create the sale request and agreement, complete the signatures, then follow the service's DLD-approved escrow payment route. View the deed and receipt there.

Watch out: Dubai Now has a separate fee schedule. Its service-partner charge is AED 1,000 plus VAT at AED 500,000 or more, or AED 500 plus VAT below that threshold. It also lists knowledge and innovation fees of AED 30 each. Use the schedule for the channel you actually choose; don't mix it with the trustee table.

Source · Checked 10 November 2026 · DLD, Dubai Now eligibility, procedure and charges.

What changes if the seller has a mortgage?

Ask the bank and trustee to agree the settlement sequence before you promise a completion date. DLD has a separate mortgaged-sale procedure, including a liability letter and a mortgage release letter. Registration is completed after the release letter is submitted.

Ask who requests each letter, how long it remains valid and which amounts go to the bank and seller. Have the trustee confirm the payment instructions for your file.

Source · Checked 10 November 2026 · DLD, mortgaged-property sale.

What should you check at the appointment?

  1. Present the file to the trustee. Have any missing documents identified before proceeding.
  2. Check the transaction details. Match the buyer, seller and property to your agreement before registration is completed.
  3. Keep the receipt and new deed. Check the buyer's name, unit, ownership share and property details. Ask immediately about a mismatch.

DLD publishes a 20-minute service time for ordinary sale registration. Allow separately for document preparation and any mortgage release.

If the request stalls, give DLD the reference number on 8004488. Keep deed and identity details out of public groups.

Source · Checked 10 November 2026 · DLD, sale procedure and support. Document comparisons are our checklist.

What isn't published?

DLD's service pages don't give your bank's release deadline, your developer's e-NOC cost or an all-in total for your sale. Ask each party for a dated figure and have the trustee put the amounts into one cost sheet.

FAQ

Is a signed sale agreement enough to finish the transfer?

Follow the registration procedure through to the new electronic title deed. Keep the signed agreement, receipt and deed together so you can check that they describe the same transaction.

Can a non-resident apply?

Use the trustee route and ask the centre to check your passport and file before arranging travel. Dubai Now requires UAE ID.

Do you need an agent to use the registration service?

DLD describes applications by the parties or their legally authorised representatives. If you're arranging the sale yourself, use the selling without an agent checklist, then ask the trustee to confirm the documents and appointment.