A sale in Dubai goes through the Dubai Land Department (DLD): the parties sign a sale agreement (Form F), the seller gets a NOC from the developer, and the transfer is registered at a Real Estate Registration Trustee office. Per the DLD fee schedule as of October 2026, the registration fee is 4% of the price (2% from the seller and 2% from the buyer, though the parties can agree otherwise), plus Trustee fees of AED 4,000 + VAT for prices from AED 500,000.
Steps
- Broker agreement (Form A) if you sell through an agency. Broker and agency must be RERA-licensed — see how to check a broker.
- Listing. Property ads in Dubai are published with a Trakheesi permit.
- Agreement with the buyer (Form F): price, deposit, timeline, who pays which fees.
- Developer NOC — confirmation that there are no outstanding service charges. The developer sets its fee and processing time.
- Registration at a Trustee office: document check, payment of fees, a new Title Deed for the buyer.
Documents
- Passport (non-residents) or Emirates ID of the seller and buyer.
- An electronic NOC from the developer (e-NOC).
- A power of attorney if a representative acts for you. You can sell remotely — see buying and selling remotely.
DLD fees
- Sale registration: 2% of the price from the seller and 2% from the buyer. Who actually pays is set in the agreement.
- Trustee fees: AED 4,000 + VAT for prices from AED 500,000; AED 2,000 + VAT below that.
- Title Deed issuance AED 250, site map from AED 100, plus fees of AED 10 + 10.
- Developer NOC and broker commission — per their tariffs and agreement.
Amounts are from the DLD Property Sale Registration service page as of October 2026. Check them on the transaction date.
If the unit is mortgaged or still under construction
- Mortgage. DLD has a separate procedure for selling a mortgaged property: the bank issues a liability letter, the debt is paid from the buyer's funds, and once the mortgage release is issued the unit is transferred to the buyer. Agree the steps with your bank in advance.
- Off-plan. Your rights under the developer contract can be assigned before handover, but the developer sets the conditions (for example, how much of the price must already be paid). How registration works: Escrow, Oqood and Title Deed.
Taxes
The UAE has no capital gains tax for individuals. The gain may be taxed in your country of tax residence — check with a tax adviser; see also Dubai property taxes. This is general information, not legal advice.