Costs & fees
What are the associated costs of buying a property in the UAE?
Buying property in the UAE typically costs an extra 7-8% on top of the purchase price, covering the 4% DLD transfer fee, roughly 2% agency commission, mortgage registration, trustee office fees and valuation. On a AED 2,000,000 property, this generally adds up to roughly AED 130,000-150,000 in total acquisition costs.
Full cost breakdown on a AED 2,000,000 property
Here's what a typical acquisition looks like once you add every fee on top of the purchase price, assuming an 80% LTV mortgage:
| Item | Basis | Approx. cost |
|---|---|---|
| DLD transfer fee | 4% of price | AED 80,000 |
| DLD admin fee | Fixed | AED 580 |
| Mortgage registration fee | 0.25% of loan (AED 1.6M) + AED 290 | AED 4,290 |
| Agency commission | ~2% of price | AED 40,000 |
| Trustee office fee | Fixed | AED 4,200 |
| Valuation fee | Fixed | AED 2,500-3,500 |
| Bank arrangement fee | 0-1% of loan (AED 1.6M) | AED 0-16,000 |
| Total acquisition costs | ~AED 131,570-148,570 |
On top of these fees, you'd also need the 20% down payment — AED 400,000 in this example — bringing your total cash requirement to roughly AED 530,000-550,000 before you receive the keys.
Where each fee is paid and to whom
- DLD transfer fee and admin fee — paid to the Dubai Land Department at the time of transfer
- Mortgage registration fee — paid to DLD when the mortgage is registered against the title
- Agency commission — paid to the real estate agent, typically split between buyer and seller sides
- Trustee office fee — paid to the DLD-registered trustee office that processes the transfer
- Valuation fee — paid to the bank's approved valuer
- Bank arrangement fee — paid to your mortgage bank on approval or disbursement
How costs scale with a bigger budget
| Property price | Approx. total fees (7-8%) |
|---|---|
| AED 1,000,000 | ~AED 70,000-80,000 |
| AED 2,000,000 | ~AED 131,570-148,570 |
| AED 4,000,000 | ~AED 263,000-297,000 |
How this differs from bank-side fees
This list covers the full property acquisition, including third-party and government charges. If you want just the mortgage-specific fees the bank itself charges, see what fees you pay when getting a mortgage. For the complete narrative breakdown, read our full DLD fees guide and total mortgage cost article.
Run the numbers on your own case
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Last reviewed 10 July 2026
