Dubai Land Department lists a 4% sale registration fee, Abu Dhabi's DARI 2%: a worked example on an AED 2 million home
The Dubai Land Department lists its sale registration fee as 2% of the sale value from the seller and 2% from the buyer, 4% in all. In Abu Dhabi, ADREC's DARI platform lists a transaction fee of 2% of the valuation or the selling price, whichever is higher. On a home of AED 2 million, that is AED 80,000 in Dubai and AED 40,000 in Abu Dhabi.
Dubai: what the Land Department lists
For registering the sale of land, a property or a completed unit, the Dubai Land Department's service page lists 2% of the sale value for the seller and 2% for the buyer. On top come small fixed charges, including AED 250 for the title deed and AED 250 for the map of a villa or apartment, and a service partner fee of AED 4,000 plus VAT when the sale value is AED 500,000 or more (AED 2,000 plus VAT below that). Off-plan is the same rate: the page for registering an initial sale from a developer also lists 2% from the seller and 2% from the buyer.
Abu Dhabi: what ADREC lists
On DARI, the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre's platform, the guide to selling a property lists the transaction fee as 2% of the valuation or the selling price, whichever is higher, or 1% of the valuation or the selling price remaining from the contract, whichever is higher; the valuation and the municipality fees are calculated automatically. For an off-plan unit, DARI lists 2% of the total sale price, and adds AED 10,000 if the sale is registered later than 21 days from the contract date. The legal frame is Executive Council Chairman Resolution No. 49 of 2018, which allows the sale fee to be set at no less than 1% and no more than 4% per transaction, divided equally between seller and buyer unless they agree otherwise.
A worked example: an AED 2 million home
Our own arithmetic from the official rates. Dubai: 4% of AED 2,000,000 is AED 80,000, listed as AED 40,000 from the seller and AED 40,000 from the buyer, plus the title deed, map and service partner charges. Abu Dhabi: 2% of AED 2,000,000 is AED 40,000, or 2% of the official valuation if that is higher, plus the municipality fees DARI calculates automatically; split equally, the 2% is AED 20,000 each. Who pays which share in the end is what the sale agreement says.
What Al Mithaq adds
We sell homes in both emirates, including Aldar projects in Abu Dhabi and Emaar communities in Dubai. Ask us for any home you are considering and we will write the full cost next to the price: registration fee, fixed charges and the payment plan, so you can compare Dubai and Abu Dhabi on the same line. Our UAE residency guide also shows which price levels qualify for a residence visa.
Sources
- Dubai Land Department: Property sale registration service and fees, opened 10 October 2026
- Dubai Land Department: Initial (off-plan) sale registration and fees, opened 10 October 2026
- ADREC DARI help centre: Sell property guide, opened 10 October 2026
- ADREC DARI help centre: Off-plan unit sale registration, opened 10 October 2026
- Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC): Registration rules, Executive Council Chairman Resolution No. 49 of 2018
