Who pays the Oqood registration fee in Dubai?

The buyer typically pays the Oqood fee as part of completing an off-plan purchase, but the exact amount and the timing are confirmed in your sale contract, not published as a general figure. Ask the developer, through your adviser, before you reserve.

6 October 2026 · By Orven Properties · 3 min read

On an off-plan purchase in Dubai, the Oqood registration fee is typically paid by the buyer, as part of registering the sale with the Dubai Land Department. It is a fixed amount, separate from the 4% DLD registration fee charged on completed sales, and the exact figure and the point at which it is collected are confirmed in your sale contract rather than published as one number that applies to every project.

What Oqood actually registers

Oqood is the system the Dubai Land Department uses to register an off-plan sale before a title deed exists, recording your interest in the unit against the developer's project. Our guide on what Oqood is: Dubai's off-plan registration system explains how this registration works and why it matters even though no physical property exists yet. Because this is a fixed registration fee rather than a percentage of the price, it does not scale the way the 4% DLD fee does.

Who actually settles the fee

In practice, this fee is collected from the buyer, usually at the point the sale is registered through Oqood, which is often close to the signing of your Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) rather than at handover. Some developers fold the timing of this collection into their own administrative process; others state it as a separate line. Either way, the amount itself is set out in your contract, so ask for it in writing before you reserve rather than assuming a figure based on a different project.

Where this fits in the full purchase timeline

Oqood registration is one step among several between reserving a unit and eventually holding a title deed once the project completes. Our guide on buying off-plan: from reservation to title deed, Oqood and DLD registration walks through the full sequence, including how Oqood differs from the DLD's standard title registration for completed properties. Reading it alongside this answer gives you the fuller picture of where the fee sits relative to your deposit and instalments.

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Confirm the exact figure before you reserve

Ask your adviser for the current Oqood fee alongside the confirmed price for the specific unit you are considering, since both can vary. This is one of the costs that belongs in your total first-payment budget, next to the reservation deposit and the 4% DLD fee due later, rather than something to estimate.

Talk to Orven about your specific unit

Send your project and unit type on WhatsApp to +971 52 776 1939, or by email to sales@orvenproperties.com, and your adviser confirms who pays the Oqood fee and when for the unit you are considering, before you commit to a reservation.

FAQ

Is the Oqood fee the same as the 4% DLD registration fee? No. The DLD's 4% fee applies to the sale price generally; Oqood is a separate, fixed registration fee specific to off-plan sales.

Does the Oqood fee ever get added to the deposit instead of being separate? It is a separate cost, confirmed in your contract; it is not deducted from or folded into your reservation deposit.

Can the Oqood fee vary between developers? The fixed amount is confirmed in each sale contract, so ask your adviser for the current figure for your specific project rather than assuming it matches another one.

When during the purchase is the Oqood fee usually paid? Typically around the point the sale is registered through Oqood, often close to signing the SPA, though the exact timing is set out in your contract.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Oqood fee the same as the 4% DLD registration fee?

No. The DLD's 4% fee applies to the sale price generally; Oqood is a separate, fixed registration fee specific to off-plan sales.

Does the Oqood fee ever get added to the deposit instead of being separate?

It is a separate cost, confirmed in your contract; it is not deducted from or folded into your reservation deposit.

Can the Oqood fee vary between developers?

The fixed amount is confirmed in each sale contract, so ask your adviser for the current figure for your specific project rather than assuming it matches another one.

When during the purchase is the Oqood fee usually paid?

Typically around the point the sale is registered through Oqood, often close to signing the SPA, though the exact timing is set out in your contract.