A DLD waiver means the developer pays the Dubai Land Department (DLD) registration fee on your behalf, normally 4% of the purchase price, instead of collecting it from you. The fee is still paid to DLD and your purchase is still registered; only the payer changes. On a AED 1,500,000 off-plan home where the contract would otherwise have you pay the full 4%, a full DLD waiver saves AED 60,000 of cash up front, but a discount of the same size can still come out cheaper overall.
- The fee: DLD lists the registration fee on an off-plan sale as 2% of the sale value for the seller and 2% for the purchaser, plus AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees.
- Who pays: DLD says the 4% is paid according to the agreement between seller and buyer. A waiver is that agreement tilted in your favour.
- Full or partial: offers are worded as a full (4%) waiver or a partial one, such as 2%. The sale and purchase agreement (SPA) decides exactly what the developer covers.
- Registration still happens: the developer must register your SPA with DLD's interim register, known as Oqood, within 90 days of signing.
- Waiver or discount: on AED 1,500,000, a 4% price cut costs AED 2,400 less in total than a full waiver, but asks for AED 57,600 more cash at the start.
What does a DLD waiver mean?
A DLD waiver is a developer offer, not a DLD exemption. Dubai Land Department still charges its registration fee on the sale; the developer agrees to pay all of it, or the buyer's part of it, so you don't. Your purchase is registered in the normal way and you receive the same provisional registration certificate.
For off-plan homes, the developer registers the sale through DLD's Oqood portal. DLD's service page for registering an initial sale sets three rules worth knowing: both the developer and the purchaser sign the SPA, the SPA must be registered within 90 days of signing, and the result is a provisional registration e-certificate, emailed to the purchaser. DLD lists payment by Noqodi wallet or by deduction from the escrow account. Our guide to the Oqood certificate explains what that registration protects.
So the words "DLD waiver" tell you who pays a government fee. They don't tell you whether the price is good, so treat the waiver as one line in the total cost.
Who normally pays the 4% DLD fee?
On paper, both sides do: DLD lists 2% of the sale value for the seller and 2% for the buyer, for off-plan and ready sales alike. In practice, DLD says the 4% is paid according to the agreement between seller and buyer, and its 2021 notice to developers describes the developer registering a sale after the buyer has paid the 4%.
That notice, from May 2021, also told developers to pay registration fees to DLD within 60 days, to avoid delay penalties. The fees and steps differ a little between an off-plan sale and a ready home:
| Off-plan sale by a developer (Oqood) | Ready home (title deed transfer) | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | Seller 2% and purchaser 2% of the sale value | Seller 2% and buyer 2% of the sale value |
| Small DLD fees | AED 10 knowledge, AED 10 innovation | AED 10 knowledge, AED 10 innovation, AED 250 title deed, map fee |
| Registration channel | Developer's Oqood portal; AED 1,000 self-registration fee per provisional sale | Real Estate Registration Trustee centre or Dubai Now |
| Trustee partner fee | None listed for developer self-registration | AED 4,000 + VAT (AED 2,000 + VAT under AED 500,000) |
| Timing | SPA registered within 90 days of signing | About 20 minutes at the trustee centre, per DLD |
| What you receive | Provisional registration e-certificate | Electronic title deed |
Our full guide to Dubai property fees covers agency commission, mortgage registration and the other buying costs.
Is a DLD waiver better than a price discount?
In total, a discount of the same percentage is slightly cheaper, because the 4% fee is then charged on a lower price. A waiver's advantage is timing: it removes a large payment at the very start, when the registration fee falls due, while a discount is spread across the payment plan's instalments.
| AED 1,500,000 off-plan unit | Price | DLD fee you pay | Total cost | Registered price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No offer (you pay the full 4%) | AED 1,500,000 | AED 60,000 | AED 1,560,000 | AED 1,500,000 |
| Full DLD waiver | AED 1,500,000 | AED 0 | AED 1,500,000 | AED 1,500,000 |
| 4% price discount instead | AED 1,440,000 | AED 57,600 | AED 1,497,600 | AED 1,440,000 |
| Half waiver (2%) | AED 1,500,000 | AED 30,000 | AED 1,530,000 | AED 1,500,000 |
| 2% price discount instead | AED 1,470,000 | AED 58,800 | AED 1,528,800 | AED 1,470,000 |
The full waiver costs AED 2,400 more in total than a 4% discount, and the half waiver AED 1,200 more than a 2% discount. Against that, the waiver keeps AED 57,600 (or AED 28,800 for the half waiver) out of the money you pay at the start. The price matters beyond the fee: it is your recorded purchase price when you later sell, and a percentage-based payment plan calculates every instalment on it.
Compare like with like. Ask what the same unit costs without the offer, check prices of similar units in the same project, and add every fee the SPA charges. Our article on the 1% payment plan trap shows how a headline offer can hide the real cost.
Can you get a DLD waiver on a ready or resale property?
Only if the seller agrees to pay. DLD's property sale registration service splits the fee 2% to the seller and 2% to the buyer, so on any sale the parties can agree who covers what. A developer selling completed units can make the same offer as on off-plan, while an individual seller can agree to pay part or all of the fee as part of the deal.
Buying an off-plan unit from another investor before handover is a resale, with its own transfer fees and a developer no-objection certificate; the first buyer's waiver covered the first sale, not yours. See our guide to off-plan resale transfer fees.
First-time buyers often ask about a waiver too. DLD's First-Time Home Buyer programme doesn't waive the registration fee; it offers interest-free instalment plans for the fee through eligible credit cards, and DLD says standard registration fees still apply unless a special programme offer says otherwise.
Can the DLD fee be added to your mortgage?
Plan to pay it from your own funds. The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) caps mortgage lending against the bank's appraised value of the property, and for off-plan homes the limit is 50% of that value for every buyer. Ask your bank in writing whether any fee can be financed before you count on it.
A waiver doesn't change those limits; it simply means there is less to pay in cash. If you will need a mortgage at handover, our guide to the EIBOR rate shows how the rate on a Dubai home loan is set and what a 0.25-point move adds to the payment.
What should you check in the SPA before accepting a DLD waiver?
Check that the SPA, not just the brochure, says who pays the seller's 2% and the purchaser's 2%, and that no other charge quietly replaces the waived amount. Then check the conditions, the end date and what happens if you resell or the sale is cancelled.
| Check in the SPA | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Who pays the 2% seller share and the 2% purchaser share | "DLD waiver" can mean the full 4% or only part of it |
| Other fees charged to you (admin, Oqood or registration charges) | The developer's own fees are not part of the DLD fee and are not covered by the waiver unless the SPA says so |
| Conditions and end date of the offer | Anything the waiver depends on should be written into the SPA, not only the brochure |
| Registration within 90 days and your Oqood certificate | DLD requires registration within 90 days of signing; the certificate proves it |
| What happens if you resell before handover | The next buyer's transfer carries its own fees; ask whether any incentive passes to them |
| What happens if the sale is cancelled | The SPA should say what is refunded and whether the developer can reclaim a waived fee |
| The price of the same unit without the offer | A waiver priced into the unit is not a saving |
Check the registration yourself Pay instalments only into the project's escrow account, and confirm that your unit appears in DLD's register once the 90 days are up. Before you book, confirm the ad and the broker with a Trakheesi permit check.
Frequently asked questions
What does DLD waiver mean?
It means the developer pays the Dubai Land Department registration fee for you, normally 4% of the price. The fee is still paid to DLD and your purchase is still registered.
Is the DLD fee really waived?
No. DLD still receives its fee; the developer pays it instead of you. That is why the offer and the SPA must both say exactly which part of the 4% the developer covers.
Who pays the 4% DLD fee in Dubai?
DLD lists 2% for the seller and 2% for the buyer, and says the 4% is paid according to the agreement between them. In off-plan sales the developer registers the sale after collecting the agreed fees.
Is a DLD waiver better than a discount?
A discount of the same percentage is slightly cheaper in total: AED 2,400 on a AED 1,500,000 unit with a full waiver. The waiver saves far more cash up front, so the answer depends on your cash flow.
Can I get a DLD waiver on a ready property?
Only if the seller agrees to pay. DLD splits the sale registration fee 2% seller and 2% buyer, and the parties can agree a different split as part of the deal.
Does the First-Time Home Buyer programme waive the DLD fee?
No. It offers interest-free instalments for the registration fee through eligible credit cards. Standard DLD fees still apply unless a specific programme offer says otherwise.
What is the Oqood fee?
It is the DLD registration fee on an off-plan sale: 2% of the sale value from the seller and 2% from the purchaser, plus AED 20 in small fees. Developers registering through the Oqood portal also pay AED 1,000 per sale.
Sources
- Dubai Land Department: Request to register the initial sale (Oqood) (2% seller and 2% purchaser, AED 10 + AED 10, AED 1,000 developer self-registration, 90 days, payment channels; checked 29 October 2026)
- Dubai Land Department: Property sale registration (ready sales: 2% seller and 2% buyer, title deed and trustee fees; checked 29 October 2026)
- Dubai Land Department: DLD calls on developers to pay property registration fees within 60 days, 31 May 2021 (fee paid as agreed between seller and buyer; 60 days; checked 29 October 2026)
- Dubai Land Department: First-Time Home Buyer programme (credit-card instalments for registration fees, standard fees apply; checked 29 October 2026)
- CBUAE Rulebook: Regulations regarding mortgage loans (loan-to-value against appraised value; 50% for off-plan; checked 29 October 2026)
Browse new off-plan projects and ask an agent which current launches include the fee. Compare the total cost, not the headline.
