Quick answer: # Oqood Explained: Off-Plan Property Registration in Dubai If you're buying an off-plan property in Dubai, you'll hear the word "oqood" within five minutes of signing anything. It's the interim registration that protects your purchase before the building actually exists. Here's w
If you're buying an off-plan property in Dubai, you'll hear the word "oqood" within five minutes of signing anything. It's the interim registration that protects your purchase before the building actually exists. Here's what it does, what it costs, and where people get burned.
Oqood (Arabic for "contracts") is the Dubai Land Department's (DLD) interim off-plan property registration system, managed through the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA). When you buy an off-plan unit from a developer, the Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) is registered on the Oqood platform, and you get an Oqood certificate. It's not a title deed — it's a placeholder that records your beneficial interest until the project is complete and the unit is transferred to a final title deed (Form B). The registration fee is 4% of the purchase price plus admin charges, and the developer must register it within 60 days of the SPA.
The Oqood certificate proves you have a registered contractual right to a specific off-plan unit. It is not ownership. You don't have a title deed yet — the building hasn't been handed over, and in many cases the slab hasn't been poured.
What it does give you:
Honestly, most buyers don't read Article 3 of that law, but it's the one that matters: no off-plan sale, mortgage, or transfer is valid unless registered on the Interim Register. If your developer "forgot" to register your Oqood, your contract is legally exposed.
The numbers you should expect:
The developer is required to register the Oqood within 60 days of signing the SPA under DLD practice. In reality, registration often happens at the first major payment milestone. If you've paid 20% and still have no Oqood certificate, push hard. That's a red flag.
Watch out: Some developers bundle the 4% DLD fee into the headline price and some don't. Always ask: "Is the 4% DLD fee included or on top?" before signing. I've seen buyers get a surprise AED 80,000 invoice on a AED 2M unit because nobody clarified.
You can check your Oqood status yourself. Two options:
If nothing appears after the developer claims to have registered it, request the Oqood number in writing and verify it directly. Don't rely on a PDF the sales agent emailed you — those get forged more often than the industry admits.
For broader context on buying off-plan, see our real estate guides.
This trips up first-time buyers constantly. Oqood is interim. Title deed (Form B, issued by DLD on handover) is final ownership. You cannot mortgage an Oqood-registered unit the same way you'd mortgage a completed property — most banks will only finance off-plan with developer-approved payment plans, not standard home loans. The full title deed is only issued after the developer obtains the Building Completion Certificate from Dubai Municipality and pays the project's infrastructure fees.
The transition from Oqood to title deed happens at handover, and you'll pay another small DLD fee (around AED 540 for the title deed issuance) at that point. The 4% transfer fee is not paid again — you already paid it at Oqood stage.
So if anyone tells you you'll pay "another 4%" on handover, they're wrong or they're trying to sell you something.
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Citations
[1] Dubai Law No. 13 of 2008 on the Interim Real Estate Register in the Emirate of Dubai, as amended by Law No. 9 of 2009. Available via Dubai Land Department: dld.gov.ae
[2] Dubai Land Department — Fees and Services schedule, dubailand.gov.ae
[3] RERA — Off-Plan Property Registration guidelines, Dubai Land Department
Sub-questions our research cluster pulls together — each links to its full Tier-B/C answer.
Off-plan property in Dubai means buying before construction completes. You pay 24% upfront (20% down, 4% DLD fees, AED 3,000 Oqood), with installments held in RERA escrow until handover in 2–4 years.
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Dubai Land Department main contact: +971 4 222 2253 or toll-free 8004488. WhatsApp +971 4 203 0407. Open Mon–Thu 7:30am–3:30pm, Fri 7:30am–12pm.
This is general legal information, not legal advice. For advice tailored to your specific situation, consult a UAE-licensed lawyer.
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