A plain guide to Oqood, the Dubai Land Department's register for off-plan sales: who files it, what it costs, how to check yours and what changes at handover.
When you buy a home in Dubai that is still being built, you do not receive a title deed straight away. Your purchase goes into an interim register run by the Dubai Land Department instead. That record is called Oqood. It proves the unit is legally yours while the building goes up.
Here is what Oqood is, who registers it, what it costs, how to check your certificate and how it becomes a title deed at handover. If you are earlier in the process, our guide to buying off-plan in the UAE covers each step from reservation to keys.
What is Oqood?
Oqood is the Dubai Land Department’s interim register for off-plan property. When you sign a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with a developer for a unit under construction, the developer records that sale in Oqood. You then receive an e-certificate showing you as the buyer. It protects your rights until the building is finished and a title deed is issued.
The word comes from the Arabic for “contracts”. In practice, people use “Oqood” for three things at once: the register itself, the developer portal used to file sales, and the certificate you receive. All three mean the same thing in the end. There is an official record that this off-plan unit has been sold to you.
Oqood is not a title deed. It is the official interim record of your off-plan purchase, and it converts into a title deed once the building is complete and the price is paid as your SPA requires.
Who registers the Oqood, and when?
For a first purchase direct from the developer, the developer registers the sale, not you. According to Dubai Land Department, the developer files the sale online through its Oqood portal, and the SPA must be registered in the interim register within 90 days of signing.
- Your part. Sign the SPA, pay the amounts due under it and supply your documents: a copy of your passport, and your UAE ID if you are a resident.
- The developer’s part. Upload the SPA and your details, pay the registration fees (often from funds you have paid, or deducted from the project escrow account) and submit the application.
- The outcome. The Land Department emails the interim registration e-certificate to you as the buyer.
If you buy an off-plan unit from another buyer before handover, the process changes. That resale is registered at a registration trustee office, and the developer’s no-objection certificate is needed first. Our guide to selling before handover covers that route.
If 90 days have passed since you signed and you have no e-certificate, contact the developer in writing and keep a copy of the reply.
How much is the Oqood fee?
According to Dubai Land Department, registering an off-plan sale in Oqood carries a fee of 4% of the sale value. The default split is 2% from the seller and 2% from the buyer, unless the contract says otherwise. On a first sale, the developer is the seller. In practice, many SPAs place the full 4% on the buyer, and some launches offer to cover part or all of it, so read the fee clause in your SPA.
A few smaller charges sit alongside the main fee. The table below sets out what Dubai Land Department lists for registering an initial off-plan sale.
| Item | Amount | Who usually pays |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | 4% of the sale value | 2% seller and 2% buyer by default. Your SPA may move all of it to you |
| Knowledge fee | AED 10 | Collected with the registration |
| Innovation fee | AED 10 | Collected with the registration |
| Developer self-registration fee (Oqood portal) | AED 1,000 | Charged to the developer. Whether it is passed on to buyers is [to confirm] per SPA |
| Brokerage fee (Sovereign) | 2% of the price | Buyer, where Sovereign arranges the purchase |
This part trips people up. The 4% paid at Oqood is the same Dubai Land Department registration fee you would pay on a ready home. It is not charged twice. When the unit is complete and your Oqood converts into a title deed, you pay only the issuance and administrative charges for the deed [to confirm current amounts], not a second 4%.
Illustrative only, not a real project. On a unit with a sale value of AED 1,500,000 where the SPA places the full fee on you, the registration fee is AED 60,000, plus AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees. If the SPA keeps the default split, your share falls to AED 30,000.
For every cost from booking to keys, including service charges and mortgage fees, see the true cost of buying off-plan.
How do I check my Oqood certificate?
Your interim registration e-certificate arrives by email from the Land Department once the developer’s application is approved. Keep it safe. You will need it to resell, to apply for a mortgage at handover and for some visa applications. To check it is genuine and current, use the Land Department’s own channels.
- Read the email. Confirm your name, passport or UAE ID number, the unit number, the project and the sale value match your SPA exactly.
- Open Dubai REST. Dubai REST is the Land Department’s official app and online platform. Sign in with UAE Pass, and your registered properties, including off-plan units, should appear in your portfolio [to confirm exact menu names for non-residents without UAE Pass].
- Use the certificate check. The Land Department provides a service to verify certificates it has issued, using the certificate details [to confirm current service name and route].
- Check the project. Confirm the project is registered and its escrow account is in place through the Land Department’s project status service.
- Raise gaps early. If details are wrong or missing, contact the developer in writing first, then the Land Department’s customer service if it is not fixed.
Never pay any instalment into an account other than the project escrow account named in your SPA. Your Oqood record and your escrow payments go together.
What is the difference between Oqood and a title deed?
Oqood records an off-plan sale. A title deed records ownership of a completed property. Both are issued by Dubai Land Department, and both prove your rights, but they sit at different stages.
| Oqood (interim register) | Title deed | |
|---|---|---|
| Stage | Unit under construction | Completed unit, after handover |
| Who files it | Developer, via the Oqood portal | Developer or registration trustee, on completion |
| Main fee | 4% registration fee | Issuance and admin charges only [to confirm], no second 4% |
| What you hold | Interim registration e-certificate | Title deed e-certificate |
| Resale | Possible with developer NOC, terms vary | Standard sale at a registration trustee |
| Mortgage | Off-plan lending, capped at 50% loan-to-value | Standard mortgage limits apply |
The conversion happens after the building receives its completion certificate and you have paid what your SPA requires at handover. Our step-by-step guide to moving from off-plan to title deed covers that stage in detail.
What should you check before and after registration?
Oqood mostly runs in the background. A few simple checks keep it working for you.
- Before you sign. Confirm the project is registered with the Land Department and has an escrow account. Check the broker’s registration and advertising permit through Dubai REST or Trakheesi.
- In the SPA. Read who pays the 4% fee, when it is due and whether any registration costs are added to your first payment.
- Within 90 days. Expect your e-certificate. If it has not arrived, follow up with the developer in writing.
- During construction. Keep your certificate, SPA, receipts and statement of account in one place. You will need them all for a resale or a mortgage.
- At handover. Make sure the final payment is recorded and the developer starts the title deed process promptly.
How Sovereign helps
Sovereign Realty is a RERA-registered brokerage working with buyers in the UAE and across the GCC and beyond. We check the project’s registration and escrow status before you commit, walk you through the fee clause in your SPA, and follow up with the developer until your Oqood e-certificate arrives. When handover comes, we help you prepare the documents for your title deed.
If you are reviewing an off-plan launch, speak to Sovereign before you sign, and we will set out every registration step and cost for that unit in writing.
FAQ
What is Oqood in Dubai?
Oqood is the Dubai Land Department’s interim register for off-plan property. The developer records your sale there after you sign the SPA, and you receive an e-certificate showing you as the buyer. It protects your rights until the building is complete and a title deed is issued.
How much is the Oqood fee?
According to Dubai Land Department, the registration fee is 4% of the sale value, split 2% seller and 2% buyer by default, plus AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees. Many SPAs place the full 4% on the buyer, so check the fee clause in yours.
Who registers the Oqood?
On a first purchase from the developer, the developer registers it through the Land Department’s Oqood portal. The SPA must be registered within 90 days of signing. On a resale before handover, registration takes place at a registration trustee office after the developer issues a no-objection certificate.
How do I check my Oqood certificate?
Check the e-certificate the Land Department emails you against your SPA, then confirm it through Dubai REST, the Land Department’s official app, where registered off-plan units appear in your portfolio. If anything is wrong or missing, raise it with the developer in writing.
Is Oqood the same as a title deed?
No. Oqood records the sale of an off-plan unit while it is being built. A title deed records ownership of a completed property. Your Oqood converts into a title deed after completion and handover, and you do not pay the 4% registration fee a second time.
Can I sell my off-plan unit with only an Oqood?
Usually yes, once the developer issues a no-objection certificate. Developers set a minimum share of the sale value that must be paid first, and the threshold varies. The resale is registered at a registration trustee office, and the 4% fee applies to that new sale.