From off-plan to title deed: how and when you get your Dubai title deed

A step-by-step guide to turning your Oqood registration into a Dubai title deed: timing, fees, Dubai REST and mortgaged property.

When you buy off-plan in Dubai, you do not get a title deed on the day you sign. You get an Oqood registration first. The title deed comes later, once the building is complete and you have met the terms of your sale and purchase agreement (SPA).

Here is when that happens, who files the request and what it costs. It also covers how to see and check your deed on Dubai REST, and what changes if your home has a mortgage. If you are still at the Oqood stage, start with our guide to Oqood in Dubai.

What is the difference between a title deed and Oqood?

Oqood is the interim register for off-plan sales. A title deed is the final proof of ownership. Both are issued through Dubai Land Department, but they record different things.

Put simply, Oqood records your purchase while the building goes up. The title deed replaces it once the unit is finished and paid for under your SPA.

When do off-plan buyers get a title deed?

You get a title deed after two things are true:

1. The project is complete. The building has its completion certificate and the developer has registered the completed units with Dubai Land Department [to confirm exact wording of completion and unit registration steps].
2. You have met your contractual obligations. According to Dubai Land Department, the service that issues the title deed is for parties who are compliant with their contractual obligations. In practice, that means the amount due on completion under your SPA has been paid.

There is no fixed number of months after handover written into law for this step. The timing depends on when the developer files the request. According to Dubai Land Department, the service itself takes about 6 business days once filed. Many buyers receive their deed around handover, but some wait longer if units are still being registered or payments are open [to confirm typical range, varies by project].

How does Oqood become a title deed, step by step?

This is the usual path from Oqood to title deed for an off-plan unit in Dubai:

1. Completion notice. The developer tells you the building is complete and sets out the final amount due and the handover steps.
2. Final payment into escrow. You pay the balance due on completion into the project escrow account named in your SPA.
3. Clearance from the developer. The developer confirms your account is settled. If you have a mortgage, the bank is involved at this point too (see below).
4. Handover. You inspect the unit, record any snags and receive the keys. Our off-plan handover checklist covers this stage in detail.
5. Developer files the request. The developer logs in to the Oqood developer portal, selects your unit, attaches the documents and pays the fees. According to Dubai Land Department, this channel is the developer portal, so the buyer does not usually file this step directly.
6. Title deed issued. Dubai Land Department sends the e-title deed and e-map by email to the owner.
7. Check it on Dubai REST. Your property should then show in your Dubai REST account as an owned unit.

Some developers pass the issue fees to the buyer in the completion notice. Others cover them. Check the line items in your notice against your SPA [to confirm: who pays is set by SPA].

What fees apply when you get your title deed?

The big fee comes at the start. The 4% DLD registration fee is paid when your off-plan sale is registered in Oqood, and it is not charged again when the title deed is issued. According to Dubai Land Department, where the registration fee has already been collected, the title deed step carries these fixed fees:

Land plots have different map fees. The trustee office fee that applies to ready resales is not listed for this off-plan step [to confirm whether any trustee or service partner fee applies at conversion]. For a full view of costs from booking to keys, see the true cost of buying off-plan.

How do I get my title deed on Dubai REST?

Dubai REST is the Land Department’s official app for owners, tenants, brokers and developers. It is free on Android and Apple, in English and Arabic. You do not usually apply for an off-plan title deed through the app, but it is where you see and use it once issued.

The steps below describe the app in text. Menu names can change between updates [to confirm current menu labels].

1. Download Dubai REST from your app store and sign in with UAE Pass. Non-residents can check the current sign-in options in the app [to confirm sign-in route for non-residents].
2. Open your property wallet. Owners see their properties in a real estate wallet with details like service charges and value estimates.
3. Find your unit. Before completion, it shows as an off-plan unit with project status, completion percentage, escrow account number and payments due. After the deed is issued, it should show as owned.
4. Open the property details. Check your name, unit number, area and property type match your SPA.
5. Download or share documents. Use the app to view your deed and request services such as a map or a To Whom It May Concern letter.

If the unit still shows as off-plan weeks after handover, contact the developer first. They file the conversion request, so they can tell you where it stands.

How do I check my title deed is real?

Check three things as soon as your deed arrives:

• The details. Owner names, passport or UAE ID numbers, unit number, building, area and plot all match your SPA and Oqood certificate.
• The source. The e-title deed comes from Dubai Land Department by email, and the unit should show in your own Dubai REST account.
• The verification service. Dubai Land Department offers a way to verify a title deed using its number and details [to confirm current service name and channel].

Never accept a paper copy or a PDF from a third party as your only proof. The record held by Dubai Land Department is the one that counts.

What happens if my property has a mortgage?

If you buy with a home loan, the bank registers a mortgage on the property with Dubai Land Department. The title deed is still issued in your name, but the mortgage is recorded against the unit until the loan is paid off [to confirm how the mortgage shows on the e-title deed].

Keep these points in mind:

• Off-plan loans. Under Central Bank rules, banks can lend up to 50% of the value on off-plan property.
• Bank timing. Your bank may need to release funds and register its mortgage before or alongside the title deed. Each lender has its own process [to confirm per lender].
• Selling later. To sell or transfer a mortgaged unit, the loan must be settled or moved, and the mortgage released with Dubai Land Department [to confirm release fee].
• Golden Visa. A mortgaged property can still count towards the Golden Visa with a bank NOC.

How Sovereign helps

Sovereign Realty is a RERA-registered brokerage [to confirm wording]. From your completion notice to your title deed, we check the final amount against your SPA, confirm every payment reached the escrow account, follow up with the developer on the conversion request and help you check the deed on Dubai REST when it arrives.

If your project is nearing completion, speak to Sovereign and we will set out every step, fee and document for your unit in writing.

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