What it costs to buy off-plan in Dubai

The short answer

In one paragraphYou pay the developer’s price in instalments set by the payment plan. On top of the price you pay the Dubai Land Department (DLD) fee of 4% and the developer’s admin fee (AED 3,600 at HAVENCIA). With a 20% booking payment, the cash you need at booking is about 24.5% of the price. You pay no agent commission when you buy a new project through RAZA.

The price, paid by plan

Off-plan apartments are paid in stages while the building goes up. The developer sets the stages in a payment plan, and you choose a plan when you book. At HAVENCIA there are three:

• 50 / 50: 20% on booking, 30% during construction, 50% on completion.
• 30 / 70: 20% on booking, 5% in May 2027, 5% in November 2027, 70% on completion.
• 60 / 10 / 30, post-handover: 20% on booking, 40% during construction, 10% on completion and 30% over 30 months after you get the keys. The price on this plan is about 5% higher.

A plan with more paid after completion keeps cash in your pocket for longer. A plan that pays more during construction usually comes with a lower price. If you plan to use a mortgage, it normally covers the payment due on completion, not the construction instalments.

Fees on top of the price

DLD registration fee: 4%

Every sale in Dubai is registered with the Dubai Land Department. For an off-plan unit the sale goes on the interim register, called Oqood, and the fee is 4% of the price. Developers usually collect it at booking, together with the first instalment, and pay it to DLD for you. Some developers run promotions where they pay part or all of it; that is the developer’s offer, not a government discount.

Developer admin fee

The developer charges a fixed fee for preparing the contract and registering the sale. At HAVENCIA it isAED 3,600. Other developers charge different amounts, so ask for it before you compare prices.

Agent commission: none for you

On new projects, the developer pays the broker. When you buy HAVENCIA through RAZA you pay the same price as buying from the developer directly, and no commission on top.

Worked example: HAVENCIA

Cash needed at booking on the 50 / 50 plan, with the listed prices:

Prices from the developer’s November 2026 sale offers. Prices and availability change; we send the current offer sheet for the unit you choose. Try other plans in the HAVENCIA payment calculator.

At handover and after

• The completion payment. The largest instalment on most plans. Pay it in cash or with a mortgage arranged before handover.
• Title deed. When the building is complete and you have paid what is due, the sale moves from Oqood to a full title deed. DLD charges a small issuance fee at this point.
• Utilities. Electricity and water are connected in your name with DEWA, which takes a refundable deposit.
• Service charges. Every year after handover you pay a share of the building’s running costs, set per square foot. Ask for the developer’s estimate before you buy, especially if you plan to rent the apartment out.
• Mortgage costs, if you borrow. The bank’s arrangement and valuation fees, and a DLD fee for registering the mortgage.

Where your money goes

Dubai law requires developers to put off-plan buyers’ payments into an escrow account opened for that project with a bank approved by the Dubai Land Department (Law No. 8 of 2007). The developer can draw on it only as construction progresses. Before you pay:

• Pay only into the project’s escrow account named in your contract, never to a personal account.
• Check that the project is registered and advertised with a DLD permit. HAVENCIA is DLD project 4454, permit 1935911233; scan the QR code on the project page to check it on Trakheesi.
• Make sure your sale is registered on Oqood in your name after booking.