What Is Oqood in Dubai? Registration, Certificate & Fees Explained
If you buy an off-plan property in Dubai, you may hear the term Oqood before you ever receive a title deed.
Oqood is Dubai Land Department's system used by real estate developers to register off-plan sales in the provisional property register. For buyers, the registration creates an official record of the off-plan transaction while the property is still under development. DLD describes the output of an initial-sale registration as a provisional registration e-certificate.
How does Oqood registration work?
For an off-plan sale, the developer submits the transaction through the Oqood portal. DLD's process includes selecting the property, entering the required information, attaching the supporting documents and submitting the application electronically.
For an individual buyer, the required documents generally include the signed sale and purchase agreement, Emirates ID for UAE residents or a valid passport for non-residents.
DLD states that the sale and purchase agreement should be registered in the provisional register within 90 days of signing.
In most cases, the developer handles the Oqood registration process rather than the buyer registering the unit directly.
What is an Oqood certificate?
After the off-plan sale is registered, DLD issues a provisional registration e-certificate.
The certificate records the registered off-plan transaction. Buyers should keep it together with their SPA, payment receipts and other property documents.
How much are Oqood registration fees?
DLD currently lists the following fees for registering an initial (off-plan) sale:
- Seller: 2% of the sale value
- Buyer: 2% of the sale value
- AED 10 Knowledge Fee
- AED 10 Innovation Fee
DLD also lists an AED 1,000 fee for developers self-registering a provisional sale through the Oqood portal. This is a developer-side fee.
Buyers should always check their SPA and developer payment schedule to understand which charges they are contractually required to pay.
Oqood vs title deed: what is the difference?
The main difference is the stage of the property.
Oqood is associated with the provisional registration of an off-plan property while it is under development.
A title deed is the ownership document issued through Dubai Land Department for registered property ownership.
When the required conditions are met, DLD has a process for completing provisional procedures and issuing an electronic title deed. Our Dubai property handover checklist covers that stage of the journey.
Why should off-plan buyers check Oqood?
Oqood registration is an important part of the Dubai off-plan buying process because it records the transaction with Dubai Land Department.
Before buying an off-plan property, check the project and developer details, read the SPA carefully and confirm how registration fees are handled.
If you are comparing off-plan projects in Dubai, Seven Century can help you review current projects, payment plans and developer information before you decide.