Dubai Down Payment Calculator
Work out the total cash you need on day one — deposit, DLD fee, agency commission and trustee charges.
DLD transfer is 4% of price plus a fixed admin charge. Trustee fees are AED 2,100 under AED 500,000 and AED 4,200 above, plus VAT. Agency commission is a market convention, typically 2%, and attracts 5% VAT.
What you need to know
The deposit is only part of what you need in cash. Buyers routinely budget for the down payment and are then caught out by transaction costs that add roughly 6–7% of the purchase price on top.
The largest of those is the DLD transfer fee at 4%, payable at the trustee office on the day of transfer. Agency commission is typically 2% plus VAT. Trustee office fees are fixed. If you are taking a mortgage, add registration at 0.25% of the loan.
None of these can be financed. On a AED 2 million purchase with 20% down, the deposit is AED 400,000 but the true day-one requirement is closer to AED 530,000. Knowing that number before you make an offer is the difference between a smooth transfer and a scramble.
Common questions
How much cash do I need to buy in Dubai?
Your down payment plus roughly 6–7% of the purchase price in transaction costs — DLD transfer fee, agency commission, trustee fees and mortgage registration.
Who pays the DLD transfer fee?
The 4% fee is legally split between buyer and seller, but in practice the buyer pays it in almost all Dubai transactions.
Is agency commission negotiable?
Yes. 2% is the common convention but it is not fixed by law, and it attracts 5% VAT on top.
More tools in financing
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Mortgage vs Cash Calculator
Compare the total cost of financing against paying cash, and see what your deposit would need to earn elsewhere to justify the loan.
Mortgage Refinance Calculator
See what switching rate saves you monthly and over the remaining term, net of the fees involved in moving lender.
Want these numbers checked against a real property?
Send us the unit you are looking at and we will run the actual figures — service charge for that building, current market rent, and what comparable units transacted at.