Buying property in Abu Dhabi costs 2% of the price in transfer fees, plus AED 450 for off-plan units. Here is the calculation on real projects, district by district, and a method for setting an all-in budget.
On this page
- What are the property purchase costs in Abu Dhabi?
- Worked example: transfer fees on the entry tickets in our catalogue
- How much do fees weigh by district? Cost per sq ft and per 1,000 sq ft
- How do you build the 2% into your total budget?
- Why entry fees remain your main tax cost
- Pitfalls to avoid on Abu Dhabi property purchase costs
Abu Dhabi property purchase costs come down, for the most part, to a single line: 2% of the purchase price in transfer fees, collected through ADREC and the DARI platform. There is no sliding scale and no stack of duties. One multiplication does the job.
That single rate, however, applies to very different ticket sizes, from AED 500,000 to AED 2M among the projects we list. Lucretia works out your real all-in budget with you, line by line, so the amount you pay on transfer day is the amount you planned for.
What are the property purchase costs in Abu Dhabi?
In official fees, buying a property in Abu Dhabi costs 2% of the purchase price. For an off-plan unit, add AED 450 in electronic administrative service fees, according to the Dari off-plan sale registration service.
The rate is set by Resolution No. 72 of 2015, published by ADREC. For a Musataha, it drops to 1%.
The costed lines of your entry budget
| Item | Amount | Reference text |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer and registration fee | 2% of the purchase price | DARI / ADREC |
| Electronic administrative fees (off-plan sale) | AED 450, excluding 5% VAT | Dari service; VAT specified by the Dari service for off-plan plots |
| Real estate agent commission (if an agent is involved) | 2% of the contract value, capped at AED 500,000 | Resolution No. 183 of 2017 |
Our sources publish no scale for processing, valuation or bank fees. For those items, ask for a written quote before you sign.
Worked example: transfer fees on the entry tickets in our catalogue
Across the projects we list, transfer fees range from AED 10,000 on the minimum ticket of AED 500,000 to AED 40,000 at the highest listed price of AED 2M, using the 2% rate applied by DARI. The figures below assume a direct purchase, with no agent.
- AED 500,000: Oceanscape, by DAMAC Properties on Reem Island, was completed in May 2013. Transfer fees come to AED 10,000. The AED 450 flat fee mentioned above applies to off-plan sales.
- AED 1.1M: The District, by Reportage Properties on Reem Island, is due for handover in June 2029. Fees reach AED 22,000, or AED 22,450 with the off-plan flat fee.
- AED 1.5M, the median of our catalogue (17 projects with a listed price): Radiant Terrace, by Radiant, is due in August 2029. Sobha City, by Sobha Realty in Al Bahyah, is due in December 2029. In both cases, fees come to AED 30,000, or AED 30,450 including the flat fee.
- AED 2M: Al Ghadeer Parks, by Aldar Properties in Al Layyan, is due in June 2031. Fees reach AED 40,000, or AED 40,450 including the flat fee.
Bring in an agent and the bill nearly doubles. On Radiant Terrace at AED 1.5M, the 2% commission set by Resolution No. 183 of 2017 adds AED 30,000: you then pay AED 60,450 in total, covering transfer, off-plan flat fee and commission.
Between the lowest and highest ticket, the transfer fee is multiplied by four.
My clients remember the rate, rarely the amount. Once the line shows up in dirhams on the payment request, the question changes: they no longer ask "what percentage?" but "which account, and by what date?"
— Benoit CLAUDEL, Director of Strategy & Operations
How much do fees weigh by district? Cost per sq ft and per 1,000 sq ft
Measured against floor area, the 2% transfer fee ranges from AED 17.16/sq ft in Al Bahyah to AED 76.88/sq ft on Fahid Island, based on the latest Bayut data available for each district (March and April 2026).
| District | Sale price (Bayut) | Fees per sq ft | Fees for 1,000 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Bahyah | AED 858/sq ft (April 2026) | AED 17.16 | AED 17,160 |
| Reem Island | AED 1,497/sq ft (March 2026) | AED 29.94 | AED 29,940 |
| Saadiyat Island | AED 2,714/sq ft (March 2026) | AED 54.28 | AED 54,280 |
| Fahid Island | AED 3,844/sq ft (March 2026) | AED 76.88 | AED 76,880 |
The months differ because Bayut does not update every district at the same pace: the table uses the latest published figure for each. The median market price is calculated across Bayut's series for 10 districts, the most recent data point dating from August 2026. It stands at AED 1,792/sq ft, which means AED 35.84/sq ft in fees and AED 35,840 for 1,000 sq ft.
For an apartment of the same size, fees are more than four times higher on Fahid Island than in Al Bahyah. Your choice of district sets your entry ticket, and your fees follow in the same proportion.
How do you build the 2% into your total budget?
For a direct purchase with no agent, divide your total budget by 1.02: with AED 1.5M all in, the maximum property price is about AED 1,470,588. If an agent is involved, divide by 1.04 to cover the 2% commission: the maximum price then drops to about AED 1,442,308.
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With a budget of AED 1.1M, the maximum price is about AED 1,078,431 without an agent, and about AED 1,057,692 with one. In our catalogue, tickets range from AED 500,000 to AED 2M.
Once fees are added, AED 1.1M is not enough for The District at its starting price, and AED 1.5M is not enough for Radiant Terrace. For an off-plan purchase, also deduct the AED 450 from your budget before dividing.
Many of the buyers I work with set their budget to the last dirham on the list price, then discover the fees at reservation. I advise them to work the other way round: first fix the total amount they are prepared to pay out, then derive the price from it.
Golden Visa and down payment
The official UAE Golden Visa portal sets the minimum property investment for the 10-year visa at AED 2,000,000. At that threshold, budget an extra AED 40,000 in transfer fees, so AED 2,040,000 paid out before any agent commission. The full structure is set out in our guide to the Abu Dhabi property Golden Visa.
Fees are paid on transfer and should come out of your down payment. How to organise that down payment is covered in the guide to financing a property in Abu Dhabi.
Why entry fees remain your main tax cost
The 2% paid at purchase is the main levy over the entire holding period. In the UAE, individuals pay no income tax, no tax on rental income and no capital gains tax, according to the taxation page of the official UAE portal.
Foreigners can own property in designated investment zones such as Reem Island, Yas Island or Saadiyat Island, according to DARI. Every transfer is registered on that platform. You pay once, at purchase, then collect your rent tax-free. What that 0% tax on rent and capital gains covers, and its limits, is explained in a dedicated guide.
How long it takes for rent to recoup that 2%, and how it affects a resale, are covered in the guide to property taxation in Abu Dhabi. When the fees are paid is explained in the buying process, from reservation to title deed. For an overview of the market, see our invest in Abu Dhabi page.
Pitfalls to avoid on Abu Dhabi property purchase costs
The most common trap is forgetting that fees rise with prices. Over 12 months, the median increase reached +6.1% across 10 districts according to Bayut data. In Al Bahyah it stands at +44.4% over 12 months (April 2026), and fees per sq ft rise by the same proportion.
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Listing price versus contract price
The 2% is calculated on the price written into the contract. The floor area and price per sq ft shown in a listing play no part. So redo your fee calculation using the sale contract amount, never an estimate.
Unjustified ancillary fees
Don't rely on "usual ranges". Resolution No. 183 of 2017 prohibits developers from charging registration fees or any other fees, apart from authorised administrative fees. Ask for a written breakdown of every line.
Golden Visa: do fees count towards the threshold?
The official UAE portal does not say whether transfer fees count towards the AED 2,000,000 threshold. The safest approach is to aim for a purchase price of at least AED 2,000,000, with fees on top. We confirm this point with you as part of our tailored advisory service.
This article is part of our guide
Abu Dhabi Property Investment Guide: Buy, Let and Resell with Confidence
About the author
Benoit CLAUDEL
Director of Strategy & Operations
With over 18 years of experience in real estate and wealth management, Benoît has developed recognized expertise in advising private investors, business executives and family offices. After starting out in a real estate agency and working within one of the most reputable wealth management firms in Paris, he then joined LCL as Head of Private Banking for Île-de-France, advising high-income clients on their real estate strategies. An entrepreneur, he founded and ran his own wealth management firm for 7 years, structuring investment and wealth optimization solutions. Today at Lucretia, Benoît oversees operational strategy, sales performance and advisor training. He works on high-value-added cases, particularly investments via French holding companies, legal structuring and wealth taxation.
