What an Oqood certificate in Dubai is, what it proves for off-plan buyers, what it costs and how to confirm your registration with the DLD.
If you buy off-plan in Dubai, there is no title deed to hold on day one, because the building does not exist yet. What you receive instead is an Oqood certificate. This guide explains what an Oqood certificate is, what it does and does not prove, what it typically costs, and how to confirm that your purchase is genuinely recorded with the Dubai Land Department (DLD).
What is an Oqood certificate in Dubai?
Oqood is the DLD's online system for registering off-plan sales. The word means "contracts" in Arabic. When you buy a unit that is still under construction, the sale is recorded on the platform and the certificate is the provisional proof of that registration. It sits in the place of a title deed until the project is complete.
The developer has to register the project with the DLD before selling units, and it is the developer that files each sale on the platform. You supply your documents; you do not normally submit the registration yourself.
What the certificate shows
Descriptions vary slightly between sources, but an Oqood record generally ties together the key details of your purchase:
- The project and the unit you have bought
- Your name and the developer's name
- The purchase price and the payment schedule
- A DLD reference confirming the sale is registered
Registration is what places your interest on the official record, which is why it matters more than a reservation form or a receipt. Under the same system, an off-plan unit cannot be sold on, transferred or mortgaged until it has been registered.
How the Oqood registration process works
- You sign the sale and purchase agreement and pay the initial deposit set out in your payment plan.
- The developer submits the sale details on the Oqood platform and uploads the contract.
- Your documents, typically a passport and Emirates ID where you have one, are verified.
- The registration fees are paid and the DLD processes the file.
- The certificate is issued digitally, so there is usually no need to collect anything in person.
Processing times are not fixed. Some guides mention a few days and others a couple of weeks, so ask the developer or your broker for the expected timeline and a reference number once the file is submitted.
What does an Oqood registration cost?
The main cost is the DLD registration fee, which most sources put at 4% of the sale value. It is widely quoted in developer and broker guides, and some break it into equal parts for buyer and seller, so check how your contract allocates it. On top of that come small fixed administrative and knowledge charges; the exact amounts differ between sources, so confirm the current figures with the developer or on the DLD website before you pay.
Remember that the fee is only one part of your total cost of buying. Our guide to DLD fees sets out the other items to budget for.
How to check your Oqood registration
Do not rely on a PDF alone. According to one broker guide, you can check the registration status through the DLD website or app using your property details or transaction number. It is a sensible step to take soon after you pay, and again before any resale. In addition, our escrow guide explains how to confirm that your payments go into the project's regulated account.
- Keep your sale and purchase agreement and the payment receipts together with the certificate.
- Check that the unit, project and price on the record match your contract.
- Ask the developer for the transaction reference if you have not received one.
- If anything does not match, raise it in writing straight away.
From Oqood certificate to title deed
After completion and handover, with your payments settled, the Oqood record is replaced by a title deed, the final proof of ownership. If you plan to resell before then, an off-plan unit can usually be assigned to a new buyer, but this normally needs the developer's approval and a formal transfer process. Our guide to selling off-plan property before handover covers that route.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is the provisional proof of registration for an off-plan sale, issued through the Dubai Land Department's Oqood system. It is replaced by a title deed once the project is complete.
