Gifting a property to family, and what the Land Department charges.
A transfer between spouses, or between a parent and a child, is charged at 0.125% rather than 4%. Who qualifies, what the Land Department asks for, and what the whole thing costs.
Moving a Dubai property to your spouse, your parent or your child is charged at 0.125% of the value the Land Department puts on it, with a minimum of AED 2,000, rather than the 4% an ordinary transfer costs. On a property valued at AED 3 million that is AED 3,750 instead of AED 120,000. The property has to be free of mortgage first, and the developer still has to issue an NOC.
In short
A gift transfer between first-degree relatives is charged 0.125% of the Land Department's valuation, with a floor of AED 2,000, against 4% on an ordinary transfer.
First-degree means spouses, and parents and their children. Siblings do not qualify, and neither does a grandchild in the ordinary case.
The Land Department values the property itself, so you cannot reduce the fee by entering a nominal price.
The title has to be clear. A mortgage must be settled and released before the transfer can proceed.
Budget one to three weeks, and longer if a marriage or birth certificate issued abroad needs attesting.
What the lower rate saves you
The Land Department charges 4% of the price to move a title from one owner to another. Between first-degree relatives it charges 0.125% instead, subject to a floor of AED 2,000. That gap is the whole reason the route exists, and on a property of any size it is substantial.
| Line | Gift to family | Ordinary sale |
|---|---|---|
| Rate charged on the valuation | 0.125% | 4% |
| Fee on AED 3,000,000 | AED 3,750 | AED 120,000 |
| Minimum fee | AED 2,000 | None |
| Title deed issuance | AED 250 | AED 250 |
| Map fee | AED 100 to 225 | AED 100 to 225 |
Land Department rates current at September 2026. The gift rate applies between spouses and between parents and children. Trustee office fees apply to both columns and vary with the value of the property.
On that example the difference on the transfer fee alone is AED 116,250. It is why owners who want to move a property to a spouse or a child do it this way rather than selling it to them at a low price. The Land Department is familiar with that alternative, which is one reason it values the property itself rather than accepting a figure from the parties.
Who counts as family
The definition is narrower than most people expect. It covers spouses, and it covers parents and their children. A transfer between brothers or sisters does not qualify. Nor, in the ordinary case, does a transfer to a grandchild. Where the relationship falls outside that list the transfer is treated as a sale and charged at the full 4%.
Owners sometimes plan around this by transferring to a child who then transfers on, which adds a second set of fees and a second valuation. If the person you have in mind is not a spouse, a parent or a child, it is worth pricing the ordinary sale route properly before assuming the gift rate can be reached some other way.
What has to be true before you start
The title has to be clear of mortgage.
A charge on the property blocks the transfer. You settle the loan, the bank releases the mortgage at the Land Department, and the gift proceeds after that. The release is a separate transaction with its own fee, so it needs to be finished rather than merely arranged.
The developer has to issue an NOC.
The same No Objection Certificate a sale needs. The developer checks that you owe nothing on service charges before it signs, so an unpaid quarter on Mollak will hold up a gift transfer exactly as it holds up a sale.
The Land Department sets the value.
A valuation is carried out as part of the transfer and the 0.125% is charged on that figure. It also becomes the value recorded on the new title deed, which matters later if the person receiving the property ever sells it.
Both sides attend, or appoint someone who can.
The transfer completes at a registration trustee with the person giving the property and the person receiving it both present. Either can be represented under a power of attorney, which is the usual arrangement when a child lives overseas.
The paperwork
| Document | Provided by |
|---|---|
| Original title deed | The owner |
| Developer NOC | The owner |
| Marriage or birth certificate | Whoever proves the relationship |
| Emirates ID or passport | Both parties |
| Mortgage release, where there was a loan | The bank |
The standard set for a residential gift transfer in 2026. Certificates issued outside the UAE need attestation and an Arabic translation. The trustee confirms the exact list for your case before the appointment.
Allow one to three weeks from start to finish. What moves the date is the developer NOC, the valuation, and how soon the trustee office has an appointment. Attestation of a foreign certificate sits outside that range, because it runs through the issuing country and the UAE embassy there. If you married or had children abroad, begin with the attestation and arrange the rest around it.
Owners often do this as part of wider estate planning, alongside a will. A gift moves the title now, during your lifetime, which is a different thing from directing where it should go afterwards. The two decisions are worth taking together rather than one at a time.
Fees and requirements current at September 2026 and indicative. The Land Department sets the valuation and confirms eligibility case by case. General information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the Land Department or a conveyancer before you rely on it.
Questions
- Can I gift my Dubai property to my brother or sister?
- No. The Land Department limits the gift rate to first-degree relatives, which means spouses, and parents and their children. A transfer between siblings is treated as an ordinary sale and charged the full 4% transfer fee. The same applies to transfers to a nephew, a cousin or a friend.
- Can you gift a property in Dubai that still has a mortgage?
- Not while the charge is on the title. The loan has to be settled and the bank has to release the mortgage at the Land Department before a gift transfer can go through. If you are planning the transfer around a payoff, allow for the release to complete first, because the two cannot happen in the same sitting.
- How much does it cost to gift a property in Dubai?
- The Land Department charges 0.125% of the value it puts on the property, with a minimum of AED 2,000. On top of that sit the title deed issuance fee of around AED 250, a map fee of roughly AED 100 to 225, and the trustee office fee, which varies with the value of the property.
- Can I gift a Dubai property to a child who lives abroad?
- Yes. The child does not need to be resident in the UAE. What matters is that you can prove the relationship, so the birth certificate has to be attested and translated into Arabic if it was issued outside the UAE. Either party can also be represented at the trustee office under a power of attorney.
- Does the Land Department use my purchase price to work out the fee?
- No. A valuation is carried out as part of the transfer and the 0.125% is charged on that figure, not on what you paid or on a nominal amount you enter. The valuation also sets the value recorded on the new title deed.
- How long does a gift transfer take in Dubai?
- Usually one to three weeks once the paperwork is in order. The developer NOC, the valuation and the wait for a trustee appointment are what move the date. Attestation of a foreign marriage or birth certificate sits outside that window and can take considerably longer, so start with it.
Mulki keeps the title deed and current value for every unit you own, so a transfer starts from the record.
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