---
title: "Mortgage registration"
canonical: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/mortgage-registration
markdown: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/md/glossary/mortgage-registration.md
type: glossary-term
description: "Mortgage registration is the recording of a lender's charge against a property at the land department; in Dubai the fee is 0.25% of the loan amount."
publisher: "UAE Property Agents (Omnia)"
language: en-GB
usage: "You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting."
---

# Mortgage registration

> Mortgage registration is the recording of a lender's charge against a property at the land department; in Dubai the fee is 0.25% of the loan amount.

Also known as: Mortgage registration fee, Mortgage contract registration.

## What Mortgage registration means for a buyer

A mortgage over UAE property is only valid once it is registered with the land department of the emirate concerned. Registration notes the bank's interest on the [title deed](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/title-deed), which prevents the property being sold or re-mortgaged without the lender's consent.

In Dubai the [Dubai Land Department](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/dld) charges 0.25% of the loan amount, plus a small administration fee. On a loan of AED 1 million that is AED 2,500 plus the admin charge. The fee is paid by the borrower and settled at the [trustee office](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/trustee-office) on the day of transfer, alongside the [4% transfer fee](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/dld-transfer-fee). In Abu Dhabi the registration fee is lower; it is widely quoted at 0.1% of the loan, so confirm the current figure with your lender.

Note what the percentage applies to. The 4% transfer fee is charged on the purchase price; the mortgage fee is charged on the amount borrowed. When the loan is eventually repaid, a separate fixed fee is charged to release the mortgage, and moving the loan to another bank means paying for release and a fresh registration.

These are land department fees and come on top of the bank's own costs: an arrangement fee, the [valuation](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/valuation) and usually life and property insurance. Budget for them in cash, since lenders do not add purchase costs to the loan. See the guide to [non-resident mortgages](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/non-resident-mortgages-uae).

## Related terms

- [LTV](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/ltv): Loan-to-value is the share of a property's value a bank will lend; UAE Central Bank rules cap it, and non-residents are usually offered less than the cap.
- [Pre-approval](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/pre-approval): A mortgage pre-approval is a bank's written, conditional indication of how much it will lend you, issued before you have chosen a specific property.
- [Valuation](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/valuation): A valuation is a professional assessment of a property's market value, most often commissioned by a bank to decide how much it will lend.
- [Trustee office](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/trustee-office): A trustee office is a private centre licensed by the Dubai Land Department where buyer and seller complete a resale transfer and the new title deed is issued.
- [DLD transfer fee](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/dld-transfer-fee): The DLD transfer fee is the 4% charge the Dubai Land Department levies on the price of every property sale in Dubai when it is registered.

## In depth

- [Non-resident mortgages in the UAE: how much you can borrow, 2026 rates, fees and how to apply](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/non-resident-mortgages-uae)


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Source page: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/mortgage-registration. Published by UAE Property Agents, Omnia Capital Group. You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting.