---
title: "NOC"
canonical: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/noc
markdown: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/md/glossary/noc.md
type: glossary-term
description: "A No Objection Certificate is the developer's written confirmation that it does not object to a property being sold, usually because all charges on it are paid."
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."
---

# NOC

> A No Objection Certificate is the developer's written confirmation that it does not object to a property being sold, usually because all charges on it are paid.

Also known as: No Objection Certificate, Developer NOC, e-NOC.

## What NOC means for a buyer

In a Dubai resale, the [Dubai Land Department](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/dld) will not register the transfer of a property in a freehold area without a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the developer or master developer. The NOC confirms that [service charges](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/service-charges) are paid up and that the developer has no outstanding claim on the unit. It is now issued electronically as an e-NOC through the [Dubai REST](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/dubai-rest) app.

The seller normally applies and pays. Fees vary by developer, from a few hundred to a few thousand dirhams, and the certificate is valid only for a short period, so it is obtained shortly before the appointment at the [trustee office](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/trustee-office).

NOCs matter more in two situations:

- **Selling off-plan before handover.** The developer will only issue an NOC for an [assignment](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/assignment) once you have paid a minimum share of the price. The threshold is set in the SPA and varies widely.
- **Mortgaged property.** The lending bank must also consent before a mortgaged unit can be sold, or before an owner applies for a property-linked visa.

The term is used well beyond property in the UAE: employers, banks and landlords all issue "NOCs". When someone asks for one, establish who must issue it and what exactly it needs to say.

## Related terms

- [Assignment / resale before handover](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/assignment): An assignment is the sale of an off-plan purchase contract to a new buyer before the property is completed, with the developer's consent.
- [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.
- [Service charges](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/service-charges): Service charges are the annual fees every owner pays, per square foot, towards running, maintaining and insuring the shared parts of a building or community.
- [Dubai REST](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/dubai-rest): Dubai REST is the Dubai Land Department's official app for checking ownership records, brokers and projects and for completing property services online.
- [Resale (secondary market)](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/resale): A resale is the purchase of a completed home from its current owner rather than from the developer; in Dubai it is contracted on Form F and transferred at a trustee office.

## In depth

- [How to buy property in Dubai as a foreigner: the step-by-step guide](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/buying-property-in-dubai)


---

Source page: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/noc. 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.