How to Transfer Money Safely When Buying a Property in Dubai
When buying a property in Dubai, the question isn’t only how much you pay — but who you pay, when you pay, to which account you transfer, what document you receive, and what happens if something goes wrong. Before any bank transfer, booking fee or payment to a developer, it’s important to stop and verify that the route is clear and backed by documents.
Before every transfer, check:
The Bottom Line
Don’t transfer money before you understand the payment route
Buying a property in Dubai involves different payments: booking fee, first payment, installments per the plan, DLD, fees, secondary deal payments, service charges, furnishing, property management and sometimes a mortgage.
The dangerous mistake is treating a bank transfer as a technical action. In practice, every payment needs to be connected to a clear document: Booking Form, SPA, official payment instructions, an Escrow account, Oqood, Contract F or an ownership transfer process.
Simple Explanation
What types of payments exist in a Dubai real estate deal?
Booking fee
An initial payment to reserve a unit, mainly in off-plan. Before paying, check whether it’s refundable, who you pay, and what happens if you don’t proceed with the deal.
Payments to the developer
In off-plan, payments are made per a payment plan. It’s important to verify the payment instructions match the project, the developer and the deal documents.
Secondary payments
In a resale deal there’s an ownership transfer process, payments to the seller, DLD, fees and agency commission. You must understand upfront who receives each payment and at which stage.
Core Checklist
What do you check before every money transfer?
1. Who receives the money?
Check the beneficiary name, company name, developer name, seller name or the official party receiving the money. Don’t settle for a screenshot, a WhatsApp message or account details sent without an official document.
2. What are you paying for?
Every payment needs to be tied to a clear purpose: booking fee, first payment, installment per the plan, DLD, a fee, NOC, payment to the seller, service charges or another payment.
3. Are there official payment instructions?
Especially in off-plan, you need to receive orderly payment instructions from the developer or the authorized party, and verify the details match the project documents.
4. Does the account match the deal?
Check the match between the account name and the developer, the project, the Escrow or the official party to the deal. A personal account or an unclear account is a red flag.
5. What does the document say before the payment?
Before transferring, check the Booking Form, SPA, payment plan, Contract F, or any document that explains the payment and its meaning.
6. Do you receive a receipt?
After every payment you should receive a payment confirmation, receipt or suitable proof. It’s important to keep all documents, as they may be needed later for registration, a dispute or a sale.
7. What happens if the deal doesn’t proceed?
Before any initial payment, check whether the money is refundable, under what conditions, what the cancellation window is, and what happens if the SPA or deal terms change later.
8. Might the bank ask for explanations?
Real estate transfers are usually large amounts. It’s worth preparing in advance with documents explaining the source of funds, the purpose of the transfer and the deal details.
Off-Plan
How do you check a payment in off-plan?
In off-plan, payments are usually tied to the developer, the project, the payment plan, the SPA, the Oqood registration and the project’s Escrow account. So it’s especially important to verify the transfer isn’t going to an unrelated account.
Booking Form
Before a booking fee, check whether the amount is refundable or not, whether it’s offset against the price, and what happens if you don’t proceed to the SPA.
SPA
In the purchase contract, check the full price, payment plan, payment dates, late payment, cancellation, handover and the parties’ obligations.
Escrow
Check that the payment instructions match the project and the developer. If the account details look unrelated, don’t transfer before checking.
Oqood / Initial Sale
As the deal progresses, it’s important to track the initial registration and receive suitable proof. Registering the deal is part of the buyer protection arrangement.
Important Reminder
With off-plan the client pays no agency fee at all. The agent’s commission is paid by the developer.
Secondary / Resale
How do you check a payment in a secondary deal?
In a secondary deal, the money doesn’t move the same way as in off-plan. Here there’s a seller, a buyer, Contract F, an NOC if required, ownership transfer, DLD, fees and sometimes an existing or a new mortgage.
What do you check with the seller?
Check who the registered owner is, whether there’s a Title Deed, whether there’s a mortgage, whether there’s an existing tenant, whether there are service charge debts, and whether the payment details match the deal documents.
What do you check about the transfer process?
Check which payments are required before the transfer, at the transfer and after the transfer: the deal price, DLD, fees, NOC, agency commission, service charges and open debts if any.
Agency fee in secondary
In secondary / resale the buyer usually pays a 2% agency fee + 5% VAT on the commission, i.e. 2.1% of the deal price in practice.
For example: a property priced at 1,000,000 AED — agency fee 20,000 AED, VAT on the fee 1,000 AED, total effective agency cost 21,000 AED.
Fees and Registration
What about DLD and fees?
In a standard sale deal you usually calculate around 4% of the deal value + additional fees, and each deal should be checked against the documents and the official bodies.
It’s important to understand upfront who pays what, when it’s paid, through which party, and whether the payments appear in the deal documents and weren’t just said verbally.
DLD
A payment related to registering the deal and transferring the rights. You need to check the updated amount per the deal and the official documents.
NOC
In certain deals, the developer’s approval is required before ownership transfer. It’s important to check who requests it, who pays and what the timeline is.
Open debts
Service charges, bills, Chiller, DEWA or other debts need to be settled before or as part of the deal.
Bank Transfers
What should you prepare before transferring money from the bank?
Banks may request documents explaining the purpose of the transfer, the source of funds and the deal details. It’s worth preparing an orderly document file in advance so you don’t get stuck at the last minute.
Deal documents
- Booking Form or SPA
- Developer / seller details
- Official payment instructions
- Project or unit details
- An invoice or payment demand if available
- A document explaining the transfer’s purpose
Source of funds documents
- A bank balance confirmation
- Proof of a property sale or investment if relevant
- Salary slips or business reports if required
- Company documents in case of buying through a company
- A passport copy or ID documents as required
- Any document the bank requests for compliance
Rule of Thumb
Don’t wait until the payment’s last day to discover the bank is requesting documents. In real estate deals it’s better to prepare the money route in advance.
Simple Example
How can a first payment get complicated?
A general example
An investor receives a message to pay 100,000 AED to reserve an off-plan unit. The message includes account details, but there’s no proper Booking Form, no full project name, no explanation of whether the money is refundable, and no document showing when the SPA will be signed.
In such a case it’s wrong to rush and transfer money. First you request an official document, check the beneficiary name, check the connection to the project account, check the refund terms, and only then decide whether to proceed.
Sometimes a one-day delay for checking can save a mistake of tens of thousands of dirhams.
Red Flags
When should you stop before transferring money?
Pressure to pay immediately
Lines like “transfer now or the unit disappears” without proper documents are a sign to stop and check.
A personal account
If you’re asked to transfer money to a personal account that doesn’t match the developer, the project, the seller or the deal documents — don’t proceed without checking.
No receipt
If it’s unclear what receipt or proof you’ll get after the payment, that’s a problem.
Incomplete unit details
Don’t transfer money for “an apartment in a project” without a unit number, price, floor, size and payment terms.
Payment instructions on WhatsApp only
WhatsApp can be a convenient communication tool, but payment instructions need to be backed by an official document.
A gap between documents
If the project name, company name, account number or payment amount differ between documents — you need to stop and clarify.
Questions for the Investor
Questions you must ask before a bank transfer
About the payment
- What’s the payment’s purpose?
- Is it a booking fee, a first payment or an installment per the plan?
- Is the amount offset against the property price?
- Is the payment refundable if the deal doesn’t proceed?
- What’s the exact payment date?
- What receipt will I get after the payment?
About the money’s recipient
- What’s the beneficiary’s name?
- Does the account match the developer or the project?
- Are there official payment instructions?
- Does the account appear in the deal documents?
- Is the payment connected to Escrow?
- Is there written confirmation for every detail?
How I Help You
Payment instructions check before a transfer
My goal is to help you understand exactly where the money goes, on what basis you’re paying, and how the payment connects to the deal documents and the registration process.
Document check
Booking Form, SPA, Contract F, payment plan, payment demand and transfer instructions.
Account details check
Checking beneficiary name, IBAN, bank name, company name, connection to the project and match with the documents.
Risk check
Checking whether the payment is refundable, whether there are red flags, and what happens if the deal doesn’t progress.
Related Guides
Pages worth reading together with this guide
Booking Form in Off-Plan
What to check before paying a booking fee and reserving a unit.
To the Booking Form guideWhat is Escrow in Off-Plan
How to check the project account and payment instructions in off-plan.
To the Escrow guideHow a Secondary Deal Works
What to check in a resale deal, including ownership transfer, NOC and payments.
To the Secondary guideFAQ
Frequently asked questions about transferring money to buy a property in Dubai
Can you pay a booking fee before the SPA?
It happens in many off-plan deals, but before paying you need to check the Booking Form, refund terms, unit details, payment instructions and when the full SPA will be received.
Do you pay an agency fee on off-plan?
With off-plan the client pays no agency fee at all. The agent’s commission is paid by the developer.
Is receiving account details on WhatsApp enough?
Not recommended. Payment details need to be backed by an official document from the developer, the seller, the trustee company or the party relevant to the deal.
What do you do if the account name differs from the developer’s name?
Stop and check. Sometimes there’s a commercial or legal explanation, but don’t transfer money before understanding the connection and receiving written confirmation.
Can the bank delay a transfer?
Yes, the bank may request documents about the source of funds, the transfer’s purpose, the deal details or the recipient’s identity. So it’s worth preparing documents in advance.
What’s the most important document before transferring money?
It depends on the deal stage. At the start of off-plan it can be the Booking Form and payment instructions. Later it’s the SPA, the payment plan, Oqood or ownership transfer documents in a secondary deal.
Before You Transfer Money
Received payment instructions for a Dubai property?
Send me the payment instructions, Booking Form, SPA or Contract F, the project details, the beneficiary name, the payment amount and any message you received. Together we’ll check whether the payment looks orderly or whether there are red flags to clarify before transferring.
Send Payment Instructions on WhatsAppDisclaimer: The information on this page is for general purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, banking, tax or investment advice. Transferring funds for a Dubai real estate deal, booking fees, payments to developers, Escrow, Oqood, SPA, Contract F, DLD payments, fees, agency commissions, payments to sellers, mortgages, source of funds and bank requirements may vary by deal, project, developer, seller, bank, regulation and the circumstances of the case. Before any bank transfer, signature, payment or financial commitment, it is recommended to check the official documents and consult qualified professionals as needed.