Guide · checklist

Everything you pay between offer and keys

The deposit is only the start. Tick each cost off as you get a real quote, and the panel on the right keeps a running total of the cash you need on the day.

The checklist

Two kinds of cost: ones set by law or by the Government, which you can calculate now, and ones set by whoever you hire, which you should get quoted in writing. Tick a line once the figure is confirmed.

Stamp duty on the transfer CI$3,750 3.75% on the part above CI$550,000 for a Caymanian first property Stamp Duty Act (2019 Revision) Stamp duty on the mortgage CI$8,775 1% up to CI$300,000, then 1.5% of the whole sum Stamp Duty Act, Schedule: Mortgage Land Registry fees CI$100 CI$50 to register the transfer, CI$50 for the charge Lands and Survey registry fees Legal fees CI$6,500 Commonly around 1% of the price; get this quoted Quoted by your attorney Bank arrangement fee CI$5,850 Commonly around 1% of the loan Quoted by your lender Valuation CI$600 Required by the lender before it will advance Quoted by the valuer

Not on the list, but ask about them

Strata fees on a condo: monthly, and sometimes a share of the reserve fund is due at closing.
Utility connections and deposits: CUC, Water Authority, internet.
Moving, furnishing and immediate repairs: the costs that land in the first month.
Life or mortgage protection insurance: some lenders require it; the premium is monthly, not at closing.

Run the mortgage numbers Stamp duty guide

What you need on the day

Sources

Stamp Duty Act (2019 Revision), Schedule: "Conveyance or transfer" (7.5%) and "Mortgage" (1% of the sum secured up to CI$300,000; 1.5% of the whole sum above). Lands & Survey Department, Cayman Islands Government.
Application for Stamp Duty Concession: Caymanian property buyers (v16.4.26), Ministry of Finance: the reduced bands for first and second properties, conditions and the five-year restriction.
Legal fees (0.5-1% of price plus disbursements), valuation (about CI$600), bank arrangement fee (about 1% of loan) and first-year building insurance are planning allowances drawn from attorney, lender and insurer practice; there is no published tariff. Replace them with your quotes.
Deposit minimums (10-15% primary home; 30-35% non-resident or rental) reflect current Cayman lender practice; your lender's offer letter governs.

Written by Jerome BaileyReviewed by Janique BaileySources checked 14 October 2026Last updated 14 October 2026General information, not legal or financial advice. Attorney, lender and insurer quotes replace every estimate here.