Ejari Registration for Businesses in Dubai (2026): Commercial Ejari Fees, Documents, Licence Link and Renewal

If your business rents an office, shop or warehouse in Dubai, the lease has to be registered in Ejari, the Dubai Land Department's tenancy registration system. Without that registration, the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) won't issue or renew a mainland licence, government bodies won't act on the contract, and you'll struggle to connect utilities or apply for visas. This guide is for founders, office managers and PROs handling a commercial lease. It covers who must register, the 2026 fees by channel, documents, how Ejari links to your licence and visa quota, renewal and cancellation, free zone exceptions and worked cost examples.

Quick answer

Commercial Ejari registration in Dubai costs AED 177.75 through the Dubai REST app or DLD website, or AED 220 at a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre. You need the signed Unified Tenancy Contract and, at a trustee centre, the applicant's Emirates ID and any power of attorney. Mainland licences need a registered lease to be issued and renewed, and you register again each time the lease renews.

• Fees: AED 100 registration + AED 10 knowledge + AED 10 innovation + service partner fee

• Trustee centre service time: about 25 minutes excluding waiting

• Managed buildings: the property manager usually registers it in its own Ejari system

• Cancellation is free online, AED 40 plus VAT at a trustee centre

What Ejari is and why it matters for a business

Ejari, Arabic for "my rent", is the online register of tenancy contracts run by the Dubai Land Department (DLD) through its Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA). Registration gives the lease an official record and produces an e-Contract Registration Certificate with an Ejari number that other government systems check.

The legal basis is Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007, which regulates the relationship between landlords and tenants. Article 4 requires every lease to be written, signed by both parties and to describe the property, its purpose, the term, the rent and how it's paid. It then requires all leases covered by the law to be registered with RERA, and says judicial authorities and government departments may not consider any dispute or claim, or take any action, relating to a lease that hasn't been registered. That second sentence is why Ejari matters so much to a business: an unregistered lease is close to invisible to the government.

In practice, the Ejari number is the proof of premises behind several steps. The UAE government's guidance on mainland setup says that in Dubai the tenancy agreement must be registered with Ejari, and lists a RERA-attested lease among the documents for a licence. DET checks it at renewal. Utility connection for the premises and a bank's check of your business address often rely on it too. And the size of the space on your registered lease can affect how many employment visas the company can sponsor, which our visa quota guide explains.

Where Ejari fits in a mainland setup

Step 1

Initial approval and MOA

Step 2

Sign Unified Tenancy Contract

office, shop or warehouse

Step 3

Register in Ejari

Ejari number issued

Step 4

Trade licence issued

Step 5

Utilities and establishment card

Step 6

Renew Ejari each lease year

before licence renewal

Who has to register, and who actually does it

All tenancy contracts for property covered by Law 26 of 2007 in Dubai must be registered, residential and commercial alike. Offices, shops, warehouses, workshops, clinics and showrooms all fall within it. The question for most businesses isn't whether, but who presses the button.

DLD's service terms split this three ways. If a property management company manages the building, the manager registers the contract in its own Ejari system; DLD's rules allow only companies licensed for property management activities to register through the system, and the trustee-centre route is closed for managed properties. Most office towers and malls fall into this group, so the landlord's leasing team usually handles Ejari and passes the fee to you. If an individual owner manages the property and has their own Ejari access, they can register it. Otherwise, the tenant or a representative with an official power of attorney can register at a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre.

The Dubai REST app route is narrower than many guides suggest. DLD's terms for mobile app registration say the tenant and landlord must both be individuals and the owner's data must be up to date. A company leasing an office in its own name will therefore usually go through the property manager's system or a trustee centre, not the app.

Whoever registers, the lease must be on the standard Unified Tenancy Contract, which DLD lists as the service form. Special terms, such as fit-out periods, rent-free months, break clauses or service charges, go in an addendum signed by both sides.

Ejari fees in 2026

DLD publishes the fees on its Register / Renew Tenancy Contract service page. The official components are identical across channels; only the service partner fee and VAT differ.

These are the government and service partner charges only. A property management company or typing centre can add its own admin charge, and many landlords' leasing teams bill the tenant for Ejari along with the security deposit and any agency commission. Ask for the fee in writing before you sign, and make sure it's in the contract or addendum. DLD lists credit card, cash and Noqodi wallet as payment methods.

Older figures still circulate online, including AED 160 or AED 175 from early Ejari years and "about AED 155" for online registration. Use the DLD page as the reference; the breakdown above is what it showed when we checked in October 2026.

Documents you need

For a trustee centre, DLD asks for the original Unified Tenancy Contract, the Emirates ID of the applicant, and an official power of attorney if a representative is applying. A power of attorney issued in Dubai can be entered by number; one issued in another emirate has to be attached. Online, a copy of the signed Unified Tenancy Contract is the core upload.

In practice, the contract itself carries the data that's checked, so it needs to be right. The landlord's details must match the title deed, the tenant must be the licensed company or the founder in whose name the licence is being issued, and the property details, including the plot and unit number and the DEWA premises number, must be correct. The Dubai Development Authority's guidance for its free zone tenants lists the title deed, the tenancy agreement, the landlord's passport, the tenant's passport and visa page and the DEWA number as the documents to have ready, which is a sensible checklist anywhere.

Commercial Ejari checklist

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• Signed Unified Tenancy Contract, with any addendum signed by both parties
• Tenant's trade licence or initial approval, so the tenant name matches
• Emirates ID of the person applying
• Power of attorney if a PRO or agent is applying for the company
• Landlord's title deed details and ID, or the property manager's details
• DEWA premises number and unit details
• Payment for AED 177.75 (online) or AED 220 (trustee centre), plus any manager's admin fee

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How to register a commercial Ejari, step by step

Registering a commercial lease

1. 1

   Agree the lease on the Unified Tenancy Contract

   Put the licensed company (or the licence applicant) as tenant, describe the unit exactly, and add special terms in an addendum.

2. 2

   Find out who registers

   If a property management company runs the building, ask it to register in its Ejari system. If not, the tenant or an authorised representative can register at a trustee centre.

3. 3

   Submit the documents

   At a trustee centre, hand in the original contract, Emirates ID and any power of attorney. Online, upload the contract and fill in the details.

   DLD — Register / Renew Tenancy Contract
4. 4

   Pay the fees

   AED 177.75 online or AED 220 at a trustee centre, by card, cash or Noqodi.

5. 5

   Receive the certificate

   A DLD employee reviews and approves the request and the e-Contract Registration Certificate is issued; online it arrives by email. Keep the PDF and the Ejari number.

6. 6

   Use it for your licence and utilities

   Give the Ejari number to DET or your PRO for the licence, and to the utility provider for the premises connection.

Ejari and your trade licence

For a Dubai mainland company, Ejari is part of licensing, not an afterthought. Most licence applications reach the premises step after initial approval: you sign the lease, register it, and give the Ejari number to DET with the rest of the file. At renewal, DET checks that the registered lease is still valid; a lapsed Ejari is one of the most common reasons a renewal stalls. Some advisers say the lease should run for at least a month beyond the renewal date; whatever the exact cut-off, renewing the lease and Ejari first, then the licence, avoids the problem.

There are a few routes with different premises rules. Business centres and serviced offices offer desks or small offices with their own Ejari, which is often the cheapest way for a one-person company to meet the requirement. Some DET licence products, such as the Instant licence, allow a DET-assigned virtual address in the first year and expect a registered commercial lease at the first renewal, so budget for real premises from year two. And certain activities, such as food outlets, clinics and industrial workshops, also need approvals that depend on the premises itself, such as Dubai Municipality or Civil Defence sign-off. Don't sign a long lease before you know the space is acceptable for your activity.

The address on the Ejari and the address on the licence must match. If you move, you need a new lease, a new Ejari and a licence amendment to change the address, and the old Ejari should be cancelled.

Free zones: when Ejari applies and when it doesn't

Free zone companies are licensed by their free zone authority, not DET, so DET's licensing rules don't apply. Whether the lease goes into Ejari depends on the zone. The Dubai Development Authority, which runs Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and other communities, publishes guidance telling its tenants that Ejari registration under Law 26 of 2007 applies to them. Other zones operate their own lease or desk-agreement systems and issue their own documents, and the financial free zones apply their own leasing laws.

The safe approach is to ask the free zone's leasing or registration team, in writing, whether your lease must be registered in Ejari, who registers it and who pays. If you're comparing zones, our guides to Dubai Internet City, DMCC and JAFZA explain each zone's office options.

Mainland vs free zone — premises rules

	Dubai mainland (DET)	Dubai free zone
Who licenses	Department of Economy and Tourism	The free zone authority
Lease registration	Ejari, required for licence issue and renewal	Ejari in some zones; the zone's own system in others
Cheapest compliant premises	Business centre desk or small office with Ejari	Flexi-desk or shared office package
Visa quota linked to space	Yes, typically assessed on the registered office	Yes, set by the zone per package or area

Who licenses

Dubai mainland (DET)

Department of Economy and Tourism

Dubai free zone

The free zone authority

Lease registration

Dubai mainland (DET)

Ejari, required for licence issue and renewal

Dubai free zone

Ejari in some zones; the zone's own system in others

Cheapest compliant premises

Dubai mainland (DET)

Business centre desk or small office with Ejari

Dubai free zone

Flexi-desk or shared office package

Visa quota linked to space

Dubai mainland (DET)

Yes, typically assessed on the registered office

Dubai free zone

Yes, set by the zone per package or area

Renewal, rent increases and notice periods

An Ejari certificate covers one lease term. When the lease renews, the renewal has to be registered again, and DLD charges the same fees for a renewal as for a new registration. Build the renewal date into the same calendar as your licence renewal, and renew the lease and Ejari first.

Article 14 of Law 26 of 2007 sets the notice rule: if either side doesn't want to renew, or wants to change any term, including the rent, it must notify the other at least 90 days before the lease expires, unless the parties agreed otherwise. A landlord who misses that window can't simply impose new terms at renewal. Rent increases are also limited by the rental index rules set under Decree No. 43 of 2013. DLD launched a smart rental index on 1 January 2025; The National reported at the time that it initially covered residential units and that commercial properties were expected to be added later. Check DLD's rental index tools for your unit type before agreeing to an increase.

The law also sets out when a landlord can seek to evict a tenant before the lease ends. Article 25 includes failing to pay rent within 30 days of a notice to pay, subletting without the landlord's written approval, illegal use, and using the property for a purpose other than the one leased. That last point matters for businesses: if your licence activity changes from office use to, say, light storage or customer-facing retail, check the lease purpose first.

Cancelling Ejari when you move or close

When a lease ends and you've vacated, cancel the Ejari. DLD's Cancel Tenancy Contract service is free through the Ejari system or Dubai REST app and costs AED 40 plus VAT at a trustee centre. If the contract is still running, DLD asks for a letter from the property owner requesting cancellation, which in practice means agreeing an early exit with the landlord first. Online, DLD sends an email when the cancellation is approved; keep it with your records.

An uncancelled Ejari can block the next tenant, or you, from registering a new lease on the unit or a new office elsewhere tied to the same licence. When you close a company, cancelling the Ejari is one of the clearances to sort out alongside visas, the establishment card and the licence.

Worked examples

1. A consultant's first office. Ravi, a sole establishment owner, rents a small serviced office in a business centre for AED 18,000 a year. The business centre manages the property and registers the lease in its own Ejari system; it charges him the trustee-level amount of AED 220 plus a AED 100 admin fee, AED 320 in all. He gives the Ejari number to DET with his licence application. Total premises cost in year one: AED 18,320 plus the deposit.

2. A shop renewing on the right date. A café's lease expires on 31 March and its licence on 15 April. The landlord's manager sent a renewal notice with a rent increase on 15 December, more than 90 days before expiry, so the notice is valid. The owner checks the increase against DLD's rental index tools, signs the renewal, and the manager registers the renewed Ejari for AED 220. With the new certificate in hand on 2 April, the licence renews without a hitch.

3. An office move mid-year. A trading company moves from a 40 sq m office to a 90 sq m office in July to hire more staff. Costs: cancel the old Ejari online (free), register the new lease (AED 177.75 if registered online, or more often AED 220 through a manager), and pay DET for a licence address amendment. The bigger office may also support a larger visa quota once the establishment card is updated.

4. The cost of a lapsed lease. A company lets its warehouse lease expire without renewing the Ejari, and only notices when its licence renewal is blocked two weeks after expiry. It has to agree a renewal with the landlord, register the Ejari, then renew the licence. During the gap, it can't renew staff visas. Fixing it costs only the usual fee, but a month of disruption could have been avoided with one calendar reminder.

A commercial lease year, with Ejari

Before signing

Check permitted use, premises approvals and who registers Ejari

Signing

Register Ejari and give the number to DET or your free zone

90 days before expiry

Last day to give or receive notice of non-renewal or new terms

Before licence renewal

Renewed lease registered in Ejari

On moving out

Cancel Ejari and amend the licence address

Common mistakes, and how to fix them

Tenant name doesn't match the licence. A lease signed in the founder's personal name won't support a company licence. Have the landlord reissue the contract in the company's name, or in the name on the initial approval, and register that.

Trying the app for a company lease. The Dubai REST app route is for individual landlords and tenants. For a company tenant in a managed building, ask the property manager; otherwise use a trustee centre.

Unregistered addendum terms. Rent-free periods, break clauses and fit-out terms that aren't in a signed addendum are hard to enforce. Attach them to the Unified Tenancy Contract before registration.

Wrong use. Registering a residential flat as an office, or using an office as a store, can trigger refusals from DET and breach the lease. Choose premises whose permitted use matches your licensed activity.

Forgetting to cancel. An old Ejari left open can block the next registration. Cancel it the day you hand back the keys.

Official links

• DLD — Register / Renew Tenancy ContractFees, documents, channels
• DLD — Cancel Tenancy ContractFree online; AED 40 + VAT at trustee centres
• Dubai Legislation Portal — Law No. 26 of 2007Registration, notice and eviction rules
• u.ae — steps to start a business on the mainlandEjari as part of licensing in Dubai

What to do next

Line up the lease and Ejari before you need them, so the licence application isn't held up. Our UAE business licence guide covers the licence stage, and our Dubai business setup guide compares mainland and free zone premises options. Once the licence is issued, the Ejari and licence together are what a bank will want to see; see our business bank account guide. Use the free startup cost calculator to budget rent, Ejari and licence fees together.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Ejari registration cost in 2026?

Dubai Land Department lists a total of AED 177.75 through the Dubai REST app or its website, and AED 220 at a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre. Both include the AED 100 registration fee, a AED 10 knowledge fee and a AED 10 innovation fee; the difference is the service partner fee and its VAT. The same fees apply when you renew.

Do I need Ejari for a trade licence in Dubai?

For a Dubai mainland licence, yes in almost every case. The UAE government's setup guidance says the tenancy agreement must be registered with Ejari, and DET checks it when issuing and renewing licences. Some licence products allow a temporary or virtual address in the first year, but you'll need a registered lease to renew.

Do free zone companies need Ejari?

It depends on the zone. Some Dubai free zones register their tenants' leases in Ejari — the Dubai Development Authority, for example, publishes Ejari guidance for its tenants — while others, including the financial free zones, keep their own lease registers. Ask your free zone authority before you sign, and don't assume DET's rules apply.

How long does Ejari registration take?

At a trustee centre, DLD gives a service time of 25 minutes excluding waiting time, provided your documents are complete. Online, a DLD employee reviews the request and the e-Contract Registration Certificate is emailed once approved. Delays usually come from a missing title deed, a mismatch in names or an unapproved power of attorney.

How do I cancel Ejari when I move office?

Cancel the old contract through the Ejari system or Dubai REST app, which is free, or at a trustee centre for AED 40 plus VAT. If the contract is still running, DLD asks for a letter from the property owner requesting cancellation. Register the new lease and update the address on your trade licence.

How much notice must a landlord give before changing a commercial lease?

Under Article 14 of Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007, either party that wants to amend the terms or not renew must notify the other at least 90 days before the lease expires, unless they've agreed otherwise. Rent increases on renewal are also limited by the rental index rules set under Decree No. 43 of 2013.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 13 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.Register / Renew Tenancy Contract — Dubai Land Department · accessed 13 October 2026
2. 2.Cancel Tenancy Contract — Dubai Land Department · accessed 13 October 2026
3. 3.Law No. (26) of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai — Dubai Legislation Portal · accessed 13 October 2026
4. 4.Steps to start a business on the mainland — UAE Government portal (u.ae) · accessed 13 October 2026
5. 5.Ejari registration at Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone — Dubai Development Authority · accessed 13 October 2026
6. 6.Dubai rents: what the new smart rental index means for tenants — The National · accessed 13 October 2026
7. 7.What is Ejari? A complete guide to Dubai's rental registration system — Gulf News · accessed 13 October 2026
8. 8.Ejari for trade licence renewal: why it's mandatory in Dubai — Stratrich · accessed 13 October 2026