Ejari registration Dubai

Ejari is the cheapest registration in Dubai and the one that blocks the most. It is a small annual formality right up until the moment your family visa renewal or trade licence stalls because it lapsed three weeks ago.

In short: Ejari is the Dubai Land Department (DLD) system for registering tenancy contracts. Registering or renewing costs AED 177.75 through the Dubai REST app or the DLD website (AED 100 registration, AED 10 knowledge fee, AED 10 innovation fee, AED 55 service partner fee and AED 2.75 VAT), or about AED 220 at a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre, where the service partner fee is AED 95 plus VAT. Online you need a copy of the unified tenancy contract; at a centre, the original contract and the applicant's Emirates ID. DLD emails the certificate once the request is approved. Cancelling has no fee online and costs AED 40 plus VAT at a centre.

How much does Ejari registration cost in Dubai?

Where the Ejari fee goes

DLD's Register / Renew Tenancy Contract service card splits the fee into the same government part on every channel and a service partner fee that depends on where you file. Trustee centres are what many people call "Ejari typing centres".

DLD accepts payment by credit card, cash or the Noqodi wallet. Creating an Ejari user account has no fee.

What Ejari actually gates

For family visas, GDRFA's Sponsor File Registration service lists an attested lease contract issued by Ejari, or proof of property ownership issued by DLD. The rules for renters, owners and company accommodation are set out in our guide on Ejari for family visa files.

Commercial Ejari for a trade licence

DLD's FAQ says a commercial property can only be registered in the name of an entity with a valid licence, not in an individual's name, and there is no limit on the number of commercial contracts. A residential unit cannot be used for commercial activity. Our guides on office space for a trade licence and home business licences cover the options, and the full sequence is on our business setup in Dubai page.

What documents do you need for Ejari registration?

DLD's service card asks for less than most people bring. Through the app, it lists a copy of the unified tenancy contract. At a trustee centre, it lists the original unified tenancy contract, the applicant's Emirates ID and, for a representative, an official power of attorney (a Dubai-issued one can be quoted by number; one from another emirate must be attached). Landlords, managers and centres commonly ask for the items below as well, so have them ready.

How do you register or renew Ejari online?

1. Check the contract. It should be on the unified tenancy contract, with names matching each party's Emirates ID.
2. Start the request in Dubai REST or on the DLD website. The app route is for individual landlords and tenants, and the owner's details must be up to date. Where a licensed property management company or an owner with Ejari access manages the unit, they register it through the Ejari system instead.
3. Get the landlord's approval. A tenant can start the registration, but the landlord must approve it. DLD cancels a request automatically if the landlord does not approve within 5 days.
4. Pay AED 177.75. A DLD employee then reviews the request, and the e-Contract Registration Certificate is emailed to you.
5. Keep the certificate. You can download it again from the DLD website with the Ejari contract number, or in Dubai REST under Property Wallet.

A renewal follows the same steps and fee. DLD will not register a renewal if earlier years' contracts were never registered, so an unregistered history has to be sorted out first. An individual can hold at most 3 residential Ejari contracts at a time, according to DLD's FAQ.

How long does Ejari registration take?

Where Ejari registrations stall

• Expired Emirates ID: the most common blocker
• Landlord will not provide title deed or ID copy, often on older or inherited properties
• Name mismatch between the tenancy contract and the Emirates ID
• Unregistered or informal tenancy: a handwritten contract is not sufficient
• Property already has an active Ejari from a previous tenant who never cancelled
• Sub-lease without landlord consent: will not register

How do you cancel Ejari?

Cancelling has no fee through Dubai REST or the Ejari system, and costs an AED 40 service partner fee plus VAT at a trustee centre (DLD Cancel Tenancy Contract service). A tenant can only cancel their own contract. Through Dubai REST the request goes to the owner for approval and lapses after 5 days if not approved; at a trustee centre, an active contract needs a letter from the owner requesting cancellation. Where a management company runs the property, the company cancels it. DLD issues no certificate for a cancelled Ejari: the cancellation takes effect once it is completed. If you are moving and sponsoring family, cancel and re-register before the next GDRFA transaction.

Ejari registration questions