Last updated
Commercial Ejari is the Dubai Land Department (DLD) registration of a lease for an office, shop or warehouse. It must be registered in the name of the licensed company, not the owner, and the licence must be valid. The fee is the same as residential Ejari: AED 177.75 through Dubai REST or AED 220 at a trustee center. What differs are the rules on names, numbers and early cancellation.
Commercial and residential Ejari side by side
| Point | Commercial (company) | Residential (individual) |
|---|---|---|
| Who is the tenant | The licensed company | A person |
| Licence needed | Yes, valid on registration | No |
| Number of contracts | No limit | Up to 3 |
| Fee online | AED 177.75 | AED 177.75 |
| Fee at a trustee center | AED 220 | AED 220 |
| Early cancellation | Only in set cases | Under the residential rules |
Source: DLD Ejari service page and DLD frequently asked questions, checked .
The fee table is one DLD schedule for every tenancy. DLD's own FAQ describes the center fee as AED 120 plus AED 95 plus VAT, which does not add up to the same total as the service page. Expect to pay what the center's receipt shows. The line by line breakdown is on Ejari fees.
Offices, shops and warehouses
The unit type does not change the Ejari process. What matters is that the lease matches the licence:
- An office is the usual case for a trading or service company. If you only need a registered address for the licence, read virtual office Ejari first.
- A shop on a retail lease is registered the same way. The trade name and licence number on the lease should be the ones DET issued.
- A warehouse often sits on a separate lease from the office. With no limit on commercial contracts, the company can register each one.
Why DET, MOHRE and GDRFA files depend on this lease, and how renewal and cancellation work for a company, is covered on office Ejari for a trade licence.
Documents
| Channel | What you upload or bring |
|---|---|
| Dubai REST app or DLD website | A copy of the Unified Tenancy Contract |
| Trustee center | The original Unified Tenancy Contract, the applicant's Emirates ID, a power of attorney if a representative applies |
Source: DLD Register / Renew Tenancy Contract page, checked .
Read the contract before you register. The tenant line should show the company's name exactly as on the trade licence. A contract drafted in a partner's personal name will be refused for a commercial unit. For a representative, a power of attorney issued in Dubai can be quoted by number at the counter, while one from another emirate has to be attached.
Registering it, step by step
Online. Log in to the Ejari system on the DLD website or the Dubai REST app and choose Register / Renew Tenancy Contract. Enter the lease, upload the contract copy and pay AED 177.75 by card or Noqodi wallet. A DLD employee reviews it and the e-Contract Registration Certificate arrives by email. The Ejari registration online guide shows the screens a tenant sees.
At a counter. Take the original contract to one of the 7 DLD trustee centers. Staff review it, you pay AED 220 and you leave with the certificate. DLD quotes about 25 minutes, not counting the queue. Centers and hours are on Ejari centers near me.
Through the landlord. Some commercial landlords and property managers register the Ejari for their tenants. Ask before you pay for it twice.
When the company starts the request, the landlord has to approve it. Unanswered requests lapse, so warn the landlord or the property manager.
Some typing shops type the Ejari for a charge of about AED 60 to AED 150, on top of the DLD fees (published price lists of Dubai typing centers, checked ). At a trustee center the AED 95 service partner fee already covers the work, so you should not pay both.
Common problems
- Licence expired on the day you register. Renew it first, or register as part of a renewal handled in the right order.
- Tenant name does not match the licence. Copy the name from the licence, word for word.
- Lease shorter than the licence period. You will be registering Ejari twice in one year. Match the dates if the landlord allows.
- Landlord ignores the approval request. The request lapses and you start again.
- A desk from an operator that is not DLD registered. Only registered business centers can issue Ejari for desks and small units.
- An old office still on record. Relocation is one of the cases where DLD allows early cancellation, so close the old one when you register the new.
Registering the office lease for you
Send the signed tenancy contract and the trade licence. The partner team checks that the tenant name and licence number match exactly, since a company name typed differently from the licence is the usual reason a commercial Ejari is held. They register it, chase the landlord's approval and then use the certificate where it was needed: the licence renewal, an address amendment or the MOHRE establishment file. You skip the trustee center visit.
No office yet? The partner team can also arrange an Ejari-registered office contract for your company in any area of Dubai, on a 1 month, 6 month or 1 year term, and checks which term your licence or visa file needs. You see one total price first, with the government fees and the service charge listed separately. Ask on WhatsApp or send the form on this page. Other company files are listed under company services in Dubai.
