Ejari Registration in Dubai: What It Is and Who Asks for It

You have signed a lease in Dubai, and DEWA and GDRFA Dubai both ask about your tenancy. DEWA's move-in and several GDRFA Dubai applications name a registered tenancy contract on their official pages.

Here is the short answer. Ejari is the Dubai Land Department's registration of a tenancy contract. DLD's service card states: "This service allows customers to register or renew a Tenancy contract in the Emirate of Dubai". DLD publishes two fee routes: a total of 177.75 AED through the Dubai REST app or DLD website, and a total of 220 AED at trustee centres. Both totals are the page's own, reviewed on 20 September 2026.

Ejari registers a tenancy contract with DLD. Attesting certificates, such as degrees or marriage contracts, is a separate process, covered in the guide to UAE document attestation. This article covers residential Ejari: what it registers, who applies, what it costs by channel, and which Dubai services ask for it.

What Ejari registers, and the law behind it

The legal basis is Law No. (26) of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai. It was issued on 26 November 2007, according to the Dubai Legislation Portal. Article (2) of that law defines RERA as "The Real Estate Regulatory Agency."

Article (4) was amended by Law No. (33) of 2008, issued on 1 December 2008. The amended text returned from the Dubai Legislation Portal reads: "All Lease Contracts related to Real Property which is governed by the provisions of this Law, and any amendments thereto, will be registered with RERA."

That sentence says the contract is registered. It does not name the landlord or the tenant as the party who registers, in the texts we read on 20 September 2026. The next section shows how two official pages word that point.

DLD also publishes a standard contract. Its template page offers "Download Unified Ejari Tenancy Contract" as a PDF. For the app and website, DLD asks for a "Copy of the Unified Tenancy Contract (for individuals and companies only)", so check that your lease is on that form before you apply.

Who registers: two official wordings

The UAE Government Portal and DLD describe the applicant differently. DLD's lines are conditions for particular channels. All are quoted here as published.

The pages do not give a single wording, and this article does not choose between them. Before you sign, agree in writing with your landlord or agent who will submit the registration and who pays. If the point matters to you, confirm it with DLD.

DLD's Ejari user registration service is for owners, companies and representatives who want their own access to the Ejari system. DLD lists it as "Free service", through the "Land Department website (Ejari system)", with a time of "Immediate". The DLD FAQ adds: "Creating an Ejari user account is free of charge."

What Ejari unlocks: the dependency map

The first four services below name Ejari or an attested tenancy contract on an official page; the school line lists a lease as one form of proof of residence. Each line gives the page it comes from.

Practical asset: the Ejari dependency map. Tick the services you expect to use in the next twelve months, then check the source page for each before you apply. | Service | What the official page says | Source | |---|---|---| | DEWA electricity and water move-in | DLD FAQ: "Yes, all customers will be required to obtain Ejari for DEWA Move-in service" | DLD frequently asked questions | | DEWA move-in data | DEWA FAQ: "If you enter a valid Ejari number, you will not be required to submit any documents as the fields will be prepopulated with data." | DEWA Ejari FAQ (updated 16 May 2026) | | GDRFA Dubai sponsor file (resident) | "Attested lease contract issued by Ejari or ownership of a property issued by the Dubai Land Department." | GDRFA Dubai, Sponsor File Registration (resident) | | GDRFA Dubai dependent residence renewal | "Attested tenancy contract with a minimum validity of 60 days" | GDRFA Dubai, dependent residence renewal requirements | | Public school registration | u.ae lists "Proof of residence" and gives house ownership, a lease or an electricity bill as the forms it accepts | UAE Government Portal, school registration terms (updated 30 Dec 2024) | Before you rely on the map: 1. [ ] Check that your Ejari end date is at least 60 days away if a family residence renewal falls due, per GDRFA Dubai's line above. 2. [ ] Keep your Ejari contract number and your DEWA premise number together. DLD's certificate download page offers a search by either one. 3. [ ] Save the Ejari certificate as a file and keep a printed copy for counters that ask for one. 4. [ ] If your plans include a family visa, confirm the housing requirement with GDRFA Dubai at the time you apply.

DEWA move-in

DEWA's Ejari FAQ, updated on 16 May 2026, states: "Yes, effective July 1st, 2017 all customers will be required to obtain Ejari for DEWA Move-in service without visiting DEWA offices." It also states: "Yes, when you get your Ejari, your data is automatically transferred to DEWA system and a Move In request is generated creating your contract account number."

DEWA's move-in page, updated on 1 January 2026, describes the next step from the customer's side: "Upon Ejari issuance from RERA, I receive a welcome notification from DEWA with my account number, the security deposit details, and a payment link." The same page states: "Water and electricity supply is connected within 15 working hours of payment of the security deposit."

The UAE Government Portal's Dubai utilities page lists, for tenants, "the attested tenancy contract (Ejari)". It adds: "Tenant can also get the service from Ejari centres, which provide tenancy contract registration service and electricity and water connection service."

The portal's leasing page also links your rent to your utility bill: "Tenants must pay housing fees to Dubai Municipality, which is calculated at the rate of 5 per cent of the yearly rental charges." It continues: "The housing fees are added to the monthly electricity and water bills." Include that line when you build a monthly budget for living in Dubai.

DEWA's move-in page also lists a security deposit and connection fees. Read the amounts on that page before you move, as this article does not reproduce them.

GDRFA Dubai: sponsor file and dependant renewal

GDRFA Dubai's "Sponsor File Registration (resident)" service lists "Attested lease contract issued by Ejari or ownership of a property issued by the Dubai Land Department." The same card lists "Fee for opening a file: AED200" plus "value added tax (5%)", "Knowledge Dirham: AED10" and "Innovation Dirham: AED10". Those are GDRFA Dubai charges, separate from the Ejari fees below.

For renewals, GDRFA Dubai's answer to "What are the dependent residence renewal requirements?" includes "Attested tenancy contract with a minimum validity of 60 days" and "Latest electricity and water bill". GDRFA Dubai's FAQ page repeats both lines.

The UAE Government Portal's family residence page words the housing point differently. It states: "The sponsor must have a minimum salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation." We did not find tenancy or Ejari wording on that page on 20 September 2026. For the cost side of sponsoring family, see what a family visa in Dubai costs. If your employer's HR team supports the process, the HR guide to employee family visa support sets out its role.

School registration

The UAE Government Portal's public-school registration terms list "Proof of residence" among the documents, with house ownership, a lease or an electricity bill as the forms. That page does not name Ejari or KHDA. We did not find a KHDA requirement for Ejari or a tenancy contract on the KHDA parents' questions page reviewed on 20 September 2026. Ask the school which document it accepts.

Business premises

Commercial Ejari is a separate matter. Asked whether commercial Ejari can be registered in an individual's name, the DLD FAQ answers: "No. For registering in Ejari for commercial properties, this must be issued under authority's name with a valid License." The UAE Government Portal's mainland steps page states: "In Dubai, the agreement must be registered with Ejari". That step sits inside setting up a mainland company in Dubai.

Fees: the two routes DLD publishes

DLD's service card, reviewed on 20 September 2026, shows these lines. They are reproduced as the page shows them.

Three kinds of cost can arise, and they are worth keeping apart:

• Government charges. The registration, knowledge and innovation lines on the DLD page.
• Third-party charges shown by DLD. The service partner fee and its VAT, which differ by channel.
• Provider service fees. Any private provider or agent sets its own fee. That fee is not on the DLD page and is not part of the DLD total.

DEWA's Ejari FAQ, updated on 16 May 2026, shows different figures: 170.00 for Ejari attestation and 40.00 to issue Ejari through a property management company. The two pages differ. Confirm the current fee with DLD, whose service card sets out the Ejari fee lines, before you pay.

For the certificate download service, we did not find a fee on the DLD page reviewed on 20 September 2026.

Documents and conditions by channel

DLD's service card sets different documents and conditions for each channel.

Read the condition for your channel before you choose it. If a real estate company manages the property, or the owner has Ejari system access, the trustee-centre condition above may not fit, so ask the company how it registers.

The DLD FAQ adds these points on identity:

• "UAE ID is mandatory to register a tenant in the system."
• For GCC nationals without a UAE ID: "By using passport details."
• On using a passport instead: "No. contract registration shall be done by using the national identity, except for embassies and consulates"
• On an Emirates ID with one month of validity left: "Yes, it is"
• On a tenant holding a student visa: "Yes"

And on limits:

• "Currently, the maximum number of residential contracts allowed under a person's name is three."
• On the contract term: "From less than a year to a maximum of 10 years."

The registration checklist

Use this before you open the app or visit a trustee centre.

1. Confirm the lease is on the Unified Tenancy Contract form DLD publishes.
2. Check that the names, Emirates ID numbers and property details match across the contract and the IDs.
3. Agree in writing who submits the registration and who pays the DLD fees.
4. Choose the channel whose conditions fit your situation, using the table above.
5. For a trustee centre: take the original contract, your Emirates ID and, for a representative, the official power of attorney.
6. For the app: have a copy of the contract ready to upload.
7. Pay the fee shown on the DLD page for your channel, and keep the receipt.
8. Save the Ejari certificate and note the contract number and your DEWA premise number.
9. Watch for DEWA's welcome notification, and pay the security deposit through the link DEWA sends.
10. Put the Ejari end date in your calendar, with a reminder well ahead of it.

On timing, DLD's service card gives "25 minutes (excluding waiting time)" for the trustee-centre route. We did not find a completion time for the app or website on that page on 20 September 2026.

Renewal, cancellation and moving out

On renewal, the DLD FAQ answers "Yes" to renewing before expiry, and states: "Yes, a lease contract can be renewed and registered for a period less than a year." DLD's service card covers both registering and renewing a tenancy contract.

A worked example shows why the end date matters. Suppose your Ejari ends in 45 days and a dependant's residence renewal falls due now. GDRFA Dubai lists a tenancy contract "with a minimum validity of 60 days". Renewing the Ejari first, then applying, lines the two up. GDRFA Dubai decides whether a given document meets its requirement.

When you leave, DLD's cancellation service "allows customers to cancel a Tenancy contract that has expired for a property that has been vacated in the Emirate of Dubai". The DLD FAQ states: "Free cancellation is available if the cancellation is done by the owner or real estate. 40 AED is the cancellation fee if the cancellation is done by trustee offices". Agree with your landlord or agent who will cancel the registration when you move out.

Outside Dubai

Ejari is Dubai's system. The UAE Government Portal states: "In Abu Dhabi, landlords have to register lease contract in the Tawtheeq system, which is the city's register for tenancy contracts." It also states: "In Sharjah, lease contracts are registered with Sharjah Municipality." For Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain, the same page links to each emirate's real estate department without naming a system. Those emirates' own pages were not reviewed for this article.

Who decides, what you prepare, where a provider fits

What the authorities decide. DLD decides whether a tenancy contract is registered. DEWA decides the move-in, and GDRFA Dubai decides residence and sponsor file applications. No landlord, agent or provider decides any of these.

What you prepare. A lease on the unified form, valid Emirates IDs, a written agreement on who submits and pays, and the documents for your channel.

Where a provider fits. A private provider can help prepare the file and submit it through a channel that accepts it. It cannot change DLD's fees, conditions or decision. If you are weighing that kind of help, the explainer on what document clearing services in Dubai cover sets out the general role. Ask any provider to separate its own fee from the DLD lines above, in writing.

Information verified against official sources on 20 September 2026.

Fees checked on 20 September 2026.

If you want help preparing an Ejari registration or the applications that depend on it, contact RINJAZ to confirm availability, scope and quotation. RINJAZ is a privately licensed UAE service provider. It is not a government entity and does not act for any authority.

A provider's role, within whatever its licensed activity covers, is to prepare documents, submit them through the correct channel and track progress. The Dubai Land Department decides whether a tenancy contract is registered, and no provider can promise the outcome.