Ejari Renewal & DED License Renewal in Dubai
If you run a business in Dubai, two annual deadlines tend to land around the same time and depend on each other: your Ejari tenancy registration and your DED (now DET) trade license renewal. You can’t renew your license without a valid Ejari, and mismatched details between the two are one of the most common reasons renewals get delayed. Here’s how each process works, what they cost in 2026, and how to keep them moving in step.
What Ejari actually is
Ejari, Arabic for “my rent,” is the Dubai Land Department’s mandatory tenancy registration system, regulated by RERA under Law No. 26 of 2007. Every private tenancy contract in Dubai, residential or commercial, must be registered to be legally recognized. It’s not a formality you can skip: without an active Ejari, you can’t activate DEWA, process visa applications tied to that address, file at the Rental Dispute Centre, or renew a DED trade license linked to that lease.
Ejari doesn’t auto-renew with your tenancy. Every new lease period requires a fresh registration, even if you’re staying in the same office with the same landlord.
Ejari renewal fees
Online via Dubai REST app or DLD portal
AED 177.75, the pure government fee if you file it yourself.
At a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre
AED 219.75, where a clerk files it for you at the counter.
Through a property manager or platform
typically AED 300–500, bundled with document handling.
By law, registration responsibility sits with the landlord, but in practice tenants usually pay and arrange it since the tenancy contract typically states this, and the tenant needs the certificate for their own DEWA and visa processes.
Ejari renewal process
Check your current Ejari's expiry date, either on the certificate itself or via the Dubai REST app.
An Ejari-backed tenancy or lease agreement (mainland) or flexi-desk registration (free zone).
Submit through the Dubai REST app, the DLD website, or in person at a Trustee Centre.
If applying via the app, the landlord approves the request from their account before it proceeds.
Pay the fee and receive your updated certificate, usually within one to two working days of approval.
Start this process 15–30 days before expiry. An expired Ejari doesn't just create paperwork headaches, it can block DEWA continuity, delay visa renewals, and hold up your DED license renewal since the two are cross-checked.
DED (DET) trade license renewal
The Department of Economy and Tourism, formerly DED, requires every mainland business to renew its trade license annually. A valid, matching Ejari is a prerequisite: if your lease details don’t align with what’s on file, the system flags the mismatch and renewal stalls until it’s corrected.
What changed in 2026
starting 1 April 2026, DET introduced fee reductions across three license categories:
Commercial licenses
up to 50% reduction on base renewal fees.
Professional licenses
40–45% reduction depending on activity classification.
Industrial licenses
35–40% reduction, with added incentives for manufacturing expansion.
DET also introduced a three-month deferral, from 1 April 2026, on several ancillary charges, including trade name amendment, advertising, and local fees. This applies specifically to the renewal fee components; establishment card renewals, immigration deposits, and external approvals aren't included in either the reduction or the deferral.
DED license renewal cost, realistically
Even with the 2026 reductions, total renewal cost isn’t a single line item. It typically bundles:
Base license renewal fee,
now reduced depending on your license category.
Activity approval renewals,
higher if you hold multiple activities or need external NOCs.
Market Fee
roughly 5% of your annual office rent, a recurring government charge tied to your lease value.
Ejari registration or renewal
which must be current before the license renewal proceeds.
Late penalties
if applicable.
A mainland commercial license renewal typically lands around AED 8,000–15,000 after the 2026 fee cuts, though this varies significantly with activity type, office size, and whether external approvals apply. Businesses using a flexi-desk or virtual office setup generally sit at the lower end.
Late renewal penalties
Missing your DET renewal deadline triggers a fine starting at AED 250, with further escalation and possible administrative closure if it drags on. If DET closes your facility and you continue operating from it anyway, that’s an additional AED 10,000 penalty on top. On the Ejari side, an expired certificate doesn’t carry a fixed RERA fine directly, but it cuts off your legal standing for rental disputes and can block the utilities and license renewals that depend on it, which tends to cost more in disruption than any flat fee would.
How we help
We track both renewal dates together, since they’re rarely independent of each other, and handle document preparation, Ejari submission, DET portal renewal, and Market Fee calculation so nothing falls through a gap between two separate government systems. If your license or lease details have drifted out of sync over the year, we sort that out before it becomes a rejected renewal.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need to renew Ejari every year even with the same landlord?
Yes. Ejari doesn’t auto-renew with your lease. A new certificate is required for every tenancy period, even in the same property with the same landlord.
2. How much does Ejari renewal cost in Dubai?
AED 177.75 online through the Dubai REST app or DLD portal, or AED 219.75 at a Trustee Centre in person
3. Can I renew my DED trade license without a valid Ejari?
No. A current, matching Ejari registration is required before DET will process a trade license renewal.
4. What's the DET fee reduction announced for 2026?
Starting 1 April 2026, commercial licenses get up to 50% off base renewal fees, professional licenses 40–45%, and industrial licenses 35–40%.
5. Does the 2026 fee reduction cover everything in my renewal?
No. It applies to base renewal fees only, not establishment card renewals, immigration deposits, or external approvals.
6. What happens if I renew my trade license late?
A fine starting at AED 250 applies, escalating with further delay, and DET can order administrative closure if it’s not resolved.
7. What's the Market Fee in a DED license renewal?
A government charge, roughly 5% of your annual office rent, separate from your landlord’s rent itself.