How to register Ejari in Dubai: channels, steps and fees
Welcome back to the ejaries.ae podcast. I'm Stephen. In the last episode we looked at what ejaries are and why the system exists. This episode is the operational one. We're going to walk through the registration process itself. Step by step.
If you've never registered ejaries before, the procedure can feel unclear. There isn't one single counter you walk up to. There are several channels. Each has slightly different requirements. The fundamentals are the same, but the experience varies.
The two channels
There are two principal channels for registering ejaries in Dubai.
The first is the online system, accessed through the Dubai REST app or through the Dubai Land Department portal. This is the dominant channel for most tenancies now. It handles the majority of registrations in the emirate.
The second is the in-person channel, through Ejari typing centres located across Dubai. These centres are authorised agents who process the registration on your behalf. They're useful for landlords or tenants who prefer face-to-face assistance, or for tenancies with unusual circumstances that need a human eye.
Both channels feed into the same central register. The certificate you receive is the same. The choice between them is a matter of convenience.
The Dubai REST app
The Dubai REST app — Real Estate Self Transaction — is the modern route. It's the Dubai Land Department's mobile application, available on iOS and Android. It handles most property-related transactions tenants and landlords need, including ejaries registration.
To register through the app, you need a UAE Pass account. UAE Pass is the federal digital identity system. We covered it briefly in the context of digital notarisation on enotaryuae.ae. For ejaries purposes, UAE Pass is the identity layer that lets you log in to Dubai REST and confirm you are who you say you are.
Once you're logged in to Dubai REST with UAE Pass, the ejaries registration flow walks you through the required information. You enter the property details, the tenancy term, the rent, the parties to the contract, and you upload the supporting documents. We'll cover the document list in detail in episode three. The system validates the information against the underlying property record and, if everything matches, issues the ejaries certificate to your account.
The whole process, when the documentation is in order, takes under thirty minutes. Some registrations complete in ten.
The typing centre route
The alternative is an Ejari typing centre. These are licensed agents authorised by RERA to process ejaries on behalf of landlords and tenants.
You bring your documents to the centre. The typist enters the information into the registration system. You pay the fee at the counter. The certificate is issued to you, usually within the same visit.
Typing centres are useful in three situations:
- Where the tenant or landlord isn't comfortable with the app
- Where the tenancy has features that need explanation — a non-standard contract structure, multiple tenants, a corporate landlord with unusual documentation
- Where speed matters and there's a queue on the app for some reason
The trade-off is cost. Typing centres charge for their service on top of the standard ejaries fee. The exact amount varies by centre. Expect to pay a service charge in addition to the official registration fee.
The fee structure
The official ejaries registration fee is set by RERA and is a relatively small amount per registration. Standard residential ejaries currently cost in the low hundreds of dirhams, though specific figures can shift over time and should be confirmed at the point of registration.
When you register through Dubai REST, you pay the standard fee directly to the Land Department. When you register through a typing centre, you pay the standard fee plus the centre's service charge.
For tenants, the question of who pays the fee is sometimes a point of negotiation with the landlord. The legal default is that the landlord covers the registration cost, since ejaries are the landlord's legal responsibility. In practice the position varies by tenancy and by who's actually handling the paperwork.
The registration sequence
Step one: preparing the documents. You need the tenancy contract, signed by both parties; the title deed or affection plan documents from the landlord; the Emirates ID for the tenant; and the Emirates ID or commercial licence for the landlord depending on whether the landlord is an individual or a company. We'll go through the full document list in episode three.
Step two: choosing the channel — Dubai REST app or typing centre.
Step three: entering the information — property details, tenancy term, annual rent, payment schedule, parties.
Step four: uploading or presenting the documents. The system or the typist confirms they match the information entered.
Step five: paying the fee — by card if using the app, by card or cash at a typing centre.
Step six: receiving the certificate. The ejaries certificate is issued to your Dubai REST account if you used the app, or printed at the counter if you used a typing centre. Either way, the certificate carries the ejaries contract number, the QR code, and the full record of the tenancy.
What can go wrong
The registration process is straightforward when the documentation is in order. It goes wrong when something doesn't match. We'll cover rejections in detail in episode five. For now, the most common failure modes are: mismatch between the tenancy contract and the title deed; the landlord on the contract not being the registered owner; missing documents required by the system.
Both issues are solvable, but they can delay the registration by days or weeks if they're not caught before you start the process. The simplest preventive step is checking that the landlord on your contract is actually the registered owner. If they're not — if they're managing the property for someone else, for instance — you need to know what authority they hold and what additional documentation that requires.
The registration process is straightforward when the paperwork lines up. It's the paperwork that determines the difficulty, not the registration itself.
Renewal registration
Most ejaries registrations in Dubai are renewals, not first-time registrations. A tenancy that's been running for several years has been re-registered every year as the contract renews.
The renewal process uses the same channels and similar documentation. The headline difference is that the renewal references the previous ejaries number and confirms what has changed in the new contract term. For example: new annual rent; new payment schedule; any change in occupancy or parties.
The system flags renewals where the rent increase exceeds the lawful threshold under the rent calculator. We'll cover this dynamic in episode four when we look at renewals specifically.
Special cases
A few tenancy structures need specific handling.
Corporate tenants. Companies leasing space for staff accommodation or offices register ejaries with their commercial licence and a representative's Emirates ID rather than an individual's ID. The registration sits in the company's name.
Free zone properties. Some free zones manage their own tenancy registration through their internal authority rather than through the standard ejaries system. Tenants in DIFC and ADGM, in particular, follow procedures that differ from the standard Dubai approach.
Sublease tenancies. Where the registered tenant is sub-letting to another party, landlord consent and a specific sublease registration are required. Sublease ejaries are a more involved process and we'll touch on them in the episode on commercial versus residential tenancies.
For most standard residential tenancies, the process is the one described above. Most tenants in most buildings in Dubai follow the same path: documents, app or typing centre, fee, certificate.
What to take from this episode
Two channels: the Dubai REST app or an Ejari typing centre. Both produce the same certificate. Six steps in sequence: prepare documents, choose channel, enter information, present or upload paperwork, pay fee, receive certificate. Standard residential ejaries registration is a fast process when the documents are in order. The duration of the process is determined by the documentation, not by the registration itself.
Coming next
In the next episode we go through the documents in detail. Exactly what you need. What the common gaps are. How to fix them before they become a problem.
Thanks for listening. The full transcript is at transcript.ae. For ejaries registration support, ejaries.ae is the operational service.
Key takeaways
- Two channels — the Dubai REST app (with UAE Pass) or a RERA typing centre — both produce the same certificate.
- The app route is usually under 30 minutes when documents are in order; typing centres add a service charge.
- The sequence is six steps: prepare documents, choose channel, enter details, present documents, pay, receive certificate.
- The landlord is the legal default for the fee; most registrations are annual renewals referencing the previous Ejari.
- Difficulty comes from the paperwork, not the process — especially the landlord-vs-owner check.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I register Ejari?
Either online via the Dubai REST app (you'll need UAE Pass) or in person at a RERA-licensed typing centre — both feed the same register and issue the same certificate.
How long does it take?
Under 30 minutes through the app when the documents are in order — sometimes ten — though a mismatch can add days or weeks.
Who pays the registration fee?
Legally the landlord, since Ejari is their responsibility, but in practice it varies by tenancy and who handles the paperwork.