Ejari Registration Services: Where to Register and What It Costs

Ejari registration services are available online through the Dubai REST app or the Dubai Land Department (DLD) website, or in person at a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre. As of October 2026 the DLD service page lists a total of AED 177.75 online and AED 220 at a trustee centre. This guide compares the routes, shows the fee breakdown, and explains who can use which channel.

Where can you register Ejari?

The DLD names three channels for registering a tenancy contract: the DLD website (the Ejari system), the Dubai REST app, and Real Estate Services Trustee Centres. People also search for "ejari registration services", "ejari online", "ejari near me" and "ejari centres". They all lead to those same channels. The trustee centres are private service offices licensed to process Ejari for the DLD, so you may also hear them called typing centres.

How much does Ejari cost in 2026?

The DLD service page, Register / Renew Tenancy Contract, gives this breakdown:

Fee line	Dubai REST or DLD website	Trustee centre
Tenancy contract registration	AED 100	AED 100
Knowledge fee	AED 10	AED 10
Innovation fee	AED 10	AED 10
Service partner fee	AED 55, plus AED 2.75 VAT	AED 95, plus VAT
Total stated by the DLD	AED 177.75	AED 220

The DLD FAQ words the trustee centre fee a little differently, quoting AED 120 with service partner fees of AED 95 plus VAT. Because the two pages do not match exactly, check the amount on the payment screen before you pay. Creating an Ejari user account is free.

Many tenants quote "about AED 220", as our own Ejari explainer does, because that is the trustee centre total. An agent or property manager may charge you more than the DLD fee, so ask for the receipt.

Which is better, online or a trustee centre?

Factor	Dubai REST or website	Trustee centre
Total fee (DLD page)	AED 177.75	AED 220
Documents	A copy of the Unified Tenancy Contract	The original Unified Tenancy Contract, plus your Emirates ID presented in person
Time	Certificate emailed once an employee approves	About 25 minutes, excluding waiting
Who can use it	Tenant and landlord both individuals, owner data up to date	Tenant or an authorised representative with a power of attorney
Payment	Credit card, cash or Noqodi Wallet	Credit card, cash or Noqodi Wallet

For most individual tenants, online is cheaper and quicker. A trustee centre suits you if the app will not accept your case, or if you want someone to check the papers while you wait.

Is Ejari registration mandatory?

Yes. The DLD describes registration as the shared responsibility of tenant and landlord, and PropSpace, citing Article 4 of Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended, says it has been mandatory since March 2010. The practical consequences matter more than the legal citation:

• You cannot connect DEWA without it. The DLD says all customers must obtain Ejari for the DEWA move-in service.
• The Rental Dispute Centre will not hear an unregistered tenancy, as our guide to the RDC explains.
• Visa sponsorship and some licences ask for proof of a registered address.
• Earlier years must be registered before the current one, so a gap creates extra work.

How to register Ejari online, step by step

1. Log in to the Ejari system or the Dubai REST app and choose the register tenancy contract service.
2. Enter the required information and upload the Unified Tenancy Contract.
3. Pay the service fees.
4. Wait for a DLD employee to review and approve the request.
5. Receive the e-Contract Registration Certificate by email.

A tenant can start the request, but the DLD says the landlord's approval is needed to finish it. Make sure the landlord's details in the contract match their Emirates ID, or the approval step stalls.

What published guides add about the app route

Betterhomes and PropSpace describe the app flow in more detail than the DLD page. They say you log in with UAE Pass, choose the register or renew Ejari service, link the property by scanning the title deed QR code or entering the 9 digit DEWA premises number, enter the lease dates, total rent and cheque details, and upload the signed contract. The landlord is then notified to approve, and payment follows. Treat these as guide descriptions, since screens change. Both note that a landlord without UAE Pass is the most common cause of delay, and that a trustee centre is the fallback in that case.

Fees in other guides

PropSpace notes that third party guides quote anywhere from AED 155 to AED 250. The difference is usually the service partner fee, VAT, or an agent's own charge. Use the DLD page and the payment screen as the reference.

How to register Ejari at a trustee centre

1. Visit the nearest Real Estate Services Trustee Centre. The DLD publishes the list on its site.
2. Hand over the original Unified Tenancy Contract and your Emirates ID. Bring a power of attorney if you are acting for someone.
3. An employee reviews and approves the request in the system.
4. Pay the fees and keep the receipt.
5. Receive the e-Contract Registration Certificate.

The DLD says passports are not accepted for registration, apart from embassies and consulates. Registration is by national identity. A trustee office can also register with an NOC from the owner when a tenant starts the process.

Ejari near me: how to find a trustee centre

Searches for "ejari near me", "ejari office" and "ejari centres" all point to the same list. The DLD publishes the Real Estate Services Trustee Centres on its website, and the centres are private offices licensed to process Ejari. Pick one by location, call ahead to confirm they handle your case, and bring the original Unified Tenancy Contract, your Emirates ID and a power of attorney if you act for someone. The DLD lists about 25 minutes of service time, excluding waiting, so a quiet time of day saves you the queue.

If you only need a certificate you already have, you do not need a centre at all. See how to pull your own copy through the website or app.

Who pays for Ejari?

The DLD FAQ says the responsibility is shared by tenant and landlord, but in practice the tenant or the agent usually completes it. Our guide to the renting process lists it among the first costs a tenant meets. Agree who pays before you sign, and write it in the contract.

Documents you need

• The signed Unified Tenancy Contract (a copy for online, the original for a trustee centre).
• Your Emirates ID.
• A power of attorney if you represent the tenant or landlord. A power of attorney issued in Dubai can be referenced by number, while one from another emirate must be attached.

You also need the landlord's title details and the premises details, so ask the landlord for the title deed and a recent DEWA bill early.

What to check before and after you register

Before you file

• Names on the contract match the Emirates ID of each party.
• The rent, start date, end date and unit details are correct, because active Ejari details cannot be modified.
• The previous tenant's Ejari has been cancelled, if the home was let before.
• You know who is paying the fee and have it in writing.

After you file

• Open the e-Contract Registration Certificate and compare every detail with the signed contract.
• Save the PDF and keep a printed copy. You can pull another copy later, as our guide to the DLD, RERA and the Dubai REST app explains.
• Take the certificate to DEWA. The DLD says all customers must obtain Ejari for the DEWA move-in service. Our page on DEWA and chiller charges covers the bills that follow.

Property managers and agent fees

If a property manager handles it

Where a company manages the unit, Ejari is normally filed through the company's Ejari system access. The DLD says trustee centre registration is available only where the property is not managed by a real estate company or an owner with Ejari system access. If you are an owner who lets out homes, our property management service includes the tenancy paperwork. Tenants should ask the manager for the certificate straight after signing.

Do agents charge more than the DLD fee?

An agent asking for more than the DLD fee is not unusual, because agents and typing centres add their own handling charge. The DLD's own breakdown includes a service partner fee, which is the part that varies by channel. Ask what the figure covers and for a receipt. If you want the whole renting cost picture, our complete tenant guide lists every cost around a Dubai tenancy.

Common mistakes that delay Ejari registration

• The contract details do not match the signed agreement, so the request is rejected and resubmitted.
• The landlord's documents are missing, or the landlord cannot approve in time.
• An Emirates ID has expired or is close to expiry.
• The unit number or property details are wrong.
• The previous tenant's Ejari was never cancelled, which blocks the new one.
• Nobody agreed who pays, so nobody files.

The first four come from published guides and match the DLD rules above. Check each detail before you pay, because an approved registration cannot be edited.

Rules that catch people out

• The old contract must be cancelled first. The DLD says a new tenant's Ejari cannot be created until the previous tenant's Ejari is cancelled.
• Missed years. Earlier years' rents must be registered first. If they were missed, the previous contract must be terminated and a new one registered.
• Contract length. The DLD FAQ says a registered contract can run from under one year up to 10 years.
• Limits for individuals. Individuals are limited to three residential Ejari contracts.
• Active contracts cannot be edited. To change details, you cancel and register again.

Ejari also unlocks later steps. You need it to connect DEWA, and you need it for a case at the Rental Dispute Centre, so read how the RDC works before a dispute starts.