Business centre licence, built on the lease
A business centre licence needs 5,000 sq ft or more, a five-year lease and the landlord's consent to sublet.
- Usual route
- Mainland (DET)
- Extra approval
- DLD Ejari
- Timeline
- Weeks to months
- AML
- Not a DNFBP activity
A business centre licence in Dubai comes from the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). The Dubai Land Department (DLD) then registers the centre in Ejari so it can issue tenancy contracts to clients. DLD looks for 5,000 sq ft or more, units of at least 100 sq ft, a five-year lease, landlord consent to sublease and Dubai Municipality approval.
- Covers
- Renting furnished offices and units, with reception and meeting rooms
- Not covered
- Company formation services, property brokerage and building management
- Premises
- At least 5,000 sq ft on a five-year lease
- Timeline
- Weeks to months, set by the lease and fit-out
What a business centre licence covers
A business centre rents furnished offices to other companies. It also runs the services around them.
Covered
Not covered
- Covered by Corporate service provider
- Covered by Real estate brokerage
- Covered by Property management
- Covered by Cafe
Tick what you plan to do. The result shows here.
We fix the wording before you apply. Send us your list on WhatsApp
Many operators also want to sell setup packages, which is a separate activity with its own rules, so we place it before filing.
Where a business centre can operate
Ejari belongs to the Dubai Land Department, so a centre issuing tenancy contracts to mainland companies is a DET licence on mainland land.
| If most of your clients are | Likely route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland companies needing an office for their licence | Mainland (DET) | DLD registers the centre in Ejari, so each client gets a tenancy contract |
| Freelancers and visitors booking desks or rooms | Mainland (DET) | The same DET licence covers day use, meeting rooms and support services |
| Companies licensed inside a free zone | Free zone | Free zones run their own workspace and lease rules for their licensees |
A free zone company can reach mainland clients through a DET branch licence or permit (Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025). A centre issuing Ejari still needs a mainland lease in its own name.
Several free zones license this activity; we match the zone to your visas, office and banking. Compare free zones
Three questions. The closest row is marked in the table above.
Your likely route shows here.
Ejari registration for a business centre
DLD registers the centre as an Ejari management company once the space qualifies. It checks a five-year lease from the owner, landlord consent to sublease, the floor area and unit sizes, and Dubai Municipality approval.
Before the licence
- Trade name and initial approvalDET
- Landlord consent to subleaseThe building owner
- Five-year lease in EjariDubai Land Department (DLD)
The licence
- Trade licenceDET
Alongside the licence
- Layout approval and fit-outDubai Municipality
After the licence
- Physical survey and final approvalDLD
- Ejari access for client contractsDLD
- Corporate bank accountThe bank
We read the lease against DLD's conditions before you sign it.
The 5,000 sq ft line for Ejari
DLD registers a business centre only above a floor area. Move the marker to see where your space sits.
DLD allows one tenancy contract per unit in a year, so we plan the unit count against the clients you expect.
5,000 sq ft, DLD's minimum for a business centre
Below the lineThe space works as your own office, but DLD will not register it to issue Ejari contracts to clients.
At or above itThe floor qualifies. Units of at least 100 sq ft and a five-year lease complete DLD's conditions.
Move the slider to place your figure against the line.
What banks ask a business centre
Bank viewStandard, with questions on rent flows and client deposits
Banks treat a business centre as a standard property services business. Rent goes out to one landlord on a long lease. Income arrives from many small clients, often with deposits held against their units, and the bank checks that the client list is real. We put the head lease, the DLD registration and the first client contracts into the bank file, so rent in and rent out are easy to follow.
AMLNot a DNFBP activity; the bank's own customer checks still apply.
Where business centre files stall
A lease shorter than five years
DLD asks for a five-year lease from the owner, registered in the centre's name. A standard one-year office lease will not do. Renegotiating it after the fit-out has started is slow and costly.
Units drawn too small
Each unit must be at least 100 sq ft. A plan that squeezes in extra offices below that size loses them at DLD's survey, along with the client income they were meant to carry.
No written consent to sublease
The landlord's NOC allowing the centre to sublease is part of DLD's file. Get it in writing early. Without it, the registration waits however good the fit-out is.
Questions about a business centre licence
A question about your plan? Describe your business centre plan and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.
Ask on WhatsAppHow much does a business centre licence cost in Dubai?
Can a business centre issue Ejari to its clients in Dubai?
How to start a business centre in Dubai?
Does a business centre need Dubai Municipality approval?
Related pages
JurisdictionDubai mainland licence through DETSuits businesses that sell to UAE customers or bid for Dubai tenders.
ActivityProperty management licence in DubaiDET issues the licence once DLD approves it.
BankingCorporate bank accounts in DubaiCorporate bank account opening in Dubai, prepared before you apply: the file a UAE bank reads, the right bank for your profile and a strong first file.
Does your floor plan meet DLD's conditions? Check it before the lease is signed
Fifteen minutes with a senior advisor on the space you have in mind and the clients you expect. You leave with the activity, the lease terms to ask for and the approvals in order.
On the call
- The activity wording that fits your plan
- The route, and the approvals in order
- A written quote before any work starts
