Who issues filming permits in Dubai
One body handles it. Executive Council Resolution 50/2014 names the Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC) as the only authority that issues media filming permits in the emirate. That covers free zones and DIFC too, so a studio address in Dubai Media City or an office in DIFC does not exempt you.
The name changed, the permit did not. Decree 67/2024 moved the DFTC under the Dubai Media Council, and the Dubai Films and Games Commission (DFGC) now holds its mandate. The portal is still portal.filmdubai.gov.ae and most producers still say "DFTC", so we use both names here.
Some shoots need no permit at all. The commission's rules, as reported by Khaleej Times, exempt weddings, events, educational footage for schools and colleges, and personal use. A brand reel is none of these.
Above the DFTC sits the federal layer. The National Media Authority (NMA), formerly the UAE Media Council, regulates media content across the country. Its penalty schedule, Cabinet Resolution 42/2025, sets a fine of AED 10,000, then AED 40,000 on a repeat for filming without a filming permit or without script approval.
Two fine schedules, both live
Guides quote AED 15,000, 25,000 or 40,000 for the same offence. They are not contradicting each other; they cite different layers.
| Violation | Dubai (DFTC/DFGC rules) | Federal (Cabinet Resolution 42/2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Filming without a permit | AED 25,000 | AED 10,000, then AED 40,000 on a repeat |
| Filming without location permission | AED 15,000 | — |
| Filming activity not listed on the permit | AED 25,000 | — |
| No production rep on set, damage, blocking roads, unpermitted sets or aerial filming | AED 20,000 | — |
| Filming without script approval | — | up to AED 40,000 per Bird & Bird; no separate row in the resolution |
The Dubai figures come from the commission's list as published by Khaleej Times in 2024; the federal ones from the Arabic text of Cabinet Resolution 42/2025, row 1. Nothing in either text says one replaces the other.
In practice you deal with the DFTC for the shoot itself and with the NMA rules for what you publish afterwards. If the finished video goes out through an influencer, the creator needs their own Advertiser Permit, which the filming permit does not replace.
What a Dubai filming permit costs
The bill has two parts: a processing fee for the application and a location fee for government locations.
The processing fee is AED 520 per application, and the DFTC does not refund it. One application can cover several days and several locations, so grouping a shoot into one application saves money. The DFTC fee page lists the same fee.
Location fees for government locations, as Khaleej Times reported from the DFTC table:
| Project type | Location fee | Period covered |
|---|---|---|
| Scripted and unscripted long-form | AED 2,500 | up to 30 days |
| Advertising | AED 2,500 | up to 30 days |
| Corporate content | AED 2,500 | up to 7 days |
| City or landmark filming | AED 2,500 | up to 14 days |
| Aerial filming | AED 0 | up to 7 days |
| News for a local broadcaster | AED 0 | n/a |
Source: Khaleej Times, DFTC fee table.
Where the sources disagree
Two figures do not line up, and you should know about both before you budget.
- Period for advertising. The current DFTC table, as reported, gives advertising up to 30 days for AED 2,500. The text of Resolution 50/2014 says "up to 3 days" for advertising. We follow the current DFTC table, but confirm the period on your application, especially for a commercial that films across a week.
- The amount. The production company Icon Art lists the location fee as AED 2,520, probably because it adds a city charge on top of AED 2,500. Budget AED 2,520 if you want a margin.
So a single-location commercial on government land costs about AED 520 + AED 2,500 = AED 3,020 in permit fees, before any venue charges. That is a calculation from the published fees; your final invoice from the DFTC is what counts.
Malls, hotels, Burj Khalifa and beaches
Private places open to the public, such as malls and hotels, set their own location fees. The law caps them: under Resolution 50/2014 such a venue cannot charge more than AED 25,000 per day.
For Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall or a public beach, you coordinate with the owner (for example Emaar or Dubai Municipality) through the DFTC rather than approaching them on your own. The owners do not publish their tariffs. Treat AED 25,000 per day as the legal ceiling for a public-facing private venue, not as the expected price.
DIFC
DIFC adds a second step. You first get the DFTC permit, then submit a DIFC photoshoot request. DIFC answers in at least one working day, so add that to the schedule.
How long the permit takes
The DFTC does not publish an official processing time. What exists are agency estimates:
- 3 to 5 working days for a standard permit, according to production agencies;
- other agencies quote 5 to 7 working days;
- scripted projects can take up to 25 days.
For seasonal campaigns this matters more than the fee. Agency planners who shoot Ramadan 2027 content in December 2026 put the 3–5 day permit wait on the critical path of the schedule. Our working rule: apply at least a week before the shoot, two to four weeks for anything scripted.
The process, step by step
The DFTC publishes its permit rules and fees at filmdubai.gov.ae. This is the order we work in:
- Fix the project type. Advertising, corporate, long-form or landmark filming decide the location fee and the period.
- List every location and date. One application can cover several of each, and you pay AED 520 once.
- Prepare the script or treatment. The federal fine covers filming without script approval as well as filming without a permit, so do not shoot a scripted piece before the approval arrives.
- Agree terms with private venues. Malls and hotels bill their own fee, capped at AED 25,000 per day.
- Add DIFC or aerial approvals if needed. DIFC needs its own request after the DFTC permit. Drone shots need aviation permits on top, covered in our guide to drone filming rules in Dubai.
- Keep a copy of the permit on set. You will need to show it to the venue.
People in the frame: consent and releases
A filming permit covers the location. It does not cover the people you film. Under the UAE cybercrime law, Decree-Law 34/2021, photographing or filming a person without consent, including in a public place, can lead to at least 6 months in prison and/or a fine of AED 150,000 to AED 500,000. The penalty is heavier if someone edits the footage to harm the person.
For any commercial shoot, collect written model releases from everyone recognisable in the frame and a property release from the owner of any private space. Plan crowd shots so passers-by stay unrecognisable, or ask them to sign.
Filming in Abu Dhabi works differently
If the project moves to the capital, the rules change. The Creative Media Authority (CMA), which includes the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, issues permits there. It approves the content first and then issues a ground, aerial or marine permit, and you need a local licensed production partner.
A ground filming permit costs AED 500 per day, and the CMA can take up to 15 working days to review it. Larger productions can apply for a rebate: 35% as a base, up to 50%.
Five mistakes that cost time or money
- Assuming a free zone is exempt. Resolution 50/2014 gives the DFTC authority over free zones and DIFC as well, so an address in a media free zone does not replace the permit.
- Filing one application per location. Each application carries its own AED 520 fee. One application can list several days and locations, so plan the whole shoot first and file once.
- Shooting before the script is approved. The federal penalty of up to AED 40,000 covers filming without script approval, not only filming without a permit.
- Forgetting the second approval. DIFC asks for its own request after the DFTC permit, and drones need GCAA and DCAA approvals on top. Each adds days to the plan.
- Treating the permit as consent. The permit covers the place. Releases from the people in the frame are a separate job, and the cybercrime law fines start at AED 150,000.
Who should file the application
The law does not care who fills in the form; it cares that a valid permit exists for the shoot. In practice the production company usually files, because it knows the locations, dates and crew. If you hire a freelancer or an agency, ask in writing whether the quote includes the permit and who applies, and ask for a copy before the shooting day. A quote that leaves the permit out is not cheaper; it moves the AED 520 processing fee, the location fee and the risk to you.
What this means for your budget
Permit fees are a small line next to crew, kit and editing. A one-day commercial on government land carries roughly AED 3,020 in DFTC fees; the shoot itself usually costs more, as our guide to video production costs in Dubai shows. The bigger risks are time and fines: a permit that arrives after the shoot date, or an AED 40,000 penalty for filming without one.
Two more things to settle before the shooting day. Music you add in the edit needs separate sync rights; the public performance licence coming in December 2026 does not cover it (see music licence for restaurants). And if the location is a property for sale, the ad itself needs a Trakheesi permit, covered in our guide to real estate advertising rules.
