Updated
Who issues the permit, and who applies
The permit is issued to the resident, not to the moving company. If you rent, you or your landlord apply; if you own, you apply. The mover's part is to supply its company details, trade licence and vehicle registrations for the form, then book the lift or gate pass against the approved permit.
In master communities the permit usually comes from the master developer's community management. In a tower built by a different developer inside that community — common in JVC, JLT, Business Bay and Dubai Marina — the building's own management office may also want notice, a lift booking and sometimes a refundable deposit. When in doubt, ask both.
Developer by developer
These are the channels residents use as of September 2026. Processes change without notice, so treat the developer's own app or office as the final word.
- Emaar (Downtown, Dubai Hills Estate, Arabian Ranches, Emirates Living, Creek Harbour, Emaar Beachfront): the Emaar One app, run by Emaar Community Management
- Nakheel (Palm Jumeirah, JVC, JVT, Al Furjan, Discovery Gardens, International City): the My Nakheel app or website
- DAMAC (DAMAC Hills, DAMAC Hills 2 and DAMAC towers): the DAMAC Living app, which signs in with UAE Pass
- Dubai Properties (JBR, Mudon, Remraam, Jaddaf Waterfront and DP buildings in Business Bay): the RealConnect app or portal
- JLT: each tower's owners' association and building management, not DMCC itself
- Meraas (City Walk, Bluewaters, La Mer): the community management office for the destination
- Nshama (Town Square): Nshama's community portal and app
- Sobha Hartland, Azizi, Danube, Select Group, Ellington and other developers' towers: the building's management office
- Older buildings in Deira, Bur Dubai and Karama: the building office or landlord's property manager
The documents every developer asks for
The list barely changes from one developer to the next. Have clear scans ready before you open the app; a blurred Emirates ID is the most common reason an application bounces back.
- Emirates ID, or passport with visa page
- Tenants: the registered Ejari certificate; owners: the title deed
- A recent DEWA bill for the property, for most move-ins
- The landlord's NOC, where a tenant is moving out
- The moving company's name, trade licence and vehicle registration numbers
- For some towers: the mover's insurance certificate and a crew list
How early to apply
Published minimums range from 24 hours (Nakheel) to two working days (Dubai Properties), and Emaar usually issues within a working day once documents are verified. Treat those as the floor, not the plan. Apply three to five working days ahead, and a week or more if you are moving in the last week of the month, when service lift slots in the busy towers go first.
Apply for both ends at once. The permit for the building you are leaving and the one for the building you are moving into are separate, and a move needs both on the same day.
Moving out: what blocks a permit
Move-out permits are held while service charges or community fees are outstanding, which catches owners who are selling and tenants whose landlord is behind. Tenants usually also need the landlord's NOC. Check both a week before the move, not the night before.
Close or transfer the DEWA account after the move, not before, and keep the final bill: the next building will ask for a DEWA bill in your name, and the landlord's deposit refund often waits for the final reading.
Moving hours
Most Dubai communities allow moves in the daytime, commonly from about 08:00 to between 17:00 and 19:00, with Friday and public holiday moves restricted or needing special approval. DAMAC communities restrict moves to weekdays. Towers set their own lift slots inside those hours, often two to four hours long.
The approved window is printed on the permit. Plan the whole day inside it, including placement and packaging removal at the new home, because a building will stop a move that runs over.