If your shoot is anything beyond a personal phone video, you almost certainly need a permit before you roll — and for private venues, an additional NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the property itself. This page walks through who needs what, what it costs, and how long to budget.
Do you actually need a permit?
Generally NOT required: casual personal phone footage, non- commercial travel clips, filmed in unrestricted public areas, not disrupting anyone.
Required: anything commercial or monetized — ads, brand content, corporate videos, music videos, documentaries, and (as of current regulations) monetized YouTube/social content, even from a solo creator. The moment sponsorship, ad revenue, or paid collaboration enters the picture, it's treated as commercial activity regardless of crew size.
Using professional-grade equipment (tripods, lighting rigs, reflectors, larger crews) also tends to trigger the requirement even for otherwise casual-looking content — expect security at popular spots to flag anything beyond a handheld phone.
Who's the authority, and who can actually apply
- Dubai: Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC).
- Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Film Commission (ADFC) — see the Free-Zone Matcher guide for the related twofour54 production rebate.
- Other emirates: local authority / National Media Council (NMC).
Important restriction: in Dubai, individuals and international production companies cannot apply directly. Only a UAE-licensed production company registered with DFTC can submit an application — they act as your legal sponsor. If you don't already have one, you'll need to partner with a local production house or a "fixer" service that specializes in this.
The three location categories (each needs different sign-off)
| Category | Examples | Who signs off | |---|---|---| | Government | roads, desert, bridges, souks | Relevant government authority | | Public/municipal | parks, beaches | RTA (roads/walkways) or Municipality (parks/beaches) | | Private | malls, restaurants, villas, offices, clinics, hotels | DFTC permit + a separate NOC from the property owner/management |
For private locations, the NOC has to be secured first, then submitted alongside your DFTC application — DFTC won't approve a private-location shoot without it.
What you'll need to submit
- Script, storyboard, or a detailed project synopsis
- Shooting schedule (dates, times, locations)
- Full crew list with passport/visa copies
- Commissioning letter (from whoever hired the production company — a template is generally available via DFTC)
- NOC from the property owner (private locations only)
- Insurance details
- Equipment list
- Drone details, if applicable (separate approval track — see the Drone Guide)
Some private venues (malls, iconic buildings) have their own house rules on top of this — filming hours, equipment limits, or their own insurance requirements. Confirm directly with the venue early.
Costs (confirm current figures — these move)
- Application fee: AED 520, non-refundable, generally covers multiple locations/days within one application.
- Public location fee: commonly cited around AED 2,520.
- Private location fees: anywhere from AED 0 to AED 25,000+ per day, entirely dependent on the venue — a client's own office might be free, while an iconic mall or landmark can carry substantial fees for security, cleaning, and crowd management.
- Drone filming: a separate approval process and fee on top of ground filming (see the Drone Guide).
Timeline
- Standard approval: 2–5 business days.
- Sensitive locations (airports, mosques, government buildings, residential areas, malls, hotels): allow up to 10 business days.
- Drone-inclusive or multi-location/large-crew shoots: apply 2–3 weeks ahead to leave room for the extra aviation/security clearance layer.
Rule of thumb: apply at least 1–2 weeks before your shoot date, more if anything sensitive is involved.
Off-limits, permit or not
Regardless of permit status, filming is not permitted at: government departments and ministries, royal palaces, military installations, and refineries. Sensitive government and security locations sit outside what any permit can authorize.
Practical notes
- Script/storyboard content is reviewed for cultural and legal fit — anything disrespectful of UAE culture, religion, or political sensitivities will be rejected outright.
- Keep a printed copy of your digital permit on set — authorities can and do ask to see it.
- Filming without the right permit/NOC risks fines, denied access on the day, or equipment confiscation — the cost of doing it properly is almost always lower than the cost of a shut-down shoot.
- If you don't have an existing local production-company relationship, budget both time and a service fee for a fixer/production partner — this is often the fastest way through the process for independents and international crews alike.
Fees, processing times, and venue-specific rules shift over time — if you've recently gone through this process and something here is out of date, flag it so the next person planning a shoot has accurate numbers.