Photography and filming permits in Dubai: when you need one, what it costs and who applies

"Do we need a permit for this?" is the first question on most commercial shoots in Dubai, and the honest answer is that it depends on three separate things: what you are filming, where you are filming it, and whether anything is flying. This is how the rules work as we apply them on our own productions, with links to the sources so you can check the current position yourself. Rules and fees change; the authorities' own pages take precedence over anything written here.

Who issues permits

Commercial filming and photography in Dubai is regulated by the Dubai Film and TV Commission, the government body that reviews scripts and issues location permits for the emirate. Applications are made by a UAE-licensed production company; an individual or an international brand that wants to shoot in Dubai works through a local production house rather than applying directly (Khaleej Times, October 2024). That is one of the reasons a Dubai production partner is part of nearly every international shoot here.

What needs a permit, and what does not

Permits are required for commercial productions: films, television, documentaries and advertisements. They are not required for weddings, events, footage for schools and colleges for educational purposes, or filming for personal use, according to the commission's guidance as reported by Khaleej Times. In practice the line that matters for our clients is this:

• A brand film, a commercial, a product campaign or a corporate video shot anywhere in Dubai is a permitted production.
• Coverage of your own conference, gala or launch inside a venue is event filming: no commission permit, but the venue's written permission is still required and hotels and malls have their own rules.
• Personal photography and casual phone video in public places is not what the permit system is for, though security staff at malls and landmarks apply their own policies, and a tripod, lights or a crew will be treated as a professional shoot wherever it happens.

When in doubt we ask the commission rather than guess, because the fines are not small.

Fees and timelines

The published figures, as reported in October 2024: a non-refundable application fee of AED 520 per application; location fees for government-controlled public locations from AED 0 to AED 2,500 depending on the type of project; and private locations charging anything from nothing to AED 25,000 per day at the owner's discretion. Script approval for scripted productions can take up to 25 business days, which is why a campaign shooting on a public beach next Thursday is a campaign that should have applied last month (Khaleej Times).

The same article lists the fines: AED 25,000 for filming without permission, AED 15,000 for shooting without the location's permission, AED 25,000 for filming activities that were not approved, and AED 20,000 for other violations such as damaged property or unpermitted structures.

The location's permission is a second, separate yes

A commission permit does not replace the consent of whoever controls the location. Public beaches, parks, the Marina walk and Downtown are managed by government entities or master developers; hotels, malls, towers and private villas belong to someone. Each of them can say no, charge a fee, restrict hours or equipment, ask for insurance, or require a no-objection letter. We secure the location's written permission before the permit application, because the application asks for it, and we carry both on the day. The AED 15,000 fine for shooting without the location's permission exists precisely because people assume one document covers everything.

Drones are a different system entirely

Aerial filming is not an add-on to a filming permit. In Dubai it involves the aviation regulators as well as the film commission: the operator and the aircraft are registered with the UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority, a no-objection certificate for the specific flight comes from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, and the filming itself still needs the commission's approval for aerial work.

Two things make 2026 unusual. From late February 2026 the GCAA suspended the operation of unmanned aircraft across UAE airspace under Safety Decision 2026-03 (GCAA Safety Decision 2026-03, Issue 02), and industry notices reported commercial operations resuming from 30 June 2026 under the existing licensing framework. Before that, recreational flying had been restricted since January 2022 and only partially reopened in late 2024 and early 2025, with all users required to register through the GCAA's drone platform (The National, January 2025). The practical rule: never plan a shoot around a drone shot until the operator has confirmed, in writing and against the current GCAA decisions, that the flight can be permitted on that date at that location. We treat aerial footage as a bonus until the certificate is in hand.

Photographing people is a legal question of its own

A permit lets you film a place. It does not let you film a person. Article 44 of the UAE's Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on countering rumours and cybercrimes makes it an offence to photograph people without their consent, whether in a public or a private place, and to transfer, publish or keep such images; law firms summarise the penalty for the basic offence as imprisonment of not less than six months and a fine of AED 150,000 to 500,000, with courts looking at intent (Al Suwaidi & Company on Article 44; Hadef & Partners, January 2024; the law itself is published on the UAE Legislation portal). There is no general "it was in public" exception of the kind other countries have.

For a commercial shoot that means model releases for anyone identifiable, clearing a public frame of bystanders or blurring them, and, at events, a clear notice at registration that filming is taking place and a way for guests to opt out. We do all three as a matter of course. This is general information from a studio, not legal advice; a lawyer is the right person for a specific situation.

Our checklist before any Dubai shoot

• What is it: personal, event coverage, or a commercial production? Only the last needs the commission.
• Where is it: private premises, a managed public space, or both? Get the owner's written yes first.
• Is anything flying? Then the GCAA and DCAA are involved, and the schedule has to allow for it.
• Who will be in frame? Releases, a clean frame, or a notice and an opt-out.
• What does the venue add: insurance, hours, equipment limits, a fee?
• Has the application gone in early enough for the review time, with the location consent attached?

Get those six answered and a Dubai shoot is a well-organised day. Skip them and it is a conversation with security at 6 a.m. followed by an invoice from the government.

Sources

• Dubai Film and TV Commission: the permitting authority; the fee schedule and guidelines are behind the commission's own portal.
• Khaleej Times, "Dubai: How to apply for filming permit; rules, fines, process explained" (October 2024): fees, exemptions, timelines and fines as reported.
• GCAA Safety Decision 2026-03, Issue 02: the 2026 suspension of unmanned aircraft operations.
• GCAA, UAS registration: registering unmanned aircraft and their operators.
• The National, "Drone use in UAE restricted to residents with valid permits" (January 2025): the partial reopening after the 2022 restrictions and the registration requirement.
• Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on the UAE Legislation portal, with commentary from Al Suwaidi & Company and Hadef & Partners: photographing people without consent.