Quick answer: A Trakheesi permit is the Dubai Land Department approval every property ad needs before it goes live, on portals, print or social media. The brokerage applies in Trakheesi with the owner's marketing contract (Contract A for a sale). DLD lists the fee as AED 1,000 plus AED 20, and the permit number and QR code must appear on the ad.
Key takeaways
Cost: AED 1,000 plus a AED 20 knowledge and innovation fee per permit, or AED 5,000 plus AED 20 for a project launch event, per DLD's service page. Processing takes one working day.
Who applies: the licensed brokerage, through its Trakheesi account. The permit and its QR code are tied to the company.
What you need first: a marketing contract with the owner. For a ready property for sale, that is the signed Contract A.
Social media is included. Instagram, TikTok and Facebook posts, paid ads and WhatsApp status that advertise a property all need a permit.
Fines for unpermitted ads start at AED 50,000 and double for a repeat.
Rules and fees last verified: 4 October 2026.
What is a Trakheesi permit?
Trakheesi is the licensing system of the Dubai Land Department (DLD), run by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA). A Trakheesi permit, also called a DLD advertising permit or real estate ad permit, is the approval a property advertisement needs before it is published. Each permit has a permit number and a QR code linked to the verified listing details.
Rule: "Real estate brokerages must obtain a permit for any real estate advertisement or marketing material through the Trakheesi system. Additionally, the permit number must be displayed on the ad." Source: DLD Real Estate Brokerage Practice Guide, Nov 2024.
DLD's Real Estate Ad Permit service covers 14 types: newspaper, SMS, outdoor, vehicle, printed, electronic, billboard, promotional campaigns, open house events, classified ads, exhibitions, project launch events, promotion platforms and seminars. Portal listings and social media posts are electronic or classified ads.
How to get a Trakheesi permit for a listing
Sign the marketing contract with the owner. DLD asks brokers for a copy of the marketing contract with the property owner. For a ready property for sale, Trakheesi asks for the signed Contract A number before you can pay (Trakheesi user manual).
Open a permit request in Trakheesi under the brokerage's account. Agents usually prepare it; the permit is issued to the company.
Choose the permit type (electronic for portals and social media), attach a copy of the ad and set the start and expiry dates.
Pay the fee: AED 1,000 plus AED 20 for most types.
Download the permit number and QR code once it is approved, usually within one working day, and put both on the ad.
How to get a Trakheesi permit for a rental property
The steps are the same. You still need the owner's authorisation in a marketing contract before you advertise the unit for rent, and the ad's rent, size and location must match the permit.
Off-plan projects
The project must be registered with RERA, with an escrow account, and the brokerage needs a marketing contract with the developer (Practice Guide). You can check a project's registration in the Dubai REST app.
How much does a Trakheesi permit cost?
| Permit | DLD fee | Knowledge and innovation fee |
|---|---|---|
| Project launch event | AED 5,000 | AED 20 |
| All other types, including electronic ads | AED 1,000 | AED 20 |
| Exhibition | AED 10,200 booking, AED 1,020 per exhibitor | Included |
Source: DLD Real Estate Ad Permit service, checked 4 October 2026. Some blogs quote much lower per-listing figures. DLD's page does not show them, so check the amount at checkout in Trakheesi before you budget on it.
DLD does not publish a fixed validity period. You set a start and expiry date on each permit, and when it expires the ad must come down or the permit be renewed. DLD has fined companies for advertising on expired permits.
The Trakheesi permit number and QR code
Two things must appear on every ad:
The permit number, under the Practice Guide.
The QR code Trakheesi generates for the permit (DLD calls the verification service Madmoun). DLD made it a requirement on print and audiovisual ads from 24 April 2023 (DLD, April 2023).
Inspectors check that the code scans and that the ad's details match the permit (DLD, July 2024). On a reel or story, keep the QR code on screen long enough to scan.
How to check a Trakheesi permit
Scan the QR code on the ad with your phone camera. According to DLD, it shows the ad's authorised details: the advertising company, the property's condition and specifications, and whether it has already been sold or rented. If an ad has no QR code, or the details it shows do not match the ad, treat the listing with caution. Agents should scan their own codes before posting, since a code that does not scan counts as a violation.
Do Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp posts need a Trakheesi permit?
Yes, if they advertise a property. A 2016 RERA circular extended permits to social media (as reported in September 2016), and today's Practice Guide covers "any real estate advertisement or marketing material" without listing platforms. The test is what the post does, not where it appears.
| What you are posting | Needs a permit? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A Dubai listing on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook (feed, reel, story, carousel) | Yes | An electronic ad. |
| A boosted post or paid ad | Yes | Paying for reach does not change the rule. |
| A property on your personal account | Yes | The rule follows the ad, not the account. |
| WhatsApp status or a broadcast showing a property | Yes | It is marketing material. Broadcasts also fall under the UAE telemarketing rules. |
| Property Finder, Bayut and Dubizzle listings | Yes | DLD's AI platform monitors listings on all three (DLD, April 2025). |
| A promotion with prizes, discounts or fee waivers | Yes, plus extra approval | RERA Circular 1 of 2020 requires approval from RERA and Dubai Economy (now DET). |
| Your company's services, with no property shown | Separate permit type | Trakheesi has a company-services permit for this. |
| Market commentary with no listing | No official guidance | If it names or shows a specific property, treat it as an ad. |
Watch out: "It's just my personal page" is not an exemption. If a post shows a specific Dubai property for sale or rent, get it permitted first.
Do you also need the UAE advertiser permit?
Possibly. Trakheesi approves the property ad; the federal advertiser permit licenses the person publishing ad content online. It is now run by the National Media Authority (NMA service page), which lists it as free for three years and then AED 1,000, with a commercial licence and a training programme required. Press reports describe an exemption for people promoting their own business on personal accounts (Gulf News, Sep 2025). Whether that covers an employed agent posting the brokerage's listings is not clear, so ask your brokerage or the NMA.
Fines for advertising without a Trakheesi permit
AED 50,000 minimum, doubled for a repeat, under RERA Circular 1 of 2020 (DLD circular, Arabic).
Licence cancellation is possible, as DLD warned when it fined 10 companies for missing, misused and expired permits (DLD, October 2020).
Enforcement continues. DLD fined 30 companies AED 50,000 each in February 2024 (DLD) and 256 brokers in the six months to July 2024.
Checklist before you post a property ad
Your broker card and the brokerage licence are active.
Contract A (or the rental or developer marketing contract) is signed.
A Trakheesi permit is issued for this ad, and its dates cover your posting period.
Price, size and location in the ad match the permit.
The permit number and QR code are visible, and the code scans.
No prizes, discounts or fee waivers without RERA and DET approval.
You know whether you need the advertiser permit.
The ad comes down, or the permit is renewed, before it expires.
Someone is ready to answer the enquiries quickly.
Most agents skip that last box. A permitted listing can bring portal enquiries, Instagram DMs and WhatsApp messages in the same hour, and the first agent to reply usually wins the viewing.
From permitted ad to answered lead
In Majlis CRM, the permit number is part of the listing, and a listing cannot be published to the portals without one. Once the ad is live, Property Finder, Bayut, Dubizzle and WhatsApp enquiries arrive in one place, go to the right agent, and the time to first reply is tracked (lead management). For the full licensing picture, read how to become a real estate agent in Dubai, or book a demo to see it with your own listings.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Trakheesi permit?
It is the advertising permit the Dubai Land Department issues through its Trakheesi system before any property ad is published. Each permit has a number and a QR code linked to the verified listing details, and both must appear on the ad. It applies to portals, print, outdoor and social media advertising alike.
How much does a Trakheesi permit cost?
DLD's Real Estate Ad Permit page lists AED 1,000 per permit plus a AED 20 knowledge and innovation fee for every permit type except a project launch event, which costs AED 5,000 plus AED 20. Some blogs quote lower per-listing figures that DLD's page does not show, so confirm the amount at checkout in Trakheesi.
How do I get a Trakheesi permit for a rental property?
Sign a marketing contract with the owner, then have your brokerage open a permit request in Trakheesi, attach the ad, set its dates and pay the fee. Approval usually takes one working day. The rent, size and location in your ad must match the permit, and the permit number and QR code must appear on it.
How do I check a Trakheesi permit?
Scan the QR code on the ad with a phone camera. DLD says it shows the ad's authorised details, including the advertising company, the property's specifications and whether it has already been sold or rented. An ad with no QR code, or with details that do not match, should be treated with caution.
Do I need a Trakheesi permit for an Instagram post?
Yes, if the post advertises a specific Dubai property, whether it is a feed post, reel, story, boosted post or on a personal account. DLD's Practice Guide requires a permit for any real estate advertisement or marketing material. Show the permit number and a scannable QR code on the post.
What is the fine for advertising without a Trakheesi permit?
RERA Circular 1 of 2020 sets a fine of at least AED 50,000, doubled for a repeat violation, and DLD has warned that repeated breaches can lead to licence cancellation. It fined 30 companies AED 50,000 each in February 2024 and 256 brokers in the six months to July 2024.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check current requirements with DLD and RERA or a licensed adviser. Rules and fees last verified: 4 October 2026.
Sources
Real Estate Ad Permit, DLD.
Real Estate Brokerage Practice Guide, 2nd edition (Nov 2024), DLD / RERA.
RERA Circular No. 1 of 2020 on real estate advertising and promotional campaigns, DLD.
Madmoun service to verify real estate ads via QR codes (April 2023), DLD.
AI-enabled real estate advertising governance (April 2025), DLD.
Advertiser permit for individuals on social media, National Media Authority.
Advertiser permit UAE: who needs it (September 2025), Gulf News.
Real estate brokers in Dubai now need approval for property ads (September 2016), Cushman & Wakefield Core.