Filming in Dubai: Permits, Drones, and the Rules Nobody Explains

You cannot apply for a Dubai film permit yourself. Only a UAE-licensed production company registered with the Dubai Film and TV Commission can file on your behalf.

That single fact catches out more international productions than anything else. Brands arrive with a crew, a schedule, and a budget, and discover in week one that the paperwork has to run through a local entity they have not appointed yet.

I produce work in Dubai across corporate, automotive, aviation, yachting, and real estate, and I pull these permits regularly. Here is how the system actually works, what it costs, and where productions lose time.

When you need a permit

Almost always. The Dubai Film and TV Commission requires permits for media production across essentially every format: advertising, short form, long form, documentary, and stills photography included.

The common assumption is that permits are for feature films and TV, and that a two-person corporate shoot slips under the radar. It does not. If you are filming with professional equipment for commercial purposes, you need the permit, whether you are on a public street, on private property, or on government-owned land.

The categories that trip people up:

• Private property is not exempt. Filming inside a client's office, a villa, a restaurant, or a mall still requires the DFTC permit, plus a No Objection Certificate from the property owner.
• Stills count. Photography is explicitly covered.
• Small crews count. There is no team-size threshold that exempts you.

What it costs

Two separate things: the application fee, and the location fee.

The application fee is a non-refundable processing charge of around AED 500 to 520. Published figures differ slightly between the commission and production companies, so check the current rate on the official DFTC page. The useful part is that a single application can cover multiple days and multiple locations, so a five-day shoot across four locations is one fee, not twenty.

Location fees vary enormously. Public locations follow a published fee matrix that depends on the project type. Private locations are capped at a maximum of AED 25,000 per day, but the actual figure is at the property owner's discretion and depends on demand. In practice this ranges from nothing to that ceiling. Filming in your client's own office is typically free. Filming at a landmark or inside a mall brings in security, cleaning, and supervision costs.

Then there are the additions that do not appear on any fee schedule: police presence in certain areas, road closure and traffic management, and production insurance, which is required.

The approval chain, and why it takes longer than you think

DFTC is the entry point, not the whole process. Depending on where you shoot, you will also need:

• RTA for roads, highways, and walkways.
• Dubai Municipality for parks and beaches.
• The property owner's NOC for any private location.

DFTC review typically runs three to five working days once the file is complete. The phrase doing the work there is "once the file is complete." Incomplete submissions are where schedules die.

What you need ready:

• The shooting script or a detailed project brief. Scripts are reviewed, and DFTC can reject an application.
• A commissioning letter from the client company appointing the licensed production company. If your company was itself hired by an end client, their NOC is needed too.
• Passport and visa copies for the crew.
• An equipment list.
• Location list and production schedule.
• Proof of insurance.

For international crew this matters more. Approval of the script and issuance of the permit come before the crew arrives on site, and international crew need valid work or business visas to take part. Landing on a tourist visa and expecting to shoot is a common and expensive mistake.

Drones: the part that changed twice in 2026

Dubai runs a two-layer system, and this is where most guidance online is out of date.

Federal layer, GCAA. All operators register through the GCAA's UAS gateway. Commercial work requires a Remote Pilot Licence and operator authorization, not just a registered aircraft.

Emirate layer, DCAA. Dubai requires its own separate approval from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority on top of the federal registration. A valid GCAA registration alone does not let you fly in Dubai. Flight requests generally need to go in around five business days ahead, and aerial filming usually needs the DCAA clearance alongside the DFTC permit.

Standing operational limits: 120 metres (400 feet) maximum altitude, visual line of sight at all times, daylight only, and clear separation from people, vehicles, buildings, airports, and government or military sites. Airspace restrictions change in real time around VIP movements and major events, so the airspace map has to be checked before every flight, not once at the planning stage.

The 2026 timeline, and I want to be precise about it. The GCAA issued Safety Decision 2026-03 at the end of February 2026, suspending all authorizations for unmanned aircraft systems across UAE airspace with immediate effect. Existing permits were void pending review and the aerial sector stopped. Broader UAE airspace restrictions were lifted on 2 May 2026, and commercial drone operations were cleared to resume on 30 June 2026, with clearance reported from both the GCAA and the DCAA after a four-month shutdown. That is the position as this article is published.

The honest guidance: verify the current status with GCAA and DCAA before you build a shoot around aerials. Anything you read online about UAE drone rules, including this article, should be treated as a starting point and not as clearance. If aerial footage is essential to a campaign, plan a ground-based fallback. Penalties for flying without correct authorization are substantial, and enforcement is active.

Content rules that affect the edit, not just the shoot

Scripts are reviewed, and content standards are real. A few things to build into planning rather than discover in post:

• Government buildings, military sites, and critical infrastructure are off limits without specific approval.
• Privacy rules are strict. Filming identifiable people without consent, and publishing that footage, creates genuine legal exposure. Get releases.
• Cultural and content standards apply to what you shoot and how it is presented. Wardrobe, scenes, and locations that would pass without comment elsewhere may not here.

None of this is difficult once you know it. All of it is expensive to discover late.

Scheduling realities nobody puts in the brief

Heat. From roughly June through September, midday exterior work is not viable for talent or crew. Plan exteriors at sunrise or in the two hours before sunset, and build interiors into the middle of the day. The light at both ends is excellent, so this is not purely a constraint.

Ramadan. Working hours shorten, permissions can move more slowly, and daytime catering and behaviour on set need adjusting. It is entirely workable, and plenty of good work is shot then, but the schedule has to reflect it.

The weekend. The UAE weekend is Saturday and Sunday, with a half day Friday. Government offices and approvals follow that calendar, which affects how you count those three to five working days.

Why this ends up being an argument for a local partner

I am not going to pretend otherwise: the permit rule means international productions need a licensed local company, and that is part of what we do. But the reason it works that way is not commercial gatekeeping, it is that the licensed entity carries the compliance responsibility.

What that partner should actually be handling for you: the DFTC application and any RTA or Municipality approvals, location NOCs, insurance, crew visa status, drone authorizations where relevant, and someone on location holding the permit during the shoot.

If you want the cost side rather than the compliance side, I broke down real production pricing in how much video production costs in Dubai. And if you are at the earlier stage of scoping a shoot, how to plan a Dubai shoot that delivers results covers the strategy side, while the Dubai video production page sets out what we handle end to end.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to film in Dubai?

In almost all cases, yes. The Dubai Film and TV Commission requires permits for media production across all formats, including advertising, documentary, corporate content, and stills photography. This applies on public, private, and government-owned property, and there is no crew-size exemption.

Can I apply for a Dubai film permit myself?

No. Only a UAE-licensed production company registered with DFTC can submit the application, which is why international productions need a local production partner.

How much does a Dubai film permit cost?

The non-refundable application fee is around AED 500 to 520, and one application can cover multiple days and locations. Location fees are separate: public locations follow a published matrix, and private locations are capped at AED 25,000 per day at the owner's discretion, sometimes free.

How long does a Dubai filming permit take?

DFTC review typically takes three to five working days once the application is complete. Allow around three weeks in total for a straightforward shoot, and longer if roads, landmarks, or drones are involved. Remember the UAE working week runs Monday to Friday with the weekend on Saturday and Sunday.

Can you fly a drone for commercial filming in Dubai?

Commercial drone work requires GCAA registration and operator authorization at federal level, plus separate DCAA approval for Dubai, usually alongside the DFTC filming permit. UAE drone regulations changed more than once during 2026, so confirm the current position directly with GCAA and DCAA before planning a shoot around aerial footage.

If you are planning a shoot in Dubai and want to know what is actually achievable in your timeline, get in touch. I will tell you straight whether your dates work.