Change Company Address in a UAE Free Zone: Steps and Deadlines

Key takeaways

• Changing a UAE free zone company's address means filing an amendment with your free zone authority; DDA and JAFZA publish a processing time of 1 working day and DMCC publishes 2 business days (excluding its premises inspection), as checked on 14 October 2026.
• A UAE company registered with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) must notify the FTA of an address change within 20 business days of the change, through EmaraTax, and the amendment service itself is free.
• The corporate tax penalty for failing to notify the FTA of a change is AED 1,000 for a first violation and AED 5,000 for a repeat within 24 months (Cabinet Decision No. 75 of 2023).
• Updating the address on a free zone licence does not update the FTA's record automatically; the two filings are separate and each has its own deadline.
• Free zone fees for an address change vary: Dubai Development Authority (DDA) lists AED 520 in total, while DMCC and JAFZA do not publish an amount on their guidance pages.

How do you change your company address with a UAE free zone?

You submit an address amendment through your free zone's online portal, with proof of the new premises, and pay the amendment fee; the free zone then issues an amended licence. The steps below follow the pattern that DMCC, DDA and JAFZA publish.

1. Confirm your licensed activity is allowed at the new property type and that the new space supports your visa count.
2. Secure the new premises and complete any fit-out the free zone requires before applying (DMCC requires this for physical offices and shops).
3. Gather the tenancy contract or lease, the Ejari certificate where it applies, and any no-objection certificate (NOC) or board resolution your free zone asks for.
4. Submit the amendment request on your free zone portal: the DMCC member portal, the Dubai Trade portal for JAFZA ("Registration Amendment, Change Registered Address"), or the AXS portal for DDA.
5. Pay the fee and respond to any request for additional documents.
6. Collect the amended licence, then update the FTA, your bank, your visa and PRO records, and your invoices.

Accurate as of 14 October 2026. Other free zones, including IFZA, Meydan and those outside Dubai, set their own process and fees, so check the authority that issued your licence.

What documents does a free zone ask for when you change address?

The core document is proof of the new premises, usually a tenancy contract or lease, plus an Ejari certificate for Dubai properties where it applies. The rest depends on the free zone and the type of space.

DMCC publishes the most detailed list. For a physical unit it asks for a valid Ejari certificate (or a lease if Ejari does not apply), a title deed for owned units, a third-party NOC for regulated activities, and the applicable Operational Fitness Certificate. For a flexi desk or DMCC business centre move, only a third-party NOC is needed where applicable.

JAFZA's guide names a notarised and attested board resolution for branches registered overseas. DDA's page lists documents as "Not Applicable" but tells applicants to upload required documents in the portal, so confirm the list with DDA first.

For SHAMS, we could not find a published address-change procedure or fee list on an official page, so ask SHAMS for the current requirements before you commit to a lease.

How much does an address change cost in total?

The free zone amendment fee is only one line, and the lease and any fit-out usually cost more. The officially published fees are below.

Accurate as of 14 October 2026. The Dubai Land Department page does not address commercial tenancies directly, so confirm the Ejari route and fee for your lease with it.

Do you have to tell the FTA about a new company address?

Yes. If your company is registered with the FTA for corporate tax, VAT or excise tax, the FTA lists a change of principal place of business address as a change you must notify within 20 business days of the date it occurs.

The 20 business day rule comes from Cabinet Decision No. 74 of 2023 (the Executive Regulation of Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022 on Tax Procedures). You amend your record on EmaraTax through UAE Pass, and the service is free.

1. Log in to EmaraTax and open your Taxable Person Account.
2. Choose the amendment type: the options menu next to the relevant tax type, or Taxable Person Details for unified profile information.
3. Enter the new address and upload supporting documents, which include your valid trade licence.
4. Submit the application; the FTA estimates 20 business days to process a complete one.

If you'd rather not track these dates by hand, the free UAE compliance calendar lists them for your company.

20 business days: the maximum time to notify the FTA of an address change, counted from the date the change occurs. Source: Cabinet Decision No. 74 of 2023, as stated on the FTA Tax Records Amendment service page, checked 14 October 2026.

What is the penalty for not updating your address with the FTA?

For corporate tax, the penalty for failing to inform the FTA of a case requiring an amendment is AED 1,000 for a first violation and AED 5,000 for each repeat within 24 months of the last one. It is Item 4 of the penalty table annexed to Cabinet Decision No. 75 of 2023.

The FTA's grace period for late tax record updates ended in March 2025, so that relief no longer applies. VAT has its own penalty schedule; check the FTA's current table for the VAT amount.

Is the process different for a mainland company?

Yes. A mainland company amends its licence with the economic department of its emirate rather than a free zone, and the details differ by emirate.

In Dubai, the Dubai Economy service page lists a rent contract as the requirement for a site modification and an amendment request fee of AED 500, as checked on 14 October 2026; it states no processing time. The FTA's 20 business day deadline applies to a mainland company in the same way.

What most guides don't tell you

• The FTA clock starts when the change happens. The FTA service page counts the 20 working days from the date the change occurs, not from the date your amended licence arrives. If you move on 1 November and the amended licence arrives on 10 November, treat 1 November as the start.
• Sequence matters for the paperwork. The FTA asks for a valid trade licence as supporting evidence and says the entered information must match the documents. In practice that means amending the licence first, then the FTA record, so the two show the same address.
• Applications can lapse. DMCC voids draft requests after 60 calendar days without action and nullifies requests waiting on you after 90 calendar days from the return date, so a half-finished request can force you to start again.
• A cheaper desk can cost you visas. DMCC will not approve a move to a smaller unit if your current visa count exceeds the new unit's quota, and it does not allow retail activities from an office or flexi desk. Check both before you sign a lease.

Which deadlines apply to your company?

An address change is one of several dates your company has to track across the free zone, the FTA and your visas. Qawi offers a free calendar of your company's UAE tax and compliance deadlines, personalised from a few questions, as a PDF and calendar file. Get yours at qawi.ae/calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change my company's legal form from sole establishment to LLC? A change of legal form is a different amendment from an address change and is filed with your licensing authority, with its own documents and fees. Requirements vary by authority, so confirm the list with yours before you start.

What is a board resolution and when do I need one in the UAE? A board resolution is a written decision by your company's directors or managers approving an action, such as moving premises. JAFZA lists a notarised and attested board resolution for address changes by branches registered overseas, so ask your authority whether it wants one for your case.

How do I increase share capital in a UAE company? A capital increase is an amendment to the company's constitutional documents, filed with your licensing authority separately from an address change. If you are doing both, submit them as separate requests and check each authority's current requirements.

How do I get documents attested for a UAE company? Attestation requirements depend on where the document was issued and which authority is asking for it. Your free zone or licensing authority will state whether it needs attested or notarised copies, so ask before you pay for attestation.

About Qawi · Qawi is a corporate services firm licensed in the Sharjah Media City (SHAMS) free zone, handling company formation, visas and PRO, bookkeeping, VAT and corporate tax for UAE businesses. Guides are researched from FTA, Ministry of Finance and free zone sources. Qawi on LinkedIn

Sources

• FTA: Tax Records Amendment service
• FTA: grace period for updating tax registration information
• Ministry of Finance: Cabinet Decision No. 75 of 2023 and its amendments on administrative penalties (corporate tax)
• DMCC: licence amendment guidelines
• Dubai Development Authority: change of company address
• JAFZA: company's address change
• Dubai Economy: modify licence request
• Invest in Dubai: request to amend trade licence
• Dubai Land Department: register or renew Ejari contract

Last checked: 14 October 2026

This is general information, not tax or legal advice for your specific situation.

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