How to apply for a Planning Permit in Dubai?

This service enables you to obtain a planning permit on the plot which is an official document issued by the Executive Planning Department, stipulating the approval to develop a real estate (plot / building) in a way that is different from the planning legislation mentioned in the affection plan of the plot and for the benefit of the investor and the emirate, according to special planning criteria and requirements that are determined and must be observed and adhered to.

The planning permit is issued if the following sub services were approved:

• Utilizing residential villa for conditional commercial activities

• Adding conditional commercial activities to industrial plots

• Adding conditional commercial activities to labour camps

• Permitting Hotel Facilities

• Plot splitting, amalgamation and modifying plots dimensions

• Change in zoning regulations (Land-use, height, setback, parking spaces, GFA and FAR)

• Partial change of the land-use

• Permitting the existing condition

• Adding an additional residential unit in private residential plots

• Access through public facilities plots

• Build investment villas

• Renew or transfer special approvals

•  Calculate Fees for a special approval

• Requesting to renew or transfer previous planning permits as well as calculation fees for an initial approval is also obtained through this service.

Documents Required to apply for a Planning Permit in Dubai

Depending on the sub-service type as the following: 

Utilizing conditional commercial activities in residential villas: 

1. Setting out plan clarifying the proposed location .
2. parking layout within the plot limit with table of calculations (if the needed activity is restaurant or coffee shop).

Adding conditional commercial activities in industrial plots: 

1. Architectural drawings of the project clarifying the requested location with table of calculations.

Adding conditional commercial activities in labor camps:

1. Setting out plan clarifying the proposed location and parking layout within the plot limit with table of calculations.

Splitting plots:

1. Architectural drawing of the splitting proposal.

 Amalgamation of plots:

1. Architectural drawings and area calculations of the proposed project (if applicable).

Change in zoning regulations (use, height, setbacks, parking, GFA and FAR):

1. Architectural drawings and area calculations of the proposed project (if applicable).

Permitting the existing condition:

1. Previous activity license (if applicable).

Partial change of use:

1. Architectural drawings of the project clarifying the requested location with table of calculations.

Access through public facilities plots:

1. Architectural drawing of the proposed access (if applicable).

Permitting Hotel and hospitality use: 

1. Architectural drawings of the proposed project (if applicable).

Adding an additional residential unit in private residential plots (social needs):

1. Copy of the landlord and concerned individuals family book.
2. Copy of Concerned individuals' Passport with showing Dossier/file number.
3. Proof of current residence (Landlord and concerned individuals).

 Adding investments villas in residential plots:

1. Architectural drawings of the proposed project (if applicable).

Unblock transaction for frozen blocks:

1. NOC letter from the authorized entity. 

Important notice: Please note, it is required to attach a letter of no objection from the landlord if the application is submitted by the tenant or other representative of the landlord.

How to apply for a Planning Permit in Dubai?

• Login to Planning Service website - Dubai Municipality.

• Apply for the service.

• Check Dubai Municipality's reply (Approved/Rejected/To be Amended or Completed) through the website or e-mail.

• Pay the due fees (if any).

• Receive the permit through Dubai Municipality website (the service window).

Time Required

• 5 working days (processing time might vary for unusual requests that require a special and detailed planning study).

Fees Required

• Fees are based on the service acquired, noting that the land-use/plot division change fees are 1% of the plot's value.

• Knowledge and Innovation Fees: AED 20.

Terms and Conditions

• If there were any remarks on the application or it was incomplete, you must fulfil all requirements and submit the application again for consideration and approval.

• You must complete the additional procedures related to other services after obtaining the planning permit according to the conditions of each permit.

• No change different from the permitted shall be applied before obtaining a new planning plan.

• You must comply with all planning and building requirements according to the regulations adopted by Dubai Municipality if not stipulated in the permit.

• Comply with all operative planning and building requirements of the regulations approved by Dubai Municipality if stated in the permit

• The application will cancelled if the due fees not paid within.

Applications are studied according to the specified criteria as follows:

Standards for using a residential villa for a service activity:

In case they request to use the villas located along Jumeirah Street or Al Wasl Road for service activities:

• The entrance of villa should be from one of Al-Wasl Street or Jumeirah only.

• The activity should be among the activities approved on Jumeirah and Al Wasl Streets referred to in the link.

• It must include the necessary parking spaces for the proposed activity within the boundaries of the villa lands and the existence of a service street or sufficient basic parking spaces to serve the activity.

In case of a request to design and complete the existing villas along Jumeirah Street or Al Wasl Road with the aim of occupying them for a conditional service activity within empty  lands:

• It should provide entrances and exits from the main street only (it is not permitted to open on internal streets serving the residential neighborhood), with the separation of vehicular movement from pedestrian movement.

• Designing the building so that it can be modified and providing all the requirements of the residential villas later in case of a conditional service activity exit, with commitment.

• It should commitment the height according to the site map and the rest of the other planning and building requirements.

• The proposed activity should be within the list of approved activities on Jumeirah or Al Wasl Streets.

• Providing all the parking spaces required for the activity.

In the event of a request to use the villas located along Jumeirah Street or Al Wasl for an activity (restaurant or coffee shop):

• The entrance to the villa should be from one of Al-Wasl Street or Jumeirah only.

• The villa should be independent (it has a separate entrance and fence in the case of villa plots).

• it should include the required parking spaces without disability within the boundaries of the villa lands, taking into account the entry and exit from the main street.

• It should take the approval of the adjacent residential neighborhood.

In case they request to use the villa for a nursery activity or services for people of determination:

• The villa should be located within the following areas: Al Baraha - Al Muteena - Abu Hail - Al Waheeda - Hor Al Anz - Al Jafiliya - Al Mankhool - Al Hudaiba - Al Wasl - Al Badaa - Jumeirah (1, 2, 3) - Al Safa (1, 2) - Al Manara - Umm Al Sheif - Umm Suqeim (1,2,3).

• The villa should  located on an inner street.

• The villa must be located at a distance of less than (200 m) from the nearest homogeneous activity.

• Obtaining the approval of the adjacent residential neighborhood.

• Sign the official working hours and pledge not to disturb.

Criteria for adding a second housing unit for social reasons:

In case of a request to add an additional housing unit (a second residential villa):

• This service concerns lands granted to residents of the Emirate of Dubai who hold the family book issued by it.

• The current residence and workplace of the owner and the concerned family members should be in the Emirate of Dubai.

• Unavailability of grant lands for the relevant family members.

• It should have social reasons: private, such as polygamy or separation of the father/ mother.

It is also permitted to add an additional housing unit (a residential suite adjacent to the villa or a residential annex separate from the villa) for the following cases:

• Requesting a home for a married son or daughter, due to the unavailability of the financial means to build his own home and the time consequential.

• The source of the family book of the relevant family members (first-degree relatives) from another emirate.

• Not holding a family book for the relevant family members (first-degree relatives) (passport only).

Standards for building investment villas:

• That the land is located within the areas of Jumeirah 1 or Jumeirah 2.

• The land must be owned by a grant or traded for purchase.

• It should be directly surrounded by the lands of investment villas and not negatively affect the lands of private housing.

• The plot area for each villa should not be less than 460 square meters.

Criteria for adding a service activity (sports activities) on industrial land:

• The land is located in light or medium industrial areas (I1- I2).

The proposed activity should be one of the following:

• (GYM, bodybuilding club, indoor sports fields, recreational sports activity, sports academy).

• Permit to occupy the front warehouses only (the warehouse is close to the entrance to the land with a direct entrance from the street side) or permission to occupy the entire warehouses on the land.

• Providing enough space to provide parking spaces (with one parking lot for every 50 square meters of the used area), with the possibility of studying the deficit in providing parking at a rate of 50% of the required parking spaces as a maximum.

Criteria for adding a service activity on the land of workers’ accommodation:

• The proposed activity should be one of the following activities: (supermarket, grocery, restaurant, salon, barber, laundry, automatic teller machine, clinic, exchange shop, in addition to the permitted services within the quiet unit).

• The total commercial area in square meters shall not exceed 0.5 multiplied by the number of workers.

• The workers accommodation should have a private entrance with a security room.

• Not canceling any basic services with the aim of converting them to service activities or having an alternative to them.

• The location of the proposed activity should be on the ground floor.

• The activity area should not exceed more than (232 square meters) for the supermarket and (100 square meters) for the rest of the activities except for the restaurant (where the area is determined according to the spaces of the spaces that will be exploited according to the approved plans in the Dubai Building Permits System).

Hotel establishments permit standards

• A hotel / hotel apartments can be used as shown in the Dubai map for hotel uses.

In case of a request to change the use of investment villas to hotel villas:

• The land should be a residential investment.

• The land area should not be less than 50,000 square meters.

• The land must contain 10 villas as a minimum.

• The necessity of having a perimeter fence for the entire complex and a common entrance to the control room.

• Provide a minimum of one common swimming pool.

• Providing a health club to serve the complex.

Land zoning criteria:

• The division shall be on lands held by a freehold.

• The division should retch the minimum approved areas and dimensions of the lands according to its approved planning system and referred to in the link.

• The division must meet the existing status and setbacks of the built-up lands.

• The necessity of providing entrances to the lands after division.

• The minimum division of farm land is (22000 square meters).

Land Consolidation Standards:

• The amalgamation shall be on lands owned by a freehold.

• The lands concerned with the merger should be in the same planning system in terms of use and height.