If you have been told you need "Ejari in RAK", the instruction is half right and the name is wrong. Ejari is operated by the Dubai Land Department and applies to Dubai only. Ras Al Khaimah runs its own tenancy registration through RAK Municipality — registration is still mandatory, and your licence and visa applications still depend on it.
- Ejari: Dubai only. Not used in Ras Al Khaimah, not used inside free zones.
- In RAK: tenancy registration through RAK Municipality, Land and Properties Sector, online with UAE Pass.
- Reported fee: AED 25 eService fee plus a percentage of the lease — sources disagree on the base and the rate.
- Prerequisite: the landlord must hold a valid title deed for the property.
- Inside a free zone: no municipal registration — the zone holds the tenancy record itself.
Ejari is a Dubai system, and only a Dubai system
Ejari is the tenancy contract registration platform of the Dubai Land Department. It has no jurisdiction in Ras Al Khaimah and is not the system any other emirate uses. The word has drifted into general use as a synonym for "registered tenancy", which is where the confusion starts.
The confusion matters because the two processes are not equivalent. Dubai Ejari has a published, fixed fee structure: AED 100 plus AED 10 knowledge, AED 10 innovation and AED 55 service partner, plus VAT. Ras Al Khaimah charges on a different basis entirely — a small service fee plus a percentage of the lease — which means the cost of registering the same rent differs substantially between the two emirates.
If a provider quotes you "Ejari" for a Ras Al Khaimah office, ask which authority they are filing with. The answer tells you whether they have done this before.
What Ras Al Khaimah uses instead
Tenancy contracts in Ras Al Khaimah are registered with RAK Municipality through its Land and Properties Sector, and the process runs online. The route described in current guidance is consistent: open the Land and Properties Sector on the RAK Municipality portal, select tenancy contract registration, sign in with UAE Pass or an account, complete the form, upload documents and pay. Registration in person at a Municipality office remains possible.
Registration is not optional and it is not a one-time formality. It is required when the contract begins and again when it is renewed, and the registered contract is what your trade licence renewal, visa applications and bank file ultimately rest on — the same structural role Ejari plays in Dubai.
Processing is reported as fast. Current guidance describes the online submission as typically taking around two working hours to process, which is a different order of magnitude from assembling the documents that precede it.
What it costs — and why the published figures differ
The figure most commonly published is a fixed AED 25 eService fee plus 5% — but sources disagree on what that 5% is applied to, and at least one source gives a different rate entirely. We are setting the disagreement out rather than averaging it, because averaging it would invent a number that no source supports.
| What the source says | Fee | Applied to |
|---|---|---|
| Majority of current property guides | AED 25 + 5% | Total lease contract amount |
| Other guides, same fixed fee | AED 25 + 5% | Annual rent |
| One municipal fee comparison | 4% | Annual rental value |
| Dubai Ejari, for contrast | AED 100 + 10 + 10 + 55 + VAT | Flat, regardless of rent |
RAK figures compiled from current UAE property portals and tenancy guides, October 2026; they conflict as shown. The Dubai Ejari figures are the published official fee structure. Confirm the current RAK basis with RAK Municipality before budgeting.
The practical consequence is worth spelling out. On a flat fee, registering a AED 40,000 office and a AED 120,000 office costs the same. On a percentage, it does not — and on a multi-year contract, whether the percentage applies to the annual rent or the whole contract value is the difference between a few hundred dirhams and a few thousand. Ask the question in those terms before you sign.
One further claim circulates and we could not corroborate it: a seven-day registration deadline with fines of AED 500 to 2,000 for late filing. It appears in a single guide and is not repeated by the others. Treat it as a reason to register promptly, not as a figure to quote.
What you need before you can register
The document set is conventional, with one prerequisite that sits entirely on the landlord's side and stops the process dead if it is missing.
- The signed tenancy contract between the parties.
- Identification for both sides — Emirates ID and passport copy for individuals, trade licence for companies.
- The landlord's title deed for the property. Current guidance is explicit that without a valid title deed the contract cannot be registered in the emirate.
- A UAE Pass account or a portal account for the online route.
The title deed condition is the one that catches tenants out, because it is not something a tenant can fix. If a prospective landlord cannot produce it, you do not have a registrable lease, and a lease you cannot register will not carry a licence renewal or a visa application. Verify it before you pay a deposit, not after.
Inside a free zone, none of this applies
If your office sits inside a free zone — RAKEZ or any other — you do not file a municipal tenancy registration. The zone holds the tenancy record internally as part of the licence file.
This is one of the genuine simplifications of a free zone setup and one reason those licences complete faster: there is no third-party registration step standing between the lease and the licence. It applies equally to a flexi desk, a serviced office and a dedicated unit inside the zone.
The flip side is that the simplification ends at the zone boundary. A company that leases outside a free zone in Ras Al Khaimah — in a commercial tower in Al Nakheel, for instance — registers with the Municipality like any other tenant. If you are weighing those two routes, the comparison is set out in our guide to mainland versus free zone office requirements.
Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah side by side
| Dubai | Ras Al Khaimah | |
|---|---|---|
| System name | Ejari | Tenancy registration, RAK Municipality |
| Authority | Dubai Land Department | RAK Municipality, Land and Properties Sector |
| Fee basis | Flat official fee | Service fee plus a percentage (reported inconsistently) |
| Inside a free zone | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Required for licence and visas | Yes | Yes |
Dubai fee structure as published by the Dubai Land Department. RAK fee basis as reported by current property guides, which conflict on the rate and the base.
The common thread is the important one: in both emirates, an unregistered tenancy is not a usable one. Whatever the system is called locally, the registered contract is the document that other processes depend on.
What to check before you sign a RAK lease
- Does the landlord hold the title deed? Without it there is no registration, and without registration the lease will not carry your licence.
- Who pays the registration fee, and on what base? Get the answer in writing, including whether the percentage applies to annual rent or total contract value.
- Does the floor area support your visa count? The ratio used across the UAE is roughly 9 to 10 m² per employee visa; the full calculation is in our office space per visa guide.
- What is excluded from the rent? Chiller, sewerage and service charges are quoted separately in a large share of RAK commercial listings.
- Will a bank accept this address? A registered lease on dedicated space is the strongest answer; see office requirements for a UAE bank account.
None of this is exotic. It is the same discipline a careful tenant applies anywhere — with the one local correction that the system is not called Ejari and the fee is not the Dubai fee.
Frequently asked questions
Is there Ejari in Ras Al Khaimah?
No. Ejari is the Dubai Land Department tenancy registration system and operates in Dubai only. In Ras Al Khaimah, tenancy contracts are registered with RAK Municipality through its Land and Properties Sector.
What does tenancy registration cost in Ras Al Khaimah?
Most current guides report a fixed AED 25 eService fee plus 5%, but they disagree on whether the 5% applies to the annual rent or the total contract value, and one comparison source gives 4% of annual rental value instead. Confirm the current basis with RAK Municipality before budgeting.
How do I register a tenancy contract in RAK?
Online through the RAK Municipality portal: open the Land and Properties Sector, choose tenancy contract registration, sign in with UAE Pass or an account, complete the form, upload the documents and pay. Registration in person at a Municipality office is also possible.
How long does RAK tenancy registration take?
Current guidance describes the online submission as typically taking around two working hours to process once it is complete. Gathering the documents beforehand usually takes longer than the filing itself.
What documents are required?
The signed tenancy contract, identification for both parties — Emirates ID and passport copy for individuals, trade licence for companies — and the landlord's title deed for the property. A UAE Pass account is used for the online route.
Do I need to register if my office is in RAKEZ?
No. A free zone holds the tenancy record internally as part of the licence file, so there is no separate municipal registration for premises inside the zone. That applies to flexi desks, serviced offices and dedicated units alike.
Is registration mandatory or just recommended?
Mandatory. It is required when the contract begins and again on renewal, and the registered contract is what licence renewals, visa applications and bank files rely on.
Is there a deadline or a fine for late registration?
One guide cites a seven-day deadline and fines of AED 500 to 2,000, but we could not corroborate that in other current sources. Treat it as a reason to register promptly and confirm any penalty directly with RAK Municipality.
We handle the registration with the lease
Tell us the floor area and visa count you need. We will come back with options in Ras Al Khaimah and confirm what registration will actually cost on that contract before you sign anything.
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