Getting your broker licence in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and beyond

In Dubai, brokers are licensed by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department (DLD). The official training is run by the Dubai Real Estate Institute (DREI). Here is the path.

Dubai, step by step

1. Get your residency visa and Emirates ID. Your agency usually helps (lesson 2).
2. Join a licensed brokerage. Your card is linked to its trade licence. Check its ORN first: see how to check an ORN or a BRN.
3. Register for the DREI Certified Training for Real Estate Brokers. Engel & Völkers and Bayut describe the DREI course as four days, covering Dubai real estate laws, ethics and brokerage practice. Approved providers also run shorter formats: one listed a two-day course at AED 2,400 in March 2026. Engel & Völkers lists the DREI training at AED 1,575. Prices change, so compare before you book.
4. Pass the RERA broker exam. It is a multiple-choice exam on law, procedures and ethics. The DLD lists an exam fee of AED 700. Sources do not agree on the pass mark (some say 70%, others 85%), so ask DREI when you book. If you fail, you pay again to resit (Engel & Völkers).
5. Get a certificate of good conduct from Dubai Police.
6. Apply for your card on Trakheesi, the DLD system, usually through your agency. Upload your photo, Emirates ID and certificates, then pay once the application is accepted. Engel & Völkers reports that the licence is issued within two working days of approval, as an e-card.

Who is exempt from the exam

The DLD exempts three groups: people over 55, brokers with 5 consecutive years in the same office, and holders of a start-up licence.

Official Dubai fees

Item	Amount (AED )
Broker exam	700
Broker card (issue)	500
Knowledge fee	10
Innovation fee	10
ERES fee	50 + VAT
Broker card (renewal)	500, plus 10 knowledge and 10 innovation

The training is paid separately to the provider. Add the good conduct certificate and your visa costs. More detail in your RERA broker card.

Renewal: every year

• The card is valid for one year (Engel & Völkers).
• Renew online on Trakheesi or in the Dubai REST app. The DLD asks for your Emirates ID and a valid passport.
• Since 2014, RERA has required a pass in the annual DREI test to renew. Register for it one month before expiry. If you miss that deadline, the DLD said you must take a training course before renewing.
• A card left to expire can be cancelled, and you start again. Put the date in your calendar.

Abu Dhabi: a different regulator

Abu Dhabi has its own system. A Dubai card does not license you there.

• Regulator: the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), under the Department of Municipalities and Transport.
• Platform: DARI, where you register as an individual broker (Services, then Professional Licensing, then Register Broker (Individual), per dubizzle).
• New course: on 8 October 2026, ADREC launched the mandatory Abu Dhabi Real Estate Broker Transformation Course. It starts with an open day, then a one-week course with a transaction simulation, and ends with a final assessment. Successful candidates become ADREC Certified Brokers, a credential renewed every year. The announcement also mentions three months of practical training: ask your provider whether it applies to you.
• Documents commonly requested: training certificate, police clearance, experience and academic certificates, a valid Emirates ID.
• Your number: once approved, you get a Broker Licence Number (BLN), which must appear on your adverts.
• Adverts: every listing needs a Madhmoun permit through DARI, approved by the owner, and a unit can be marketed by at most three brokers.

ADREC has not published a course fee in its announcement. Read become a broker in Abu Dhabi for the details.

The other emirates

• Sharjah: the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department (SRERD) issues broker and agent cards to staff of registered offices. The office applies, with a reported fee of AED 1,000.
• Ajman: the Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation issues a one-year practice card to staff of registered offices who passed an accredited qualification and hold a criminal clearance certificate.
• Umm Al Quwain: the Department of Land and Property issues realtor cards to agents of licensed offices, for a total of AED 1,100.
• Ras Al Khaimah: the Real Estate Regulatory Administration in RAK Municipality registers brokerage firms and sets the rules that qualify brokers.
• Fujairah: no separate real estate regulator. Business licences come from Fujairah Municipality.

Compare all seven on the UAE page, or read how to check a licence in the UAE.

Licensing rules changed in Abu Dhabi in October 2026 and fees move often. Check the official source (DLD, ADREC or the local authority) before you act or pay.