Ejari Guide · Dubai

The Ejari number: what it is,
and where to find yours

Updated August 2026 · Format 22-99999/2026 · Reissued at every renewal

An Ejari number looks like 22-99999/2026 — a prefix, a serial number and the registration year — and it is printed at the top of your Ejari certificate. It identifies the registration of your tenancy, not the property, and a brand-new one is issued every time the contract is renewed. The nine-digit number further down the same certificate is something else entirely: the DEWA premises number.

The two numbers on your certificate

Both numbers sit on the same certificate and DEWA asks for both. The Ejari number proves the tenancy is registered; the premises number tells DEWA which meter to connect.

Nearly every "I cannot find my Ejari number" is actually this confusion. The certificate carries two numbers that both look official, and forms rarely explain which one they want.

Rule of thumb: if the form is about the tenancy — a visa, a school, an RDC filing — it wants the Ejari number. If it is about the building — a meter, a bill, a connection — it wants the premises number. More on the premises number.

Reading the format

A typical Ejari contract number looks like 22-99999/2026:

22	A short prefix assigned by the registry
99999	The serial number of the registration
2026	The year the contract was registered

Because the year is part of the number, an Ejari number tells you at a glance which contract year it belongs to — and a number ending in a past year is a strong hint that the registration has expired.

Formatting varies slightly between certificate versions. What does not vary: it is the number printed at the top of the certificate, and it is not nine plain digits — that is the premises number.

Where to find it — four places, all free

The certificate PDF	Top of the page. The copy emailed to you when registration was approved
Dubai REST app	Services → Ejari Contracts → select the contract
UAE Pass	Documents → Dubai Land Department
DLD portal	dubailand.gov.ae, looked up against your Emirates ID

Lost the PDF entirely? Nothing is lost and nothing is chargeable — download it again from Dubai REST or UAE Pass. There is no reissue fee and no need to re-register. Step-by-step re-download.

It changes every year — and that catches people out

Every registration issues a new Ejari number. Renewing your lease does not extend the old number; it creates a new one on a new certificate.

Visa applications	GDRFA checks the number against the live registry — last year’s number fails even if typed correctly
DEWA	A superseded number will not validate against a current tenancy
Saved forms and autofill	A browser or an HR system holding last year’s number is a very common cause of a rejected application

After every renewal, replace the stored number wherever you keep it. Renewal guide.

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Frequently asked questions

What does an Ejari number look like?

A typical Ejari contract number reads 22-99999/2026 — a short prefix, a serial number and the registration year. It is printed at the top of the Ejari certificate. It is not the same as the 9-digit DEWA premises number, which appears further down the same page.

Where do I find my Ejari number?

At the top of the Ejari certificate PDF you received when the registration was approved. You can also pull it from the Dubai REST app under Services, Ejari Contracts, or from UAE Pass under Documents, Dubai Land Department. Re-downloading the certificate is free.

What is the difference between the Ejari number and the premises number?

The Ejari number identifies the registration and changes with every new contract. The 9-digit premises number identifies the physical property and never changes, whoever lives there. DEWA asks for both during Move In: the Ejari number proves the tenancy is registered, the premises number tells DEWA which meter to connect.

Does the Ejari number change every year?

Yes. Every registration produces a new number, so each renewal issues a fresh Ejari number and a fresh certificate. An old number does not carry forward, and a form asking for your current Ejari number wants the one from the certificate now in force.

Is the Ejari number the same as the tenancy contract number?

No. The contract number is whatever reference you or your agent put on the tenancy agreement itself. The Ejari number is issued by the Dubai Land Department when that agreement is registered. Government forms asking for the Ejari number always mean the registered one.

I lost my Ejari certificate. Can I still get the number?

Yes, and at no cost. The certificate is stored in Dubai REST under Services, Ejari Contracts, and in UAE Pass under Documents. Download it again as many times as you need — there is no reissue fee and no need to re-register.

Which number does GDRFA need for a visa application?

The Ejari contract number, taken from the current certificate. GDRFA verifies it against the registry, so an expired registration will fail the check even if the number itself is typed correctly.

The Ejari number: what it is,and where to find yours