How to Get a DTCM Holiday Home Permit in Dubai

Want to list your Dubai apartment or villa on Airbnb?

You’ll need a DTCM holiday home permit before you can start taking bookings.

The permit process is handled through Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), with specific requirements for documents, fees and renewals.

At Homevy, we’ve spent over two years managing holiday homes in Dubai and regularly help property owners navigate DTCM permit applications and compliance.

We also checked DET’s Holiday Homes System User Guide and Dubai’s holiday home legislation to ensure this guide reflects the current requirements.

In this guide, you’ll learn who can apply for a DTCM permit, which documents you need, how much it costs, how long it lasts and when to renew it.

TL;DR: DTCM Permit in Dubai

• A DTCM holiday home permit is the DET approval you need before listing a Dubai apartment or villa for short-term rental.
• Individual property owners and licensed holiday home operators can apply, provided the property meets DET’s eligibility requirements.
• You’ll need documents including your ID, title deed, owner authorisation and DEWA bill, with additional documents required for company-owned properties and professional operators.
• The permit application is completed through DET’s Holiday Homes System, where you register, add your unit, upload documents, complete classification and pay the required fees.
• Each permit is valid for one year, and the Renew button only appears 30 days before expiry, so you need to plan your renewal before the window closes.
• Homevy can handle permit applications, renewals and ongoing compliance for the Dubai properties we manage.

What Is a DTCM Holiday Home Permit?

A DTCM holiday home permit is DET’s official approval for a furnished apartment or villa in Dubai to operate as a short-term rental.

The name comes from the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), which was Dubai’s former tourism authority.

In 2021, Dubai merged its tourism and economy departments under the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). DTCM is no longer a separate authority.

Under Law No. 20 of 2021, DET was established as a government department affiliated with Dubai’s Executive Council. So today, when someone says “DTCM permit,” they mean the DET holiday home permit.

There are two terms worth separating because they are not the same:

• Permit: Approval for a specific property. DET defines it as a document confirming that a furnished unit can be designated as a Holiday Home once the required conditions are met.
• Licence: Authorisation for a person or company to carry out the holiday home activity. This mainly applies to professional operators.

This matters because each holiday home needs its own permit. 

If you own three apartments and want to operate all three as holiday homes, you need three separate permits. DET requires every apartment and villa to be registered and approved before it is listed

Who Can Apply for a Holiday Home Permit in Dubai?

Both individual property owners and licensed holiday home operators can apply for a holiday home permit in Dubai. 

Image by Homevy

You qualify if you:

1. Own the property

You can register directly as a Home Owner. Three official rules apply:

• The name on your DET account must match the name on the title deed.
• Individual owners can only apply for units they own. They cannot register those units as company-owned properties.
• A first-degree relative, including a parent, child or spouse, can register the property in the owner’s name if they provide proof of the relationship.

2. You’re a holiday home operator

A holiday home operator needs a trade licence with Vacation Homes Rental listed as the activity. 

The manager’s name on the application must match the trade licence, and DET may require a physical or virtual inspection before approving the operator.

3. You rent the unit

If you’re a tenant planning to operate a holiday home, you’ll need to meet both tenancy law and DET requirements.

You’ll also need the owner’s authorisation on DET’s approved form. We explain the landlord’s side of the process in our guide to subletting regulations in Dubai.

Plus… the property must also meet DET’s requirements. It needs to be an eligible apartment or villa in an area where holiday home activity is permitted, and the sale and purchase agreement (SPA) must not prohibit it.

Does your property qualify?

Under Dubai’s implementing rules, the unit must fall into one of these four categories:

• An apartment in a building designated for the activity
• An apartment in a residential building
• A villa inside a compound
• An independent villa

You also need to prove that you have the right to dispose of the property, and the SPA must not contain a provision that explicitly blocks holiday home use.

Homevy Tip: Check your building or community rules before paying for the permit. Some communities have their own check-in and access procedures in addition to DET requirements. Emaar’s check-in policy is one example of how building-level rules can affect your operation.

Documents You Need for a DTCM Holiday Home Permit in 2026

Before you apply for a DTCM holiday home permit, make sure you have the required documents ready. For most applications, the core documents are:

• ID
• Title deed
• Owner authorisation on DET’s approved form
• DEWA bill in the owner’s or licensee’s name

Company-owned units may require additional company documents, while operators need a valid Vacation Homes Rental trade licence.

Missing documents or mismatched information can delay your application.

Homevy Tip: Open your title deed, Emirates ID and DEWA account before you start the application. Check the names letter by letter. A small mismatch is easier to fix before you submit than after your application gets held up.

How to Apply for a DTCM Holiday Home Permit

You apply for a DTCM holiday home permit online through DET’s Holiday Homes System.

Image by Homevy

The process has three main stages:

1. Create and activate your account.
2. Add your unit and upload the required documents.
3. Classify the unit, pay the required fees and print your permit.

Here’s what each stage looks like.

Stage 1: Create Your Account

1. On the Holiday Homes System login page, select Register. Accept the terms and choose Continue Application.
2. Under Registration Type, select Home Owner or Operator.
3. Complete the mandatory fields and upload your documents.
4. Review the information, accept the declaration and submit your application.

DET sends your username and password by email after registration. 

Once your registration is approved, you’ll receive a payment link for the registration fee. The payment permission is valid for one month, and your account is activated after payment.

Stage 2: Add Your Unit

Once your account is active:

1. Sign in and go to UNITS, then select Add New Unit.
2. Complete the Application Type tab.
3. Complete the Unit Information section and review the owner details.
4. Upload your documents under Documents.
5. Accept the declaration and submit.

There’s also a useful shortcut if you’re applying through the DLD route. 

Enter the Deed Number, Unit Type and Unit Deed Number, and much of the property information will populate automatically.

The DLD route also triggers an email to the property owner asking them to approve the application after submission.

Homevy Tip: Applying on behalf of an owner who lives abroad? Let them know to expect this email before you submit. Otherwise, the approval request could sit unread and hold up the application.

Stage 3: Classify, Pay and Print

Once DET approves the unit application, you need to classify the property. Dubai holiday homes are classified as either Deluxe or Standard.

1. Go to the PENDING tab and find the unit marked Requires Classification.
2. Complete the classification checklist and accept the pledge confirming that any unmet requirements will be completed before guests arrive.
3. Pay the required fees after classification.

Once payment is completed, the application is approved automatically. You then print the electronic permit and display it somewhere visible inside the holiday home.

Homevy Tip: Don’t treat the classification pledge as a formality. Make sure the property meets the requirements before you start hosting. Our Airbnb essentials inventory can help you check what you need.

You can pay online, by bank transfer, cash deposit or cheque deposit. DET recommends paying online because offline payments need to be reviewed and confirmed by its finance team before the application is approved.

How Long Does the DTCM Permit Take?

DET says holiday home applications are reviewed within one business day. For account registration, activation follows within one business day after DET receives your payment.

There’s no single timeline from application to permit because a few steps depend on you, the property owner or any inspection DET requires.

Image by Homevy

Your timeline can depend on:

• How quickly you pay the registration fee. The payment link expires after one month.
• How quickly the owner approves a DLD-route application.
• How quickly you complete the property classification.
• Whether DET requires an inspection or additional information.

So while you may see faster timelines quoted in online guides or owner experiences, those are individual experiences, not timelines guaranteed by DET.

The easiest way to avoid unnecessary delays is to have your documents ready, check that the details match and respond to DET requests promptly.

How to Renew Your DTCM Holiday Home Permit

You renew a DTCM holiday home permit through DET’s Holiday Homes System.

Each permit is valid for one year, and you need to apply for renewal before it expires if you want to continue renting the property.

The renewal process is straightforward:

1. In UNITS, find the permit marked About To Expire and select Renew.
2. Enter the new Permit Issue Date and Permit Expiry Date.
3. Complete the same steps required for a new application.

There’s an important detail to watch. The Renew button only appears 30 days before the permit expires.

If you miss that window, the permit expires and can no longer be renewed through the renewal process. We also didn’t find an official grace period in the sources reviewed.

Homevy Tip: Set a reminder 45 days before your permit expires. That gives you time to check your documents before the renewal window opens.

If you’d rather not keep track of permit dates, documents and DET requirements yourself, Homevy can handle the renewal process for you. 

For property owners who want to rent their apartment or villa as a short-term rental, we manage the DET permit process, renewals and ongoing compliance for the properties we manage.

That means you can hand over the administrative work while Homevy handles the operational side of getting and keeping your property ready for short-term guests.

What You Must Do After Your Permit Is Approved

Getting your permit is only the beginning. Once your holiday home is approved, there are several requirements to keep up with:

• Display the permit: Print and display the electronic permit inside the unit.
• Display the QR code: Download and print the unit’s QR code and place it below the DEWA premise plaque outside the door.
• Include the permit number in your ads: Your permit number must appear in your holiday home advertisements.
• Record guest stays: Guest check-ins and check-outs must be recorded.
• Pay Tourism Dirham: Tourism Dirham payments are handled through Holiday Homes 2.0, which is separate from the main permit system.
• Keep insurance: Licensees must have comprehensive insurance from an insurer licensed in Dubai. The policy must cover damage guests may suffer and remain valid for the licence term.

Common DTCM Permit Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Most DTCM permit delays come down to a few avoidable mistakes. Mismatched names, the wrong DEWA bill, an expired payment link and a missed renewal window can all create unnecessary delays.

Before you apply, check these six points:

1. Name mismatch: Your DET account name must match the title deed. Check the spelling and order carefully.
2. Wrong DEWA bill: The bill must be in the owner’s or licensee’s name and meet DET’s three-month requirement.
3. Letting the payment link expire: The payment link is valid for one month, so don’t leave it until the last minute.
4. Applying as the wrong entity: Individual owners can only apply for units they own. They can’t apply as though the property were company-owned.
5. Listing before classification: Complete the classification requirements before you start hosting guests.
6. Missing the 30-day renewal window: The renewal button only appears 30 days before expiry, so missing the window can cause the permit to expire.

If you’d rather not keep track of these requirements yourself, Homevy can handle the permit process, renewals and ongoing compliance for the Dubai properties we manage. 

That gives you a way to put your property into short-term rental without having to manage every DET requirement yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions About Getting a DTCM Holiday Home Permit

1. What is a DTCM permit?

A DTCM permit is the common name for a holiday home permit issued by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). It approves a specific furnished apartment or villa for short-term rental.

You need one permit per unit before listing the property on Airbnb, Booking.com or another platform.

2. What does DTCM stand for?

DTCM stands for the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. It was Dubai’s tourism authority until 2021, when Law No. 20 established the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).

DET now issues and administers holiday home permits.

3. How much is a holiday home permit in Dubai?

DET’s portal charges AED 370 per year for a studio or one-bedroom unit, plus AED 300 for each additional bedroom, up to AED 1,270 per unit.

A one-off account registration fee also applies when you first join the system.

4. How do I get a holiday home licence in Dubai?

Register on DET’s Holiday Homes System as a Home Owner or Operator, then add your unit and upload the required documents.

Once DET approves the application, classify the unit and pay the required fees. The permit is then issued automatically.

5. Can I rent my Dubai property on Airbnb without a permit?

No. DET requires every apartment and villa to be registered and approved before it is listed.

Dubai’s fee schedule includes fines such as AED 5,000 for conducting the activity without a licence. Repeat violations within one year can result in doubled fines, subject to the applicable maximum.

6. How long is a DTCM permit valid?

A DTCM holiday home permit is valid for one year.

You can renew it for another year, but the Renew button only appears 30 days before the permit expires.

7. What happens if my DTCM permit expires?

If you don’t renew within the permitted renewal window, the permit expires and cannot be renewed through that renewal process. DET may also suspend or revoke a permit in accordance with the applicable rules.

Do not continue hosting guests on an expired permit.

8. Can Homevy get the DTCM permit for me?

Yes. For properties that Homevy manages, we handle the permit application, classification, renewals and ongoing compliance.

That means property owners who want to rent their Dubai property as a short-term rental don’t have to manage the DET process and renewal deadlines themselves.

Why Dubai Owners Trust Homevy With Their DTCM Permits

Getting a DTCM permit is one thing. Keeping your property compliant while guests are coming and going is another.

Homevy handles DTCM permit applications, renewals, cancellations and appeals for the Dubai properties we manage. 

We also handle the daily operational work, including guest management, housekeeping, maintenance and property compliance, so owners don’t have to manage every requirement themselves.

That work has earned Homevy the 2026 Arabian Best of the Best Award for Best Short-Term Rental Management Company in Dubai. 

So if you want to turn your Dubai property into a short-term rental but don’t want to navigate the DET portal, track renewal dates or manage every compliance requirement yourself, Homevy can handle it for you.