Skip to content

7 min read Updated

UAE Advertiser Permit 2026: Cost, Who Needs It, How to Check It

Who needs the NMA's UAE Advertiser Permit, what it costs, the fines under Res. 42/2025, exemptions, visitors, disclosure and how brands check a permit number.

By the socialmediamarketing.ae team in Dubai

اقرأ بالعربية
On this page
  1. Who issues the permit
  2. Who needs it
  3. Who is exempt
  4. What it costs: two readings of the fee
  5. Requirements and how to apply
  6. Visiting creators use a different permit
  7. How to disclose ads
  8. Sectors that need approval first
  9. Penalties under Cabinet Resolution 42/2025
  10. How brands check a permit
  11. Checklist before every paid or gifted post
  12. Sources

The short version

  • Since 1 February 2026, anyone creating advertising content from inside the UAE needs a UAE Advertiser Permit from the National Media Authority (NMA), paid or unpaid (Gulf News). Gifted products and services count as payment.
  • The fee depends on the source. The NMA's service card says “First 3 years: Free of charge. After 3 years: AED 1,000.” Pinsent Masons says the free period applies only to those who registered by 31 January 2026.
  • Advertising without a permit means a written warning, then AED 20,000, then AED 50,000 under Cabinet Resolution 42/2025. Brands should ask for the permit number before they pay.

General information, not legal advice. Confirm on nma.gov.ae.

Who issues the permit

The UAE Advertiser Permit is issued by the National Media Authority (NMA). The NMA replaced the UAE Media Council, the National Media Office and WAM in December 2025 (The National, 18 Dec 2025). Articles written before then name the Media Council, so check the date on anything you read about fees or fines.

The permit is now a normal part of creator work. The UAE had licensed 15,000 content creators from more than 90 nationalities by June 2026 (Gulf News, 29 Jun 2026), and the regulator has called on companies to work only with licensed creators (The National).

Who needs it

Since 1 February 2026, anyone creating advertising content from inside the UAE needs an Advertiser Permit, whether they are paid or not. The registration deadline had been extended to 31 January 2026 (Gulf News, 1 Feb 2026, Khaleej Times).

Payment does not have to be money. Gifted products, services and other non-cash benefits count as payment (NMA service card, Gulf News, Jul 2026). In practice that covers most creator work in Dubai:

  • Paid Reels, TikToks, Stories and YouTube videos for a brand, restaurant, hotel or app.
  • Posts in return for a free meal, a hotel night, a treatment, a product or a service. Our guide to gifted collaborations covers these in detail.
  • Ambassador deals, retainers and long-term partnerships.
  • Advertising content made in the UAE by visitors, who use a separate visitor permit (see below).

Who is exempt

The National reports two exemptions (30 Jul 2025):

  • Promoting your own product or service, or one from a company you own, on your personal account.
  • Under-18s making educational, sports, cultural or awareness content.

The minimum age for the permit is 18. From 15 it is possible, with a guardian applying (Gulf News). If you are not sure an exemption fits your case, ask the NMA before you post, not after.

What it costs: two readings of the fee

This is the detail most articles get wrong, so here are both sources side by side.

The permit fee, as each source states it
SourceWhat it says
NMA service card“First 3 years: Free of charge. After 3 years: AED 1,000.” The card does not limit the free period to early registrants.
Pinsent MasonsThe free period applies only to those who registered by 31 January 2026.

If you registered by 31 January 2026, both sources agree your first three years are free. If you apply now, check the fee the NMA shows in your application before you pay, and keep a screenshot.

The permit is valid for 1 year and is cancelled if it is not renewed within 30 days of expiry (Khaleej Times). Put the expiry date in your calendar the day you receive it.

Requirements and how to apply

For residents, the NMA's service card lists three requirements and a processing time of 3 working days (NMA service card):

  • Good conduct.
  • A commercial licence.
  • Completion of the regulator's training programme.
  1. Check whether an exemption applies to you.
  2. Get your commercial licence in place.
  3. Complete the NMA's training programme. No other course replaces it, including ours.
  4. Apply on the NMA service page and keep the confirmation.
  5. When the permit arrives, note the number and the expiry date, and add the number to your social profiles.
  6. Renew on time: a permit not renewed within 30 days of expiry is cancelled.

Visiting creators use a different permit

Visitors apply through a licensed UAE advertising agency. The visitor permit costs AED 500, is valid for 3 months, can be extended to 6 months in total, and takes 3 working days (NMA visitor card). The press also mentions accredited talent agencies (Gulf News). Our guide on working with visiting influencers walks brands through it.

How to disclose ads

The Executive Regulations say any material return or commercial relationship must be clearly disclosed (Art. 33(7) of Cabinet Resolution 68/2024, via NMA legislation). They do not name a specific hashtag, so “#ad is the law” is not accurate.

What we suggest: clearly disclose it, for example with “Ad” or “إعلان” plus the platform's paid-partnership label. Put the label at the start of the caption and on screen in the first seconds of a video. Use it on gifted posts too, because gifts count as payment.

Sectors that need approval first

Some ads need prior approval on top of your permit. Under Art. 33(9) and (10) of the Executive Regulations (NMA legislation):

  • Ads for real estate, medical and health, financial services, education and food need prior approval from the relevant authority.
  • Promoting alcohol, tobacco or narcotics is banned.

Food ads are on that list. For a restaurant or café collaboration, ask the venue whether its promotion needs an approval and which one it holds before you film.

Penalties under Cabinet Resolution 42/2025

Cabinet Resolution 42/2025 sets the fines, and it applies in free zones too (Res. 42 via NMA legislation). Older figures still circulate online; these are the amounts in the resolution.

Penalties for advertisers under Res. 42/2025
BreachPenalty
Advertising without a permitWritten warning, then AED 20,000, then AED 50,000
Breaking the advertising rules, including disclosureAED 20,000, then AED 50,000
Advertising on an expired permitAED 10,000, then AED 20,000
Breaching content standardsAED 5,000 to AED 1,000,000

Repeats within a year are doubled.

How brands check a permit

Permit holders must display their permit number on their accounts (The National). The regulator has called on companies to work only with licensed creators, and lawyers advise brands to ask for the permit number before paying (Pinsent Masons).

We found no public NMA lookup for permit numbers. The closest service is a general inquiry request (NMA services, checked 28 Oct 2026). So a check today looks like this:

  1. Ask the creator for the permit number and its expiry date.
  2. Check that the same number is shown on the creator's social profiles.
  3. Write the number into the contract, with a line that the permit stays valid for the whole campaign.
  4. For a visitor, ask which licensed agency holds the visitor permit, and for its dates.
  5. If something does not match, use the NMA's inquiry service before you pay.

On socialmediamarketing.ae a creator can add their permit number to their page. It is labelled “self-declared”, because we do not check it against an NMA register. Brands should still run the steps above.

Checklist before every paid or gifted post

Run through this before you film, and again before you post.

  • My permit is valid on the posting date, and I know when it expires.
  • My permit number is visible on the account I am posting from.
  • The brand holds any prior approval its sector needs.
  • Nothing in the post promotes alcohol, tobacco or narcotics.
  • The disclosure is clear: “Ad” or “إعلان” at the start, plus the paid-partnership label.
  • The contract names the deliverables, the posting date, the label and my permit number.
  • I keep the brief, contract, invoice and screenshots of the live post.

Sources

Facts and figures in this guide come from these sources, as they stood on 28 Oct 2026.

  1. The National, 18 Dec 2025: the new National Media Authoritythenationalnews.com
  2. Gulf News, 1 Feb 2026: the Advertiser Permit becomes mandatorygulfnews.com
  3. Khaleej Times: registration deadline extension and permit validitykhaleejtimes.com
  4. NMA service card: permit for individuals advertising on social medianma.gov.ae
  5. Pinsent Masons (Out-Law): the fee condition and advice for brandspinsentmasons.com
  6. The National, 30 Jul 2025: exemptions and displaying the permit numberthenationalnews.com
  7. Gulf News: who needs the permit and minimum agegulfnews.com
  8. NMA service card: permit for visiting individualsnma.gov.ae
  9. Gulf News, Jul 2026: what visiting influencers need to knowgulfnews.com
  10. NMA legislation: Cabinet Resolution 42/2025 (penalties) and 68/2024 (Executive Regulations)nma.gov.ae
  11. NMA services list (checked 28 Oct 2026)nma.gov.ae
  12. Gulf News, 29 Jun 2026: 15,000 licensed content creatorsgulfnews.com

General information, not legal advice. Confirm on nma.gov.ae.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much does the UAE Advertiser Permit cost?

The NMA's service card says “First 3 years: Free of charge. After 3 years: AED 1,000.” Pinsent Masons says the free period applies only to those who registered by 31 January 2026. Check the fee shown in your application on nma.gov.ae before you pay.

Do I need a permit if I am only gifted products?

Yes. Gifted products, services and other non-cash benefits count as payment, and since 1 February 2026 the permit is needed for paid or unpaid advertising content made from inside the UAE.

What is the fine for advertising without a permit?

Under Cabinet Resolution 42/2025: a written warning, then AED 20,000, then AED 50,000. Repeats within a year are doubled.

Is #ad legally required?

The rules do not name a specific hashtag. They require any material return or commercial relationship to be clearly disclosed (Executive Regulations Art. 33(7)). We suggest “Ad” or “إعلان” plus the platform's paid-partnership label.

Can brands look up a permit number online?

We found no public NMA lookup. Ask for the number, check it is shown on the creator's profiles, put it in the contract, and use the NMA's general inquiry service if something does not match.

Does socialmediamarketing.ae check permit numbers?

Not today. Permit numbers on creator pages are self-declared and labelled that way. If we ever check a number, the page will say how and when.

Read next

All 7 guides