Zoning compatibility check
Feasibility study filing
Planning Department coordination
Change of Use Permit in Dubai
Dubai Engineering Approvals handles change of use permits in Dubai, from document preparation to final sign-off.
Get a same-week response
- Zoning classification review
- Feasibility application
- Follow-up building permit coordination
Dubai Municipality Planning Department
What Change of Use Permit covers
Converting a property from one designated use to another - retail to office, residential to commercial, or similar - requires a change-of-use feasibility review from Dubai Municipality's Planning Department, generally priced at AED 2,000-8,000. We prepare the feasibility application, confirm the new use is permitted for your plot's zoning classification, and manage the Planning Department review through to approval.
Why work with us on a change of use permit
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Zoning checked before you commit
We confirm your proposed use is actually permitted for the plot's zoning before you sign a lease or start design work.
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Complete feasibility packages
Planning's review moves faster when the feasibility submission answers their standard questions upfront.
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Follow-through to the permit
Once change of use is approved, we carry straight into the building permit or fit-out application it unlocks.
Our Process
How the change of use permit works
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Zoning check
We confirm whether your proposed use is compatible with the plot's current zoning classification.
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Feasibility application
The change-of-use feasibility study is prepared and filed with the Planning Department.
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Review
Planning assesses the application against zoning and surrounding land use.
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Approval
Once approved, we carry through into any building permit or fit-out application the new use requires.
Documentation
What we prepare and file for a change of use permit
A change of use permit submission is only as fast as its weakest document. Depending on scope, we assemble the architectural, structural, and MEP drawings the Dubai Municipality Planning Department needs to review, plus any supporting NOCs, ownership documents, or trade licences the application requires. Each submission is checked against the authority's current document list before it's filed, and we respond directly to any query the reviewer raises rather than passing it back to you to interpret.
Change of Use Permit cost & timeline
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Typical cost range
AED 2,000-8,000 for the Planning Department feasibility study, depending on the complexity of the proposed change and the property type.
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Typical turnaround
Change-of-use feasibility studies generally take longer to review than a standard permit, since Planning assesses zoning compatibility rather than just drawing compliance.
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Reviewing authority
Dubai Municipality Planning Department is the authority that reviews and issues this approval.
Change of Use Permit - common questions
How long does a change-of-use approval take?
It generally takes longer than a standard building permit, since Planning is assessing zoning compatibility rather than just checking drawings against a code.
Can any property change use in Dubai?
No - the proposed use has to be compatible with the plot's zoning classification, which is exactly what the feasibility study checks before you invest in design or fit-out.
Does change-of-use approval include the fit-out permit?
No, they're separate - change of use clears the zoning question, and a follow-up building permit or fit-out approval covers the physical construction.
Ready to move your approval forward?
Send us your drawings or documents and we will tell you exactly what the authority needs.