RERA Licensing, Dubai
RERA certification is what permits you to work as a real estate broker in Dubai. It is issued by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency of the Dubai Land Department, and it requires approved training, an examination and registration through Trakheesi. Unusually among Gulf credentials, every published cost is known.
What does RERA certification cost?
This is one of the few authorities on this site where the published fee schedule is complete. Every figure is charged by the authority or its approved provider and paid by you.
| Item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mandatory training | AED 2,400 | Mandatory certified training. Cannot be skipped, required before exam eligibility. |
| Examination | AED 784.67 | |
| Broker card | ~AED 500 | |
| Good conduct certificate | ~AED 220 | |
| Total | ~AED 3,900 |
Sources: RERA training and fees
The training fee is the largest single item and the one people are most surprised by, because they assume it is optional preparation they can decline. It is not.
Who needs RERA certification?
Anyone practising as a real estate broker in Dubai. The certification is held by the individual and evidenced by a broker card and a Broker Registration Number, so working under a licensed brokerage does not cover you.
The practical trigger is any activity that constitutes brokerage: listing, marketing, introducing buyers and sellers, or negotiating on their behalf. If that is the work, this is the credential.
What is the RERA certification process?
Four steps, and the order is worth reading carefully because it is not the order most people assume.
- Step 01
Complete approved training (2 days)
Training is legally mandatory before exam eligibility. It is not optional preparation and it cannot be skipped by someone experienced in the field.
- Step 02
Pass the RERA exam using a valid Emirates ID
Sat using a valid Emirates ID. The examination fee is payable in full on each attempt.
- Step 03
Obtain sponsorship from a brokerage firm
Sponsorship is needed only after passing the exam, not before. You can complete training and the examination while still deciding which brokerage to join.
- Step 04
Register through Trakheesi to receive broker card and BRN
Registration through Trakheesi produces the broker card and the Broker Registration Number that lets you trade.
How long does RERA certification take?
The approved training runs two days. That figure is published and it is the only part of the sequence with a confirmed duration.
[VERIFY: end-to-end RERA certification timeline, from enrolment to broker card. Obtain from the Dubai Land Department before publishing a range.]
What varies is examination scheduling and how quickly you secure sponsorship from a brokerage, which is a hiring question rather than a regulatory one and therefore not something any adviser can put a number on.
What documents are required?
RERA does not publish a full checklist we have been able to source, but the process itself names several items directly.
- Valid Emirates IDNamed in the process: the examination is sat using it.
- Good conduct certificateA published cost item at around ~AED 220, so it is a required part of the file rather than an optional extra.
- Passport and photograph
- Approved training completion certificateEvidence of the mandatory training, which gates examination eligibility.
- Brokerage sponsorship documentationNeeded at the Trakheesi registration step, not before the examination.
Why do RERA applications fail?
[VERIFY: RERA published rejection reasons. No authority-specific list has been sourced.]
The failure modes visible in the published process are about sequence rather than paperwork. Attempting to register for the examination without having completed the mandatory training will not work, because the training is a legal condition of eligibility. Nor will presenting at Trakheesi without brokerage sponsorship, which is required at that final step.
The other is the examination itself. The fee is payable again on each attempt, so a failed sitting has a direct cost on top of the delay.
What does it cost in total?
Unusually for this site, we can give you a complete published answer for the regulator side.
- Mandatory training
- AED 2,400
- Examination
- AED 784.67
- Broker card
- ~AED 500
- Good conduct certificate
- ~AED 220
- Total, all in
- ~AED 3,900
- Our advisory fee
- Quoted per case, in writing, after a free eligibility consultation
Given how complete the published schedule is, it is worth saying plainly: you can do this yourself. The training provider and the Dubai Land Department both deal with individuals directly. Read the costs page and decide whether you need anyone in the middle.
Which roles does RERA certification cover?
The data we hold records no role breakdown for RERA, and no role-specific pages are published. The certification covers brokerage practice in Dubai as a single credential rather than splitting by specialism.
Our RERA training page covers the mandatory course itself, and other regulated professions are listed on the licensing hub.
What else do people ask about RERA?
Do I have to do the training, or can I just sit the exam?
Training is legally mandatory before exam eligibility: it is not optional preparation. You cannot register for the examination without it, however much real estate experience you already have. At AED 2,400 it is also the single largest published cost in the process.
Do I need a job with a brokerage before I start?
No. Employer sponsorship is needed only after passing the exam, not before. That order matters commercially: you can arrive at an interview already trained and examined, which is a materially different conversation from arriving as someone who intends to be.
What does RERA certification cost in total?
Approximately ~AED 3,900 all in. That is training at AED 2,400, the examination at AED 784.67, the broker card at around ~AED 500 and a good conduct certificate at around ~AED 220.
What happens if I broker without a licence?
Penalties for unlicensed brokerage activity reach AED 50,000. That is a penalty on the individual, not only on the brokerage, and it is one of the higher enforcement figures in Dubai professional regulation.
How long does the training take?
The approved training runs two days. What we cannot tell you from a published source is how long the full sequence takes from enrolment to holding a broker card, because that depends on examination scheduling and on how quickly you secure sponsorship.
Is the exam fee payable again if I fail?
Yes. Examination fees across Gulf regulators are payable in full on each attempt, and there is no reason to expect RERA to be an exception. Preparation is an economic decision here as much as an academic one.
Is RERA certification the same as a licence to practise anywhere in the UAE?
No. RERA is the Real Estate Regulatory Agency of the Dubai Land Department, and its certification covers brokerage in Dubai. Other emirates regulate real estate separately. As with healthcare and engineering, a UAE credential is usually an emirate credential.