Key Highlights
- New Advertiser Permit: What You Need to Know
- Validity, Cost, and How to Get Your UAE Social Media Permit
- Who Is Exempt From the Advertiser Permit?
- Penalties For Non-Compliance
- Why Has the UAE Introduced These Rules?
- Step-by-Step: Getting Your UAE Social Media Permit
- Market Impact: Digital Advertising in the UAE
- Conclusion
UAE social media permit has become a formal requirement for any individual who wants to publish content online in the country. Beginning in August 2025, a new Permit known as the Advertiser Permit is required by all content creators, with or without payments on their posts. This step is intended to provide quality standards in digital advertisements and ensure that the artists and audience are not subjected to deceptive online promotions as organised by the UAE Media Council. Whether you are an influencer, a digital marketer or even someone who occasionally does some promotion of your business, it is important to be familiar with the new rules in order to adhere to them and develop professionally.
New Advertiser Permit: What You Need to Know
Here is a new advertiser permit for the UAE:
1. Advertiser Permit is Applicable To:
-
It is an injury to any person 18 years of age or over who may promote services, products or even brand content on social media.
-
Individuals who are content creators or influencers are getting income through collaboration, sponsorships, or affiliate marketing.
-
The citizens/ residents of the UAE, as well as foreigners, are coming to conduct campaigns or posts under a brand.
2. Exceptions:
-
Customers who advertise their own company/products by using personal or corporate accounts.
-
Children under 18 who publish materials of educational, cultural or sports content and those who do not contravene the law.
Also Read: UAE Launches 10-Year Blue Residency Visa: Everything You Need to Know
Validity, Cost, and How to Get Your UAE Social Media Permit in 2025
Check the requirements in the table below:
Type |
Validity |
Application Channel |
Cost |
Who Needs It |
UAE Resident Permit |
1 year (renewable) |
UAE Media Council |
Free (first 3 years) |
UAE citizens/Residents with a trade license |
Visitor Permit |
3 months (renewable) |
Accredited agency in the UAE |
Paid |
Foreign Content Creators |
How To Apply for a UAE Social Media Permit?
Here is how to apply for a UAE social media permit in 2025:
-
UAE Residents must have a Trade (Business) License for electronic media before applying.
-
For visitors, permits are handled through registered ad/talent agencies/representations inside the UAE.
-
Fees for UAE residents and citizens are free for the first 3 years, and for visitors, standard fees must be paid.
Who Is Exempt From the Advertiser Permit?
Exemptions under UAE social media permit rule:
Exempt Category |
Condition |
Own business/service promotion |
Using personal/company account |
Minors (<18) |
Educational, cultural, sports, and awareness; comply with age legislation |
Penalties For Non-Compliance
The government has introduced strict fines for violations to ensure creators and advertisers take these regulations seriously:
Offense |
First Fine (AED) |
Repeat Offence Fine (AED) |
No permit/license |
10,000 |
40,000 |
Major violations (content) |
Up to 1,000,000 |
Up to 2,000,000 |
Regulations have also been enforced in the form of fines when it comes to the usage of unlicensed or misleading promotions or content, which goes against the UAE's moral or national norms. The repeat offenders can be suspended, closed down, and sometimes even prosecuted criminally.
Also Read: UAE Visa Photo Size: Latest Requirements & Size
Why Has the UAE Introduced These Rules?
In the region, UAE is one of the countries with the fastest growth in digital media, where revenue of influencers and content creators is expected to account to $97million in 2030. The Advertiser Permit is a new initiative with the objective of:
-
Enhance the quality of ads and, second, the transparency of advertising on social sites.
-
Shield citizens against false and deceptive information and fraud.
-
Promote professionalism that will assist creators in establishing brands and businesses that the world will trust.
Step-by-Step: Getting Your UAE Social Media Permit in 2025
Obtaining your UAE social media permit has become an essential process in the process of being an influencer, marketer, or just promoting branded content online. The proceedings can seem complicated, yet the process could be systematised into small and understandable steps, which will help you keep within the current regulations and avoid fines.
Step 1: You will then need to obtain a business ( trade) licence issued by Dubai Media City, SHAMS, Meydan or mainland DED.
Step 2: Carry out your social media and business details registration with the UAE Media Council.
Step 3: Get the Advertiser Permit either directly (domicile) or by means of an accepted representative (outsiders).
Step 4: Pay Federally required fees—or qualify and avoid them for up to 3 years free.
Step 5: Keep in compliance, before expiring renew permits.
Also Read: Apply for a UAE Work Visa For Indians: Requirements, Fees and More
Market Impact: Digital Advertising in the UAE
UAE is a fertile market when it comes to digital advertising since it has recently introduced permission-based rules to social media advertisement and influencer marketing.
-
By the year 2030, the influencer market of the UAE is projected to reach almost $97 97million.
-
The Media Council tries to achieve a professional and transparent creator ecosystem.
-
It is the hope of the country to have high-quality investments in the country, as well as having the best minds in the world through the formalisation of the advertising rules.
Conclusion
In the country, it has become mandatory to have a UAE social media permit to make promotional materials online. They will need to obtain the necessary licenses and permits to comply with the law for content creators, influencers, and digital marketers. These laws, with powerful consequences, will govern the establishment of future digital advertisement and culture of an online influencer in the UAE, and Ethical and legal content productions will be the norm. For official permit application details and the latest media regulations, visit the UAE Media Council’s government website. To know more about the UAE or their policy change, visit TerraTern now!