Ejari and DEWA in Dubai: How They Connect & Setup Guide (2026)

You register Ejari first, then activate DEWA. To open a water-and-electricity account you give DEWA two things from your Ejari: your Ejari number and the property’s DEWA premise number. This guide covers the order, where to find the premise number, the documents, the deposit and fees, what happens to the deposit when you move out, and the one case where DEWA can be activated without an Ejari.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• DEWA activation needs two things from your Ejari: the Ejari number and the premise number.
• The refundable deposit is AED 2,000 for an apartment or AED 4,000 for a villa, plus a AED 155 supply activation fee. For an office or other non-residential unit, DEWA sets the deposit from the premises’ expected consumption, not a fixed amount.
• Ejari comes first; the exceptions are some free zones (DIFC, for example) and premises the DLD exempts.

Which comes first, Ejari or DEWA?

Ejari. Your tenancy contract has to be registered and the Ejari certificate issued before you can activate DEWA in your name. Once you have the certificate, you start the supply yourself through DEWA’s move-in service.

How to activate DEWA once your Ejari is issued

Use DEWA’s Activation of Electricity and Water (Move-in) service. You select your customer type and whether you are an owner or tenant, enter your DEWA premise number, and pay the deposit and activation fee. The supply is connected within 15 working hours of payment.

The premise number, and where to find it

DEWA identifies the property by its premise number, which is a separate 9-digit number from your Ejari number. You can find it in two places:

• On your Ejari certificate (it carries both the Ejari number and the premise number).
• On a previous DEWA bill for the unit, which you can ask the landlord or the previous tenant for.

When DEWA asks for the premise number, use the 9-digit premise number, not your Ejari registration number. They are two different numbers.

What DEWA activation costs

DEWA charges a refundable security deposit plus a one-time activation fee. For a home the deposit is AED 2,000 for an apartment and AED 4,000 for a villa, with an activation fee of AED 155. For an office or other non-residential unit the deposit is not a fixed amount: DEWA sets it from the premises’ expected consumption. The supply is connected within 15 working hours of payment. Current amounts are on the DEWA move-in service page.

Getting the deposit back, and moving home

The deposit is refundable. When you move out, you close the account through DEWA’s move-out service; the deposit is set against your final bill, and any balance is refunded to you (DEWA now returns deposits quickly, within minutes in most cases). If you move to a new home, you do not transfer the deposit: you close the old account and reclaim that deposit, and you pay a new deposit when you activate the new premise.

The one case where you can activate DEWA without an Ejari

For most homes an Ejari is required first. The exception is property in certain free zones that keep their own registry instead of Ejari, the DIFC being the clearest example, plus a small number of premises that the Dubai Land Department exempts. For those, DEWA can be activated without an Ejari certificate. If you are not sure whether your property is exempt, DEWA’s Ejari FAQ sets out which premises this applies to.

If you have not registered your Ejari yet

DEWA is the step after Ejari, so complete the Ejari registration first. You can do that on the government channels (the Dubai REST app or the DLD portal), at a trustee centre, or through an online platform such as Habi. If you have not signed a tenancy contract for the property yet, you can also create and sign a tenancy contract online on Habi before you register.

Sources

• Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. Activation of Electricity and Water (Move-in) [official service].
  URL: https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/consumer/supply-management/activation-of-electricity-water-move-in.
  Accessed: 05.06.2026.
• Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. Ejari FAQ [official page].
  URL: https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/consumer/miscellanies/ejari-faq.
  Accessed: 05.06.2026.
• Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. Deactivation of Electricity and Water (Move-out) [official service].
  URL: https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/consumer/supply-management/deactivation-of-electricity-water-move-out.
  Accessed: 05.06.2026.