DEWA Account Transfer for an Office Move in Dubai: Step-by-Step
Moving desks and equipment is only part of an office relocation. Your team also needs electricity and water at the new premises before work can resume. If your business already has a DEWA account and is moving between eligible commercial premises in Dubai, DEWA’s Move To service can handle the new connection and the old office disconnection in one request.
Put the utility dates on your office relocation plan as soon as the new lease is confirmed. The key decision is when power must be available at the new office and when it can safely be switched off at the old one. Those dates may be different if your IT team needs time to test equipment or your staff will work from both locations during the handover.
Can a Business Transfer Its DEWA Account to a New Office?
DEWA’s Move To service is available to business customers relocating within Dubai. A commercial account can move to another commercial premises; it cannot be transferred to a residential property through the same process.
The service connects electricity and water at the new premises, schedules disconnection at the old premises, and transfers the existing security deposit toward the new account. Your business must settle outstanding dues on the old account. If the deposit required for the new office is higher, you must pay the difference.
Start by checking who holds the DEWA account at each location. In a serviced office, for example, utilities may be managed by the property provider rather than billed to your company. Ask the provider how electricity and water are supplied before applying for a transfer under your business name.
What to Prepare Before Starting the Transfer
Have the following information ready:
- The DEWA contract account number for your current office
- The DEWA premises number for the new office
- The new office’s Ejari number, where applicable
- Your preferred connection date at the new office
- Your preferred disconnection date and time at the old office
- Access to the email address and mobile number registered with DEWA
- Your trade licence and tenancy documents, where DEWA requires them
Check the new premises number with the landlord or building management. A wrong unit or premises number can hold up an otherwise complete request.
For a free zone office, check the tenancy documentation before you apply. DEWA lists a valid tenancy contract for free zone customers among its Move To requirements. This matters when the premises are exempt from Ejari: do not assume you must obtain an Ejari number that the property cannot provide. Confirm the correct application route and documents for that specific premises with DEWA and your property provider.
How to Transfer DEWA During an Office Relocation
1. Confirm the new office is ready for connection
Sign the new tenancy agreement and obtain the relevant registration or free zone documentation. Ask building management whether the unit has its own DEWA premises number and whether any fit-out or building work must finish before the office can be occupied.
Check whether the building also uses a separate district cooling provider. A DEWA transfer covers electricity and water; it does not transfer your internet or a separate cooling account.
2. Decide when each office needs power
Set the new office connection date around the work that must happen before staff arrive. Furniture assembly, network installation, equipment testing and cleaning may all need electricity.
Choose the old office disconnection date separately. If your IT team is still using the old network or your landlord needs a powered handover inspection, switching off the supply on moving day may be too early. Give one person responsibility for confirming both dates with the facilities, IT and moving teams.
3. Apply through DEWA’s Move To service
Sign in through DEWA’s website or app and select the existing account. In the Transfer of Electricity/Water (Move To) service, enter the new premises information and the requested move dates. Review the old and new addresses before submitting.
DEWA’s service instructions also require you to settle any outstanding balance and pay applicable connection charges or a security deposit difference. Keep the request reference number so your team can track its status.
- Check the supply at the new office
Do not treat the application confirmation as proof that the office is ready. Ask someone with access to the new unit to check the lights, sockets and water after the connection is scheduled. Your IT team can then test the equipment it needs to bring staff back to work.
DEWA states that activation takes place within 15 working hours after the required deposit is paid or transferred. Build some room into your schedule instead of arranging the first day of work around the last possible connection time.
- Complete the old office handover
After DEWA disconnects the old premises, check the final bill and settle any remaining amount. Save the bill and clearance confirmation with your lease and handover records. Confirm separately with the landlord or building manager that all property handover requirements have been completed.
How Much Should You Budget for a DEWA Transfer?
Allow for connection and disconnection charges, any unpaid balance at the old office, and a possible increase in the security deposit. DEWA calculates the deposit for non-residential premises based on the premises’ consumption, so a general residential deposit figure is not a reliable office estimate.
Ask your finance team to keep utility charges separate from the mover’s quotation. The office relocation budget templatecan help you track the moving invoice alongside deposits, building charges and service setup costs.
Common Problems That Delay an Office DEWA Transfer
The new lease documentation is incomplete. Confirm the applicable Ejari or free zone tenancy requirements before the week of the move.
The premise number is wrong. Verify the exact unit with building management rather than relying only on the address written in the lease.
The old account has unpaid bills. Check the balance early so it does not delay the request.
Power is disconnected before handover work is finished. Agree on the old office’s final powered day with IT, facilities and the landlord.
Other services are mistaken for DEWA services. Arrange telecom, internet and any separate district cooling account with their respective providers.
Questions Businesses Ask About DEWA When Moving Offices
Do we need to close the old account before applying for the new office?
If your business qualifies for Move To, the service coordinates connection at the new premises and disconnection at the old one in a single request. Set the dates carefully so your team has power wherever it still needs to work.
Will our existing security deposit transfer?
DEWA says the existing deposit is transferred toward the new premises. If it is less than the amount required for the new office, your business must pay the difference.
Does every free zone office need Ejari for DEWA?
Some free zone premises are exempt from Ejari. DEWA lists a valid tenancy contract for free zone customers, so check the documents required for your particular office before submitting the request.
Does transferring DEWA also move our internet connection?
No. Arrange internet, telecom and any separate cooling service directly with the relevant providers. Schedule those installations early enough for your team to test them before reopening.
Make the New Office Ready Before the Team Arrives
Treat the DEWA transfer as a scheduled part of the move, not a task to handle once the furniture is in place. Confirm the tenancy documents and premises number, choose connection and disconnection dates with the people using both offices, and check the supply before staff return.
That leaves the final bill and old premises handover to close out after the move, while the new office is ready for work.
