JAFZA Office Relocation: Gate Pass, NOC & Logistics Access
JAFZA office relocation is the process of moving a Jebel Ali Free Zone company from one office, warehouse or light industrial unit to another, and keeping its lease, licence and access in order while it happens. JAFZA isn’t like the tower-based free zones in the city. It’s a large gated zone split into north and south areas, with Lease Office Buildings (LOBs), the JAFZA One complex, warehouses and yards, and every person, truck and tool that enters has to pass through a gate.
That changes how you plan the move. In DIFC or JLT, the building’s facilities team is the main gatekeeper. In JAFZA, you also need the right Tasreeh gate passes, the right NOCs from JAFZA, and a logistics plan that gets trucks to the right unit inside a big, busy zone. This guide covers each of these in order.
How a JAFZA Move Differs From Other Free Zone Moves
| JAFZA | Tower-based zones (DIFC, DMCC, TECOM) | |
|---|---|---|
| Access control | Zone gates with Tasreeh passes, plus building rules | Building security and facilities team |
| Typical premises | Offices, warehouses, light industrial units, yards | Office floors in towers |
| Lease handled by | JAFZA, through the Dubai Trade portal | Landlord or developer |
| Fit-out authority | Trakhees | DDA, Concordia or DIFC |
| Typical move load | Office furniture plus racking, stock, machinery | Office furniture and IT |
| Vehicles | Larger trucks, forklifts, sometimes cranes | Standard moving trucks |
Because many JAFZA companies run an office and a warehouse together, a JAFZA relocation is often part office move, part logistics project.
Step 1: Secure the New Unit Through JAFZA
JAFZA is the landlord for most facilities in the zone, so the process starts with JAFZA, not a private landlord.
Leasing directly from JAFZA
- Log in to the Dubai Trade portal (dubaitrade.ae).
- Go to Lease and select Request for Additional Facility.
- Choose from the facilities JAFZA offers.
- JAFZA generates the lease agreement, and once it is signed you receive access and keys.
You can also contact JAFZA sales by phone (800-JAFZA) or visit the JAFZA Sales Centre at Jafza 15. JAFZA lists a processing time of 3 working days for this request.
Subleasing from another tenant
If you are taking space from an existing JAFZA company, you need a JAFZA No Objection letter to sublease. Don’t move anything into a subleased unit before that letter is in hand.
Before you sign, check:
- The new unit suits your licence activity (office, warehouse, industrial)
- Your visa count fits the new facility
- Floor loading, ceiling height and power supply suit any racking or machinery you’re bringing
- Loading dock or roller shutter access for trucks
Once the lease is in place, update your licence address details with JAFZA so your licence, establishment card and company records match the new unit.
Step 2: Fit-Out Approval From Trakhees
Fit-out in JAFZA is regulated by Trakhees, the authority that covers JAFZA and other Dubai World zones. If the new office or warehouse needs partitions, ceilings, electrical changes, mezzanines or racking installation, the drawings and works go through Trakhees, and Dubai Civil Defence and DEWA requirements still apply.
Warehouse fit-outs usually take longer than office fit-outs, because racking, fire systems and floor loading all need checking. Finish fit-out and get the completion sign-off before you book the move, so your team isn’t unloading into a unit that isn’t approved for use.
Step 3: Tasreeh Gate Passes for Movers, Trucks and Tools
Every person and vehicle entering JAFZA needs authorization at the gate. That runs through Tasreeh, the electronic gate pass system introduced by the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC).
How Tasreeh Works
- The visitor (for example, your moving company) creates an account on the Tasreeh platform.
- They build a profile and select the JAFZA company they are visiting (your company).
- They upload the documents the platform asks for.
- Your company accepts the request.
- The gate pass is issued by email.
Step 4 is the one that causes delays. If nobody on your side approves the requests, the crew can’t get in. Assign one person to watch for and accept Tasreeh requests in the days before the move.
Which Passes a Move Needs
JAFZA lists several pass types. For a relocation, the relevant ones are:
| Pass type | Validity | Used for in a move |
|---|---|---|
| Day pass | Single day | Moving crew on a one-day move |
| Visitor pass | One day | Supervisors, surveyors, site visits |
| Temporary gate pass | Up to 6 months | Staff or contractors on longer projects |
| Tools and equipment pass | One day to three months | Trolleys, dollies, pallet jacks, tool kits |
| Weekly pass | One week | Contractors on multi-day installs |
| Service vehicle day pass | Single day | Specific service vehicles such as waste removal |
For a multi-day move, apply for passes that cover every day of the job, plus a buffer day in case something slips.
Step 4: Plan Logistics Access Inside the Zone
JAFZA is big, and getting from the gate to the right unit takes planning.
- Choose the right gate. JAFZA has multiple gates serving different parts of the zone. Ask JAFZA or your facility manager which gate is best for your unit and vehicle type.
- Check the route and dock. Confirm the loading dock position, roller shutter height, dock levellers and turning space for your truck size.
- Book heavy equipment early. Forklifts, pallet jacks, and cranes for machinery need separate planning and sometimes separate passes.
- Sequence office and warehouse. Move stock and racking before or after the office move, not at the same time, so trucks don’t block each other at the dock.
- Weather and heat. Summer moves in open yards need early starts, water and shade for the crew.
Moving Out of JAFZA
If you are leaving JAFZA for the mainland or another free zone, the move becomes a licensing project. The new authority has to license the company, and staff visas usually need to be transferred or reissued. JAFZA now allows companies to re-domicile, so ask whether that route suits your company before you close anything.
Goods and equipment leaving JAFZA for the mainland may also need customs documentation. Check with Dubai Customs and JAFZA before moving stock or equipment out of the zone.
JAFZA Office Relocation Timeline
| Timing | Task |
|---|---|
| 10 to 8 weeks before | Request new facility on Dubai Trade, or get sublease NOC; check visa count and floor specs |
| 8 to 4 weeks before | Trakhees fit-out approval and works; racking and power installation |
| 4 to 2 weeks before | Fit-out completion; update licence address details with JAFZA; book movers and equipment |
| 2 to 1 weeks before | Movers submit Tasreeh requests; your company accepts them; confirm gate, route and dock |
| Move week | Move office and warehouse in planned sequence; set up IT |
| After the move | Hand over old unit; update establishment card, bank, DEWA and supplier records |
See our 12-week office relocation timeline for Dubai for a detailed plan.
Documents to Prepare
- JAFZA licence and company documents
- New lease agreement from JAFZA, or sublease plus JAFZA No Objection letter
- Trakhees fit-out approval and completion documents, if works were done
- Moving company’s trade licence and insurance certificate
- Crew names and ID copies for Tasreeh
- Vehicle plate numbers and sizes
- Equipment list for the tools and equipment pass
- Inventory of stock and machinery if moving a warehouse
Our office relocation checklist for Dubai covers the rest of the move.
Getting Through the Gate on Move Day
A JAFZA office relocation depends on three approvals lining up: the facility request or sublease NOC from JAFZA, Trakhees sign-off on any fit-out, and Tasreeh gate passes for every crew member, truck and tool. Add a clear route to the right gate and loading dock, and someone on your side ready to accept pass requests, and the move runs like any other. Miss one of them and the whole crew waits at the gate.
