Foreign content creators who travel to the UAE and plan to publish advertising material during their stay must first register for a Visitor Advertiser Permit, the Media Regulatory Office said in an advisory posted this week.
The office said registration has to go through an advertising agency or a talent management agency that holds a license from the National Media Authority and appears on its approved list. Creators cannot file the application themselves. The permit runs for three months and can be extended for one further three-month term.
The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai reposted the advisory on its own Facebook page hours later, flagging it for Filipino visitors traveling to the Emirates for brand work, event coverage or sponsored campaigns.
The visitor permit is one arm of a broader licensing regime that took effect on February 1, 2026. Under that framework, anyone producing advertising content from inside the country needs authorization, and the requirement does not distinguish between paid promotion, gifted goods or unpaid endorsements. Residents and citizens apply for a standard Advertiser Permit; non-residents fall under the visitor track.
Khaleej Times reported that permit holders are required to display the permit number on their social media accounts, and that advertising may only be published through an account registered with the regulator and linked to the permit. Allowing another party to advertise through a permit holder’s account is prohibited. Individuals promoting their own products or a company they own are exempt.
The legal basis is Federal Decree-Law No. 55 of 2023 on media regulation, supplemented by decisions issued by the media authority’s chairman.
Penalties for non-compliance vary by offense. Reporting on the enforcement framework indicates fines beginning at AED 10,000 for a first violation of the licensing requirement, rising for repeat offenses, with far steeper amounts reserved for serious content breaches. Regulators may also order posts removed or suspend a license outright.
Filipino creators who arrive in the Emirates on visit visas and produce sponsored material for UAE-based businesses are covered by the rule, whether or not money changes hands. Those planning promotional work during a short stay would need to line up a licensed agency before publishing anything.
