Filming at Dubai airport: the approvals behind an airport frame
An airport shot looks simple on a mood board. Behind it sit written approvals, security passes and a longer calendar than a studio day.
Short answer: filming at Dubai airport starts with written approval from Dubai Airports, not with a camera booking. Public areas before security need permission from Dubai Airports and Dubai Police. Anything beyond security also needs an airport security pass for every crew member and every piece of kit. Airside requests go in 15 working days ahead. Commercial shoots also need location permits from the Dubai Film and TV Commission through a local production company.
This page sets out that path for a brand film that wants an airport frame at Dubai International (DXB) or Al Maktoum International (DWC). The rules come from the Dubai Airports media centre, checked on 18 Oct 2026. They can change, so confirm them with Dubai Airports before you plan.
What is the difference between landside and airside at Dubai airport?
Landside is the public part of the terminal before the security check. Airside is everything beyond it. The approvals, the passes and the notice period all change at that line.
- Landside. Dubai Airports says landside shoots need written permission from Dubai Airports and Dubai Police. Approved requests can be processed within 3 working days if all documents are in. No security pass is needed for crew or kit.
- Airside. Beyond security, the production needs written approval from Dubai Airports and an airport security pass for each crew member and each item of equipment, such as cameras, laptops, tablets and tripods.
So the first creative question is simple: does the story need the airside frame, or would a landside one say the same thing?
What goes into the first request?
A pre-approval request on official letterhead to Dubai Airports' Corporate Communication department. Dubai Airports lists what it must contain:
- the purpose of the shoot;
- the date, time and duration;
- the exact locations;
- a storyboard summary;
- the crew size;
- a list of equipment, such as cameras, laptops and tablets.
Dubai Airports says that after its preliminary approval, the production can approach DFTC for the approvals and permits that apply. A vague request slows everything after it, so write the storyboard summary from the locked script.
In what order do the approvals come?
Dubai Airports first, DFTC second, security passes third. Each step needs the one before it.
- Pre-approval from Dubai Airports. The letterhead request above.
- DFTC approvals. Dubai Airports says all commercial shoots at the airport need DFTC location permits through local production companies. Where script approval applies, the Dubai Film and TV Commission says it must come before the filming permit and can take up to 25 business days.
- Airport security passes, for airside. The pass application includes the DFTC location permit, so it cannot start first.
- The shoot. On the approved dates, in the approved places only.
- Return the passes. Dubai Airports says a pass that is not returned leads to rejection of later applications.
DFTC's filming permit terms also say restricted locations need prior written permission from that organisation before the permit. An airport is the clearest example.
How much notice does an airside shoot need?
Dubai Airports says all airside requests must be received 15 working days in advance, which is 3 weeks of Monday-to-Friday time. All documents must be in at least 7 working days before the filming date.
Urgent requests are handled case by case, and still need every document at least 3 working days before the shoot. If the script also needs DFTC approval, that window of up to 25 business days, about 5 weeks of working days, sits in front of all of this. Our guide to the DFTC script approval timeline shows how to count it back from a launch date.
Which shots need special clearance?
Some frames need clearance beyond a normal airside approval. Dubai Airports names them:
- inside the Air Traffic Control tower;
- on the apron, meaning the ramp, taxiways and runways;
- the baggage handling system;
- any facility not owned or managed by Dubai Airports;
- any interaction with passengers.
Filming police, customs and immigration checkpoints, and their uniformed staff, is prohibited without prior written permission from the relevant authority. Dubai Airports also says crews may not engage with passengers without written permission. So a scene built on real travellers reacting to your product is not a casual add-on. Plan it as its own approval, or cast it.
What does the crew have to prepare?
Paperwork that matches the format Dubai Airports asks for. Its page lists, among other items:
- colour scans in JPG or PDF, each under 250KB, with a passport photo on a white background;
- passport and UAE visa page copies, or the entry stamp for visa-exempt visitors;
- an equipment list with brand names and serial numbers, with laptops and tablets on their own equipment pass;
- a letter of no objection for crew not employed by the applying company;
- a signed security form for each crew member.
Pack with care too. Dubai Airports bars items such as pocketknives, screwdrivers, box cutters, masking tape and ropes. Several of those live in a normal grip kit, so check the list with the crew before the day.
How does this change a brand film plan?
It makes the airport a decision, not a backdrop.
If the airport frame carries the film's claim, keep it and build the calendar around it. If it is only there because it looks good, a landside shot, a different location or a studio set may tell the same story with fewer approvals. Dubai has two major airports on the UAE fact sheet, DXB and DWC, and both fall under the same Dubai Airports process.
For the film itself, see brand film in Dubai and how to brief a brand film. For the wider service, see video production in Dubai. To plan a shoot that needs special locations, contact the studio.
Key takeaways
- Dubai Airports' written approval comes first; DFTC permits follow; airside passes come last.
- Landside needs Dubai Airports and Dubai Police permission. Airside also needs a pass for every crew member and item of kit.
- Airside requests go in 15 working days ahead, with documents at least 7 working days before the shoot.
- Passengers, the apron, the tower and checkpoints all need extra written permission.
Written by Allen Antony James, Co-founder of Storytellers, a storyteller-first studio based in Dubai, telling stories worldwide. Want help putting this into practice? See Video production in Dubai or tell us about your business.
Sources
Every claim in this guide links to its source. All sources were checked on 18 Oct 2026.