- Every DMCC company needs at least one director, a manager and a secretary. A branch needs a manager.
- The manager is the licence manager named on the licence as primary contact, and runs day-to-day operations.
- DMCC's guidance limits officers to natural persons and does not list UAE residency as a condition. A residence visa page is requested only if applicable.
- If a manager leaves, tell the registrar within 5 business days and appoint a replacement within 10 business days.
- Officer changes must be notified within 14 business days, and a new manager cannot be appointed until the existing one is removed.
Every DMCC company must have a Manager, an individual office holder whose name appears on the licence as the primary contact. DMCC’s guidance on officers, version 5 issued on 1 October 2025, says officers must be natural persons and does not list UAE residency as an eligibility condition.
A company also needs at least one director and a secretary. When a manager leaves, the company has five business days to tell the registrar and ten business days to appoint a replacement, so a gap in this role is a deadline and not a formality.
People search for the “DMCC general manager” and wonder whether the role needs a UAE resident, a qualification or a visa from DMCC. The answers sit in DMCC’s own guidance notes, which are more specific than most adviser articles. This guide sets out who can be the manager, what the residency position is, which documents DMCC asks for, how the appointment works in the portal, and which deadlines apply.
| Rule | What DMCC’s guidance says |
|---|---|
| Mandatory officers (company) | At least one director, a manager and a secretary |
| Mandatory officers (branch) | A manager; a secretary is optional and branches cannot have a separate board |
| Who can hold an officer role | Natural persons only |
| Minimum age | 18 for directors, secretaries and managers, reduced from 21 in the 2024 changes |
| Who appoints the manager | The directors of the company, or of the branch parent |
| Tell the registrar of a change | Within 14 business days |
| Manager resigns or is removed | Tell the registrar within 5 business days; appoint a new manager within 10 business days |
| Disqualification | Under Regulation 59, for up to 15 years |
“The manager’s name is on the licence. If that person leaves, the licence record is wrong until the company fixes it, and the clock starts the day they go.”
What the manager actually does
DMCC describes the manager as responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company, acting in line with the requirements of the directors. The manager is sometimes called the licence manager because their name appears on the licence as the primary contact for the company or branch.
That makes the role operational, not strategic. Directors manage the business affairs and hold the powers set by the regulations and the company’s articles. The manager runs the business day to day and is the person DMCC contacts. The DMCC guidance notes on changing entity officers set out each role.
Advisers report that one person can hold more than one role, for example a founder who is shareholder, director and manager. The guidance does not prohibit this, but confirm your own structure with DMCC when you draft the appointments, since the secretary role is separate and has its own filing duties.
Does the manager have to be a UAE resident?
This is the question behind most searches, so read the answer carefully. DMCC’s guidance lists the documents for a new officer. It asks for a passport, a residence visa page “if applicable”, a specimen signature and proof of address. It does not state that the manager must hold a UAE residence visa, and it does not set a minimum period of residence.
Third-party commentary on the 2024 Company Regulations reads them the same way and points out that residency is not among the disqualifying conditions. That is an interpretation by an adviser, not the official text, so ask DMCC to confirm in writing before you rely on it for a nominee or a non-resident founder.
Two practical points keep the question from becoming a trap:
- A visa is a separate process. A residence visa sponsored by the DMCC company needs a valid establishment card, a registered workspace and visa quota. See the establishment card that must be current before any visa application for what that step involves.
- An existing UAE visa from another company can trigger an extra document. If the new officer holds a valid UAE visa sponsored by a different company and the designation is not Managing Director, Partner or Investor, DMCC asks for a No Objection Certificate from that sponsor.
Documents DMCC asks for when you appoint a manager
The list below follows DMCC’s guidance for a change of officer. Which ones apply depends on whether the company has individual or corporate shareholders, and on whether the activity is regulated.
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Passport of the new officer | Valid for at least six months, plus the visa page if applicable |
| UAE residence visa page | Only if applicable; the original is shown for verification |
| Specimen signature form | Signed by the officer; a power of attorney holder cannot sign it |
| Proof of address | Dated within six months; a third party’s bill needs a supporting NOC and ID copy |
| Board or shareholders’ resolution | E-signed after DMCC approves the application |
| Corporate shareholder papers | Board resolution and a certificate of incumbency, issued within a year and notarised and legalised unless verifiable online |
| Regulator’s NOC | Required for licences with regulated activities |
| Sponsor’s NOC | Only when the officer holds a UAE visa from another company |
| Visa cancellation or retention letter | For the officer who is leaving, if they are on the company’s visa |
If anyone signs through a power of attorney, the document must specifically authorise the appointment or removal of an officer. A power of attorney issued abroad must be notarised and legalised, which is covered in how a power of attorney is attested for UAE use.
How the change works in the portal
- Log in to the DMCC Member Portal and choose Company Services, then Change of Officer.
- Confirm that passport details and e-signatures are up to date for every shareholder and officer.
- Choose the amendment, a standard or non-standard resolution, and enter the new officer’s details.
- Upload the documents, pay, and submit.
- DMCC reviews and either approves or returns the request for more information.
- Authorised signatories e-sign the generated documents, and you book an appointment for originals if they apply.
- DMCC updates the record and issues a new e-licence when the manager changed.
The guidance sets rules that catch people out. A new manager cannot be appointed until the existing manager is removed. A dormant company cannot appoint a manager until it reinstates the licence. The company must have no account sanction. A draft request is voided after 60 days, and a request waiting for the company is cancelled after 90 days, with a cancellation fee.
Consider a founder-manager who resigns on the 1st of the month to take a job abroad. The company has five business days to tell the registrar and ten to appoint a new manager, and in the gap the directors assume the manager’s responsibilities. If the founder’s visa is sponsored by the company, a cancellation letter or a visa retention undertaking is needed as well.
The company that prepared a resolution, the successor’s passport and a proof of address in advance finishes inside ten days. The one that starts on day nine misses the deadline and risks a sanction.
Manager, director and secretary compared
| Role | Core job | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|
| Director | Manages the business affairs and holds the company’s powers | The shareholders |
| Manager | Runs day-to-day operations; named on the licence | The directors |
| Secretary | Files documents under the Officer Rules | The directors, by resolution |
Directors are removed by an ordinary resolution of shareholders or a higher threshold in the articles. The manager and secretary are removed by resolution of the directors. Keep minutes of each decision, because DMCC checks them against the filing.
Non-resident founders and nominee arrangements
Many DMCC owners live abroad and want a manager who is also abroad, or a local professional acting as manager. DMCC’s guidance gives no residency test, but the practical limits sit around the role.
- The manager must be able to e-sign. DMCC expects every authorised signatory to have an active e-signature before it processes a request.
- The manager is the named contact on the licence, so DMCC and the bank will want someone who answers.
- A bank opening the account will ask who controls the company and where. what a bank asks about the people behind a company explains that review.
- If the manager is a professional acting for the owner, document the arrangement. The ownership registers must still show the real beneficial owner, as described in the register rules for beneficial owners.
The deadline calendar
| Event | Deadline | Who acts |
|---|---|---|
| Any change to a director, manager or secretary | Notify the registrar within 14 business days | The company |
| Manager resigns, is removed, dies or is incapacitated | Notify the registrar within 5 business days | The company |
| Replacement manager | Appoint within 10 business days | The directors |
| Manager stops meeting the criteria | Remove within 10 business days and appoint a new manager | The directors |
| Draft change request left open | Voided after 60 calendar days | The company |
| Request waiting for the company | Cancelled after 90 calendar days, with a cancellation fee | The company |
Put these dates in the company calendar the day a manager gives notice. The ten-day appointment window runs from the departure, not from the day someone notices.
Common mistakes with DMCC officers
- Assuming the manager must hold a DMCC visa, or the reverse, without checking the guidance.
- Letting a manager leave without a successor, and missing the ten-business-day deadline.
- Forgetting the sponsor’s NOC when the new officer is employed by another UAE company.
- Submitting a resolution that does not match the articles or the shareholder register.
- Leaving a draft request open for more than 60 days so that it is voided.
- Not updating passport details and e-signatures before starting, which sends the request back.
Related guides
For the cost side of a DMCC setup, see DMCC fees, packages and the setup process. If you are choosing between DMCC licence categories, how the DMCC licence types differ covers it, and the wider yearly duties that follow any officer change are listed in the compliance checklist for a new company.
When professional help is worth it
A single-shareholder company that wants to swap one manager for another can usually run the portal request itself. Help pays off when there is a corporate shareholder, a regulated activity needing a regulator’s NOC, a power of attorney signed abroad, or a deadline that is about to pass.
E.zone, which manages DMCC company filings, can prepare the resolutions and track the deadlines. Its guide to DMCC in Dubai gives the setup background.
This is general information and not legal advice. DMCC updates its regulations and guidance notes, so confirm the current version and your own position with DMCC before you act.
Frequently asked questions
Does a DMCC manager have to be a UAE resident?
DMCC's officer guidance does not list UAE residency as an eligibility condition. It asks for a residence visa page only if applicable. Confirm with DMCC in writing for your own case.
How many officers does a DMCC company need?
At least one director, a manager and a secretary. A branch needs a manager, and a secretary is optional.
How long do I have to replace a DMCC manager?
Tell the registrar within five business days of the departure and appoint a new manager within ten business days.
Can a company be a DMCC manager?
No. DMCC says the appointment of entity officers is limited to natural persons.
What is the minimum age for a DMCC manager?
18. DMCC's 2024 changes reduced the minimum age for directors, secretaries and managers from 21 to 18.
What documents does DMCC ask for when appointing a manager?
A passport valid for at least six months, a residence visa page if applicable, a specimen signature form, recent proof of address and the relevant resolution. Extra documents apply for corporate shareholders, regulated activities and officers who hold a visa from another company.
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