In short
DMT classification needs a valid Abu Dhabi trade licence, the latest certified audited financial statements with DMT's financial template and an Arabic auditor declaration, ISO and insurance certificates where required, DMT licensed engineers, and contracts and completion certificates for projects from the last ten years.
Most classification applications are delayed by documents, not by the rules. This checklist follows the order of the TAMM services DMT uses, so you can prepare each file before you start. For categories, timelines and renewal, see the main classification certificate guide.
1. Engineering firm account
- UAE PASS for the person opening the account
- That person must be named on the trade licence as a partner, owner, manager or authorised signatory
- Access to the licence contact details, which receive the one time password
2. Firm record
- Valid Abu Dhabi trade licence with the DMT classifiable activities you want (read electronically)
- Statement of the partners’ other licences (read electronically)
- For a branch of a foreign company: the parent’s certificate of incorporation, showing at least five years since establishment
- For an associate engineering office: a Ministry of Economy letter confirming the foreign partner has no UAE branch
3. Classification criteria record (financial and quality)
- Certified copy of the audited financial statements for the last financial year
- DMT financial data template, completed from the audited statements by your external auditor
- Auditor’s declaration on the DMT form, in Arabic, confirming the firm meets the financial conditions
- Copy of the contract with your accounting and auditing firm for the higher categories, or a declaration of an in-house accounting team
- ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certificates where the category requires them, or a signed undertaking to provide them
- Professional indemnity insurance certificate where required, for example consultancy offices and surveying activities
- OSHAD registration, or an undertaking to register during the classification period
The auditor must be accredited in the UAE, including for branches of foreign companies. Since November 2025 an audited financial report is accepted for 18 months, so time the audit so it covers both the application and the next upgrade. Our audit team prepares the template and declaration with the audit.
4. Engineers
- Each engineer holds a DMT engineer licence and is invited onto the firm’s cadre through the engineers licensing system
- A job offer for engineers joining from outside the firm
- Enough engineers for every activity: each engineer counts towards one activity only
5. Project experience
- Project contract and the consultant approved bill of quantities, split by activity
- Completion certificate or final payment certificate from the owner
- Latest approved progress certificate for ongoing projects
- Building permit or approvals, approved variations and subcontracts
- Consortium agreements showing each member’s share
- Attested completion certificates for projects outside the UAE, and proof of ownership for projects carried out by a branch
Only projects from the ten years before the application count, and each project must meet the minimum value for the category you are applying for.
What DMT does not list
Bank letters, office tenancy contracts and equipment lists are not part of DMT’s published classification requirements, and engineer experience is read from the DMT engineer licence rather than from separate CVs. Preparing them wastes time; concentrate on the financial file, engineer licences and project evidence.
Where files usually stall
- Audited statements older than the accepted period, or an auditor declaration not on DMT’s Arabic form
- Engineers without a current DMT licence, or one engineer counted against two activities
- Projects below the minimum value for the category, or completion certificates that do not match the contract
- Trade licence activities that do not match the activities applied for
Frequently asked questions
How many years of audited accounts does DMT need?
DMT’s published requirements refer to the audited financial report for the last financial year, together with the financial data template and auditor declaration.
Can I apply without ISO certificates?
For a first classification you can submit an undertaking to provide ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 before upgrade or renewal, where your category requires them.
Does DMT need Society of Engineers membership for each engineer?
The firm requirement is that each engineer is licensed by DMT and added to the firm’s cadre. Other memberships may apply to an individual engineer’s own licence.
Based on the DMT classification services FAQ and procedures guide and DMT’s announcement of 21 November 2025. Confirm current requirements on TAMM before applying. Reviewed by the ZS classification team, October 2026.