In a Dubai tower, the hardest part of flat shifting is usually the building, not the furniture. You need a move permit, a service lift slot and a loading bay time, at both ends. Our Dubai team works 24/7, so if your building only gives evening or night slots, we can work to them. Send a few photos, both building names and the floor numbers on WhatsApp, and we'll reply with a free written quote.
Apartment movers and packers in Dubai: what's included
| Part of the move | What we do |
|---|---|
| Packing | Kitchen, wardrobes and fragile items packed, every carton labelled by room |
| Dismantling | Beds, wardrobes, TV units and dining tables taken apart by our carpenters |
| Loading | Furniture wrapped in stretch film and taken down in the goods lift |
| Transport | Driven to the new building and timed to its loading bay slot |
| Refitting | Beds and wardrobes rebuilt, furniture placed in the right rooms |
Clothes travel in hanger boxes and glassware goes in bubble wrap. If you'd rather pack some things yourself, tell us which rooms and we'll price only the rest. For the household side of a move, like Ejari, DEWA and the internet, see the checklist on our house movers in Dubai page. Moving only one or two pieces? Our furniture movers in Dubai handle single items.
Apartment moving prices in Dubai, from studio to 3BHK
| Apartment | Typical price (AED) | Usually takes |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 800 – 1,200 | A few hours |
| 1BHK | 1,100 – 1,600 | Part of a day |
| 2BHK | 1,700 – 2,600 | Most of a day |
| 3BHK | 2,800 – 4,000 | A full day, sometimes with packing the day before |
These are guide prices for moves within Dubai with full packing. Your written quote is all-inclusive and stays the same on the day unless the job changes, for example furniture you didn't show us. Building permit fees and lift deposits, where they apply, are paid directly to building management.
Studio apartment moving
Studio movers in Dubai deal with less furniture but the same building rules as a big flat. A studio usually has a bed, a wardrobe, a small sofa, a dining table and a kitchen's worth of boxes. The furniture is quick. The lift slot often decides how long the move takes. If you're moving out of a furnished studio, only your own things come with us, so tell us what belongs to the landlord.
1BHK moving
A 1BHK adds a separate bedroom, so there's usually a bed frame and a full wardrobe to take apart. The kitchen is the slowest room to pack. With a booked service lift at both ends, most 1BHK moves fit into one part of the day.
2BHK shifting
Two bedrooms means two sets of beds and wardrobes, a dining set and a lot more cartons. This is where lift size starts to matter. A small service lift on a high floor means more trips, and more trips mean more hours. Tell us the floor and the lift size when you ask for a quote.
3BHK moving
A 3BHK is a full-day job. Many have a maid's room or study as well, and the kitchen is usually fully stocked. For a full packing service, we may suggest packing the day before, so moving day is only loading, transport and setup. Check how long your building lets you hold the service lift, because a 3BHK can need a longer slot than the standard one.
What changes the price of an apartment move
- Floor level, and the size of the service lift at both buildings
- How far the loading bay is from the lift
- How much packing we do, and whether you're packing some rooms yourself
- Heavy items, like a piano, a safe or gym equipment
- Distance between the buildings, or a move to another emirate
- Night, weekend or short-notice timing
Service lifts, move permits and loading bays
Most apartment buildings in Dubai won't let a mover use the lift or the loading bay without notice. The paperwork is usually quick, but it has to be done at both buildings before moving day.
Move-out and move-in permits
Building management or the community office issues the permit, sometimes called an NOC. They usually ask for:
- Your tenancy contract (Ejari) or title deed
- A copy of your Emirates ID
- The move date and time
- The moving company's details
Some buildings also take a refundable deposit against damage to the lift or common areas. The amount and the process differ from building to building. Apply as soon as you have a date, and ask us for the company documents your building wants.
Booking the service lift and loading bay
Each building gives you a time slot for its service lift and loading bay. Book both buildings for the same day and leave a gap between them for the drive. If the crew misses the slot, some buildings won't let the move continue until a new one is booked, so the timing has to be right. When you get your slots, send them to us and we'll plan the day around them.
Towers and mid-rise buildings work differently
These are general patterns. Every building sets its own rules, so check yours.
| High-rise towers | Mid-rise buildings | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Dubai Marina, JLT, Business Bay, Downtown | JVC, Al Barsha, International City, Dubai Silicon Oasis |
| Lift | Dedicated service lift, booked in slots | Often one lift shared with residents, sometimes stairs only |
| Loading | Basement or podium loading bay | Street or building parking |
| Typical issue | Tight slots and long walks from the bay to the lift | Stairs, smaller lifts and parking space for the truck |
Truck timing after the October 2026 RTA rules
Under rules the RTA and Dubai Police enforce from 1 October 2026, trucks are restricted on Sheikh Zayed Road from 6 am to 10 pm every day. Trucks usually reach the towers in Dubai Marina, JLT and Al Barsha from that road. Whether the rule affects your move depends on the truck and the exact route. We check both addresses when we plan. If it applies, we'll tell you to ask both buildings for an early-morning or night slot, and our 24/7 team works to it.
Flat shifting checklist for moving week
- Book the service lift and loading bay at both buildings, and get the move permits
- Check if your new building limits truck height in the basement
- Empty wardrobes, drawers and kitchen cupboards you're packing yourself
- Defrost the fridge the night before and drain the washing machine
- Keep access cards, parking passes and keys for both buildings with you
- Photograph the old flat after it's empty, in case of any deposit dispute
- Keep passports, Emirates IDs, jewellery and laptops with you, not in the boxes
How your apartment move works
- Send photos. Include each room, both building names and the floor numbers.
- Get a written quote. It lists packing, dismantling, transport and refitting.
- Book the slots. You get the lift and loading bay slots from both buildings, and we plan the day around them.
- Packing. The crew packs and labels each room, or only the rooms you've left for us.
- Moving. Furniture comes apart, goes down in the lift and is driven to the new building.
- Setup. Beds and wardrobes are rebuilt, and you check each room with the crew before they leave.
Why tenants choose Al Afnan as their apartment movers
Building security and management offices want to deal with someone who understands their rules. Our crews speak Arabic, English, Urdu and Hindi, so they can sort out a lift key or a loading bay question on the spot. The Dubai team works 24/7, which helps when the only free lift slot is at night. Our carpenters take apart and rebuild the furniture, so you're not left with a pile of wardrobe panels in the new flat.
We're licensed and insured, which many buildings ask about before they approve a mover. We've moved homes across the UAE for 10 years, and our customers rate us 4.9 out of 5 on Google. Every quote is written and all-inclusive.
Moving at the end of the month
Many Dubai leases end at the end of the month, so the last few days are when lift slots and moving crews are hardest to get. If your dates allow, move a few days earlier. If they don't, book us and your lift slots as soon as you know the date. We also take same-day and emergency moves when a crew is free.
Areas we cover for apartment moves
Our flat movers cover apartments across Dubai, including Dubai Marina, JVC, JLT, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Business Bay, Downtown Dubai, Al Barsha, International City, Al Nahda Dubai and Dubai Creek Harbour. We're based in Al Majaz, Sharjah, and also move flats between Dubai and Sharjah, Ajman and the other emirates. Moving a villa instead? See villa movers in Dubai, or movers and packers in Dubai for every type of move.
