Contents
You cannot do business in Dubai without a licence. Which licence to obtain depends on the type of activity and the place of registration: mainland or free zone.
Main licence types
- Commercial (trading): for trading goods and resale
- Professional: for services, consulting, crafts and creative professions
- Industrial: for manufacturing and processing
- Tourism: for hotels, tours and excursions
In free zones, names and categories may differ: trading, service, industrial, an e-commerce licence and so on.
Who issues it
- On the Dubai mainland, the licence is issued by the Department of Economy and Tourism
- In a free zone, by the zone authority
The difference between the formats is covered in the article Free Zone or Mainland.
What the cost consists of
- Licence type and business activity
- Number of activities on the licence
- Free zone or mainland
- Office and visa quotas
- Registration and renewal fees
There is no universal price, so compare full cost estimates. More in the article How Much Does It Cost to Open a Company in Dubai.
How to choose a licence
- Describe what you will do and where your clients are
- Check whether approvals from specialised authorities are needed
- Cross-check against your banking strategy: banks scrutinise some activities more strictly
- Budget for renewal and the office
Regulated activities
A number of activities, for example financial services, medicine, education and some online services, require additional approvals. These are obtained separately, and the timeline can be considerably longer.
We can help select a licence: see the mainland and free zone pages.