Licensing

Dubai business license

Every route into a Dubai trade licence, with real costs, documents and timelines.

Fixed price quoted up front
Mainland and every free zone
Licence, visas, banking, one team
Most licences in days, not weeks

Every business operating in Dubai needs a trade licence. Which one you need depends on two decisions: what you will actually do, which sets the licence type, and where your customers are, which sets the jurisdiction. Get those two right at the start and everything downstream, from visas to banking to tax, becomes simpler.

The guides below cover both decisions in detail. Each one sets out what the licence permits, what it costs, which documents you need and how long it takes, so you can compare properly before committing money.

Step one

Dubai Mainland Company Formation

Trade anywhere in the UAE, with up to 100% foreign ownership.

from AED 18,000

Dubai Free Zone Company Setup

Full ownership, fast setup and packaged costs across 30 plus free zones.

from AED 12,500

Dubai Offshore Company Setup

A holding and international trading vehicle, without UAE residence visas.

from AED 14,000
Step two

General Trading License

Trade multiple unrelated product lines under a single licence.

from AED 25,000

E-Commerce License

Sell online legally, from a marketplace storefront to your own platform.

from AED 12,500

Commercial License

The standard licence for buying, selling and distributing goods.

from AED 15,000

Professional License

For consultants, agencies and service businesses selling expertise.

from AED 13,500

Industrial License

For manufacturing, processing and assembly operations.

from AED 30,000

Tourism License

For travel agencies, tour operators and holiday home management.

from AED 25,000
Budget

Answer six quick questions and get an indicative range for your licence, visas and office, broken down line by line so you can see exactly what drives the number.

Open the cost calculator
Faq

Licensing questions

The questions founders ask before choosing a licence.

Talk to an advisor Talk to an advisor
  • 1. What types of business licence are available in Dubai?
    Dubai issues commercial licences for trading goods, professional licences for services and consultancy, industrial licences for manufacturing, and tourism licences for travel and hospitality. General trading and e-commerce are widely used variants of the commercial licence.
  • 2. Which licence do I need for my business?
    It follows your activity. If you buy and sell goods you need a commercial or general trading licence. If you sell expertise or services you need a professional licence. If you manufacture or process, you need an industrial licence. We confirm the exact activity code before anything is filed.
  • 3. Should I set up in mainland or a free zone?
    Choose mainland if your customers are inside the UAE or you want government contracts. Choose a free zone if you sell internationally, want the lowest entry cost, or want a packaged licence with a flexi desk. The decision should follow your customers, not the headline price.
  • 4. How much does a Dubai business licence cost?
    Free zone packages start from around AED 12,500, mainland from around AED 18,000, and specialised licences such as industrial or tourism cost more because of facility and regulatory requirements. Use our cost calculator for an indicative range, or ask us for a fixed quote.
  • 5. How long does it take to get a licence in Dubai?
    A straightforward free zone licence can be issued within a few working days. Mainland typically takes 5 to 10 working days. Regulated activities such as industrial, tourism, healthcare and financial services take longer because a second authority is involved.