Dubai Trade Licence

The main licence categories

Within these, specific sub-types exist — general trading and e-commerce being the two most frequently asked about.

Why the choice matters more than people expect

• Banks compare your licence to your story. If the licensed activity does not match how you describe the business, the account application stalls. This is one of the most common avoidable rejection reasons.
• Visa quota on mainland licences is tied to your premises and activity.
• External approvals attach to certain activities — health, education, transport, food and others — and add time you should plan for.
• Invoicing outside your activity creates problems at renewal, in audits, and increasingly under tax scrutiny.

Choosing correctly the first time

We start from what you will actually invoice for over the next two years — not just today’s plan — then select activities that cover it without triggering approvals you do not need. Adding an activity later is possible but costs a licence amendment and, occasionally, a bank re-review.

Licence fees vary by authority and activity. See indicative ranges on our business setup page, and note that a mainland licence also requires premises with Ejari registration.

Frequently asked questions