Procedure per Dubai Department of Economy & Tourism / DCCI (dcci.gov.ae). Fees and timelines change — check the authority's website. We don't invent numbers.
How the trade licence works, step by step
- 1
Identify your business activity first
It is important to identify the business activity you want to conduct, because it is the basis for selecting the legal form and the type of licence — whether commercial, industrial or professional, and so on. Get this right and the rest of the process follows from it.
مدارک:Business activity description - 2
Know how many licence types there are
As per the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, there are six types of licences. As per the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi, there are 7 types of licences. As per the Invest in Dubai website, there are 8 types of licences. Which set applies depends on the authority you register with, so confirm on their website.
- 3
Register your trade name
A trade name distinguishes one business from another. You choose and register it as part of setting up the licence, so pick a name that fits the activity you identified.
مدارک:Proposed trade name - 4
Apply for the trade licence
With your activity and trade name settled, you submit the trade licence application to the relevant authority. The exact fee isn't fixed here — the current amount must be checked on the authority's website, and we won't quote a number we can't confirm.
مدارک:Licence applicationTrade name reservation - 5
Pay on time or lose the application
You have to pay for your trade licence within 30 days of receiving the payment voucher. In the event of non-payment within the specific period, the application will be cancelled — so treat the voucher as a live deadline.
مدارک:Payment voucher
هزینهها و مدتها ممکن است تغییر کنند — با منبع رسمی راستیآزمایی کنید.
چه کسانی این خدمت را در دبی ارائه میدهند
شرکتهای واقعی از گوگلمپ — امتیاز و نظرها بهروز.
Commitbiz LLC - Business Setup in Dubai, UAE
4.8(949)10th floor Dubai World Trade Center, Sheikh Zayed Road - شارع الشيخ زايد - المركز التجاري الثانية - دبي - United Arab Emirates
Business Setup In Dubai - Company Setup UAE
4.9(276)Jumeirah Bay X3 - Suite 2702 - 27 Floor Cluster X - Al Thanyah Fifth - Jumeirah Lakes Towers - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
RadiantBiz Business Setup Consultants in Dubai
4.7(1002)The Burjuman، Business Tower - Office Number - 2106 - Sheikh Zayed Street - Mankhool - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
StartUp Zone - Business Setup Consultants in Dubai
5.0(187)Latifa Tower - Suite 801 - Sheikh Zayed Rd - opp. Museum of Future - Trade Center First - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Company Setup Consultants in Dubai | Business Setup in Dubai
4.9(25)Conrad, Business Tower - Office S2, 19th Floor Sheikh Zayed Rd - Trade Center First - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Prime Business Consultants | Business Setup Dubai | Mainland or Freezone | Corporate Tax | VAT | Tax Consultancy |
5.0(54)Dubai World Trade Centre - Sheikh Zayed Rd - Trade Center Second - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
We'll handle the licence legwork with you
Our relocation team helps people living in Dubai pin down the right business activity, pick the correct licence type and keep the application moving to the right authority — without guesswork on fees or deadlines. Tell us what you want to do and we'll map the steps.
Talk to our relocation team →Tools for this topic
A shortlist built for your case
3–5 properties with an honest DLD-based yield calculation — free, no middlemen.
