Dubai mainland trade licence, step by step: issue, change an activity, reserve a trade name

A Dubai mainland trade licence is issued by Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and lets a business operate in Dubai outside the free zones. This guide puts the work in order. Mainland or free zone, and the Dubai Unified Licence (DUL), each have their own guide.

Activities, legal form and licence type

• Every activity has its own code in DET's official list, which also shows its licence type (commercial, professional or industrial), the legal forms allowed and any approval needed from another authority.
• A normal licence needs a memorandum of association (MoA) and a site lease. The Instant licence is only for activities needing no outside approval and includes an electronic MoA and a virtual site for the first year. The eTrader licence is for a home-based sole establishment.
• Get any outside approval first: it usually takes longer than the licence itself.

Booking the trade name

DET's published rules:

• Decent, with no name of God or divine attributes.
• No family, tribe or other person's name, unless it is the licensee's own.
• Not similar to existing names, government projects or international brands.
• The English name is written letter by letter from the Arabic, not translated.
• It reflects the activity and names no political or sectarian organisation.

DET states the trade name costs AED 620 and takes about 10 minutes. Only DET decides whether a name can be booked, so prepare two or three options.

Steps to issue the licence

1. Choose the activities and legal form, and check each activity in DET's list.
2. Book the trade name.
3. Obtain any outside approval.
4. For a normal licence, prepare the MoA (electronically or at the notary) and register the Ejari for the premises.
5. Apply on the Invest in Dubai portal or at a DET service centre, and pay.
6. DET issues the licence: 10 minutes for a normal licence, 5 for an Instant or eTrader licence, once everything is complete.
7. To hire staff, open establishment files with the immigration authority and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE).

Official fees

DET's fees vary by licence type and activity; its Business Set-Up tool gives an estimate. Published figures: eTrader licence AED 1,070 plus AED 300 Dubai Chamber membership; trade name AED 620; AED 500 for each licence amendment (Executive Council Resolution No. 13 of 2011). MARIO E.G.S.H's own price is on each service page.

Renewing

DET sends an SMS reminder. Renew on the portal, by SMS to 6969 or at a service centre; it is completed on payment. Renew the Ejari and any outside approval first. Resolution No. 13 of 2011 lists AED 250 for not renewing within the set period and AED 200 for each month of delay.

Changing an activity or the trade name

1. Compare the new activity's licence type and allowed legal forms with your licence; if they differ, it may not fit.
2. Obtain its outside approval before applying.
3. Register a new Ejari if it needs other premises.
4. If partners, shares, capital or the manager change, the partners sign an MoA annex.
5. Pay; DET issues the amended licence in about 10 minutes, with the same expiry date.

Only an activity already on the licence can be removed. Each amendment is charged, so list every change first.

To change the trade name, the new name follows the same rules: it is booked first (AED 620), then entered on the licence by an amendment (AED 500). Our request pages pre-check activities and names against DET's rules; the final decision rests with DET.