Beneficial owner details
Submits or updates your company's beneficial owner details with Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET).
How it works
- 1
Documents
You
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Reviewed by MARIO E.G.S.H AI
MARIO E.G.S.H AI
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Submitted on Invest in Dubai
Runner at DET
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Licence issued
DET
Documents required
Copy of the current DET trade licence (or the licence number)
copyPassport copy of each beneficial owner (25% or more, or control by other means)
copyValid passportEmirates ID of beneficial owners who live in the UAE, and of the UAE-resident contact person
in some casescopyOnly if: Residents; the company must name one natural person resident in the UAEOwnership chart and documents of corporate shareholders up to the natural persons
in some casescopyOnly if: A shareholder is a company (chain of ownership)
Conditions, time and validity
- A beneficial owner is the natural person who owns or controls 25% or more of the capital or votes, directly or through a chain, or controls by other means (e.g. appointing most directors); if none, the senior manager is recorded.
- Data per owner: full name, nationality, date and place of birth, address, passport/ID number with country and dates, basis and date of becoming owner (and date of ceasing).
- Deadlines: submit within 60 days of licensing; update any change within 15 days.
- Exempt: companies wholly owned by federal or local government, financial free zones; companies owned by a listed company with sufficient disclosure have lighter duties.
- Processing time
- No processing time is published; online entry is usually done in one visit once the data is ready.
- Validity of the result
- Remains on record until a change; any change must be reported within 15 days.
- Where it is applied for
- DET e-services (Invest in Dubai) or DET service centres; DET also sends an SMS link during licensing transactions.
Steps at the authority
- Identify the natural persons with 25% or more (directly or through companies) or control by other means.
- Enter the beneficial owner and partners data on DET's e-service or at a service centre, with the UAE-resident contact person.
- Keep the company's own beneficial owner and partners registers, and update DET within 15 days of a change.
Tips that save you a trip
- Update the data at the same time as any partner or share change, so the 15-day deadline is never missed.
- Banks ask for the same data; keeping it current avoids account problems.
Common reasons for rejection or delay
- Owners hidden behind a corporate chain without identifying the natural persons.
- Expired passport data or missing resident contact person.
Questions and answers
I own 20%; am I a beneficial owner?
Not by ownership alone (the threshold is 25%), but you are if you control the company by other means, such as appointing most directors.
Checked by the MARIO E.G.S.H team on 2026-10-08. Rules can change at any time; our consultant confirms the details for your case.
Official sources
- Ministry of Economy and Tourism - Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023 on the Regulation of the Beneficial Owner Procedures
- Ministry of Economy and Tourism - Cabinet Decree No. 132 of 2023 (administrative penalties, beneficial owner)
- Dubai Media Office (2 June 2021) - Dubai Economy urges registered businesses to provide Beneficial Owner data
Legal basis
Cabinet Resolution No. 109 of 2023 on the Regulation of the Beneficial Owner Procedures; Cabinet Resolution No. 132 of 2023 on the administrative penalties for its violations
Related services
Trade licence renewal
Renew a Dubai mainland licence through Invest in Dubai, including Ejari and approvals check.
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Moves your licensed business to a new location and updates the licence with Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET).
Reserve and renew trade name
Reserves a new trade name or renews an existing reservation with Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET).
Issue and renew initial approval
Obtains or renews the initial approval for your business activity from Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET).