Dubai Trade License Cost (2026): What You Actually Pay

The cost of a Dubai trade license has no single answer, because it is built from several parts. The license fee depends on your activity, and the rest depends on where you set up, the space you rent and how many visas you need. This guide shows each part and what EZONE’s starting packages cover.

Key takeaways

• EZONE’s Dubai mainland package starts from AED 14,626. Dubai free zone packages start from AED 12,000.
• The license fee is only part of the total, and the activity and your premises change it.
• Ask for an itemised quote that separates government fees from service fees.
• Renewal repeats most of the cost every year.

What Makes Up the Cost

The Government Part of the Cost

Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET) licenses mainland companies in Dubai and offers a cost estimator in its e-services for issuing and renewing a license. The government part of your cost depends on your activity and premises, so use the estimator or ask EZONE to confirm the current fees before you budget.

Mainland and Free Zone Starting Prices

Packages are starting prices and the final cost depends on your activity, workspace and visas. Use the cost calculator for your own figure, and compare structures in our guide to mainland vs free zone vs offshore.

Costs That Quotes Often Leave Out

• Office rent and the Ejari registration fee for a mainland tenancy.
• Approvals from regulators for activities such as food, health or education.
• Establishment card and visa costs when only the license is quoted.
• Renewal and amendment fees.

Three Kinds of Mainland License

Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET) issues commercial, professional and industrial licenses on the mainland. The type you need sets the activities you can carry out and affects the cost.

• Commercial license. For companies that trade goods or run general commercial activities.
• Professional license. For service businesses such as consulting firms, administrative services and educational institutions.
• Industrial license. For manufacturing, which usually needs suitable premises and extra approvals.

Our guides to the commercial license, the professional license and the industrial license explain each type.

Why Premises Drive the Price

A mainland license needs a registered address. For most companies that means a tenancy contract registered through Ejari.

The rent depends on the area and size of the space. A small office in a business district costs far more than a flexi-desk in a free zone, which is why the same license can cost very different totals.

• Small service company. A compact office or a shared space may be enough.
• Retail or showroom. The location matters, so rent is a large share of the cost.
• Industrial unit. Space, utilities and approvals add to the budget.

Approvals That Can Add Cost and Time

Some activities need sign-off from another authority before the license is issued. Examples include food, health, education and some regulated services.

These approvals can add fees and lengthen the timeline. Ask for the list for your activity before you accept a quote.

Example Cost Builds for Three Businesses

These illustrations show which lines apply. They are not quotes, and the amounts depend on the activity, premises and visas.

EZONE’s Dubai mainland package starts from AED 14,626. The cost lines above sit on top of or inside that figure depending on what the package covers.

Mainland vs Free Zone: The Cost Lens

A free zone license can cost less to start, but it limits where you can sell. A mainland license costs more but lets you trade across the UAE.

Since Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020, most mainland activities allow 100% foreign ownership. Our guide to UAE LLC foreign ownership explains the rules.

How to Compare Two License Quotes

1. List the activity on each quote and check it matches.
2. Check whether the quote includes office space and Ejari.
3. Check which government fees are included and which are extra.
4. Check how many visas the quote allows and what each costs.
5. Ask what the renewal costs and when it falls due.
6. Ask for any external approvals to be named and priced.

Documents You Will Need

• Passports and photos of the owners and managers.
• A description of the activity and the planned trade name.
• A tenancy contract or proof of premises.
• Qualifications for professional activities.
• Any external approval letters.

Our guide to the trade name rules helps you avoid a name that gets rejected.

What Happens After the License Is Issued

The license is the start of a set of costs that repeat. You will renew the license and the tenancy every year, renew visas at the end of their term and handle tax filings.

For a renewal calendar and a pre-renewal checklist, see UAE trade license renewal: cost, process and deadlines.

Companies incorporated on or after 1 March 2024 must register for Corporate Tax within three months. The penalty for registering late is AED 10,000.

See our guides to corporate tax registration and trade license renewal so the next year’s costs do not surprise you.

Mistakes That Make Licenses Cost More

• Choosing premises before the activity. Some activities have rules about where they can operate.
• Taking the cheapest quote without reading it. It may leave out the visa, the approvals or the office.
• Adding activities later. Amending a license costs time and fees, so list what you will need at the start.
• Letting the license lapse. Late renewal adds penalties and can block visa processing.

What Slows a Mainland License Down

Timelines vary by activity and by how complete your documents are. Delays usually come from the same few causes.

• Trade name problems. A name that breaks the rules is rejected and the process restarts.
• Missing approvals. A regulated activity waits for another authority.
• Premises not ready. The tenancy contract and Ejari must be in place.
• Documents that need attestation. Papers issued abroad can take longer than the license.
• Unclear activity descriptions. The application is sent back for clarification.

Our guide to why Dubai company setups get delayed or rejected lists more of them.

Government Fees and Provider Fees

A quote has two kinds of cost. Government fees go to the authority and the provider’s fee pays for the work of preparing and following the application.

Ask for them on separate lines. When a quote shows one total, you cannot tell what you are paying the authority and what you are paying for service.

The Same Company Under Two Licenses

A worked comparison shows how the choice changes the budget. Take a three-person marketing consultancy with clients in Dubai and abroad.

The starting packages are close. The real difference is what each license lets the company do, so decide on the customers first and the price second.

Choosing Premises Wisely

• Check that the activity can operate from the type of space you rent.
• Ask what the landlord’s contract includes and whether it can be registered through Ejari.
• Match the space to the visas you need, because the space can affect the quota.
• Think about growth, because moving later means amending the license.

Budgeting for Renewal

Many costs repeat every year. The license and tenancy renew yearly, and visas renew when they expire.

• Set aside the license renewal cost when you pay the first year.
• Track visa expiry dates for each employee.
• Put the Corporate Tax and VAT dates in the same calendar.

A Simple Budget Sheet

Put every cost on one sheet before you decide. A budget with named lines shows what a quote leaves out.

1. License and trade name.
2. Premises: rent, Ejari or the free zone lease, and any deposit.
3. External approvals for your activity.
4. Visas: establishment card, residence visas, medical tests and Emirates IDs.
5. Provider or adviser fees.
6. Bank account and any minimum balance.
7. Accounting, Corporate Tax and VAT registration support.
8. Renewal costs for year two.

Fill the sheet with figures from each quote, and leave a line empty when a quote does not mention it. The empty lines are the questions to ask.

Questions to Ask Your Adviser

1. Which license type fits my activity, and why?
2. Which approvals do I need before the license is issued?
3. What is the total cost in the first year, and what repeats in the second?
4. What happens if I need to add an activity or change the address?
5. Who handles renewals, and how will I be reminded?

Our guide to the mainland license in Dubai explains the process in more detail, and our company formation services page shows how EZONE helps.

Our sister site explains hidden UAE setup costs most quotes leave out, and companyformationinuae.com has more guidance. See also our guides to trade license renewal and mainland licenses in Dubai, and our company formation services.

Summary: What to Remember

• A Dubai trade license cost has several parts: the license, premises, approvals, visas, services and renewal.
• EZONE’s Dubai mainland package starts from AED 14,626 and Dubai free zone packages from AED 12,000.
• Premises and approvals are the lines that vary most.
• Ask for government fees and provider fees on separate lines.
• Renewal repeats most of the cost every year.

To compare structures, read mainland vs free zone vs offshore, or book a free consultation.

Next Steps

Write down your activity, your premises options and the number of visas you need. Take that list to your adviser and ask for an itemised quote you can compare line by line.

For a written quote, talk to our business setup services team.

Frequently Asked Questions