Mainland License in Dubai: Types, Documents, Cost and Process (2026)
A mainland license in Dubai is a trade license issued by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). It lets your company trade anywhere in the UAE and abroad, bid for government contracts and open premises across the emirates. This guide explains the license types, who can hold one, what you need to apply, what it costs and how long it takes.
It supports our wider guides to Dubai mainland business setup and company formation in Dubai.
Key takeaways:
- A mainland license is issued by DET and allows trading across the UAE, unlike a free zone license.
- Most activities now allow 100% foreign ownership, so a local partner is no longer the default.
- You usually need physical premises with a tenancy contract registered through Ejari.
- Some activities need approval from another authority before the license can be issued.
- License renewals have been cheaper since 1 April 2026, but the reduction does not apply to new licenses.
Mainland License Types in Dubai
| License | Covers | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial | Trading and general business activities | Retail, wholesale, import and export, general trading |
| Professional | Services delivered through skills and qualifications | Consultancy, accounting, IT and design services |
| Industrial | Manufacturing and processing | Production, assembly, packaging |
| Tourism | Tourism-related activities | Travel agencies and related services |
Your activity decides the license type, and some activities carry extra requirements. Our business license guide for Dubai lists the categories in more detail, and our guide to getting a trading license covers the most common one.
Who Can Hold a Mainland License?
Foreign investors can generally own 100% of a mainland company for most commercial, industrial and professional activities. A local partner holding 51% was the old rule, and it no longer applies to the majority of activities. A short list of activities with strategic impact still carries restrictions or needs an additional approval, so confirm your activity before you choose a legal form.
Our guides on whether you still need a local sponsor in Dubai and on 100% foreign ownership in a UAE LLC explain how the rules apply in practice.
Legal Forms for a Mainland Company
- Limited liability company (LLC): the most common choice, with liability limited to your share. See how to start an LLC in Dubai.
- Sole establishment: one individual owner with unlimited liability. See how to start a sole establishment.
- Civil company: for licensed professionals working together. See how to start a civil company in Dubai.
- Branch: an extension of an existing company. See setting up a branch office in Dubai.
Our comparison of UAE company legal structures sets them side by side.
Documents Needed for a Mainland License
- Passport copies and photographs for every shareholder and the manager.
- Proof of address and, where the applicant is UAE resident, a visa and Emirates ID copy.
- A No Objection Certificate from the current sponsor where the applicant already holds UAE residency.
- Three trade name options that follow UAE naming rules.
- The initial approval certificate from DET.
- A tenancy contract registered through Ejari for the premises.
- The memorandum of association, notarised as required for the legal form.
- For corporate shareholders: attested incorporation documents and a board resolution.
- Any extra approval where the activity is regulated.
Our guide to company setup documents in Dubai covers attestation and what to do when a document is missing, and our explainer on the memorandum of association helps you prepare to sign.
Office Space and Ejari
A mainland license requires premises with a tenancy contract registered through Ejari, and the space is checked against the activity you are licensed for. A warehouse activity cannot be licensed to an office, and a clinic must meet the health authority’s specification. Your visa allocation is usually linked to the size of the premises, so settle the space before the license.
A flexi-desk can work for some service activities where DET permits it. Our comparison of a serviced office vs flexi-desk shows how the choice affects your license and visa quota.
Step by Step: How to Get a Mainland License
- Choose your activity and legal form.
- Reserve a trade name. Our guide to registering a business name explains the rules.
- Obtain initial approval from DET.
- Secure premises and register the tenancy through Ejari.
- Obtain any external approval your activity needs.
- Sign the memorandum of association and pay the fees.
- Receive your license, then apply for the establishment card, visas, a bank account and tax registration.
External Approvals by Activity
DET issues the license, but it is not always the only authority involved. Depending on what you do, expect an additional approval from bodies such as the Dubai Health Authority for clinics and pharmacies, KHDA for education providers, Dubai Municipality for food and many industrial activities, and the relevant regulator for financial activities. These approvals are normally needed before the license can be issued, so identify them at the planning stage.
What a Mainland License Costs
A mainland license is quoted as one figure but built from several charges: trade name and initial approval, the license fee priced by activity and legal form, office rent and Ejari registration, market fees calculated on rent, any external approvals, the establishment card and each residence visa. Premises are usually the largest and most often forgotten part. Dubai mainland packages start from AED 14,626, and the cost calculator gives an indicative figure for your own activity.
Mainland License Renewal Fees in 2026
DET reduced base renewal fees for existing mainland licenses from 1 April 2026, with our sister site reporting reductions of up to 50% for commercial licenses and 40 to 45% for professional licenses, depending on the activity. The reduction applies to renewals and not to first-time setup, and it covers the license fee only, not rent or Ejari. Read the details in our sister site’s guide to the Dubai mainland license renewal fee reduction, and confirm your exact figure with DET. Our guide to Dubai trade license renewal covers documents and penalties.
Timing the renewal, and what to check before you submit, is covered in how to renew a UAE trade license on time.
How Long Does It Take?
Name reservation and initial approval are quick. Securing premises and registering the tenancy usually sets the pace, and a license cannot be issued without it. A straightforward mainland setup usually takes one to three weeks, and regulated activities take longer because the external approval comes first. Our company formation timeline shows each stage.
Professional Activities on the Mainland
Consultants, accountants, designers and other professionals often assume a mainland license is only for shops and trading companies. In fact a professional license is a common route for service businesses that want to contract with UAE companies and government entities directly. The license is tied to the qualifications and activity you declare, and some professions need a license from their own regulator before DET will issue yours.
Ask early whether your activity can run from a smaller or flexible arrangement, because for service businesses the premises requirement is often the largest cost and the easiest to reduce.
Documents for Corporate Shareholders in More Detail
If a company, not an individual, will own the Dubai company, the document list grows. Expect to provide the parent’s certificate of incorporation, its memorandum and articles, a certificate of incumbency or good standing, a share register, a board resolution authorising the investment, and passports for its directors and shareholders. Documents issued outside the UAE usually need attestation and, if not in English or Arabic, legal translation.
Attestation in another country can take longer than the whole UAE process, so start it first. Our guide to documents clearing services in the UAE explains what a document clearing service handles.
After the License: Visas, Bank Account and Tax
The license is the start. You then apply for the establishment card, residence visas and Emirates IDs, open a corporate bank account and register for tax. Our guide to the documents required to open a business bank account covers the banking step, and our guides to corporate tax registration and VAT registration cover the tax steps. Our checklist for the first 30 days after getting a trade license puts them in order.
Mainland License or Free Zone License?
Choose the mainland if your customers are inside the UAE, you want to bid for government work, need retail premises or plan to add branches. Choose a free zone if you serve clients abroad, work online and want a lighter setup. Our comparison of mainland vs free zone vs offshore goes through the trade-offs, and our guide to free zone to mainland conversion explains how to move later.
Common Mistakes With a Mainland License
- Signing a tenancy before confirming the activity. If the premises do not suit the activity, the license cannot be issued.
- Choosing the legal form last. It decides ownership, liability and which approvals apply.
- Underestimating external approvals. Regulated activities need clearance first.
- Licensing too few activities. Adding one later means an amendment.
- Assuming Corporate Tax does not apply. It applies at 9% above AED 375,000, and mainland companies cannot use the free zone qualifying income regime. A company incorporated on or after 1 March 2024 must register within three months, and late registration carries an AED 10,000 penalty.
For wider guidance on formation and compliance, see companyformationinuae.com. If you want a recommendation for your own activity, book a free consultation and an EZONE advisor will confirm the license type, premises and timeline before you pay.
A breakdown of the cost parts is in our Dubai trade license cost guide.
To change what your mainland license allows, read our guide to amending a license.
Frequently Asked Questions
