What a trade licence costs in Dubai in 2026

The fees Dubai publishes

Invest in Dubai, the business portal of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), lists a fixed fee for these routes:

• eTrader licence, a sole establishment licence for a home based business in Dubai: AED 1,070 for the licence and the knowledge and innovation fees, plus AED 300 for Dubai Chamber membership.
• Intelaq licence, for a home based business in Dubai that is fully owned and managed by UAE or GCC nationals: AED 1,070 a year to issue and to renew.
• Licence fee exemption for Emirati and GCC entrepreneurs: AED 1,000 for the first three years from the licence issue date, then AED 2,000 a year for the fourth and fifth years.
• Booking a trade name, a separate DET service: AED 620.

DET notes that the Intelaq and exemption fees do not include fees and guarantees of federal authorities, government agencies and some other entities.

A normal mainland licence has no single price

For a normal licence, DET says the fees vary with the type of licence and the specific activities, and it points to its Business Set Up Recommendations tool for current figures. A normal licence also needs a memorandum of association and a site lease contract.

What moves a mainland total:

• Your licence type. Commercial, professional, industrial, eTrader and dual licences are separate types, and DET says fees vary with the licence type.
• Your activity. Some activities need approvals from other government agencies, and those approvals are an extra step.
• Your premises. Invest in Dubai says a mainland business needs a physical workspace of at least 100 square feet, so rent is part of the cost of a normal licence.
• Your visas. Each residence visa is its own government fee, covered below.

Free zone licences are priced by each free zone

Dubai has more than 20 free zones, each run by its own authority with its own rules and prices. Invest in Dubai says costs vary by zone, business activity, office space and visa needs. Its own examples: freelance packages start from AED 5,000 and offices for four from AED 62,500. It also says to always confirm with the zone you choose.

There is no compulsory physical office in a free zone: flexible desks and virtual offices are offered. If you do lease space, it has to be inside your free zone. Most free zone authorities also cap the number of visas per company, and a larger office is one way to raise the cap.

Visas are a separate cost

Residence visas are not part of the licence fee. As one example, GDRFA Dubai lists these fees for a green residence permit for a partner or investor: AED 200 permit fee, AED 10 knowledge dirham, AED 10 innovation dirham, AED 20 delivery, and AED 500 when you apply from inside the country. The fee rises by AED 100 for every year the residence runs past two years. These are the fees on that page only.

For each employee you plan to hire, the hiring cost calculator adds up the yearly cost of the hire.

Get your own number

Because most of the total depends on your choices, a typical figure would mislead you. The free setup cost calculator gives a first year estimate for your licence, visas, rent and fit out. For a full first year plan for your exact activity, start free.