Trade license cost in Dubai

In a Dubai free zone, a trade licence with no visa starts at AED 12,500 a year on official prices. Mainland DET fees are not in our verified data, so this page covers free zones.

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Dubai free zones, lowest starting price first

Starting prices are the free zone's own published package or fees, with what they include. Where a free zone publishes none, the row says so and shows what setup agents publish instead. Checked . Packages change often: confirm before you pay.

Free zoneEmiratePublished starting priceVisasOffice options
Dubai SouthDubai South Free ZoneDubaiAED 12,500 a year: Business Hub Starter licence, 0 visas (offer AED 11,375)Business Hub Essential tier includes 1 visa from AED 16,500; Dubai South estimates AED 4,000 to 6,000 per visaFlexi desk, Serviced office, Warehouse, Land plot
Expo CityExpo City Dubai Free ZoneDubaiAED 12,500 a year: licence, registration, shared desk, 0 visasAllocation depends on leased space; Business Hub Package 2 allows 1 to 4 visasShared desk, Coworking, Private office, Retail
Meydan FZMeydan Free ZoneDubaiAED 12,500 a year: licence, 3 activity groups, flexi desk, 0 visasVisas are add-ons: investor visa AED 4,000, employee visa AED 3,500, plus AED 2,250 medical and Emirates IDFlexi desk, Office
IFZAIFZA (International Free Zone Authority)DubaiAED 12,900 a year: zero visa licence (published by 6 setup agents)Agents sell 1 visa from AED 14,900 to AED 15,000 (processing extra) or AED 21,450 to AED 22,200 all inFlexi desk (agent sources), Office
DHCCDubai Healthcare City (DHCC)DubaiAED 16,550: Zawel licence, 2 visa quota, no office in year 1 (limited-time offer)Zawel includes a 2 visa quota; a 2-year employment visa costs AED 3,226.73 to AED 4,947.63Desk space, Office, Clinical facility, Land
DWTCDWTC Free Zone (Dubai World Trade Centre)DubaiAED 16,845 to AED 17,800 with flexi desk and 1 visa (published by setup agents)Official visa fee AED 2,000 from outside the UAE, AED 3,200 inside (older DWTC visa PDF)On-demand licensing, Flexi desk, Business centre, Executive office, Commercial office, Home business (Expo Village)
d3Dubai Design District (d3)DubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 licence a year; studio or office lease extrad3 does not publish a visa quota per workspace; ask before you leaseCo-working (shared desks, micro studios), Office (from 700 sq ft), in5 Design
DIACDubai International Academic City (DIAC)DubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 licence a year; lease and KHDA approval extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space (DIAC FAQ)Commercial space, Campus (sale or rent)
DICDubai Internet CityDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 a year per tech segment, lease extra1 visa per 60 sq ft of leased space (DIC FAQ)Co-working, in5 Tech, Office, Light industrial unit, Warehouse, Retail
DKPDubai Knowledge ParkDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 a year per segment, lease extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space; 1 visa per freelancer on a hot deskHot desk (freelancers), Office, Built-to-suit
DMCDubai Media CityDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 a year per media segment, desk extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space; Open Quarters desk gives 1 work permitCo-working (D/Quarters), Office, Studios, Retail
DOCDubai Outsource City (DOC)DubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 licence a year; lease extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space (DOC FAQ)Commercial space, Retail
DPCDubai Production CityDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 to AED 25,000 a year by segment1 visa per 80 to 100 sq ft of leased space (DPC FAQ)Office, Warehouse, in5 Media
DSCDubai Studio CityDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 to AED 40,000 a year by segment1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space (DSC FAQ)Office (700 to 1,300 sq ft), Sound stages, Studios, Backlot
DSPDubai Science Park (DSP)DubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 licence a year; desk or lab lease extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space (DSP FAQ); D/Quarters Open Quarters desk carries 1 work permitCo-working (D/Quarters), in5 Science, Office, Light industrial unit, Warehouse
IHCInternational Humanitarian City (Dubai Humanitarian)DubaiAED 11,250 a year: NPO desk; commercial desk AED 20,800 (2 visa quota)Every package includes a 2 visa quota and the establishment card; visa costs are charged on topBusiness centre hot desk, Standard office, Warehouse
Dubai CommerCityDubaiAED 27,545 to AED 28,000 a year: smart desk, 2 visa quota (published by setup agents)The zone publishes no visa quota or visa fees; agent smart desk packages come with visa allocationsSmart desk, Co-working, Office, Retail, Warehouse, Fulfilment centre
DMCCDMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre)DubaiAED 35,484 a year: Basic Biz licence, flexi desk options, 1 visa eligibilityFlexi desk up to 3 visas; a new 2 year visa from outside the UAE is AED 2,972.50 (DMCC schedule)Flexi desk, Co-working, Serviced office, Office
DAFZDAFZ (Dubai Airport Freezone)DubaiAED 40,770 to AED 85,000 first year with an office (published by setup agents)Visa quota tied to office size; agents say the smart office carries a 2 visa quotaSmart office, Office, Warehouse, Retail
DIFCDIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre)DubaiUSD 1,500 a year: Innovation licence, tech firms only, plus USD 100 registrationInnovation licence: up to 4 visas on the first desk; new employment visa AED 3,950 plus AED 2,500 refundable deposit (DIFC handbook, may be out of date)Coworking (Innovation Hub), Shared office, Leased office
DMCDubai Maritime CityDubaiLicensed through Jafza (Jafza licences from AED 5,000 a year); DMC lease extraNot publishedOffice, Warehouse, Workshop, Showroom, Ship repair plot
DSODubai Silicon Oasis (DSO)DubaiLicence AED 12,000 to AED 15,000 a year, office extra (published by setup agents)DSO publishes no visa quota or fee; agents quote AED 3,000 to AED 5,100 per visaFlexi desk, Fixed desk, Office, Warehouse, Light industrial unit, Retail, Land
DUCAMZDubai Cars and Automotive Zone (DUCAMZ)DubaiAED 5,500 to AED 14,000 trading licence (published by setup agents, who disagree)Not publishedShowroom
Gold and Diamond ParkDubai Gold and Diamond ParkDubaiJafza licence from AED 5,000 a year; unit lease extraVisas are processed by Jafza under Jafza Free Zone RulesRetail showroom, Workshop, Office
JAFZAJAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone)DubaiLicence from AED 5,000 a year (one activity group); facility lease extraVisa quota not published; employment entry permit from AED 2,378 (Normal, 1 year)Co-working and workstations, Office, Warehouse, Showroom, Retail, Land plot

Last updated

The trade license cost in Dubai depends first on where you license. In a Dubai free zone, the lowest official price is AED 12,500 a year, at Meydan Free Zone or Expo City, for a licence with no visa. Licences on the mainland are issued by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). We have not verified DET's fee tables, so we do not quote mainland prices here. Everything below is a free zone figure from the zone's own pages or from published agency prices.

Looking ahead: see Trade license cost Dubai 2027.

How much does a Dubai trade license cost in common cases?

The cheapest licence is not the right one for every business. Here is what the Dubai business license cost looks like for five typical setups.

1. A consultant who needs no visa

  • Meydan Free Zone: AED 12,500 a year with up to 3 activity groups and flexi desk eligibility.
  • Expo City Dubai: AED 12,500 for registration, licence and a shared desk.
  • Dubai South Business Hub: AED 12,500 a year for the Starter licence with 1 activity, on its own tier list.
  • IFZA: no official price. Six agencies list AED 12,900 for a zero-visa licence, with their own fee on top.

If you already hold a UAE residence visa through a job or family, a no-visa licence may be all you need. See consultancy licence in Dubai.

2. A founder who needs one residence visa

  • Meydan with 1 visa: AED 16,350 to AED 20,670 (published prices of 2 agencies, checked ).
  • IFZA with 1 visa: AED 14,900 to AED 15,000 with the visa slot only (3 agencies), or AED 21,450 to AED 22,200 with processing done (2 agencies).
  • Dubai South Business Hub Essential: AED 16,500 with 1 visa and a flexi desk, official. Visa processing is billed on top.
  • Expo City's Business Hub Package 2: AED 17,550 with the company card and an allocation of 1 to 4 visas. The visa fees are extra.
  • DMCC's Basic Biz Package: AED 35,484 with one visa eligibility. The visa cost is not included.

The visa adds more than its own fee: the establishment card, medical test and Emirates ID come with it. Our visa cost page breaks those lines down.

3. A tech, media or education company

The TECOM business parks (Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Knowledge Park and others) charge AED 3,500 to register and AED 15,000 a year for most segment licences. The lease is extra, and the visa count follows the space you rent: 1 visa per 60 sq ft in Dubai Internet City, 1 per 80 sq ft in Dubai Media City.

Start-ups that qualify for an in5 centre pay AED 1,000 a year for the licence for 3 years. Setup agencies list Dubai Internet City at AED 22,540 to AED 50,000 for year one (3 agencies), depending on the desk or office. See Dubai Internet City.

4. A trading company that holds stock

Physical goods usually mean a port or airport zone. Jafza lists licences from AED 5,000 and warehouses from AED 400 per sq m, but no package price. Agencies put a first year with a flexi desk or workstation and one visa at AED 40,000 to AED 60,000 (2 agencies). Jafza's own fee table puts its General Trading licence at AED 15,000 a year, licence only. At Expo City a general trading licence is AED 25,000 a year. See general trading licence and Jafza.

5. A financial services firm

DIFC registers a non-retail private company for USD 8,000 and licenses it for USD 12,000 a year. Regulated firms also need DFSA approval. Tech firms can use the DIFC Innovation licence at USD 1,500 a year. Agencies put a first year for a non-regulated DIFC company at AED 65,000 to AED 104,079 (2 agencies). See DIFC company setup.

Freelancers

A freelance permit is not a company licence, but it is the cheapest legal way to invoice in Dubai's tech, media, education and design parks. GoFreelance is AED 7,520 a year with a hot desk. The visa is AED 4,600 for 1 year or AED 5,042 for 2 years, and the establishment card AED 2,000. Freelancers cannot sponsor employees or trade under a brand name. See freelance licence.

Which Dubai trade license fees recur every year?

Year two is cheaper than year one because registration is not charged again. But the licence fee, lease, establishment card and any visa renewals come back. The TECOM parks fine late renewals AED 2,500 after 30 days and up to AED 10,000 after 90. See licence renewal.

Mainland: what we can and cannot tell you

A mainland licence lets a company trade anywhere in the UAE market. A free zone company trades freely in its zone and abroad, and needs a distributor, a branch or a permit to sell on the mainland. Since early , most mainland companies can be 100% foreign owned. Some activities of strategic impact are still restricted.

Dubai now offers a middle route. Under Executive Council Resolution No. 11, a free zone company approved by its zone can get a DET permit at AED 5,000 for up to 6 months, or a branch licence at AED 10,000 a year. Dubai Industrial City is also licensed by DED as a mainland area, not a free zone.

We do not publish mainland DET licence fees because we have not checked them against an official fee table. If mainland is what you need, ask for a written quote. Our free zone vs mainland page compares the two on the rules.

Get a priced quote

Use the form on this page. Tell us the business, the visas and whether you will sell to UAE customers. We are an independent directory, not DET and not a free zone. We send your details to the zone or a licensed partner, and they quote the first year with every fee listed.

Where to get a written quote

Agencies quote their own totals, and they differ. The top 15 setup consultants by weighted Google score are a fair place to start when you want quotes to compare with the figures on this page.

Sources

Get free quotes from several free zones

Tell us about the cost of a trade licence in Dubai: your activity, the visas and the office you need. We pass it to the free zones that fit or to a licensed setup partner, and reply with options you can compare side by side.

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Good to know

Questions people ask

What is the cost of a business license in Dubai?

In a Dubai free zone, official prices start at AED 12,500 a year for a licence with no visa at Meydan, Expo City or the Dubai South Business Hub. With one visa, the Dubai South Business Hub lists AED 16,500 before visa processing, and agencies publish Meydan at AED 16,350 to AED 20,670. Mainland fees are set by DET and are not covered here.

How much is a mainland trade license in Dubai?

We have not verified the DET mainland fee tables, so we do not quote a figure. Ask DET or a licensed partner for a written quote. Most mainland companies can now be fully foreign owned.

What is the cheapest way to get a Dubai licence as a freelancer?

The TECOM GoFreelance package is AED 7,520 a year for a freelance permit and a hot desk in Dubai Internet City, Media City, Knowledge Park or Design District. The visa is extra, AED 4,600 for 1 year, and a freelancer cannot sponsor staff.

Can a Dubai free zone licence cover customers on the mainland?

With a permit. A Dubai free zone company approved by its zone can get a DET permit at AED 5,000 for up to 6 months, or a branch licence at AED 10,000 a year. DIFC financial firms are excluded.

How much does a trading licence with a warehouse cost?

Jafza lists licences from AED 5,000 and warehouses from AED 400 per sq m, with no package price. Agencies put a first year with a flexi desk or workstation and one visa at AED 40,000 to AED 60,000. A warehouse costs more.

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