Commercial, Professional, Industrial & Tourism Licences
UAE trade licences come in four main types, each tied to a specific category of business activity. Choosing the right one shapes your costs, your visa quota, and what you are legally allowed to do.
A Quick Primer
Why The Licence Type Matters
Every UAE business operates under a trade licence issued by either the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) for mainland entities, or by the relevant free-zone authority for free-zone entities. The licence specifies the activities you are permitted to carry out — selling specific goods, providing specific services, manufacturing, or operating in tourism and hospitality.
The four main licence categories are Commercial, Professional, Industrial, and Tourism. Each comes with different documentation requirements, capital requirements (for some activities), visa quotas, and renewal obligations. Some activities — financial services, healthcare, education — also require sector-specific approvals on top of the trade licence.
We help you choose the right licence type for your activity, secure any additional approvals you need, and ensure the activity codes on your licence cover everything you plan to do — both now and within reason as you scale.
What We Cover
Which Licence Fits Your Business
A clear breakdown of what each licence permits and what it does not.
Commercial Licence Guidance
Commercial licences cover trading, import/export, and retail activities. We clarify which activity codes apply to your business and what the DED or free zone authority requires.
Professional Licence Guidance
Professional licences are issued for service-based and skill-specific activities. We confirm eligibility, qualifying activities, and the documentation needed for approval.
Industrial Licence Guidance
Industrial licences cover manufacturing, processing, and production activities. Requirements differ significantly from commercial licences — we advise on the correct setup.
Activity Code Selection
UAE licences are defined by specific DED or free zone activity codes. Selecting the wrong codes can restrict operations or create compliance issues. We select the correct codes for your business.
Mainland vs Free Zone Comparison
The same business activity may have different licence types and requirements depending on whether you operate mainland or in a free zone. We map this out for your specific case.
How To Choose
A Simple Decision Framework
Describe Your Activity
A clear description of what you will sell, manufacture, or provide. The more specific, the easier the licence choice.
Activity-To-Licence Mapping
We map your activity to the UAE activity-code catalogue (4,000+ codes) and identify the corresponding licence type.
Approvals & Submission
We secure any sector-specific approvals, finalise the activity codes, and submit the licence application.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Trade Licence Questions Answered
A commercial licence covers the buying and selling of goods — import, export, distribution, and general trading. A professional licence covers the provision of services or skilled consultancy where the business earns from expertise rather than the sale of physical goods — consultants, designers, IT firms, and healthcare practitioners are common examples. Some activities straddle both categories and require a dual-activity licence.
Yes. Most licensing authorities allow multiple related activities to be listed under a single licence, up to a permitted maximum. Activities must fall within the same broad category — you cannot mix food trading with legal services under one DED licence, for example. Each additional activity listed typically incurs a small additional fee at the time of licence issuance or renewal.
Operating outside licensed activities is a compliance violation and can result in fines, licence suspension, or cancellation by the licensing authority. It also creates exposure in contracts and may invalidate insurance coverage. If your business evolves beyond your current licence scope, the correct approach is to amend the licence through the issuing authority — a straightforward process we can handle on your behalf.
A mainland DED licence is issued by the emirate in which the business is registered and covers operations in that emirate. If you open a physical branch in another emirate, a branch licence from that emirate's DED is typically required. Freezone companies are restricted to the geographic limits of their zone and the UAE mainland unless a mainland branch is registered.
UAE trade licences are issued annually and must be renewed before their expiry date. Renewal requires settled tenancy agreements (Ejari or equivalent), valid establishment cards, and payment of renewal fees. Lapsed licences incur daily or monthly fines depending on the authority. We track renewal schedules for all our managed clients and initiate the process well in advance of expiry.
Not sure which licence type fits your business? We can identify the right one for you.
Ask Us AnythingTalk to Us
Choose The Right UAE Licence
Speak to our team. We will map your activity to the correct licence type, identify any sector approvals you need, and give you a realistic cost and timeline.
