If you import, distribute, wholesale or sell physical goods online, you need a trading licence in the UAE before your first invoice. Avyanco handles everything from activity selection to your customs code, so one team carries you from the first call to the first shipment.
Most clients license in Dubai, but the same logic applies across the other emirates. Your first decision is the route: mainland through DET, or a free zone.
A trading licence names the goods you may buy and sell. It gives you the right to trade, not the right to import: importing and exporting also needs importer and exporter registration with Dubai Customs, which is a separate step. For a wider view, read our guide to the types of trade licence in Dubai.
We choose your activities, file with DET or your free zone, arrange the office or flexi desk, register the customs code, process the visas and prepare your bank file. We confirm current DET, free zone and customs rules before you pay, and you see every fee in writing first.
Watch: what a UAE free zone is, in 35 seconds
There are three types: general trading, specific (commercial) trading and e-Trader. Pick by how many product categories you sell.
A trading licence names the goods you may buy and sell. The right type depends on how many unrelated product lines you plan to carry.
Then the customs code, establishment card and visas follow.
Package contents vary widely by zone.
Your activity group decides which authority signs off.
A specific licence needs a DET amendment each time you add a category.
VAT registration is mandatory once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000, and Corporate Tax registration applies to UAE companies. Banks ask multi-product traders for supplier invoices and trade flow details, so we prepare these early. Renew every year: a late renewal attracts a fine.
A general trading licence in Dubai pays off when you sell several unrelated product lines or plan to re-export. You skip an amendment each time you add goods. On the mainland it carries a DET general trading activity fee of AED 15,000* a year.
A commercial licence in Dubai lists the exact activities you may carry out. If you later add goods, you file a licence amendment with DET. The activity fee is confirmed at quote.
The e-Trader licence is for individuals selling online from home. Anyone selling goods on a marketplace needs the platform to match their licensed activities.
DET requires an Ejari-registered office. Your visa quota depends on office size, at roughly one visa per 80 sq ft. You can then sell directly across the UAE, and most mainland companies are set up as an LLC.
A free zone offers lower entry costs, duty-free storage and re-export. Free zone general trading packages vary widely by zone, so compare them before you choose.
A free zone company sells to the mainland through a distributor or the Dubai permit route under Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025.
An import export licence in Dubai is really two registrations: your trading licence, then your customs code. The licence gives you the right to trade. Importing and exporting also needs importer and exporter registration with Dubai Customs.
Most goods entering the mainland attract 5% customs duty. Free zones can suspend duty on goods held inside the zone.
Your cost depends on the route, the activity and the office you choose. These are the government and registration charges we quote from, and we confirm every figure at engagement.
| Cost item | Mainland (from, AED) | Free zone (from, AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Licence fee | 12,500 to 15,000* | 13,500* to 25,000+ by zone |
| DET general trading activity fee | 15,000* | Not applicable |
| Trade name, initial approval and MoA (Tasheel) | 1,435* | Included in package |
| Office (Ejari) or flexi desk | Quoted | Quoted |
| Establishment card and e-channel | 750* and 7,500* | Quoted |
| Visa per person | Quoted | Quoted |
| Customs code | 100* | 100* |
Free zone trading licence prices vary widely by zone. See our DMCC, JAFZA and RAKEZ pages for zone detail.
Renewal repeats the licence and activity fees every year, so budget for it from year two.
The same company with the same activities, licensed once as specific trading and once as general trading. The gap is almost entirely the DET general trading activity fee.
| Item | Specific trading (AED) | General trading (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Licence fee | 10,000* | 12,500* |
| DET general trading activity fee | Not applicable | 15,000* |
| Trade name reservation | 620* | 620* |
| Initial approval | 120* | 120* |
| Tasheel initial approval | 345* | 345* |
| Tasheel MoA | 350* | 350* |
| Establishment (immigration) card | 750* | 750* |
| E-channel, including an AED 5,000* refundable deposit | 7,500* | 7,500* |
| Customs code | 100* | 100* |
| Total | 19,785* | 37,285* |
Both totals exclude office rent, your visa fee and the municipality fee on rent, which is reported at 2.5% to 5%. We add each quote. For a line by line view, see our Dubai mainland cost breakdown.
The same order applies on the mainland and in a free zone. We run each step and confirm current rules before you pay.
Choose general or specific trading, and a free zone or a mainland area.
The reservation is valid for 180 days.
Approval comes from DET or the free zone authority.
On the mainland, sign the Memorandum of Association for an LLC. In a free zone, receive approval for your office.
Then register the customs code first, followed by the establishment card, visas, bank account and VAT if required.
Licence, bank account, visas and tax handled by one named advisor, with government fees and our fee always shown separately.
“We had an excellent experience working with this company for our ADGM company setup in Abu Dhabi.”
“I have been dealing with Akshta for more than a year now and she has been very professional.”
“In so far as the emigration process can ever be made easy, Avyanco achieves exactly this.”
“I've used the services of Avyanco twice over the past 3 years for visa processing, and they have never failed to impress me.”
“We are very satisfied with Avyanco's support for Nanasu Realty — especially across AML compliance, accounting, and company setup.”
“I had an excellent experience with Avyanco Business Setup Consultancy for both my company formation and family dependent visa process in the UAE.”
We secure your trading licence in the UAE under DET licence #909402 and have supported numerous brands across mainland and free zone setups. A named reviewer checks every application before we file it.
These are the documents we ask for. We confirm the exact list for your route and activity before we file.
About 7 to 15 working days on the mainland and 3 to 7 working days in a free zone. The customs code, establishment card and visas follow once the licence is issued.
A general licence can deal with different types of goods, except restricted items. A specific licence is limited to the goods listed on it, so adding another category means amending the licence and extra DET work.
You need the trading licence plus an importer or exporter code from Dubai Customs. They are two separate registrations. File the customs code once the licence is issued so shipments are not delayed.
Not directly. A free zone general trading licence does not allow trading on the mainland. A free zone company can sell through a mainland distributor or through the Dubai permit route under Resolution No. 11 of 2025.
Normally not. You can file a licence amendment to add trading activities. A trading licence for a new entity adds the cost of setting up that entity.
Yes, if you sell goods online, as long as the activities fall within your licence and the platform or marketplace you use matches them. If you sell goods from home, consider the e-Trader licence instead.
Year-one mainland government cost starts from AED 19,785* for specific trading and AED 37,285* for general trading, before office and visa. Free zone licences start from AED 13,500* and vary by zone.
We choose your activity scope, apply for the licence on your behalf, find an office or desk, obtain the customs code, arrange visas and prepare your bank file. Our fees are presented upfront.
Tell us what goods you plan to trade and where. We reply with a route recommendation and a dated quote for a trading licence in the UAE. No obligation.
Sources: Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) · Dubai Customs · Federal Tax Authority · Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025. *Prices shown are indicative, may change, and exclude Avyanco's professional fee, which is quoted separately.
Verification & independence: Avyanco Business Consultancy LLC is a private firm, independent of DET, Dubai Customs, the Federal Tax Authority and every other UAE authority, and not affiliated with any UAE government agency. Fees, activity rules and customs requirements change over time and vary by case. This page is general guidance, not legal or tax advice. We confirm current requirements at engagement.
