How to Get a General Trading License in Dubai

A general trading licence lets one company trade across unrelated product categories - food, electronics, furniture, clothing and more - without holding a separate licence for each. It is the licence most import, export and distribution businesses in Dubai are built on.

Delve into the guide to learn what a general trading license is and how to get a general trading license for your business in Dubai.

Already licensed? The customs and tax side — client code, HS codes and duty, import VAT and re-export — is covered separately in running a general trading company in Dubai.

What is a General Trading License in Dubai?

A general trading license in Dubai is a license that allows you to import, export, and trade goods and products under this license category. Unlike, other license types, a general trading license enables you to trade in a broad array of goods – however, except a few products that are prohibited in the country such as tobacco and other goods that do not comply with health standards.

Why You Need a General Trading License in Dubai?

If you're a foreign national and want to start a trading company in Dubai that sells unrelated products, you'll need to get a general trading license. Getting a general trading license is a must, especially if you plan to get involved in multiple trading activities. Even if these activities are spread across different industries, a general trading license will cover them. That's why getting a general trading license should be one of the most important steps for easy and smooth company formation in Dubai.

Once you've got your general trading company license in Dubai, your business startup in Dubai is allowed to conduct all of its trading activities under this one license.

What Is A General Trading Company in Dubai?

A general trading company typically spans textiles, electronics, equipment and general merchandise, and can import and export a variety of items across those categories under the one licence.

Additionally, certain regulated commodities must meet health and safety regulations when operating a business. Pharmaceuticals, frozen meals, and gold are all examples. Aside from these controlled commodities, the DET (Department of Economy and Tourism), formerly the DED, enables new business setups to trade and do business with foreign companies.

Steps to Get a General Trading License in Dubai

The Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) currently offers quick licensing processing for a general trade corporation. To obtain a general trade license in Dubai, the following steps must be done during business registration:

1. Get approval for the company name – Present the Department of Economic Development and Tourism with three to four possibilities for your company name reservation.
2. Choose Legal Structure & Define Business Activities – To continue your application for a trade license choose a legal structure for your business as well as define the business activities that you intend to carry out.
3. Submission of documents – To complete the application, you must go to one of the recognized centers. A passport copy, residence visa copy or visit visa, and Emirates ID are all essential documents for starting a general trading company in Dubai. After you have submitted your application to the center, the DED will give you a payment voucher for the license after fully validating the documents. You must pay the specified cost in order to get your trade license.

Documents Required To Get a General Trading License in Dubai

In order to get a general trading license in Dubai for your business to start a general trading company, you will have to submit essential documents to the concerned authority. Below are the documents that you will need to submit:

• Business plan
• License Application
• Fees payment receipt
• Name Approval letter from DED
• MOA (Memorandum of Association)
• Passport copy of the investor or the shareholders (if any)

Activities under General Trading License

According to the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED), the owner of a general trading firm in Dubai can import, trade, and re-export any of the permitted items. Furthermore, with the exception of a few prohibited industries such as oil or tobacco, it permits you to trade in nearly everything. Sweets and vehicle parts, jewels and shoes, pet supplies and toys, and practically any other combination you can think of are all acceptable trades.

Activities that require particular permits and arrangements can be carried out through a sole proprietorship, an LLC, or a single-owner (LLC-SO) business in Dubai.

Dubai Mainland General Trading License

A mainland general trading licence is issued by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). Its defining advantage is market access: a mainland company can sell directly to customers anywhere in the UAE, supply government and semi-government buyers, and bid for public tenders, without appointing a distributor or routing goods through a third party.

Since the 2021 commercial-companies reform (Federal Decree-Law 26/2020 with Cabinet Decision 55/2021), most mainland trading activities can be wholly foreign-owned, so the old 51% local-partner requirement no longer applies to general trading.

What mainland means in practice for a trader:

• Customs position. A mainland company sits inside UAE customs territory. Duty falls due when goods land, not when they are sold.
• Premises. A physical office with a registered tenancy contract is required, and the visa quota is tied to the size of that space.
• Cost. A standard Dubai mainland licence starts at AED 13,900 in government fees, or AED 18,750 with one investor visa. General trading prices above that because of its breadth — the itemised figures are in the cost section below.
• Ongoing. Annual licence renewal, tenancy renewal and Corporate Tax registration apply from the first year.

Mainland is usually the right answer when your customers are inside the UAE — retailers, contractors, government buyers or local distributors. See the itemised Dubai mainland cost breakdown, or compare our company setup packages.

Dubai Free Zones General Trading License

A free zone general trading licence is issued by the zone authority rather than DET, and it changes the customs position rather than just the paperwork. Goods held inside a free zone sit outside UAE customs territory. Duty is suspended while they remain there and is only triggered when the goods are formally imported into the mainland — or never, if they are re-exported.

That makes free zones the natural home for import-and-re-export businesses, regional distribution, and traders holding stock for onward markets.

What a free zone means in practice:

• Ownership. 100% foreign ownership has always applied in the free zones, with full profit repatriation.
• Selling into the UAE. This is the real constraint. A free zone company cannot sell directly into the mainland market — goods go through a mainland distributor, or are cleared through customs with duty paid, or the company takes a dual-licence arrangement.
• Share capital. Some zones set a minimum share capital for a general trading licence specifically. It varies by zone and by the goods involved, so confirm it with the zone before committing.
• Cost. The cheapest routes sit in the northern emirates — RAKEZ from AED 6,010 and SHAMS from AED 6,875 — but general trading is not offered at the entry price in every zone.
• Corporate Tax. A free zone trader may qualify for 0% on qualifying income as a Qualifying Free Zone Person, but income earned from mainland UAE customers is generally excluded — see our QFZP guide.

Dubai zones commonly used for general trading include DMCC, JAFZA, DAFZA, Meydan and IFZA. Outside Dubai, RAKEZ and SHAMS are the usual low-cost options.

Mainland or free zone: which fits your trade?

The decision follows your customers and your goods, not the licence fee.

Choose mainland if

• Your buyers are inside the UAE — retail, contracting, hospitality or government.
• You want to bid for public tenders.
• You need to invoice local customers directly, without a distributor margin in between.

Choose a free zone if

• You import and re-export, and the goods may never enter the UAE market.
• You are holding stock for regional distribution.
• Entry cost and speed matter more to you than direct mainland access.

Many established traders run both — a free zone entity for import and storage, and a mainland entity to sell locally. For a fuller side-by-side, see mainland vs free zone in the UAE.

The Cost of General Trading License in Dubai