Trade Licensing in Dubai
A trade licence in Dubai is the official document that allows a business to conduct its licensed activities, and it needs attention long after the day it is issued. Dubai’s Invest in Dubai platform treats each stage as a separate service: booking a trade name, issuing the licence, amending it, renewing it and, when the time comes, cancelling it. Each stage has its own requirements, and a detail missed at the start can resurface at the next renewal.
Mainland licences are issued by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) in categories such as commercial, professional and industrial, while free zone licences are issued by the relevant zone authority. Published guidance notes that a standard mainland licence relies on a memorandum of association and a site lease contract, and that some activities need approval from another government entity. Common amendments include changes to partners, the manager, activities, capital, the trade name or the business location. Requirements can change, so we confirm the current position with the authority before preparing anything.
Our work is preparation and coordination. We review your current licence and company documents, identify what the request will affect, prepare the forms and supporting papers, and coordinate the submission through the appropriate official channel. For a trade licence renewal in Dubai, we also check that connected records, such as the premises lease and company documents, still match the licence. Majlis Hub is not a government entity or an approved service centre, and the decision rests with the licensing authority; we follow up and keep you informed until it is made.
Who this is for
- New companies booking a trade name and issuing a first licence
- Established businesses approaching a licence renewal
- Companies adding, removing or changing activities
- Owners changing partners, the manager or capital
- Businesses moving to new premises within Dubai
- Companies closing a licence or branch in an orderly way
What we handle
Trade name requests
We check proposed names against the published naming guidelines and coordinate the reservation request.
New licence applications
We prepare the application, memorandum of association and supporting documents, and coordinate the request through the appropriate channel.
Trade licence renewals
We track the expiry date, review connected records and coordinate the renewal in good time before it.
Licence amendments
We prepare changes to activities, partners, manager, capital, trade name or location, together with the supporting resolutions or contracts.
Additional approvals
Where an activity needs approval from another government entity, we identify it early and coordinate the request alongside the licence.
Licence cancellation
When a licence or branch is closing, we organise the steps and connected records in the right order.
Licence records
We keep an organised copy of the licence, related documents and the next renewal date for your files.
What to have ready
- The current trade licence, or the trade name reservation for a new application
- The memorandum of association and any later amendments
- Passport and Emirates ID copies for the owners and manager
- The current tenancy contract and its Ejari registration, where applicable
- Partner or board resolutions for changes to ownership, manager or capital
- Any approval already issued by another authority
- The date by which you need the renewal or change completed