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Trade licenceE-commerce licenceStarting a business in DubaiFrequently asked questions

About

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Free Zone

What goes on the licence?

The first decision in incorporation is the activity, and changing it later is expensive. You can select more than one; what matters is that it fully covers the work you are going to do.

The activity on your licence is the legal boundary of what you may do. Working outside it counts as non-compliance; drawing it wider than necessary raises the cost in some zones. In the initial consultation we listen to your business and settle which activity, or group of activities, is right.

Activities needing extra approval

Some categories require pre-approval from the relevant authority — broadcasting, education, healthcare and financial services among them. These approvals lengthen the process, and not every activity can be licensed in every zone. That is why we choose the zone after the activity, not before.

Commonly selected categories

Consultancy

A broad range: business, management, investment, human resources and legal consultancy.

Trading

Any buying and selling based on import and export; general trading or specific to a product group.

IT services

Software, information services and e-commerce within the ICT sector.

Media and marketing

Advertising, public relations, research and marketing services.

New media

Photography, web design, mobile application development and digital content.

Film and production

Film, video and art production, and post-production activities.

Music and entertainment

Music production and recording, artist management, rights, and entertainment venue operation.

Event management

From conference organisation to stage production.

Education

Education and training. Authority approval is required and it is usually available only on visa-eligible packages.

Publishing

Books, magazines, directories and electronic content. Authority pre-approval is mandatory.

Broadcasting

Radio, television and web streaming. Authority approval required, and supported only on certain packages.

Industrial

Manufacturing and processing of raw materials. Usually comes with a warehouse or production space requirement.

Tell us the business,
we'll pick the activity.

The wrong activity code means a licence amendment and an extra bill later. Let's get it right first time.