High demand in Dubai and the UAE

Trade license dubai in Dubai and the UAETrade licence, free zone or mainland

Pick the structure and register it, step by step. From someone who has done it, over a video call.

AED 400–2,500typical price

Post this task, free See examples
Sorting a shoebox of receipts beside a company certificate and a bookkeeping dashboard
Shortlist free zones for my trade licence in Dubai, IT consulting
Example task, written by Taskly · AED 1,500 · Photo is an illustration

The short answer

How much does trade license dubai cost in Dubai and the UAE?

Trade licence, free zone or mainland in Dubai and the UAE typically costs AED 400–2,500. On Taskly you describe what you need for free, people who have done it send offers with their own price, and you pick one. Taskly holds your money until the task is done, and you can report a problem before it’s released.

Typical price
AED 400–2,500
To post
Free
How
Video call and chat
Your payment
Held by Taskly until done

Taskers help you prepare and understand. You file from your own account; nobody on Taskly represents you to a tax authority.

What you get

What Taskers usually deliver for this in Dubai and the UAE. You agree the details with your Tasker before you accept an offer.

  1. 0160-minute discovery video call
  2. 02Side-by-side comparison of 3–4 free zones with first-year and renewal costs
  3. 03Shortlist of matching activity codes
  4. 04Step-by-step approval roadmap with estimated costs
  5. 0545-minute video call to walk through it
  6. 06Document list for each step
Often comes upIFZAMeydan Free ZoneDMCCDubaiDepartment of Economy and TourismDubai MunicipalityEjariAl Barsha

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How people ask for it

5 examples written by Taskly from what people search for in Dubai and the UAE. Real tasks look like these.

  • “Shortlist free zones for my trade licence in Dubai, IT consulting”

    We want a trade licence in a Dubai free zone for a two-partner IT consulting company, and need help shortlisting. My partner and I are leaving salaried roles to consult for banks and retailers across the Gulf. Every free zone salesperson says theirs is the right one, and the package prices don't compare like for like.

    What we need: a 60-minute video call to understand our activities and plans, then a written comparison of three or four free zones (for example IFZA, Meydan and DMCC) covering activity codes, office requirements, renewal costs and any limits on working with mainland clients. We will decide; we want honest, unsponsored research. Licence fees are separate and paid by us.

    AED 1,500
    • 60-minute discovery video call
    • Side-by-side comparison of 3–4 free zones with first-year and renewal costs
    • Shortlist of matching activity codes

    For: Two salaried professionals in Dubai starting an IT consultancy

    Example task, written by Taskly. Yours can be one line; your Tasker will ask what they need.

  • “Food trade licence cost breakdown for a small café in Dubai”

    I need a clear food trade licence cost breakdown for opening a small café on the Dubai mainland. I've worked in hospitality here for nine years and found a 40-square-metre unit in Al Barsha, but I don't know the full chain of approvals or what each one costs before I sign the lease.

    What I'd like: a written roadmap covering the DET initial approval and trade name, the Ejari, Dubai Municipality food safety approvals, fit-out and civil defence sign-offs, with an estimated cost and the usual order for each step. Then a 45-minute video call to go through it. I'm not asking anyone to deal with government offices for me; I'll make the submissions myself.

    AED 1,200
    • Step-by-step approval roadmap with estimated costs
    • 45-minute video call to walk through it
    • Document list for each step

    For: Hospitality professional in Dubai opening a first café

    Example task, written by Taskly. Yours can be one line; your Tasker will ask what they need.

  • “Trade licence renewal online in Dubai with an expired Ejari”

    I need help with my trade licence renewal online in Dubai, which won't go through because my Ejari expired. I run a one-person mainland consultancy and my landlord changed last year. The new tenancy contract is signed but not registered, and I'm not sure whether to register the Ejari first or contact DET.

    My licence expires in about five weeks. What I'd like: a video call where I share my screen and you help me work out the right order, what documents the new Ejari needs, and how to complete the renewal on the DET online services myself. A checklist I can reuse next year would be a bonus. I'll pay the government fees directly.

    AED 600
    • Screen-share while I complete the renewal steps
    • Document list for registering the new Ejari
    • Reusable renewal checklist for next year

    For: Solo mainland consultant in Dubai renewing a licence

    Example task, written by Taskly. Yours can be one line; your Tasker will ask what they need.

  • “Freelance trade licence in Dubai, compare costs for a designer”

    I want a freelance trade licence in Dubai and need someone to compare the real costs of my options. I'm a motion designer living in Dubai, invoicing a few agencies here and in Europe. I've seen freelance permits from free zones, a Dubai Development Authority option and small mainland licences, and the totals don't line up once renewals and add-ons are counted.

    What I want: a spreadsheet comparing three or four routes on first-year cost, renewal cost, allowed activities and whether I can invoice UAE companies, then a 30-minute call to go through it. I'll choose the route and apply myself. I'm not after anyone's sales package, just a straight comparison.

    AED 700
    • Comparison spreadsheet of 3–4 freelance licence routes
    • 30-minute video call to walk through it
    • List of documents each route asks for

    For: Dubai-based creative freelancer choosing a licence route

    Example task, written by Taskly. Yours can be one line; your Tasker will ask what they need.

  • “General trading licence in Dubai for selling on Amazon and Noon”

    I need the cost and set-up path for a general trading licence in Dubai so I can sell homeware on Amazon and Noon. I've been importing small batches through a friend's company, and it's time to have my own. I'm unsure whether a mainland general trading licence or a free zone e-commerce licence fits better, and what an import code with Dubai Customs involves.

    What I'd like: a written comparison of two or three routes with first-year and renewal costs, the activity names that match, and the customs registration steps, followed by a 45-minute video call. I make the choice and do the applications myself; licence fees are mine to pay.

    AED 1,400
    • Written comparison of 2–3 licence routes with costs
    • Customs registration step list
    • 45-minute walkthrough call

    For: Small importer in Dubai moving to an own licence for marketplace selling

    Example task, written by Taskly. Yours can be one line; your Tasker will ask what they need.

The price where you are

Typical ranges from public market prices, November 2026. Every Tasker sets their own price in their offer.

Good questions

What people ask before they post this in Dubai and the UAE.

  • 01

    How much does trade licence, free zone or mainland cost in Dubai and the UAE?

    Usually AED 400–2,500. Each Tasker names their own price in their offer, so you see the cost before you agree to anything.

  • 02

    What should we share before a free zone comparison?

    A short description of your services, who your clients are and where they're based, how many shareholders there will be, and whether you need a physical office or a flexi-desk.

  • 03

    Why do free zone package prices differ so much?

    Packages bundle different things: licence fee, office or flexi-desk, registration charges and add-ons. Renewal costs can also differ from the first-year price, so compare the total over two or three years.

  • 04

    In what order do Dubai café approvals usually happen?

    Typically the trade name and initial approval first, then the lease and Ejari, then fit-out drawings and municipality food approvals, then the licence is issued. Confirm the unit's permitted use covers food before committing.

  • 05

    What should I share for a café licence roadmap?

    The unit's location and size, your planned menu and whether you'll cook on site, seating numbers and any draft lease terms. The more specific you are, the more accurate the cost estimate.

  • 06

    Why does an expired Ejari block a licence renewal?

    For most mainland licences a valid registered tenancy is part of the renewal check, so an expired or unregistered Ejari can stop the application. Registering the current tenancy contract usually comes first.

  • 07

    How does paying work?

    Posting is free. When you accept an offer you pay the agreed price. Your money is held by Taskly until you confirm the task is done. If you don’t, it’s released three days after your Tasker marks it finished — unless you report a problem.

  • 08

    Who are the Taskers?

    People who have done what you need: worked at the company, passed the exam, made the move. Every Tasker is reviewed and approved by a person before they work.

  • 09

    What can’t a Tasker do here?

    Taskers help you prepare and understand. You file from your own account; nobody on Taskly represents you to a tax authority.

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Ready when you are.

Describe it in a sentence. People who have done it send offers, usually AED 400–2,500.