Business Licences

Commercial Licenses

Commercial licenses are granted to companies that involve in any sort of commercial trade activity, related to goods, commodities and services. One need to decide upon the activities they plan to conduct before applying for a commercial license.

Some of the activities that come under commercial activity are logistics, car rental and realestate brokerage. The tertiary activities along with the main activity should be limited to 10 per license.

Professional License

Professional licenses give permission to individuals and companies to engage in a profession they are talented in, based on their educational qualification. Some of the activities that come under this license are artisan ship, carpentry, consultancy services, printing and publishing, medical services, beauty salons, computer graphic design service, repair services, security services, and document clearing etc. With a professional license, foreign investors can attain 100% ownership of their business.

Industrial License

Industrial licenses are required for establishing industrial or manufacturing activity in the UAE, or industrial license in UAE is issued for those companies that transform natural material or natural resources into other final products and or is into any other type of manufacturing activities. With the industrial license, businessmen can assemble and process goods using raw materials that are local or imported. One need to obtain an industrial license for the manufacturing of;

• Food
• Textile
• Metals
• Equipment and engines
• Petroleum products
• Paper

Tourism License

Businesses that provide tourism activities such as hotel renting, tourist camps, cruise boat rental, restaurants, guest houses, travel agencies etc must acquire a trade license. 3 main types of license namely: travel agency license as an operator of inbound tourism, travel agency license as an operator of outbound tourism and travel agency license as a travel agent.

Agriculture License

People who are involved in activities such as cultivation and harvesting of crops, trading of pesticides, crops etc, installation of greenhouses and those who provide agricultural consultancy, should possess an agriculture license.

Craftsmanship License / Occupational License

This license is required for individuals who are involved in plumbing, carpentry, electrical work etc. If a company employs a craftsman to work for them, then they need to apply for the license. It is illegal to conduct business in the UAE without a license; a hefty fine and even a ban on the activity will be the result. In addition, the license needs to be renewed every year in order to avoid penalties.