Activity licence
Professional License Dubai: legal forms, local service agents and free zone alternatives
Consultants, trainers and skilled trades usually start with a professional licence. The legal form you pick decides whether you need a UAE local service agent, so that is where we start.
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Written by Tabish Ahmed, Senior ManagerReviewed by Auj Afreen Ahmad, Founder and Chief Executive OfficerLast updated
The short answer
Professional License Dubai: what is it, and who needs a local service agent?
A professional licence in Dubai covers services built on a person's skills or qualifications, such as consultancy, training and crafts. On the mainland the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) issues it. Non-GCC nationals who form a professional sole establishment or civil company must appoint a UAE local service agent. Free zones license consultancy with full foreign ownership.
Definition
What does a professional licence cover in Dubai?
A professional licence in Dubai covers individuals offering professional services based on their intellectual or artistic skills, according to the Dubai government portal. DET's Al Wajeez guide gives tailoring, beauty salons, consultancy and training as examples. A commercial licence, by contrast, covers buying and selling most goods and services. The chosen activity largely decides the licence type and legal forms.
The Dubai government portal describes the professional licence as the licence for individuals offering professional services based on their intellectual or artistic skills. The commercial licence, by contrast, is for businesses that revolve around buying and selling most goods and services. DET's Al Wajeez guide gives tailoring, beauty salons, consultancy and training as examples of professional activities.
The federal portal lists eight Dubai licence types, including industrial, commercial, professional and e-Trader. The activity you choose largely decides the licence type and the legal forms open to you, so we check it against DET's current activity listing first. If you plan to sell goods as well as services, you may need a commercial activity too.
Compared
Professional licence vs commercial licence in Dubai: what is the difference?
A professional licence covers services based on skills or qualifications, such as consultancy, training and crafts, while a commercial licence covers buying and selling goods and most services. As at November 2026, non-GCC owners of a professional business need a UAE local service agent, while most commercial activities have allowed 100% foreign ownership since 2021.
Mainland Dubai, as described on DET and government pages
| Factor | Professional licence | Commercial licence |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | Services based on skills or qualifications: consultancy, training, crafts | Buying and selling goods and most services: trading, import and export |
| Common legal forms | Sole establishment, civil company; some activities as an LLC | LLC, among others |
| Foreign ownership | Non-GCC owners: sole establishment or civil company with a UAE local service agent | 100% for most commercial activities since 2021, except those with a strategic impact |
| Liability | Sole establishment: the owner is personally liable | LLC: limited to each partner's capital share |
| Premises | Registered premises with Ejari | Registered premises with Ejari |
General guide as at November 2026. DET's activity listings change, so we confirm the permitted legal forms for your exact activity before you commit.
The 2021 change
Who still needs a local service agent in Dubai after 2021?
Non-GCC nationals forming a professional sole establishment, or a civil company with any non-GCC partner, still need a UAE local service agent. Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020, in force in Dubai from June 2021, removed the majority Emirati shareholder rule for commercial companies but not this requirement. The agent is appointed under a notary- or court-attested agreement.
Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020, in force in Dubai from June 2021, removed the requirement for a majority Emirati shareholder in commercial companies, and the federal portal says foreign company branches no longer need a UAE national service agent. That change is about companies. It did not remove the agent requirement for the professional legal forms.
- Sole establishment: DET's guide says nationals of countries outside the GCC may own only professional businesses in this form, provided a UAE local service agent is appointed. Invest in Dubai states the same condition.
- Civil company: DET's guide says two GCC nationals can form one without an agent, but if any partner is not a GCC national, a UAE local service agent must be appointed or entered as a partner.
- The agreement: the federal portal says a local service agent is appointed under an agreement attested by a notary public or the court, and lists a duly attested service agent contract among the licence documents for civil establishments and companies wholly owned by non-GCC nationals.
The agent's fee is a private agreement between you and the agent, not a government fee, so it is not in our fee table. We tell you what to look for in the agreement before you sign.
Alternative
Can a consultancy be set up as an LLC instead?
Sometimes: it depends on whether DET permits your consultancy activity to be licensed to an LLC, so confirm the permitted legal forms with DET first. Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020 allows foreigners to own companies outright for most commercial and industrial activities. An LLC limits each partner's liability to their capital share and can have up to 50 partners.
Sometimes. DET's guide says Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020, applied in Dubai from June 2021, allows foreigners to own companies outright for most commercial and industrial activities, except those with a strategic impact. Whether your consultancy activity can be licensed to an LLC depends on the activity, so we confirm the permitted legal forms with DET before you commit.
An LLC limits each partner's liability to their capital share, according to the Dubai government portal, and can have up to 50 partners. It suits a practice that plans to grow, take partners or sign larger contracts. A sole establishment is simpler but leaves you personally liable. See company formation in Dubai.
Running it
What office, visas and cost does a mainland professional licence need?
Every mainland professional licence needs a physical address with a lease registered with Ejari, and visa allocation is usually linked to those premises. DET prices licences by activity and does not publish a fee table on its public pages, so the cost is quoted from your activity list. DET's Instant Licence offers a virtual location for the first year.
The federal portal says every business needs a physical address, and in Dubai the lease must be registered with Ejari. Your visa allocation is usually linked to the premises. DET's guide also describes an Instant Licence with a virtual location for the first year, available to sole establishments and civil companies among other forms; ask us whether it currently applies to your activity.
DET prices licences by activity and does not publish a fee table on its public pages, so we quote from your activity list, with government fees shown separately from ours. For a starting range, try the cost calculator or read business setup cost in Dubai.
| Fee | AED | Charged by | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Chambers membership, general trading | 1,200 | Government | dubaichambers.com |
| Dubai Chambers membership, handicraft/e-trader/Intelaq | 300 | Government | dubaichambers.com |
Figures from the authority’s own fee page, last checked 3 November 2026. Some exclude VAT. This is not the whole cost: visas, office, our fee and any approvals are separate. Lines older than 90 days drop off until re-checked.
Free zones
Is a free zone consultancy licence an alternative to a mainland professional licence?
Yes: free zone companies are 100% foreign-owned with no local service agent, though mainland work usually goes through a distributor, a branch or a permit. Published licence lines include JAFZA's service licence at AED 5,000 a year, the Shams Standard Package at AED 8,050, Meydan at AED 12,500 a year and DMCC at AED 20,285 a year.
Free zone companies are 100% foreign-owned, with no local service agent. The trade-off is market access: a free zone company works inside its zone and internationally, and mainland work usually goes through a distributor, a branch or a permit. If your clients are abroad, or are themselves free zone companies, that may not matter.
| Free zone | Licence line | Fee | Activities and inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
| JAFZA | Service licence | AED 5,000 a year, published by JAFZA | One group, up to 7 activities |
| Shams | Standard Package, zero visa | AED 8,050 for one year | Three activities across trading, services and consultancy |
| Meydan | Trade licence with a zero-visa allocation | AED 12,500 a year | Three activity groups and a flexi desk |
| DMCC | Standard Trading and Service licence | AED 20,285 a year | Not stated |
These are licence lines only; registration, establishment cards and visas are extra. DWTC Free Zone, often chosen by consultancies that want a central Dubai address, does not publish its licence fees, so it has to be quoted. Compare zones in IFZA vs Meydan and mainland vs free zone.
| Fee | AED | Charged by | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holding license | 30,000 | Authority | jafza.ae |
| Logistics license | 15,000 | Authority | jafza.ae |
| Trading license, more than two groups (General Trading) | 15,000 | Authority | jafza.ae |
| Trading license, two groups (up to 6 activities each) | 8,500 | Authority | jafza.ae |
| National Industries license, one group | 5,500 | Authority | jafza.ae |
| Industrial license, single manufacturing facility (one group) | 5,000 | Authority | jafza.ae |
| Service license, one group (up to 7 activities) | 5,000 | Authority | jafza.ae |
| Trading license, one group (up to 7 activities) | 5,000 | Authority | jafza.ae |
| Additional activity | 500 | Authority | jafza.ae |
Figures from the authority’s own fee page, last checked 17 October 2026. Some exclude VAT. This is not the whole cost: visas, office, our fee and any approvals are separate. Lines older than 90 days drop off until re-checked.
Choosing
Which professional licence route suits you?
It depends mostly on your clients and partners: a mainland sole establishment suits a solo professional serving Dubai clients, a civil company suits professionals practising together, and an LLC suits those wanting limited liability where the activity allows it. A free zone company suits clients abroad, and a freelance permit suits working in your own name.
- Mainland sole establishment: a solo professional serving Dubai clients directly, comfortable with a local service agent and personal liability.
- Civil company: two or more professionals practising together on the mainland.
- LLC: where your activity allows it and you want limited liability, partners or room to grow.
- Free zone company: clients mainly abroad or in free zones, and no wish for an agent.
- Freelance permit: you want to work in your own name with no company; see freelance licence Dubai.
Questions
Professional License Dubai: common questions
Anything else? Ask on WhatsApp and the person who handles it will answer.
What is a professional licence in Dubai?
It is the mainland licence DET issues for services built on a person's skills or qualifications, such as consultancy, training, tailoring or beauty services. It is usually held by a sole establishment or a civil company. Businesses that mainly buy and sell goods need a commercial licence instead. DET's activity listing shows which licence type applies.
Do I need a local service agent for a professional licence in Dubai?
If you are not a UAE or GCC national and use a sole establishment or civil company, yes. DET's guide says non-GCC nationals may own professional businesses as a sole establishment only with a UAE local service agent, and a civil company with a non-GCC partner needs an agent appointed or entered as a partner. An LLC or free zone company is the alternative.
Can a foreigner own 100% of a consultancy in Dubai?
Yes, through several routes. A free zone consultancy is 100% foreign-owned. On the mainland, a sole establishment can be fully yours but needs a UAE local service agent if you are a non-GCC national. Some activities can be licensed to an LLC, which foreigners can own outright since 2021; we confirm with DET whether yours can.
What is the difference between a professional and a commercial licence?
A professional licence covers services based on skills or qualifications. A commercial licence covers buying and selling goods and most services, such as trading and import and export. The difference also shapes the legal form: professional activities often use a sole establishment or civil company, while commercial activities usually use an LLC with full foreign ownership available.
How much does a professional licence cost in Dubai?
DET prices mainland licences by activity and does not publish a fee table on its public pages, so the cost is quoted from your activity list, plus premises, any local service agent fee and visas. Free zones publish lines, for example JAFZA's service licence at AED 5,000 a year for one group. We give you a fixed, itemised quote.
Is a free zone consultancy licence a professional licence?
Not in DET's sense. Free zones use their own licence categories: JAFZA calls it a service licence, and DMCC a Trading and Service licence. The practical effect is similar for consultancy, but a free zone licence is issued by the free zone authority, carries full foreign ownership, and works inside the zone and internationally rather than across the mainland.
Sources
Where these facts come from
The official pages we checked. Rules and fees change; we confirm the current position before we advise you.
- Professional and commercial licence definitions; sole proprietorship, civil company and LLC features — Dubai government portal: dubai.aeChecked 3 November 2026
- Non-GCC nationals: professional sole proprietorship only with a local service agent; civil company agent rules; professional activity examples; full foreign ownership for commercial and industrial companies; Instant Licence — DET Al Wajeez guide (2022): dubaitourism.getbynder.comChecked 3 November 2026
- Sole establishment available to foreign investors provided a UAE local service agent is appointed — Invest in Dubai: app.invest.dubai.aeChecked 3 November 2026
- Businesses wholly owned by non-GCC residents need a local service agent; attested agreement; eight Dubai licence types; Ejari — UAE Government portal: u.aeChecked 3 November 2026
- Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020 removed majority Emirati shareholder; branches no longer need a national agent — UAE Government portal: u.aeChecked 3 November 2026
- Full ownership effective 1 June 2021 for commercial and industrial activities — Dubai Media Office: mediaoffice.aeChecked 3 November 2026
- Service licence fee — JAFZA: jafza.aeChecked 3 November 2026
- Standard package fees and activities — Sharjah Media City (Shams): shams.aeChecked 3 November 2026
- Trade licence AED 12,500 with zero-visa allocation — Meydan Free Zone: meydanfz.aeChecked 3 November 2026
- Standard Trading and Service licence fee — DMCC schedule of charges: dmcc.aeChecked 3 November 2026
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