Request to issue a trade licence

• Normal Licence: Requires a Memorandum of Association that can be obtained electronically or manually, and a site lease contract.
• Instant Licence: Issued within five minutes for a group of activities that do not require external approvals. You can also issue a memorandum of association and get a virtual site for the first year. This licence also includes: Dubai Chamber membership for commercial activities; Establishment card from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA); and, Establishment card from The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation with the option to employ three people. This final card is available for the following legal forms: Limited Liability Company (L.L.C), Limited Liability Company Single Owner (L.L.C – SO), Sole Establishment, and Civil Company.
• eTrader Licence: A sole establishment licence for Dubai home-based businesses that have been issued with the trade name. Apply for this via the portal on Invest in Dubai with a fee of AED 1070 (licence fees and knowledge and innovation fees) + AED 300 (Dubai Chamber membership fees).

You will need specific documents based on the type of licence you’re applying for:

For a normal licence:

• Approvals from other government agencies, if required
• If you’re using one of the approved service centres for this service, simply send the requirements via email to the centre.

For an instant licence, you will need your unified number or ID number, while for an eTrader Licence you will need an ID number.

The fees for the service vary depending on the type of licence and specific activities. For detailed and updated fee information, visit Business Set-Up Recommendations.

You can apply online via the portal on Invest in Dubai, or visit any of the available service centres. The service will be completed within 10 minutes for a normal licence and within 5 minutes for an instant or eTrader Licence.