What a Dubai business licence actually costs

The cost lines on every licence

A complete proposal should itemise each of these separately. If a quote shows only one bundled figure, ask for the split.

• Licence issuance fee charged by the licensing authority or free zone.
• Trade name reservation and initial approval.
• Registration and chamber of commerce fees, where applicable.
• Office cost: physical premises, flexi-desk or a free zone package inclusion.
• Establishment/immigration card and visa quota allocation.
• Per-visa cost: entry permit, status change, medical, Emirates ID and stamping.
• Document drafting, translation, notarisation and attestation.
• Professional fees for the consultancy handling the file.

Mainland versus free zone

Free zone packages usually bundle the licence, a flexi-desk and a fixed visa allocation into one authority fee, which makes them predictable and often cheaper at the entry level. Mainland licensing prices the licence, the Ejari-registered premises and the visa quota separately, costs more where real office space is required, and in return lets you trade directly in the local market without a distributor.

Renewal cost, not just setup cost

The figure that matters over three years is the renewal, not the first invoice. Budget for the annual licence renewal, tenancy or flexi-desk renewal, establishment card renewal and visa renewals every two years, plus corporate tax and VAT compliance where you meet the thresholds.

Costs founders commonly miss

The gap between a quoted setup price and the real first-year outlay is usually one of these.

• Visas quoted per person, not included in the headline package.
• Medical, Emirates ID and status-change charges billed separately.
• Corporate bank account requirements such as minimum balances.
• Activity-specific external approvals for regulated sectors.
• Attestation of foreign shareholder or degree documents.
• Corporate tax registration and ongoing accounting.