Sahla.The trade licence, explained before you buy one.
Every UAE company runs on a licence. Which type you need depends on what you sell, and getting it wrong blocks your bank account.
Which licence do you need?
The three licence types.
The type follows your activity, not your preference. The authority decides from its own list.
- Commercial
- Buying and selling goods: trading, retail, e-commerce, import and export.
- Professional
- Selling expertise rather than goods: consulting, IT services, design, marketing, legal and medical practices.
- Industrial
- Manufacturing or transforming materials. Requires industrial premises and, usually, environmental approvals.
- Activity codes
- Each licence carries one or more activity codes from a list of about two thousand. The wrong code is the single most common reason a bank refuses an account.
- Renewal
- Annual, with the government fee due before expiry. Late renewal carries fines and can suspend your visas.
How we run it.
01
We map your activity to a code
You describe what you sell in plain language. We find the codes that cover it and flag the ones that trigger extra approvals.
02
Trade name and initial approval
Reserved with the authority, checked against the naming rules, which are stricter than most people expect.
03
Licence issued
With the establishment card and, if you need one, the residence visa that follows.
Adding an activity later is possible but costs an amendment fee, so it is worth getting the list right the first time.
Questions we get on this page.
Send us your situation on WhatsApp. The eligibility answer is free and takes a day.
Book a callUsually yes, within the same category and up to a limit that varies by zone. Mixing commercial and professional activities is where it gets restricted.
The authority can fine you and, in the worst case, cancel the licence. Banks also close accounts when the transactions do not match the licence.
A few days when the file is clean and the fee is paid on time. We track the expiry and file before it, which is the whole point of having us.
Related services
Tell us your situation. We will tell you if it qualifies.
A free check with an adviser who files these every week, not a call centre.