Ajman mainland company formation
Ajman's licensing authority publishes its process in seven stages and its fees line by line. This page sets out both, along with the ownership and service agent rules on the department's own pages.
The short answer
An Ajman mainland company is licensed by the Department of Economic Development, Ajman, known as Ajman DED. The license is the official document that allows a person or company to carry out one or more economic activities. Ajman DED publishes its fees line by line, starting with AED 600 to issue the license, and applications are made with UAE Pass. It publishes no total setup cost.
Who issues a mainland license in Ajman?
The Department of Economic Development, Ajman, known as Ajman DED, issues mainland licenses in the emirate.
Ajman DED defines the license as the official document under which a natural or legal person is allowed to engage in one or more economic activities through the establishment.
Its online services cover trade name reservation, initial approval, new licenses, renewals, permits, certificates and cancelling a license. Applications are made with UAE Pass.
What are the official Ajman DED license fees?
Ajman DED publishes its license fees line by line. The fee to issue or renew the economic license is AED 600, and several other lines apply on top of it.
The Ajman Government portal lists two further lines: an application form fee and Chamber membership. We tell you the cost for your activity in writing before you commit.
| Fee line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Economic license issue or renewal | AED 600 |
| Commercial register | AED 200 |
| Unified economic activities register | AED 200 |
| Signboard permit | AED 350 |
| Signboard specification form approval | AED 100 |
| CSR UAE Fund contribution, companies and establishments | AED 1,500 |
| LLC official document publication | AED 3,000 |
| Application form, per the Ajman Government portal | AED 50 |
| Chamber membership, per the Ajman Government portal | AED 50 to AED 5,000 |
Good to knowNo authority publishes a total first year cost for Ajman. The lines above are the published government fees only.
Can a foreigner fully own an Ajman mainland company?
Federal law permits full foreign ownership outside the restricted activities. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism states that investors can have full ownership in all five legal forms in the Commercial Companies Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021.
Two limits are set at federal level. Cabinet Resolution No. 55 of 2021 lists seven activities with a strategic impact, and Article 10(3) of the law lets each emirate's authority set a ratio of UAE national participation.
Civil companies follow a separate rule in Ajman, set out in the next section. We confirm the position for your activity and legal form with the authority before you apply.
Do you need a local service agent for a professional activity in Ajman?
Ajman DED's published terms require one for a civil business company where any partner is not a GCC citizen, unless a UAE citizen is made a partner. Two or more GCC citizens may form a civil business company for a professional activity without a local service agent.
If any partner is not a GCC citizen, a UAE citizen must be appointed as local service agent, or a UAE citizen must be made a partner at any percentage.
Good to knowThis rule is on Ajman DED's live service page. We confirm with the department how it applies to your activity before you apply.
Do you need a physical office in Ajman?
The UAE Government portal states that all businesses must have a physical address and must provide an office or warehouse rental agreement.
In Ajman the lease is authenticated by the Municipality and Planning Department. It is the fourth of Ajman DED's seven stages and comes before the fees are paid.
Good to knowNo Ajman authority page we checked publishes a minimum office size or a ratio of visas to office space.
Is there a minimum capital, and how often is the license renewed?
Ajman DED gives no minimum capital figure, and the license must be renewed every year before it expires.
The department's terms say that a company's capital must be sufficient for its purpose, is determined by the partners and consists of equal shares. This is in line with federal law, which sets no fixed minimum capital for a limited liability company.
How quickly does Ajman DED issue a license?
Ajman DED states a service time of 10 minutes for license issuance. That is the final stage only, once the earlier approvals, the lease and the fees are in place.
Before you apply, you can check your activity with Ajman DED's free activity search service. The department says it takes about 2 minutes, online or in its mobile app.
Good to knowTen minutes is the time for the issuing step. It is not the time the whole setup takes, and no authority publishes an end to end timeline.
The steps, in order
- 01
Reserve the trade name
The trade name reservation certificate is one of the documents for the license application.
- 02
Approval of the Federal Authority for Identity and Nationality
This stage applies to foreigners.
- 03
Approvals of other government entities
This stage applies to high risk activities.
- 04
Lease authentication
The lease is authenticated by the Municipality and Planning Department.
- 05
Pay the fees
Ajman DED publishes the fee list, starting with AED 600 to issue the economic license.
- 06
Memorandum of Association issued
This stage applies to companies.
- 07
License issued
The license is issued with Chamber of Commerce membership and the signboard permit. Ajman DED gives a service time of 10 minutes for this stage.
Documents you need
- Trade name reservation certificate
- License application
- Passport and ID copies for the owner and all partners
- Security clearances, for residents
- For a branch: the parent company's commercial registration certificate, a copy of the parent's license and an annex amending the Memorandum of Association
Ajman mainland: common questions.
Answered from the official sources listed below. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
What are the official Ajman DED license fees?
The Department of Economic Development, Ajman publishes these fees: AED 600 to issue or renew the economic license, AED 200 for the commercial register, AED 200 for the unified economic activities register, AED 350 for the signboard permit and AED 100 for approval of the signboard specification form.
What extra charges apply on top of the AED 600 Ajman license fee?
Beyond the AED 600 license fee and the register and signboard fees, Ajman DED lists a CSR UAE Fund contribution of AED 1,500 for companies and establishments and AED 3,000 for publication of an LLC's official documents. The Ajman Government portal adds an AED 50 application form fee and Chamber membership of AED 50 to AED 5,000.
Can a foreigner fully own an Ajman mainland company?
Federal law permits full foreign ownership outside the restricted activities. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism states that investors can have full ownership in all five legal forms in the Commercial Companies Law. Cabinet Resolution No. 55 of 2021 lists seven activities with a strategic impact, and each emirate's authority may set a ratio of UAE national participation. Civil companies in Ajman follow a separate service agent rule.
Do I need a local service agent for a professional activity in Ajman?
Ajman DED's terms say that two or more GCC citizens may form a civil business company for a professional activity without a local service agent. If any partner is not a GCC citizen, a UAE citizen must be appointed as local service agent or made a partner at any percentage. We confirm the position for your activity with the department before you apply.
How quickly does Ajman DED issue a license?
The Department of Economic Development, Ajman states a service time of 10 minutes for license issuance. That covers the final stage only, after the trade name, approvals, lease authentication and fee payment. No authority publishes an end to end timeline for an Ajman mainland setup.
Do I need a physical office in Ajman, and who authenticates the lease?
The UAE Government portal states that all businesses must have a physical address and provide an office or warehouse rental agreement. In Ajman the lease is authenticated by the Municipality and Planning Department, as the fourth of Ajman DED's seven licensing stages.
Is Ajman mainland different from Ajman Free Zone?
Yes. An Ajman mainland company is licensed by the Department of Economic Development, Ajman. A free zone company is licensed by the free zone's own authority, and it cannot trade within the UAE without a specific mainland license.
Where these facts come from
Every fact on this page was checked against the official source on 29 September 2026. Rules and fees change, so we confirm the current position before any application.
- Ajman Department of Economic Development, commercial licenses issuance service (opens in a new tab)
- Ajman Government portal, issue trade license (opens in a new tab)
- Ajman Government portal, Department of Economic Development services (opens in a new tab)
- Ajman Department of Economic Development, activity search service (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Economy and Tourism, full ownership of companies in all legal forms (opens in a new tab)
- UAE Legislation portal, Cabinet Resolution No. 55 of 2021 on activities with a strategic impact (opens in a new tab)
- UAE Legislation portal, Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 on Commercial Companies (opens in a new tab)
- UAE Government portal, steps to start a business on the mainland (opens in a new tab)
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