A Dubai mainland company can operate within the UAE and outside it. This page explains who issues the license, who can own the company, which fees the authority publishes and what you must do once the license is issued.
A Dubai mainland company is licensed by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). It has no territorial restriction, so it can operate within the UAE, including the free zones, and outside it. DET states that mainland companies in most sectors can be wholly foreign owned, but some activities are restricted. You need a trade name, a license that matches your activity and a physical address with a lease registered with Ejari.
In Dubai, mainland means the areas outside the free zones. The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, known as DET, registers and licenses mainland companies. It was established by Dubai Law No. 20 of 2021. DED is the older name and is out of date.
Invest in Dubai states that a mainland company has no territorial restriction. It can operate within the UAE, including the free zones, and outside it. A free zone company cannot trade within the UAE without a specific mainland license.
DET states that foreigners can start a business in Dubai and own 100% of it. It says mainland companies in most sectors can be wholly foreign owned, but some activities are restricted. Invest in Dubai puts the number at more than 1,000 commercial and industrial activities.
Invest in Dubai publishes the list of restricted activities below. For those, it says you need to work with a local partner.
Good to knowWhether a local service agent is needed depends on the legal form. It is not needed for a limited liability company outside the restricted activities, or for a branch of a foreign company. Official pages still refer to it for sole establishments and civil companies. We confirm the position for your activity with the authority before you apply.
Invest in Dubai lists the legal forms in the table below. It states that a limited liability company can be owned by a UAE national or by any other individual or company regardless of nationality, with up to 50 partners, or by one person as an LLC single owner.
The list also includes the general partnership, the limited partnership, the public joint stock company and branches of local, other emirate, free zone and GCC companies.
| Legal form | Who owns it | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Limited liability company (LLC) | Up to 50 partners, individuals or companies | Owners can be of any nationality |
| LLC single owner | One person | Articles of Association are not needed |
| Sole establishment | One person | The owner is personally liable for all its financial obligations |
| Civil company | Two or more partners | For professional activities such as consultancy, accounting or training |
| Branch of a foreign company | The parent company | Can conduct the same activity as its parent under DET rules |
| Private joint stock company | Up to 200 shareholders | Cannot offer shares to the public |
The UAE Government portal states that all businesses must have a physical address and must provide an office or warehouse rental agreement. Invest in Dubai states that mainland businesses can lease office space anywhere in Dubai outside the free zones. To become a tenant you need your trade license or initial approval, plus a passport copy.
All rental and lease agreements in Dubai must be registered with Ejari. A normal license requires a Memorandum of Association and a site lease contract.
Invest in Dubai says to expect a security deposit of 5% of the total rent, and that contracts typically run for 12 months, three years or five years.
The Instant License is for activities that need no external approvals. Invest in Dubai states that it is issued within five minutes.
It comes with a virtual site for the first year only. When you renew, or if you amend the license, you must provide a valid business location. It also includes Dubai Chamber membership for commercial activities, a GDRFA establishment card and a MOHRE establishment card with the option to employ three people. The MOHRE card is for an LLC, an LLC single owner, a sole establishment and a civil company.
Good to knowFive minutes is the published time for the license issue step. It is not the time the whole setup takes, and no authority publishes an end to end timeline.
DET does not publish one fixed fee for a mainland license. It states that fees vary with the type of license and the activities on it. It does not publish a total setup cost.
DET does publish the trade name fee. Booking a trade name costs AED 620 in total.
The Links Dubai mainland package is AED 19,500. This is our package price, not a government fee. It is indicative, and the final cost varies with the business activity, the number of visas and government fees. We tell you the cost in writing, including what the package does not cover, before you commit.
DET and Invest in Dubai list the obligations below for a company once it is licensed. This section states what those sources say. It is not tax or legal advice.
Good to knowThe Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation states that private companies with 50 or more employees must grow Emirati staff in skilled positions by 2% a year, and that companies with 20 to 49 employees in specified sectors must recruit at least one UAE national.
The business activity is the basis for choosing both the legal form and the license type. Some activities need additional approvals from other government bodies.
Invest in Dubai states that initial approval is done at the same time as booking the trade name. Initial approval means the government has no objection to the business. It does not allow you to trade yet.
Legal documents such as the Memorandum of Association are signed virtually by the stakeholders registered on Invest in Dubai.
Initial approval is a prerequisite for registering the address of the facility through Ejari.
DET states that the license issue step is completed within 10 minutes for a normal license. That is the time for this one step, not for the whole setup.
Issuing an establishment card is the first registration of the company with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and GDRFA Dubai issues its own establishment card. DET reminds new license holders to register for corporate tax within three months.
Prices are published, with what each one covers and what it does not. We send the full cost in writing before you commit.
Mainland license
AED19,500
One investor visa
AED12,500
Terms and conditions apply. Prices are indicative. The license fee differs by business activity, and the final cost varies with the number of visas and government fees. See all packages.
Answered from the official sources listed below. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism presents registration as three stages: explore the setup options, reserve your trade name and receive your business license. In between come initial approval, the legal documents and a lease registered with Ejari. Links prepares and submits the application and tells you the cost in writing before you commit.
DET is the current name. The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) was established by Dubai Law No. 20 of 2021 and is the licensing authority for mainland Dubai. DED is the older name and is out of date.
Invest in Dubai states that applicants must hold a valid tourist or visit visa before applying, and asks owners who are not GCC nationals for a copy of their residence visa or entry permit.
Invest in Dubai states that there is no fixed cap on visas for a mainland company, provided the number is in line with the regulatory frameworks on the size of the premises and the business activity. No authority page we checked states a ratio of visas to office space.
Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025, issued on 3 March 2025, lets a free zone company, other than a DIFC financial establishment, operate in mainland Dubai by obtaining from DET a mainland branch license, a license for a branch operating out of the free zone at AED 10,000 a year, or a temporary permit of up to six months at AED 5,000. It must keep separate financial records for its mainland activities.
Invest in Dubai states that mainland companies must appoint an auditor annually, that the auditor must be registered with the Ministry of Economy, and that audit records must be kept for five years.
DET reminds new license holders to register for corporate tax within three months of obtaining the trade license. Corporate tax is 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000.
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.
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