How to Set Up a Dubai Mainland Company: The DET Steps in Order (2026)
Dubai mainland company setup with DET, step by step: trade name, initial approval, MoA, Ejari lease, licence, then visa and tax registrations.
Zola
UAE Business Advisory Team
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Dubai mainland company setup means getting a trade licence from Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), applied for through the Invest in Dubai platform, and then registering the new company with the immigration, labour and tax authorities so it can sponsor visas, hire and trade. The licence comes at the end of eight steps taken in a fixed order, and three registrations follow it.
As of October 2026, the sequence below follows the UAE Government portal's steps for starting a mainland business, with the Dubai authority named at each one. Start at Step 1 and work through the steps in order. This guide assumes you have already weighed free zone or mainland and chosen the mainland; if you are still comparing emirates and free zones, our complete UAE company setup guide covers the wider picture.
Dubai Mainland Company Setup at a Glance: The Steps in Order
A Dubai mainland company is set up in eleven steps: eight that lead to the DET trade licence and three registrations that follow it. The order of the first eight follows the UAE Government portal's sequence for mainland businesses (Source: UAE Government portal).
The Eleven Steps
Choose your business activity and one of the licence types listed on Invest in Dubai.
Choose a legal form that matches the activity, and check the foreign ownership rules.
Reserve your trade name; the Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation (DBLC) keeps Dubai's trade name register.
Get initial approval from DET, after approval from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners' Affairs (GDRFA) if you are a foreign investor.
Sign the Memorandum of Association where your legal form needs one, and have it attested by a notary public, a court or a UAE law firm, or electronically by the DBLC.
Lease premises and register the tenancy contract in Ejari, the Dubai Land Department's system.
Get any approval your activity needs from the government body that regulates it.
Pay the licence voucher within 30 days and collect your DET trade licence.
Get your establishment card from GDRFA Dubai, which opens the company's immigration file.
Register the establishment with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) and get its electronic signature card.
Register for Corporate Tax with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) and file your beneficial owner register.
Documents and Timing
Each step has its own paperwork, and our checklist of mainland company setup documents lists it step by step, so this guide does not repeat it. DET sets out its procedures, requirements and time frames in a manual it prepares under Dubai Decree No. 13 of 2024, so check current service times on Invest in Dubai before you commit to a start date. This guide gives no overall total for the route and no time for DET's own steps.
The official times quoted on this page are the ones an authority publishes for a specific step: 30 days to pay the licence voucher, GDRFA Dubai's stated 48 hours for the establishment card, three months to register for Corporate Tax, and 60 days and 15 days for the beneficial owner filings. The UAE Government also says its federal Basher platform lets investors establish a business online in 15 minutes, a separate route covered further down. For planning the steps that carry no published time, see our UAE company formation timeline.
Who Does What: DET, the DBLC and Invest in Dubai
Three bodies run the Dubai mainland process. DET is the licensing entity for mainland companies, the DBLC keeps Dubai's business registers, and Invest in Dubai is the single digital window through which you apply.
The Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)
Under Dubai Decree No. 13 of 2024, issued on 1 March 2024, DET is the licensing entity for the mainland. The licence it issues is the electronic document under which your company is established and its articles of association are approved (Source: Dubai Decree No. 13 of 2024, Dubai Legislation Portal).
The Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation (DBLC)
Dubai Law No. 6 of 2023, issued on 6 February 2023, created the DBLC as a public corporation affiliated to DET. Its functions include regulating the licensing of businesses and their registration in the Commercial Register, keeping the register of trade names, and registering and attesting Memoranda of Association, and amendments to them, by electronic signature (Source: Dubai Law No. 6 of 2023, Dubai Legislation Portal).
Invest in Dubai and the Dubai Unified Licence
Invest in Dubai is the emirate's unified digital window for establishing companies. Applications to obtain, renew, amend or cancel a licence, and for the permits and approvals an activity needs, are submitted through it, and it connects to the systems of DET and of the other entities that issue those approvals.
Law No. 6 of 2023 also provides for a Unified Business Number system, which gives every establishment in Dubai, on the mainland or in a free zone, a unique number when it applies for or is issued a commercial licence. DET presents that identity as the Dubai Unified Licence (DUL): a single business identity with a QR code, used to access government services and to share licence details with customers, partners and service providers. Businesses can be looked up by name or DUL number (Source: Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism).
Step 1: Choose Your Business Activity and Licence Type
Your business activity is the first decision because it sets everything after it. The UAE Government portal says the activity is the basis for choosing your legal form and licence type, one business can hold more than one activity, and there are more than 2,000 activities to choose from in the UAE (Source: UAE Government portal). The activity also decides whether a regulator must approve you, which is Step 7.
The Licence Types Invest in Dubai Lists
Invest in Dubai lists eight licence types: industrial, commercial, professional, eTrader, dual, instant, SME and Intelaq. Federally, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism recognises six: industrial, commercial, professional, tourism, agricultural and crafts (Source: UAE Government portal, steps to start a business on the mainland).
Our guide to the commercial, professional or industrial licence explains how the main types differ, and our dual licence guide covers the dual option. Check the conditions for the eTrader, instant, SME and Intelaq licences on Invest in Dubai before you apply for one.
Step 2: Choose a Legal Form and Check the Ownership Rules
The legal form is your company's legal structure, and it must match the activity you chose in Step 1. The UAE Government portal lists five mainland forms: general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company (LLC), public joint stock company (PJSC) and private joint stock company (PrJSC). Dubai's Decree No. 13 of 2024 also counts civil companies and sole proprietorships regulated by Dubai law among the companies established through Invest in Dubai.
Foreign Ownership on the Dubai Mainland
Since early 2021, most mainland activities have allowed 100 per cent foreign ownership. Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020, later consolidated in Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 on Commercial Companies, removed the requirement for a 51 per cent Emirati shareholder or a local agent for most business activities (Source: UAE Government portal).
Activities of strategic impact, which the Cabinet determines, can still carry licensing requirements that include limits on foreign ownership. Security and defence, telecommunications, and banks, exchange, financing and insurance are among the activities that cannot be wholly foreign-owned.
When a Local Service Agent Is Still Needed
Whether you need a local service agent depends on your legal form and activity. Where one is required, the appointment is made under an agreement attested by the notary public or a court, and the UAE Government portal's licence documents list names an attested service agent contract for civil establishments and companies wholly owned by non-GCC nationals. Confirm the position for your legal form with DET before you draft the Memorandum of Association.
Step 3: Reserve Your Trade Name
Your trade name is the registered name your company trades under. You apply for it through the emirate's economic department on its website or app, which in Dubai means DET's Invest in Dubai platform (Source: UAE Government portal). Under Law No. 6 of 2023, the DBLC keeps Dubai's register of trade names.
The Five Rules a Trade Name Must Meet
A trade name has to pass all five of these checks before it is registered.
It is followed by the acronym of your legal form, such as LLC, EST, PJSC or PrJSC.
It does not violate public morals or public order.
It is compatible with your activity and with the legal status of the business.
It contains no name of a religion or a governing authority, and no names or logos of external bodies.
It has not been registered before.
A Trade Name Is Not a Trademark
The local economic department registers your trade name, while the Ministry of Economy and Tourism registers trademarks, so reserving a name does not give you a trademark. Trade name certificates are renewable.
Step 4: Get Initial Approval From DET
Initial approval is the government's no-objection to your business being established. It lets you move on to the next steps, but it does not authorise you to run or practise the activity, so you cannot start trading on it (Source: UAE Government portal). In Dubai, the application goes to DET through Invest in Dubai.
Approvals You Need Before You Apply
Two groups of applicants need another approval first. Foreign investors must obtain the approval of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners' Affairs (GDRFA) before getting initial approval. Activities related to legal affairs, security affairs, and financial securities and commodities need approval from the relevant government entity before you apply for initial approval at all.
Initial approval is not the licence. The licence comes only at Step 8, once the remaining steps are complete.
Step 5: Sign and Attest the Memorandum of Association
Depending on your legal form, the next step is a signed Memorandum of Association (MoA) or a local service agent agreement. An MoA is required for limited partnerships, LLCs, PJSCs and PrJSCs (Source: UAE Government portal).
Who Prepares and Attests It in Dubai
UAE-based law firms, courts and the notary public prepare and attest MoAs and agreements. In Dubai, Law No. 6 of 2023 also authorises the DBLC to register and attest MoAs, and any amendments to them, using electronic signature. The licence application in Step 8 needs the attested version, so finish this step before you go to collect the licence.
Step 6: Lease Premises and Register the Lease in Ejari
Every UAE business must have a physical address. On the mainland, your premises must meet the economic department's requirements, which in Dubai are DET's, and the local municipality's land planning regulations, and you must provide an office or warehouse rental agreement. In Dubai the tenancy agreement must be registered with Ejari, and the licence application needs a copy of the lease attested by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) (Source: UAE Government portal).
How Ejari Registration Works
Ejari is the Dubai Land Department's system for registering tenancy contracts. A contract can be registered by users registered in the Ejari system, such as owners and real estate companies, through a real estate services trustee centre, or through the Dubai REST app, which lets tenants and landlords register, renew and cancel Ejari contracts. A unified Ejari contract holds all the data that registration needs (Source: Dubai Land Department).
Choosing the Premises
Compare office space options before you sign, and confirm with DET that the space meets the requirements for your activity. The lease has to be registered and attested before the licence can be collected, so a delay here holds up Step 8.
Step 7: Get Any External Approvals
Some activities need an approval from the government body that regulates them as well as the DET licence, and your activity decides whether any apply. Under Decree No. 13 of 2024, a permit or approval is a separate electronic document, issued through Invest in Dubai by the competent entity, that authorises the company to conduct its activity.
Examples of Regulators and the Activities They Approve
The UAE Government portal, citing Invest in Dubai, gives these examples among others (Source: UAE Government portal).
Regulator | Activities that need its approval |
|---|---|
Central Bank of the UAE | Banks, money exchanges, insurance companies and insurance agents |
Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) | Financial consultation, share broking and investment advisory |
Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) | Manpower supply and recruitment |
Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) | Activities in the telecommunications sector |
Activities in legal affairs, security affairs, and financial securities and commodities need their approval before initial approval, as Step 4 explains. Any other approval your activity needs must be in hand when you collect the licence, because it is part of the licence application.
Step 8: Pay the Licence Voucher and Collect Your Licence
Once the earlier steps are complete, you collect your trade licence through the economic department's website or at one of its service centres. You must pay for the licence within 30 days of receiving the payment voucher; if it is not paid in that period, the application is cancelled (Source: UAE Government portal).
Before You Pay
The collection documents are the ones gathered in the steps above, and the documents checklist linked earlier sets them out. This guide gives no licence fee: check DET's current schedule on Invest in Dubai when you apply, and use our guide to UAE company registration costs to budget for the setup.
What the Licence Gives You
The licence is the electronic document under which your company is established and its articles of association are approved, and it comes with the Dubai Unified Licence identity and QR code described above. The immigration, labour and tax registrations below all follow from it.
After the Licence: Registering to Sponsor Visas and Hire
After the licence, a Dubai mainland company opens two more files: its immigration file with GDRFA Dubai, through the establishment card, and its labour file with MoHRE. The MoHRE file is what lets the company recruit, and its electronic signature card is needed before any work permit.
The GDRFA Dubai Establishment Card
GDRFA Dubai issues the establishment card for private sector and free zone businesses. The card carries your business's information and serves as the company's immigration file. GDRFA Dubai lists three requirements.
A copy of the appendix listing the partners' names.
Passport copies of the authorised signatories.
Where the applicant is a manager, a copy of the authorisation for the authorised persons, certified by the notary public.
You apply through GDRFA Dubai's smart services, signing in with UAE Pass or a username, at a GDRFA Dubai customer happiness centre, or at an Amer service centre. GDRFA Dubai states an expected completion time of 48 hours (Source: GDRFA Dubai, Establishment Card for Institutions in the Private Sector and Free Zone). For the residency steps that follow, see our guide to getting a residence visa through your company.
The MoHRE Establishment File and Electronic Signature Card
Before a new mainland company can recruit, it applies to MoHRE to register the establishment, opening a file and getting an establishment card and number linked to the business licence. It then applies for the establishment's electronic signature card. The UAE Government portal says MoHRE schedules a visit to inspect the establishment's facilities and issues the card once it confirms there are no violations, and the card is a prerequisite for applying for employees' work permits (Source: UAE Government portal).
Work Bundle: Permits and Residency in One Application
The Work Bundle platform lets employers complete work permits, residency procedures, Emirates ID issuance, medical fitness examinations and employment contract procedures through one integrated application. Our guide to employee visa sponsorship covers hiring your first staff.
After the Licence: Tax and Ownership Filings
Two federal deadlines start running once the company exists: Corporate Tax registration with the FTA, and the beneficial owner register. Both are easy to miss while the visa work is under way, so diary them on the day the licence is issued.
Corporate Tax Registration Within Three Months
Under FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024, effective 1 March 2024, a resident company incorporated, established or recognised in the UAE on or after 1 March 2024 must apply to register for Corporate Tax within three months of the date of incorporation, establishment or recognition. Registration is made on the FTA's EmaraTax platform and is free of charge (Source: Federal Tax Authority).
The Beneficial Owner Register
Under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023, a beneficial owner is anyone who owns or controls, directly or indirectly, 25% or more of a company's capital or voting rights. The company must create its beneficial owner record within 60 days of coming into existence, record any change within 15 days of learning of it, and submit the record with its register of partners or shareholders to the Registrar within 60 days of licensing and registration (Source: Ministry of Economy and Tourism, Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023). Our UBO declaration guide explains what the record holds.
VAT Registration at the Threshold
VAT is a separate registration with the FTA, and it becomes mandatory once the business passes the VAT registration threshold. Our guide to UAE VAT registration sets out the current test and deadline, so check it before you issue your first invoices.
Setting Up a Dubai Mainland Company Online
The applications are digital: in Dubai, licence, permit and approval applications are submitted through Invest in Dubai, which links DET with the other entities that issue approvals. Some steps still involve your physical premises, such as the Ejari-registered lease and MoHRE's inspection visit before it issues the electronic signature card.
The Federal Basher Platform and the Instant Licence
Investors can also establish a business online through the federal Basher platform, which the UAE Government says enables investors to establish their businesses in the UAE in 15 minutes and is connected with the federal and local government entities that provide commercial licence services (Source: UAE Government portal). Invest in Dubai also lists an instant licence among its eight licence types; check its conditions on Invest in Dubai before you plan around it.
Mistakes That Stall a Dubai Mainland Setup
Most stalls come from taking a step out of order or missing a deadline. Check your plan against these seven before you start.
Seven Mistakes to Avoid
Choosing a trade name that breaks one of the five rules, such as leaving off the legal-form acronym or picking a name that is already registered.
Starting to trade on initial approval, which is a no-objection to the business being established and not permission to run the activity.
Applying for initial approval as a foreign investor without first getting GDRFA approval.
Signing a lease and not registering it in Ejari, when Dubai requires the tenancy agreement to be registered.
Leaving a regulator's approval too late: legal affairs, security affairs, and financial securities and commodities activities need it before initial approval, and every required approval must be in hand to collect the licence.
Leaving the licence voucher unpaid for more than 30 days, which cancels the application.
Missing the three-month Corporate Tax registration window, or the 60-day and 15-day deadlines for the beneficial owner register.
You now have the order: activity, legal form, trade name, initial approval, MoA, Ejari, approvals and the licence, then the GDRFA Dubai, MoHRE and tax registrations. Your next step is to create your Zola account and have your Dubai mainland application, from the trade name and initial approval to the registrations that follow the licence, sequenced and filed with each authority.
