Licensing & Permits in UAE

What the official guidance says

• Certain activities can require approvals from specialised government entities in addition to the main incorporation and licensing steps.

  Additional Government Approvals in UAE

• The UAE Government describes initial approval as a no-objection step that allows progress to subsequent setup steps; it is not itself authority to conduct the business activity.

  Initial Approval in UAE

• Start with the activity because the official UAE Government says it is the basis for selecting the legal form and licence type.

  Business Activity Selection in UAE

Source: UAE Government guidance, via our in-depth guides:

• Trade Licence Categories in UAE
• Additional Government Approvals in UAE
• Initial Approval in UAE
• Business Activity Selection in UAE

Licensing & Permits checklist for UAE

• Review the relevant licence category.
• Check whether the chosen emirate has additional licence types.
• Confirm activity-specific approvals.
• Use the current authority fee and service page before payment.
• Identify whether the activity is regulated.
• Map the relevant sector authority.
• Secure any required approval before completing the final licence route.
• Keep approval letters and references in the corporate file.
• Confirm whether initial approval is required.
• Check if the activity needs a prior sector approval.
• Do not treat initial approval as a licence to operate.
• Keep the approval evidence with the incorporation file.
• Identify the intended activity in the official classification.
• Check whether the activity is commercial, industrial, professional or another category.
• Confirm if the activity needs an external approval before filing.
• Keep the authority page used for the activity decision in the case file.

Practical focus

Start with the business activity and then verify whether an additional licence, permit or approval is required before operations begin.

Frequently asked questions