Activity and Type Locked
We map what you do to the approved activity list and the license family it belongs to.
DBC Service
Trade Licenses & Documentation
The license is your legal right to operate, and the type has to match what you actually do. We match it, file it, and keep it current.
Commercial, professional and industrial · 2,000+ approved activities · Amendments and renewals handled
The short answer
Trade Licenses & Documentation in Short
Every UAE business runs on a trade license listing specific, government-approved activities, and you may only do what your license says. Dubai has more than 2,000 approved activities. The main license families are commercial (trading), professional (services and consultancy) and industrial (manufacturing), plus free zone licenses issued by each zone. A free zone license is typically issued in 2 to 5 working days once documents are complete.
What we handle
What Is Included
License Type Matching
Commercial, professional, industrial or free zone, decided by your real activity, not guesswork.
Activity Mapping
The specific approved activities that cover your plans for the next two years, amendments avoided.
Document Preparation
Applications, attestations and supporting documents prepared in the format the authority expects.
Amendments and Upkeep
Adding activities, changing structure, updating details. Filed correctly the first time.
The licence, matched
Your Activity Decides the Licence, Not Guesswork
Matched, Not Sold
Commercial, professional, industrial or free zone, decided by what you actually do.
Papers, Prepared
Every document prepared and filed, external approvals chased for you.
Kept Current
Amendments and renewals flagged ahead of deadlines, not after fines.
Fast When Ready
A free zone licence is typically issued in 2 to 5 working days with complete documents.
How it runs
How It Works
Documents In
Passport copies, photos, and any activity-specific approvals, collected once, filed once.
License Issued
Free zone typically 2 to 5 working days, mainland 1 to 2 weeks, longer only if a regulator is involved.
Your Exact Price, Itemized, in 60 Seconds
Every government fee on its own line, the professional fee shown separately, no email wall. Real prices from the DBC price book.
Open the calculator →Trade License Guides
Plain-English guides on this exact topic, written to answer the question, not to rank for it.
Read the guides →Straight answers
Trade Licenses & Documentation Questions
Trading goods points to a commercial license, services and consultancy to a professional license, manufacturing to an industrial license. Free zones issue their own equivalents. The type follows from your activity, and we confirm it on the free consultation.
It depends on the authority, but related activities can usually be grouped on one license. Unrelated activities may need a second license. Choosing wisely at the start avoids paid amendments later.
For most setups: a clear passport copy for every shareholder, a passport-style photo, and a short description of the business activity. Some structures add proof of address, attested certificates or a tenancy contract.
Licenses renew annually, and late renewal attracts fines. Our PRO team flags every renewal well before its deadline and re-quotes it in the same itemized format.
No mystery numbers, ever
Know Your Number, Then Decide
Get your exact cost on screen now, or message a real consultant who will tell you the honest path, not the expensive one.