Estimate Your Dubai Business Licence Fees Before You Spend a Dirham
Setting up a company in Dubai comes with upfront costs, but you do not have to guess what your trade licence will run you. The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) offers a free online tool on its Invest in Dubai portal that calculates your estimated licence fees before you sign a commercial lease or file paperwork.
How office rent impacts your total licence price
The calculator tailors its estimates based on your planned business activity, legal structure, and partner details. If your business activity requires physical office space on the Dubai mainland, the system factors 5 per cent of your annual rent into the final licence cost.
For example, an expatriate starting a sole establishment for Advertisement Designing and Producing on the mainland with a Business Bay office renting for Dh140,000 a year can expect an estimated business licence fee of around Dh15,000. If you opt for a virtual licence that does not require physical premises, that 5 per cent rent calculation is dropped entirely.
Every estimate generated by the tool covers a licence validity period of one year. You’ll pay the same amount upon annual renewal, subject to whatever official fees and requirements apply at the time of renewal.
What the licence estimate covers and what to budget separately
Prospective business owners should treat the tool’s figure as a baseline for licensing alone rather than a total startup budget. While it gives a solid estimate for the licence itself, establishing an operating company requires additional capital.
You’ll still need to account for setup expenses like residence visa fees, your primary office rent beyond the 5 per cent calculation, utility registration, and routine operating expenses.
Steps to estimate your licence cost online
You can check your prospective setup costs directly on the official portal before making any financial commitments.
- Visit the Invest in Dubai portal at www.investindubai.gov.ae and select ‘Cost Calculator’.
- Enter your business activity to view the licensing options available under DET.
- Input partner details, including total partner numbers and citizenship status (UAE national, GCC national, or expatriate).
- Select your preferred legal structure, such as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Sole Establishment.
- Enter your estimated annual office rent if prompted, then click ‘Calculate Fees’ to see your projected one-year cost.
