End-to-end UAE trade licensing — across Mainland (DET, ADDED, SEDD, AJM), Free Zones, and Offshore jurisdictions. New licenses, annual renewals, activity additions, partner changes, and amendments handled by specialists.
Trade licensing authorities we work with
A UAE trade license is the legal authorisation to conduct a specific business activity within a specific jurisdiction. Every UAE company holds at least one trade license — issued by a Department of Economic Development (mainland), a Free Zone Authority (free zone), or an Offshore registry.
Fairway handles the full trade licensing lifecycle: new license issuance, annual renewals, activity additions, share transfers, trade name changes, partner amendments, and license cancellations. We operate across all 7 emirates and 30+ free zones — one engagement covers all your jurisdictions.
Licenses issued
Authorities
Activities mapped
Day turnaround
One team covering DET, ADDED, SEDD, AJM, plus 30+ free zones and 4 offshore registries — no need to engage separate consultants per emirate.
Activity-mapping expertise, multi-jurisdiction reach, and a renewal calendar that prevents lapses.
Wrong activity codes cause downstream banking and customs issues. We pick the right activity from 5,000+ available codes.
One team covers all 7 emirates, 30+ free zones, and 4 offshore registries — no switching consultants per location.
Direct authority relationships cut standard processing time by 30–50% across most license types.
Itemised quotes upfront — government fees, professional fees, and add-ons separated clearly. No surprise charges.
60-day advance alerts before license, visa, Ejari, and insurance expiries — never let a license lapse.
Activity additions, partner changes, share transfers, trade name amendments — handled with minimum downtime.
We design license structures for first-time bank approval — avoiding the activity-code mistakes that trigger rejections.
Healthcare, education, financial, F&B, real estate — sector-specific approval coordination across DOH, KHDA, RERA, etc.
Convert mainland to free zone, free zone to mainland, or offshore to operating company — Fairway designs and executes.
Six core service categories — bundled with PRO services or available standalone.
End-to-end new trade license issuance — activity selection, legal structure, MOA, government submissions, and final license issuance.
Annual trade license renewal — government fees, document refreshes, Ejari renewal coordination, and chamber renewals.
Add or modify activities on an existing license — for businesses pivoting or expanding scope.
Add new shareholders, transfer shares, restructure ownership — including foreign ownership conversions post-2021 reforms.
Rebrand, rename, or correct your trade name — with the cascade of bank, license, MOA, and sector amendments handled.
License cancellations, mainland-to-free-zone migrations, or jurisdiction changes — designed and executed cleanly.
Our 6-step process gets your license issued or amended in 4–14 working days.
Map activity to optimal jurisdiction
Pick legal form (LLC / FZE / Offshore)
Reserve compliant trade name
Drafting, notarisation, attestation
Authority issues trade license
Establishment card, MoHRE, banking
Document requirements vary by jurisdiction (mainland vs free zone vs offshore) and activity (regulated vs non-regulated). Below are the common documents — Fairway provides a tailored checklist for your specific case.
Most documents can be submitted digitally; in-person requirements are limited to MOA notarisation, biometrics, and bank account opening.
Get Document ChecklistEvery business is different — your jurisdiction, visa needs, banking requirements, and timeline shape the final cost. Tell us about your plans and we’ll send a transparent, all-in quote within one business day.
Trade licenses look simple but the wrong activity codes, missed sector approvals, or sloppy MOAs cost months downstream. Fairway has issued 5,000+ licenses across every UAE jurisdiction and we know which combinations cause banking, customs, and amendment problems.
Talk to a Specialist5,000+ activities mapped to banking, customs, and visa implications.
Direct authority relationships cut standard timelines by 30–50%.
Never miss a license, visa, Ejari, or insurance expiry.
One team for licensing, PRO, accounting, and tax compliance.
We were trying to add e-commerce to our consultancy license and the DET kept rejecting us. Fairway diagnosed the activity-code conflict in 30 minutes, restructured the application, and got the amendment approved in five days. They knew exactly what the reviewer wanted to see.
Quick answers to the questions we hear most often. Have a different question? Just WhatsApp us.
Mainland for businesses targeting the UAE domestic market or government contracts. Free zone for international/B2B businesses, digital companies, and tax-optimised structures. Offshore for asset holding, IP, or international trading without UAE market exposure. Fairway maps your business model to the optimal jurisdiction during the discovery call.
Yes — most jurisdictions allow 2–10 grouped activities under a single license. The activities must be compatible (same legal category, same sector). Mixing trading + manufacturing + consulting often requires separate licenses or specific activity bundles. Fairway optimises your activity mix for cost, compliance, and banking.
Annually. UAE trade licenses are issued for a fixed period (typically 1 year) and require renewal before expiry. Renewal involves government fee payment, Ejari renewal, chamber renewal, and license re-issuance. Fairway tracks all client expiries and starts renewal 60 days before — never let it lapse.
Expired licenses incur late renewal penalties (typically AED 250–1,000 per month). After 6+ months of non-renewal, the authority may cancel the license, requiring a fresh setup. Critical: an expired license can affect your bank account, visa renewals, and customs operations. Fairway's renewal calendar prevents this entirely.
Yes — most jurisdictions support activity additions via a license amendment. The new activity must be compatible with your existing license category. Some activities (regulated sectors like healthcare, financial services) require additional sector approvals. Amendments typically take 5–10 working days.
Not directly — but you can incorporate a parallel free zone entity, transfer operations, and cancel the mainland license. The migration involves bank account changes, visa transfers, customs code updates, and supplier re-registration. Fairway designs and executes these migrations for clients seeking better tax structuring.
No — government fees (DET, ADDED, free zone authorities, MoHRE, etc.) are billed separately at cost with itemised receipts. Fairway's service fee covers professional work: activity selection, document preparation, government submissions, and follow-through. Total cost is transparent and predictable.
Yes — regulated activities require pre-approval from sector regulators: DOH (healthcare), KHDA / SPEA (education), RERA (real estate), Securities & Commodities Authority (financial services), TRA (telecom). Fairway has working relationships with all major regulators and coordinates sector approvals alongside the trade license.
Tell us your setup preferences and our consultants will calculate a transparent, all-in quote within one business day. No spam, no high-pressure sales — just a clear path to your setup.
Need an instant reply?
Chat on WhatsAppShare a few details and we’ll prepare a tailored cost estimate for your business setup.