Business activities in the UAE. Listed on the right license.
A business activity is not a license — it is what gets listed on one. Every UAE license is issued against specific activities from a list of over 2,000, and which ones you list decides your license type, whether a regulator has to approve you, what your premises must satisfy and how long it takes.
- Food, beauty, tourism, real estate, trading, services and more
- A license carrying standard activities in 2–5 working days
- Regulator approvals identified before you commit anything
- Mainland and every major free zone — we compare both
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Common business activities, and which license each sits on
20 of the activities we are asked about most, the license each is usually registered under, and what it typically involves. Indicative only — approvals and timelines are set by the authority concerned, vary with the specifics of your business and change from time to time. If yours is not here it is almost certainly still available — there are over 2,000 activities to choose from, and matching yours is a 20-minute conversation.
| Business activity | Sits on this license | Extra approval needed | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consultancy & management | Commercial or services | None beyond the license | 2–5 working days |
| IT, software & digital | Commercial or services | None in most cases | 2–5 working days |
| Marketing, media & design | Commercial or services | Media regulator for some publishing activities | 2–5 days; 1–3 weeks with media approval |
| General trading | General trading | None — customs code if you import | 2–5 working days |
| Import, export & distribution | Commercial | Customs client code registration | 1–2 weeks |
| E-commerce & online retail | E-commerce | Depends on the product categories you list | 2–5 working days |
| Grocery & foodstuff trading | Commercial | Municipality and food control approval | 3–6 weeks |
| Restaurant & cafeteria | Food service | Municipality, food safety permit, premises inspection | 4–8 weeks |
| Cloud kitchen | Food service | Municipality and food safety — premises spec is strict | 4–8 weeks |
| Food truck | Mobile food service | Municipality plus a site permit for each location | 4–8 weeks |
| Tea shop, bakery & catering | Food service | Municipality and food safety permit | 4–8 weeks |
| Ladies salon & beauty | Personal services | Municipality and health approval, premises inspected | 3–6 weeks |
| Gym & fitness | Sports services | Sports council and municipality approval | 4–8 weeks |
| Clinic & health services | Health services | Health authority licensing for the facility and staff | 6–10 weeks |
| Real estate brokerage | Real estate | RERA registration and broker certification | 3–6 weeks |
| Tourism & travel agency | Tourism | Department of Economy and Tourism approval | 3–6 weeks |
| Cleaning & facility services | Services | Municipality approval; staff visas usually needed | 2–4 weeks |
| Maintenance & contracting | Contracting | Municipality and trade-specific technical approvals | 3–6 weeks |
| Transport & delivery | Transport | RTA permits where vehicles are operated | 3–6 weeks |
| Education & training | Education | KHDA or the relevant education authority | 6–10 weeks |
An activity is not a license — it is what the license is issued against
You apply for a license; the activities are what get printed on it. There is no such thing as “a restaurant license” as a product — there is a commercial or food-service license with restaurant activities registered against it. The codes you select determine which license type you need, which regulators must approve you, what your premises must satisfy and what a bank will accept when you open an account.
This is where most of the cost and nearly all of the delay sits. A consultancy is licensed in under a week with no external approval. A cloud kitchen needs municipality sign-off, a food safety permit and premises that meet a specific specification, and the regulator sets that timeline rather than the licensing authority.
Listing the activities you intend to add later, not just the one you are launching with, is usually cheaper than amending afterwards. Most authorities include several activities in the base fee and charge per addition beyond that, so scope set correctly at the start pays for itself.
Partnered with almost every free zone in the UAE
- Meydan FZ Dubai
- DIFC Dubai
- RAKEZ Ras Al Khaimah
- IFZA Dubai
- Fujairah Creative City Fujairah
- SHAMS Sharjah
- DMCC Dubai
- ADGM Abu Dhabi
And many more
Turn your idea into a practical licensing brief
Build the scope you need into your proposal. Your advisor confirms what is included, what is optional and any third-party charges before you commit.
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Understand your model
What you sell or do, who pays you, where it happens and whether you need premises. Described in plain words — we handle the translation into activity codes.
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Review activity scope
Which specific activities your work requires, whether they can sit on one license, and what you should list now for where the business is going rather than only where it starts.
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Compare jurisdictions
Mainland or free zone, and which free zone, judged on your customers and premises needs. Some regulated activities are only available on one side — we tell you when that decides it for you.
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Identify further requirements
Municipality, food safety, health authority, RERA, KHDA or RTA approvals — whose sign-off applies to your activity, what it costs and how long it realistically takes.
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Build a cost proposal
License, government fees, approvals, premises and visas in one written costing — with a realistic timeline for your activity rather than the headline one.
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Plan for expansion
Adding activities, locations or visas later costs a fee and a processing period each time. We scope for year two at the same time, because it is almost always cheaper.
The activity comes first. The quote follows.
A useful quote starts with what the business actually does. Your final figure depends on the activities you list, whether a regulator is involved, your premises needs and your visa count. These are the honest starting points.
Payment plans available — the cost can be spread rather than paid up front.
- Free zone license, standard activities — Dubai
- from AED 12,500
- Free zone license, standard activities — other emirates
- from AED 9,999
- E-commerce license
- from AED 5,999
- License carrying a regulated activity
- Quoted on the activity
- Mainland license
- Quoted individually
Starting prices, exclusive of government fees that vary by activity and visa count. Mainland pricing depends on activity and premises, so we quote it directly rather than publishing a figure that would mislead you. Every line is itemised in your written proposal before you commit.
Two quotes for the same business can cover very different work
Whoever you end up using, separate these three before you compare. A headline price almost always assumes a standard activity, no regulator and no premises requirement.
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01
Activities included
How many activities the figure covers, whether yours are actually among them, and what each addition costs. A quote built on a generic activity is not a quote for your business.
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02
Approvals & premises
Whether your activity needs a regulator at all, whose approval it is, whether that fee is inside the figure, and what the premises must satisfy. This is where quotes diverge most.
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03
Visas & what renews
How many visas the package allows and what each extra costs, plus the annual renewal figure. First-year and renewal cost are frequently different, and the second is the one you live with.
Ask any consultant three questions: what is included, what is optional, and what renews. If the answer is not in writing before you pay, the comparison you are making is not a real one.
Your route forward, in four steps
Licensing a business activity in the UAE runs through four stages, and you keep the same advisor across all of them — from the first call through to your first renewal.
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Step 1Describe the business
In your own words — a ladies salon, a cloud kitchen, an IT consultancy. You do not need to know any codes.
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Step 2Narrow the activity options
We identify the specific activities that cover your work, and tell you which carry approvals, premises conditions or a longer timeline.
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Step 3Confirm the setup scope
Jurisdiction, activity list, premises requirement and visas, itemised in a written costing before you commit to anything.
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Step 4Move into licensing
Trade name reserved, approvals obtained, license filed and inspections scheduled. We handle the regulators, not you.
Make the most of your first call
20 minutes goes a long way if you bring 3 things. Nothing needs to be final — rough answers are enough for us to identify the activities you need and what they involve.
- A plain description of the business — a ladies salon, a cloud kitchen, an IT consultancy
- Whether the business needs premises, or can run from a flexi-desk
- A rough idea of how many residence visas you will need
You do not need every decision settled to start the conversation — that is what the call is for.
Meet the team behind your next chapter
15 years in the UAE, 75,000 companies set up and 15+ languages spoken across the floor. Your advisor stays with you from the first call through to your first renewal — no handover to a processing team you have never spoken to.
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I had an excellent experience with the team assisting me with my visa renewal. From start to finish, the process was incredibly smooth and stress-free.
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I had a great experience with Creative Zone! From the very beginning, their team was incredibly responsive, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful. Every question I had was answered clearly and with patience. They made the process feel smooth and stress-free, which I truly appreciated. Special thanks to Judianna, for her professionalism and prompt response to my follow-ups - quick and reliable. I highly recommend Creative Zone to anyone looking for trustworthy business set-up support in the UAE! Kudos guys.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is a consultation useful if I don’t know which activity I need?
Yes — almost nobody arrives knowing. Describe the business in ordinary language and we will identify the activities the authority recognises, tell you which category of license that points to and flag anything that needs a regulator. There are over 2,000 licensable activities in the UAE and matching yours is a 20-minute conversation, not homework you have to do first.
2. My activity is not in your list. Can it still be registered?
Almost certainly. The table above covers the twenty we are asked about most; the UAE activity list runs to more than 2,000. Unusual activities are usually a question of which authority recognises them and whether any approval attaches, rather than whether they are possible at all. Describe it on the call and we will find it.
3. What does it cost to license a business activity in the UAE?
You are pricing a license, and the activities you list are what move the figure. A free zone license carrying standard service or trading activities starts from AED 12,500 in Dubai and AED 9,999 in other emirates. Most authorities include several activities in that base fee and charge per addition beyond it. Regulated activities — food, beauty, health, real estate, transport — add approval fees and premises costs on top, and those vary by regulator, so we quote them individually.
4. How many activities can I put on one license?
Most authorities include several in the base fee and charge per additional activity beyond that. Compatible activities usually combine; mixing incompatible categories often needs a separate license or a different structure. If your range is broad or unrelated, a general trading license is frequently better value than a narrow license plus additions.
5. Which activities need approval beyond the license?
Food service, beauty and personal care, health, real estate brokerage, tourism, education, transport and parts of contracting. Each has its own regulator, its own fee and its own premises standard. The license alone does not let you operate in any of them — which is why we identify them before you spend rather than after.
6. How long does it take?
2–5 working days for standard service and trading activities once documentation is complete, subject to the activity and approvals. Three to 8 weeks where a regulator is involved, driven by them rather than by the licensing authority. Health activities take longest. We give you the realistic range for your specific activity on the first call.
7. Can I add activities after the license is issued?
Yes, through an amendment with a government fee and a processing period. That is why we ask what you intend to do in year two rather than only what you are launching with — listing a wider scope at the outset usually costs less than amending later, sometimes considerably less.