Professional licence in Dubai

The DET licence for services delivered through expertise rather than goods. Consultancies, agencies, technical services and most professional practices sit here, and the rules around qualifications and ownership differ from a commercial licence.

Expertise-based

Consultancy, IT, marketing, technical

100% ownership

Available for most professional activities

Qualifications

Often required for the activity

Coverage

What this licence covers

What to know

Four things that affect your application

Qualifications are checked

Many professional activities require an attested degree or proof of relevant experience in the discipline. Engineering, accounting, legal and medical activities are the strictest.

Local Service Agent, sometimes

Some professional structures use a Local Service Agent who holds no shares, takes no profit and receives an annual fee for government liaison. Where it applies we quote the fee upfront.

Lower entry cost than commercial

Professional licences typically sit at the lower end of the DET fee range, and civil company structures avoid some of the LLC formalities.

Corporate tax still applies

Service income is fully within the corporate tax regime. There is no professional exemption — 0% to AED 375,000, 9% above.

Process

How we handle it

Activity confirmation

We map what you do to the DET activity codes that sit under this licence type and confirm the fee band before quoting.

Name and initial approval

Trade name reservation and initial approval, with any external regulator submissions identified and started in parallel.

Documentation and premises

Memorandum drafting and notarisation where required, plus the tenancy or office arrangement your licence type demands.

Issuance and immigration file

Licence issued, establishment card opened, and residence visa applications started for whoever needs them.

Questions

Questions about this licence

Do I need a degree for a professional licence?

For many activities, yes — an attested degree or documented experience in the discipline. General management consultancy is usually more flexible than regulated professions such as engineering, accounting or law, where credentials are verified strictly.

Is a civil company the same as an LLC?

No. A civil company is a professional partnership structure used for certain professional activities, where partners carry unlimited liability for professional acts. An LLC limits liability to share capital. Which is appropriate depends on your activity and your risk appetite.

How long does it take to get this licence?

For standard activities with complete documents, seven to fifteen working days on the mainland. Activities requiring external regulator approval take longer, and we tell you how much longer before you commit to a timeline.

What does Emirates Business Lounge charge?

Our fee is quoted for your file, separately from the government fees. Two packages have published prices, from AED 10,620. See company formation cost for the full picture.

Free consultation

Is this the right licence for you?

Describe your business in a sentence. We will confirm the licence type, the activity codes, the fee band and whether any regulator needs to approve you first.

+971 52 222 2594

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B1 Mall, Shop 3, Opposite Mall of the Emirates