Trade licence renewal in Dubai is an annual requirement: every mainland and free zone company must renew its licence before it expires, or face late fines, blocked visas and problems with its bank. For a mainland company, you renew with the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), usually online through the Invest in Dubai platform, after renewing your Ejari tenancy contract and clearing any outstanding fines. Free zone companies renew with their own free zone authority, under that zone's rules and fees.
This guide covers the documents, typical costs, deadlines and late fines for trade licence renewal (often searched as trade license renewal), and the related renewals that catch companies out. It reflects published guidance as of November 2026. Fees and penalties change, so confirm them with DET or your free zone before you pay.
How Trade Licence Renewal Works in Dubai
- Check your expiry date on the licence and plan to start about a month before it.
- Renew your Ejari first. DET will not renew a mainland licence without a current, registered tenancy contract for your office. Ejari is issued through the Dubai Land Department, separately from DET.
- Clear outstanding fines and renew any approvals your activity needs from other authorities.
- Apply and pay online through the Invest in Dubai platform or DET's eServices, signing in with UAE Pass.
- Download the renewed licence, then update your bank and any free zone or immigration records that reference it.
Free zone renewals follow the same logic, but through the zone's own portal. Some zones also ask for audited financial statements, a valid lease or flexi-desk agreement, and updated shareholder documents as part of renewal.
Documents for Trade Licence Renewal
- Your current trade licence
- A valid, registered Ejari tenancy contract (mainland)
- Approvals from other authorities, if your activity needs them
- Passport and visa copies of the owners or manager, if requested
- Audited financial statements, where your free zone requires them
- Proof that earlier fines are paid
Most renewals are routine when nothing has changed. If you are also changing activities, partners or the company name, that is an amendment, and it is usually best handled before or alongside the renewal rather than after it.
Trade Licence Renewal Cost in Dubai
| Cost item | What to expect |
|---|---|
| DET licence fees (mainland) | Varies by activity and legal form. Published guides put a typical mainland renewal at roughly AED 8,000 to AED 25,000 all in, including the items below |
| Office and Ejari | Your rent, plus the Ejari registration; often the largest variable |
| Dubai Chamber membership | Renewed with the licence; tiered by company size, with published estimates from a few hundred to a few thousand dirhams |
| Typing and service fees | Small, but often left out of quotes |
| External approvals | Only for regulated activities |
| Free zone renewal | Set by each zone, often as a package with a flexi desk or office |
These are published estimates, not quotes, and the sources disagree. One reported a DET fee reduction for renewals from April 2026 that we could not confirm, so check the fee shown in the portal before you budget. For what a new company costs to set up in the first place, see how much it costs to set up a company in Dubai.
Late Trade Licence Renewal: Fines and Consequences
The most widely reported late fine for a Dubai mainland licence is AED 250 for each month after expiry. Sources disagree on whether there is a grace period before fines start, and some report larger penalties for continuing to trade on an expired licence. Treat any grace period as a buffer you should not rely on.
The fines are rarely the most expensive part. An expired licence can also:
- Block visas. You generally cannot issue or renew employee visas while the licence has lapsed.
- Cause problems with your bank, which may restrict the account until it sees a valid licence.
- Hold up contracts and tenders that ask for a current licence.
- Lead to escalating action if the licence stays expired for a long time.
Other Renewals That Run Alongside Your Licence
| Item | Renewed with | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Establishment card | Immigration (GDRFA or ICP) | Needed to sponsor visas; it has its own expiry |
| Employee residence visas | Immigration | Each visa expires on its own date |
| MOHRE registration | Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation | Work permits for mainland staff |
| Ejari | Dubai Land Department | A prerequisite for the mainland licence |
| VAT and corporate tax | Federal Tax Authority | Not renewed, but returns continue whether or not the licence is current |
A shared calendar of these dates prevents most last-minute problems. Our guide to PRO services in the UAE explains who usually handles which renewal.
Should You Renew or Close?
If the company is no longer trading, renewing just to keep it alive can cost more than closing it properly. But letting a licence lapse is not the same as closing: fines keep building, and the owners can still be held responsible. If you are winding down, read the cheapest way to close a company in Dubai before the expiry date. If you are changing hands instead, see how to transfer company ownership in Dubai.
Common Trade Licence Renewal Mistakes
- Leaving the Ejari to the last week, then finding the landlord or Ejari system needs more time.
- Forgetting the establishment card, which expires on a different date and stops visa work.
- Renewing with the wrong activities, then paying for an amendment weeks later.
- Missing the free zone's audit requirement, which can hold up the renewal itself.
- Assuming a grace period and being fined from the first day.
Let Us Handle Your Renewal
Our PRO team tracks your licence, Ejari, establishment card and visa dates, and renews them on time, while our accountants keep the books and audit ready for free zones that ask for them. See our PRO services and accounting and bookkeeping services, or contact SMS Consulting.
Sources
Renewal channels from the Department of Economy and Tourism and Invest in Dubai. Fees, fines and requirements from published guides by Takween Advisory, QAS Pro Global and SafeLedger, which differ on several figures. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a mainland company, renew your Ejari, clear any fines and get any required approvals, then apply and pay through the Invest in Dubai platform or DET eServices with UAE Pass. Free zone companies renew through their free zone's portal.
It depends on your activity, legal form and office. Published guides put a typical mainland renewal at roughly AED 8,000 to AED 25,000 including DET fees, Ejari and Chamber membership. Confirm the fee shown in the portal.
The most widely reported mainland fine is AED 250 for each month after expiry. Sources disagree on whether a grace period applies, so renew before the expiry date.
Yes, for a Dubai mainland company. DET will not renew the licence without a current, registered Ejari tenancy contract.
Yes. Mainland licences can be renewed online through Invest in Dubai or DET eServices using UAE Pass, and most free zones have their own online portals.
Monthly fines build up, and you generally cannot issue or renew visas. Your bank may restrict the account until it sees a valid licence.
The idea is the same, but each free zone sets its own fees, documents and deadlines. Some ask for audited financial statements at renewal.