General trading company in Dubai: our packages from AED 2,150
A general trading company in Dubai sells unrelated goods on one license: JAFZA charges AED 15,000 a year for it and issues it in 3 to 14 working days.
- from AED 2,150 Our packages, before VAT
- AED 15,000 JAFZA general trading license, a year
- 3–14 Working days to a JAFZA license
What a general trading company in Dubai is
No limitOn the goods one license covers
A general trading license lets one company import, export, store and sell goods from unrelated product groups, with no limit on the number of activities. A trading license names one group of related goods instead.
AED 15,000A year for the license at JAFZA
The wider scope costs more: JAFZA charges AED 15,000 a year for general trading and AED 5,000 for one group of up to 7 activities.
1 yearBetween one renewal and the next
Every general trading license runs for 1 year and is renewed with the lease of its premises. We keep the date in your account, as in every business setup in Dubai we run, and file ahead of it.
What a general trading company in Dubai costs with us
Our fee is one of three packages, Smart, Business and VIP, before VAT. The license and the government fees go to the zone or to DET at cost.
Our packages for a general trading company, the license fee apart
from AED 2,150Get a quote- Smart package, the company file
- AED 2,150
- Business package: Smart plus corporate tax registration
- AED 5,450
- VIP package: Business plus VAT registration
- AED 9,350
- Smart with one visa and the bank account
- AED 5,400
- Residence visa, our fee on top of the authority's, each
- from AED 1,450
- Bank account application, our fee
- from AED 1,800
- Accounting with the tax returns, a month
- from AED 1,300
What clients write about Legarithm
4.8 on Google from 26 reviews.
We had long been looking for someone to register a company in the UAE and help with the account. With Legarithm it went as it should: a clear process, help with the documents, no red tape.
Everything is well coordinated and clear. Half an hour of the first meeting was more useful than two weeks of trying to work it out myself.
General trading license cost in Dubai, line by line
We pay each authority's fees at cost, and every receipt appears in your account.
| Name | Charged by | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Trade name | DET | AED 620 |
| Initial approval | DET | AED 120 |
| License, set by the activities, a year | DET | from AED 12,000 |
| Lease registered in Ejari | Dubai Land Department | AED 220 |
| Registration, once | JAFZA | AED 5,000 |
| General trading license, a year | JAFZA | AED 15,000 |
| General trading license, a year | DWTC Free Zone | AED 24,000 |
| DWC-LLC license with general trading, a year | Dubai South | AED 10,000 + AED 10,000 |
AED 30,053A first year at JAFZA with one visa, before rent
JAFZA's own lines come to AED 24,653: registration AED 5,000, the general trading license AED 15,000, the immigration card AED 1,975 and a 2-year employment visa AED 2,678. Our Smart package adds AED 5,400, so the first year is AED 30,053 before the rent of the workstation or warehouse.
AED 16,910JAFZA's fees from the second year
From the second year JAFZA charges AED 15,000 for the license and AED 1,910 to renew the immigration card, AED 16,910 together, while the lease runs. Our renewal fee is AED 2,550, and JAFZA adds AED 1,000 to a late renewal.
Mainland or free zone for a general trading company in Dubai
The two routes in full: free zone vs mainland in the UAE.
| Name | Mainland, licensed by DET | Dubai free zone |
|---|---|---|
| Customers in the UAE | Any buyer in the country, government bodies included | Buyers abroad; in mainland Dubai through a distributor or DET's permit, AED 5,000 for six months |
| Premises | At least 100 sq ft, the lease registered in Ejari | A workstation, office or warehouse leased from the zone |
| Visas | Counted by floor space | Set by the premises: 2 for each workstation at JAFZA |
| License fee, a year | From AED 12,000, set by the activities | AED 15,000 at JAFZA, AED 24,000 at DWTC Free Zone |
| Time to the license | 1 to 2 weeks | 1 to 5 working days, 3 to 14 at JAFZA |
| Corporate tax | 0% on profit up to AED 375,000, 9% above | 0% on qualifying income, such as distribution from JAFZA |
General trading company setup in Dubai: who does what, and when
- 1 to 2 days1
Goods and route
You send the list of goods. We choose between general trading and a narrower trading license, pick the zone or DET and mark the goods that need an authority's approval.
- 2 to 4 days2
Trade name and initial approval
We reserve the name and file for the initial approval. DET charges AED 620 and AED 120 and confirms each within 10 minutes.
- 2 to 5 days3
Memorandum and premises
In a free zone you sign online; on the mainland DET issues the memorandum and you sign before a notary. We register a mainland lease in Ejari or book the zone's desk or warehouse.
- week 1 to 24
License
The zone or DET issues the general trading license, and it arrives in your account.
- after the license5
Customs code
We register the company with Dubai Customs. The code ties each shipment to your trade license, and an importer or exporter needs it to move goods.
- 1 to 4 weeks later6
Visas, tax and bank
We file the residence visas, register the company for corporate tax within 3 months of incorporation and send the bank application with your product list.
Goods a general trading license does not cover on its own
Restricted goods cross the UAE border only with the prior approval of the authority named here.
| Goods | Approval from |
|---|---|
| Medicines, drugs and medical equipment | Ministry of Health and Prevention |
| Cosmetics, personal care products, e-cigarettes, new vehicle tyres | Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology |
| Live animals, plants, fertilisers and pesticides | Ministry of Climate Change and Environment |
| Transmission and wireless devices | Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority |
| Media publications and products | Ministry of Culture and Youth |
| Alcoholic drinks | Ministry of Interior or Dubai Police |
| Weapons, ammunition, explosives and fireworks | Ministry of Defence or Ministry of Interior |
Goods that no license covers
Narcotics, pirated content, counterfeit currency and gambling machines are banned under the common customs law of the Gulf states. To make or pack goods in the UAE, a company adds an industrial license.
What we do for restricted goods
We match each product on your list to its authority and file the approval with the license application. Where a zone asks for a specialised license, as IFZA does for cars, alcohol, medical supplies and weapons, we add it.
Warehouse, visas and the bank account of a trading company
JAFZA, beside Jebel Ali Port, leases warehouses of 313 to 1,110 sq m from AED 400 per sq m. A trader with no stock starts from a workstation: JAFZA free zone.
The premises set the count: 2 visas for each JAFZA workstation, and by floor space on the mainland. Each visa costs the authority's fee plus ours from AED 1,450: residence visas in the UAE.
A general trading license does not show the bank what the company will sell, so the bank asks more. We write your products, suppliers and buyers into the application, and an account usually opens in 2 to 4 weeks: business bank account in the UAE.
A business that sells through its own site or a marketplace can take an e-commerce license: AED 5,750 at SPC Free Zone, against AED 6,875 for general trading. See e-commerce license in Dubai.
VAT, customs duty and corporate tax for a general trading company
5%VAT on sales inside the UAE
A trading company registers for VAT once its taxable sales and imports pass AED 375,000 in 12 months, and may register from AED 187,500. Sales in the UAE carry 5%, and an export that leaves within 90 days is zero-rated: VAT registration in the UAE.
5% of CIFCustoms duty on goods entering Dubai
In Dubai customs duty is 5% of the CIF value: the price of the goods with freight and insurance. Alcohol pays 50% and cigarettes 100%. An importer registered for VAT, its customs number linked to the tax authority, declares import VAT in its return.
9%Corporate tax on profit above AED 375,000
Profit up to AED 375,000 is taxed at 0% and the rest at 9%. With revenue up to AED 3 million the company can claim Small Business Relief until the end of 2029: corporate tax registration in the UAE.
0%Qualifying income of a free-zone trader
A free-zone company keeps 0% on qualifying income. For a trader that means distributing goods from a designated zone such as JAFZA to buyers who resell or process them, or trading quoted commodities such as metals. Other income is taxed at 9%.
Documents for a general trading company in Dubai
Documents
Each owner and the manager
- Passport copy
- Photo on a white background
- Residence visa and Emirates ID copy, when you live in the UAE
- UAE entry permit or visa, for a mainland license
- Your list of goods, main suppliers and buyers
A company as shareholder
- Certificate of incorporation
- Certificate of incumbency, or its register of directors
- Memorandum and articles of association
- Board resolution to open the Dubai company
- Attestation and Arabic translation, for a mainland company
You send them in your account. We check each document the day it arrives and tell you what is missing.
See the platformQuestions about a general trading company in Dubai
How much does a general trading license cost in Dubai?
AED 15,000 a year at JAFZA, AED 24,000 at DWTC Free Zone and from AED 12,000 at DET on the mainland, where the activities set the fee. Our packages start at AED 2,150 before VAT.
What is the difference between a trading license and a general trading license?
The range of goods. At JAFZA two groups hold 12 activities for AED 8,500 a year, and general trading takes any number of groups for AED 15,000. When your goods fit two groups, the narrower license saves AED 6,500 a year.
Can a foreigner own 100% of a general trading company in Dubai?
Yes in every free zone. On the mainland full foreign ownership covers more than 1,000 commercial and industrial activities, and we confirm yours with DET before filing.
Can a free-zone general trading company sell in mainland Dubai?
Yes, through a mainland distributor or with DET's Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit: AED 5,000 for six months, with 9% corporate tax on that revenue. For mostly local sales, take a mainland company.
Do I need a customs code for a general trading company?
Yes, once the company imports or exports. We register it with Dubai Customs after the license is issued.
Do I need a warehouse for a general trading company?
No. SPC Free Zone licenses general trading with no warehouse lease, and at JAFZA a trader can start from a workstation.
How long does it take to set up a general trading company in Dubai?
1 to 2 weeks with DET, 1 to 5 working days in a free zone and 3 to 14 at JAFZA. The customs code, visas and bank account take the next 1 to 4 weeks.
Which goods can I not trade on a general trading license?
Banned goods such as narcotics and counterfeit currency. Medicines, cosmetics, alcohol, weapons and wireless devices each need their authority's approval, which we file with your license.
Get a quote for your UAE company
Book a 30-minute call about your company
Your consultant Vladyslav Babaiev Opens in a new tab Business Setup Specialist
- We email you the Google Meet link.
- 30 minutes, free, no obligation to order.
- After the call we email you the checklist of documents for your country.
We reply by the end of the next working day with the cost and the dates for your case. The first call is free and confidential.
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Videos about a company in the UAE
The film shows your first months with Legarithm in 74 seconds. The short videos open on YouTube.
1:43After registration: bank, taxes, free zone Opens on YouTube
2:44Structure, banking and tax residency Opens on YouTube
1:16When to set up a UAE company Opens on YouTubeUpdated 9 November 2026. Reviewed by Vladyslav Drapii, Founder.
