How to Get a General Trading License in Dubai? All You Need to Know

To start a new business here, you need to obtain a legal trade license from the Department of Economic Development in Dubai. There are processes and steps of obtaining the general trading license in Dubai. The general trading license is one of the most popular business licenses in Dubai.

The general trading license allows you to trade the products that are permissible under the Department of Economic Development Activity List.

The general trading license in Dubai is for businesses that are looking to perform activities such as trading, exporting, and importing commodities. Businesses that trade in electronics, food, automobile, furniture, consumer goods, etc. need to get this license. It allows companies to trade goods locally as well as beyond the borders of the UAE.

The general trading license allows the purchase, sale, export, and import of mixed goods. This means that this license allows you to trade toys and electronics at the same time. It stands true for any number of goods you might want to trade inside and outside the UAE.

However, the trade of goods like Alcohol, Chemicals, Medicine, etc. are not covered by the general trading license. You need special government approvals for those goods.

Steps to Get the General Trading License in Dubai

There is a specific process you need to follow to obtain the general trading license in Dubai. The Department of Economic Development in Dubai is responsible for handling the registration processes of new businesses here. For several of these steps, you need to deal with the officials there.

Here are the steps in the process of obtaining the general trading license in Dubai:

Choose the legal structure of your business.
Choose a suitable and unique trade name for your business.
Select all the business activities you mean to perform, and keep in mind that you can select up to 10 business activities per license.
Complete the application for the initial approval from the Department of Economic Development in Dubai.
Choose your office location and get the tenancy contract with the EJARI.
Get the required external approvals from the relevant authorities.
Assemble all the necessary documents like passport copies, the Memorandum of Association, etc.
Submit all the documents for the final approval from the Department of Economic Development in Dubai.
Pay the required fees and receive the general trading license.