For Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism mainland licenses, for individuals and companies

Trade License Renewal in Dubai

Instant PRO prepares your trade license renewal file in Dubai with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism services and follows it up until the authority issues the outcome, whether the license is still valid and nearing expiry or has already expired, and whether it is held by an individual or a company. Send us a copy of the license and we will review its status in the system and set out the documents and the government fees displayed before we begin.

A trade license renewal in Dubai is submitted through the Invest in Dubai platform using the license number or trade name, and the DET system allows renewal before and after expiry. The documents depend on the license activity, some applications need external approval, and there is no single fee: the system calculates fees for each license.

What Do We Handle in a Trade License Renewal in Dubai?

We begin by checking your license: its expiry date, whether it is valid or expired, and any amounts or pending transactions shown against it in the DET system. We then identify what renewal requires: a registered tenancy contract, the documents the activity calls for and the approvals of other authorities, if any. We prepare the application and review it before submission, submit it under your authorisation, and follow it until DET issues the outcome. The government fees are paid to the authority directly through the official payment link, and we set out Instant PRO’s fees separately before we begin.

License holders who are individuals

Renewal of a sole proprietorship or of a professional license registered in its owner’s name depends on the tenancy contract for the premises and on the owner’s details on the license. Before submission we check that the identity details match the license and that the system shows no outstanding amounts or earlier pending procedure.

Companies and their branches

For limited liability companies, civil companies and branches of local and foreign companies, the file is renewed for the establishment, and the review covers the tenancy contract, the activity approvals and the details of the owners and partners registered on the license. A change of activity, name, partners or address is an amendment to the license, handled as a separate transaction with DET, and it may be made only with DET’s prior approval. If the license details change, you may then need to update the establishment record with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

Documents vary with the type and activity of the license, whether commercial, industrial, professional or tourism. Our service covers DET mainland licenses in Dubai rather than UAE trade license renewal in general; free zone licenses are renewed with the licensing free zone authority.

Steps to Renew a Trade License in Dubai

Step 1 - Checking the license status

We review the expiry date and what the system shows against the license; any amounts or pending transactions determine the route.

Step 2 - Confirming the tenancy contract

The help page for the renewal service in the DET system states that a tenancy contract registered with RERA is a condition of renewal; its number is entered so that the system retrieves the rent value.

Step 3 - Preparing the documents for the activity

The system determines them for the license, and all of them must be uploaded before the application can be submitted.

Step 4 - Submitting the application

Trade license renewal online is submitted through the Invest in Dubai platform. The renewal form asks for the license number or the trade name, with the email address and mobile number registered for the establishment. The same help page describes the display of the license details and the proposed renewal dates and their fees before the documents are uploaded.

Step 5 - DET review

A DET officer reviews the application, and some applications need approval from external authorities before DET issues the payment letter.

Step 6 - Paying the government fees

After the payment letter is issued, the fees are paid through the official payment channels, and we then follow up the outcome that DET issues.

Trade License Renewal Dubai Online: Can You Apply Electronically?

Yes. Trade license renewal online is submitted electronically through the Invest in Dubai platform using the license number or the trade name. The documents and approvals that the activity requires still apply, and DET may review the application before it issues the payment letter. We prepare, submit and follow up the application under your authorisation.

Conditions and Documents for Renewing a Trade License in Dubai

In the pages we reviewed, DET does not publish a single list of renewal documents; the list is set by the license activity and appears when the application is submitted. What its official sources do establish is the following:

Core requirements

The license number or the trade name, and the email address and mobile number registered for the establishment.
The tenancy contract for the premises, registered with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) through the Ejari system, whose number is entered in the application.
Up-to-date contact details; the system prompts you to update them when needed.

Depending on the type of activity

The documents the system specifies for the license activity, all of which must be uploaded before the application can be submitted.

External approvals

The approval of the regulatory authority, if the activity requires it; it may be requested before DET issues the payment letter.

Executive Council Resolution No. (40) of 2026 permitted trade licenses to be renewed without a tenancy contract between 1 April and 30 September 2026 (item 13 of the schedule), provided the tenancy contract is renewed within three months of the license renewal. That period has ended and we found no decision extending it as of 20 October 2026, so we treat a registered tenancy contract as a condition unless the DET system shows otherwise. A holder who renewed in that period without a contract must complete the renewal of the contract within the stated period.

We treat a document as required only once it appears in the system for your license.

Dubai Trade License Renewal Fees

The fees below are updated to October 2026 according to Executive Council Resolution No. (13) of 2011 approving the fees and fines of the Department of Economic Development. They may change, so please check the official source. The Department of Economy and Tourism succeeded the Department of Economic Development under Law No. (20) of 2021.

Item	Fee	Collecting authority	Source
Issuing or renewing a license (general fee)	AED 600	Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism	Resolution 13/2011, Schedule (1), item (1)
Renewal of a general trade license	AED 3,000	Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism	Resolution 13/2011, Schedule (1), item (24)
Renewal of an investment activity license	AED 3,000	Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism	Resolution 13/2011, Schedule (1), item (26)
Renewal of a contracting license	AED 3,000	Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism	Resolution 13/2011, Schedule (1), item (22)
Renewal of a home-based activity license (Intelaq)	AED 1,000	Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism	Resolution 13/2011, Schedule (1), item (27)

These are the fees in the base schedule. Alongside them, the DET system calculates fees that vary by license: the market fee, the fee due on accommodation for employees, workers and license holders (accommodation fee), and general cleaning service fees. The market fee is calculated once the tenancy contract number is entered and its value retrieved, as the service help page explains. You can estimate the cost before applying through the renewal cost enquiry service in the DET system.

Executive Council Resolution No. (40) of 2026, issued on 7 September 2026, granted a one-time exemption, for establishments affected by the government closure decision, from market fees, the fee due on accommodation for employees, workers and license holders, and general cleaning service fees, from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027 (item 9 of the schedule). We mention this exemption to a client only after verifying that it applies to their license. The deferral of license issuance and amendment fees ended on 30 June 2026.

Note: The fees stated are government fees only. They do not include the fees of the private notary public’s office, if a document must be notarised, nor Instant PRO’s fees, nor the fees the system calculates for each license, nor the fees of other authorities.

Expired Trade License Renewal in Dubai: Late Fines and Grace Period

According to the service help page, the DET system allows a license to be renewed before and after it expires, and shows a license as expired once its date has passed. Law No. (13) of 2011 Regulating the Practice of Economic Activities in the Emirate of Dubai requires an establishment to renew its license within the last month of its term (Article 8). We do not assume that every expired license is renewed in the same way, so we review its status and the amounts shown in the system before any decision or payment.

The fines schedule in Executive Council Resolution No. (13) of 2011 (Schedule 2, items 5 and 6) sets a fine of AED 250 for not renewing the license within the specified period, and AED 200 for each month of delay, with part of a month counted as a full month. The text does not state how long that period is, mentions no grace period for Dubai trade license renewal, and does not say whether the two fines are added together. The actual amount is what the DET system shows for your license.

Executive Council Resolution No. (40) of 2026 had exempted customers from fines for late renewal of trade licenses for the period from 1 April to 30 September 2026 (item 14 of the schedule), and its Article 3 allows periods to be extended with the prior approval of the Chairman of the Executive Council. The published period has ended and we found no extension decision as of 20 October 2026. The text does not say how a fine incurred in that period and paid after it is treated, so we review your license’s status in the system.

An establishment that has stopped operating is treated differently. Article 13 of the same Law provides that the owner may ask DET to suspend the license for a set period, and that the establishment is not subject to license fees and non-renewal fines if its license has expired and it has not practised its activity, or if it has applied for suspension. The text does not state how non-operation is proved, so the safer course is to file the application formally rather than simply close the premises. If your decision is to end the business permanently, the more suitable route is to cancel the license formally.

The Resolution distinguishes between late renewal and practising an activity without a license, for which the fine is AED 5,000 (Schedule 2, item 1); it does not say whether an expired license is treated as no license, so we do not assert it. The fine doubles on repetition of the violation within a year, and DET may close the establishment for up to six months or cancel the license (Article 3). Article 30 of the Law also permits closing an establishment that has not renewed and has stopped its activity, or cancelling its license, after a notice in a daily newspaper and the passing of two weeks without objection.

Trade License Renewal Time in Dubai and What Can Delay It

DET does not announce a set time for renewing a license, so we do not state a completion time. It depends on a DET officer’s review of the application and on whether the activity needs approval from an external authority before the payment letter. According to the service help page, the application is held up if the tenancy contract is not registered, if the activity’s documents are incomplete so that it cannot be submitted, or while an external approval is awaited. Before submission we also check that the identity details match the license, that the system shows no outstanding amounts or earlier pending procedure, and that the contact details are up to date. We advise starting as the last month of the license term begins. Our office works Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, and we receive urgent cases on WhatsApp around the clock.

Frequently Asked Questions About Trade License Renewal in Dubai

Can a trade license be renewed in Dubai after it expires?

The DET system allows renewal before and after expiry, according to the service help page. A late fine may apply under Executive Council Resolution No. (13) of 2011, while an establishment that has not practised its activity is treated differently under Article 13 of Law No. (13) of 2011. We check your license in the system before any payment.

How does trade license renewal online work in Dubai?

The application is submitted through the Invest in Dubai platform using the license number or trade name. You upload the documents the system specifies for the activity, DET reviews the application, and the fees are paid after the payment letter. You can hand us the file and we will prepare, submit and follow it up.

How much does it cost to renew a trade license in Dubai?

There is no single fee. DET’s schedule sets AED 600 for general renewal and AED 3,000 for general trade, investment activity and contracting licenses, and the system adds market, accommodation and general cleaning fees by license. Amounts change and a temporary exemption may apply, so we show you what appears for your license before payment.

What is the fine for not renewing a trade license in Dubai?

Resolution No. (13) of 2011 sets AED 250 for not renewing within the period and AED 200 for each month of delay, part of a month counting as a full month. Resolution (40) of 2026 exempted these fines until 30 September 2026; we found no extension. The actual amount is what the system shows for your license.

Is a registered tenancy contract required to renew a license?

The help page for the renewal service states that a license for which no RERA-registered tenancy contract number is entered is not renewed. Resolution (40) of 2026 permitted renewal without a contract until 30 September 2026 provided the contract is renewed within three months, and we found no extension. So we verify the status of your premises before submission.

Do you renew free zone licenses?

No. Our service is for mainland licenses of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. Free zone licenses such as DMCC, IFZA and DIFC are renewed with the licensing free zone authority. If you are not sure which authority licensed you, send us a copy of the license and we will tell you the competent authority.

Next step

WhatsApp: +971 56 232 7778
Our office works Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Office 805, Opal Tower, Business Bay, Dubai

Instant PRO is an independent private company. It is not the Department of Economy and Tourism and is not affiliated with it, and it does not guarantee any government decision; we prepare the transaction and follow it up only.