General trading licence in Dubai
General trading is a commercial activity: buying and selling goods, including import and export. On the Dubai mainland, DET issues the commercial licence. In a free zone, the zone issues its own trading activity, and it confirms whether “general trading” is the name on its list. A general trading company is not DET’s e-Trader licence, and it is not a freelance permit. Mainland customers usually mean a mainland licence, or a free zone company that is allowed to sell there. No trading package is priced on this page.
Mainland commercial, zone trading, or the wrong product
| What you sell | Licence to look at | Do not file |
|---|---|---|
| Goods to customers anywhere in the UAE, including import and distribution | DET commercial licence. Mainland formation. | A free zone trading licence that cannot invoice the mainland |
| Import, export or re-export inside a zone that permits that activity | That zone’s trading or commercial activity. Start with Jafza or DMCC only if the goods fit. | The phrase “general trading” copied from another zone’s menu |
| Home-based selling through social media, as an individual | e-Trader | A general trading company |
| One person invoicing professional time, not goods | Freelance permit or a consultancy licence | A trading licence |
DET’s commercial licence, as already described on this site, covers buying and selling most goods and services, including import and export. The activity lines on the licence still have to match the goods.
THAJ’s fee is quoted in writing after the activity wording is accepted. Authority charges are extra and are not invented on this page. VAT & Corporate Tax Support is not included: Get connected with our licensed accounting and tax partners for VAT registration, Corporate Tax registration, return filing and bookkeeping.
Selling on the mainland is the deciding fact
A free zone company trades inside its zone and abroad. Selling on the UAE mainland usually needs a distributor, a mainland licence, or DET’s dual licence where that zone participates. Dubai’s portal says the dual licence is available with five free zones. It does not, on the page we cite, name them in a way we will guess. If most of the stock will be sold to UAE buyers, start with mainland or free zone and expect the mainland answer.
Premises follow the authority. A mainland commercial licence needs a real business address. In Dubai the lease is registered through Ejari. A zone may allow a flexi-desk. The zone says which. Warehousing, if the goods need it, is a facility question for that zone, not a fee we publish.
Frequently asked questions
What is a general trading licence in Dubai?
A commercial permission to buy and sell goods, including import and export. DET issues it on the mainland. A free zone issues its own trading activity and confirms the name.
Is general trading the same as e-commerce?
No. e-Trader is DET’s home-based online licence. A free zone e-commerce activity is another product. General trading is for goods, usually with import and resale, under a commercial licence.
Can a free zone general trading company sell in Dubai?
Only if the route for mainland sales is in place: a distributor, a mainland licence, or a dual licence where the zone participates. Otherwise the customers need to be inside the zone or abroad.
What does general trading setup cost?
There is no package price here. DET’s published registration fees are on the cost page and are not the total. Zone charges are the zone’s invoice. THAJ’s fee is quoted separately.
Official sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 5 November 2026. Rules and fees can change; the authority’s current page always prevails.
- Business licensing — licence types and set-up process — Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)
- Business set-up options: mainland or free zone — Government of Dubai (dubai.ae)
- Starting a business in a free zone — The UAE Government portal (u.ae)
- Establishing business in the UAE (licence types, trade names, premises) — UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism
- Invest in Dubai — business set-up platform and cost estimator — Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)
List the goods and who buys them
UAE shops, overseas buyers, or both. That chooses mainland or a zone before a trade name.