IT and technology licence in Dubai
An IT company in Dubai is licensed for the work it invoices. DET’s professional licence covers services based on intellectual ability, which is where IT services and consultancy sit. DET’s commercial licence is the one this site already describes as covering software when you are buying and selling products. A free zone uses its own activity list. The UAE government portal names tech, gaming, crypto and AI among DMCC’s sectors, and it lists Dubai Internet City and Dubai Silicon Oasis as separate Dubai free zones. There is no THAJ technology package and no published setup price.
Services, products, or both
| What the company sells | Where to look | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|
| Implementation, support, development, IT consultancy | DET professional licence, or a zone’s service activity | That a software reseller line covers staff who only bill time |
| Software or hardware as goods, including resale | DET commercial licence, which this site already says can include software | That every free zone calls this “IT” |
| A product the portal already places at DMCC, such as tech, AI or gaming | DMCC, then DMCC’s own activity list | That DMCC is the only zone, or that crypto is open without DMCC confirming it |
| A campus licence at Dubai Silicon Oasis | Dubai Silicon Oasis | That Dubai Internet City is the same authority. It is a separate name on u.ae. |
Dubai Internet City is on the u.ae list and does not yet have its own page. We will not describe its fees or its activity menu from memory. If Internet City is the candidate, we read that authority’s current list before filing. The same rule applies to Dubai Outsource City.
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.
An IT licence is not a specialist Golden Visa
A programmer’s residence and a company’s licence are different files. The Golden Visa notes for IT specialists are on the IT specialists page and follow ICP’s category, not a trade licence. Owning the company is the business owners route, with that route’s thresholds. A freelance technologist should read the freelance permit page and keep the Green Visa test separate.
Frequently asked questions
What licence does an IT company need in Dubai?
A professional licence for services, a commercial licence if you are selling software as goods, or the free zone activity that matches the invoices. DMCC is one zone the government portal links to tech. It is not the only one, and it is not automatic.
Is Dubai Internet City the same as Dubai Silicon Oasis?
No. Both names appear on the UAE government portal’s Dubai list. This site has a Silicon Oasis page. Internet City is confirmed with that authority when it is the candidate.
Does an IT licence qualify me for a Golden Visa?
No. Specialist and business-owner Golden Visa routes have their own rules. A licence does not replace them.
What does IT company setup cost?
No package is published. DET registration fees on the cost page are not the total. Zone charges are quoted by the zone. THAJ’s fee is separate.
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)
- Starting a business in a free zone — The UAE Government portal (u.ae)
- Free zones in Dubai — Government of Dubai (dubai.ae)
- Law No. (16) of 2021 Establishing the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority — Government of Dubai (Dubai legislation portal)
- Establishing business in the UAE (licence types, trade names, premises) — UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism
Say whether you bill time or sell a product
That split picks the professional or commercial line, and then the zone if you are not on the mainland.