# Dubai Mainland Trade Licence (DED)

- **Type:** license
- **Status:** evergreen
- **City:** Dubai
- **Equity:** No equity
- **Cost:** DED / Chamber fees (activity-dependent)
- **Duration:** Annual mainland licence
- **Apply:** https://www.investindubai.gov.ae/en/business-setup/business-setup-services/request-to-issue-a-trade-licence
- **Page:** https://www.dxbstart.com/programs/dubai-mainland-licence

A Dubai mainland trade licence from the Department of Economy and Tourism, issued through Invest in Dubai / Basher. Public copy still claims a digital issue path on the order of minutes, bundling Chamber membership and establishment-card / work-permit quota. Evergreen. This is the licence you want if you must contract with the mainland without a free-zone workaround. It is not a startup programme. Activity, office, and manager rules still apply. “15 minutes” is the portal, not immigration.

## Desk take

Use mainland when your customers or tenders require it. Do not use it because a PRO said free zones are dead. Know the office and manager cost before you click.

## Eligibility

The mainland route: a Dubai Economy & Tourism (DET, formerly DED) trade licence for founders who need to trade directly across the UAE market.
- Suits startups selling into the local UAE market, government contracts or retail — not just international services
- Apply online via the Invest in Dubai portal (the Basher engine) with a UAE Pass login; selecting Dubai on Basher redirects to Invest in Dubai
- Choose your legal form (LLC, sole establishment, civil company) and from 1,200+ activities; activities with third-party regulatory risk need extra approvals
- One application bundles the trade licence, Dubai Chamber of Commerce membership, an establishment card, MOHRE membership and a quota for three work permits
- Standard DED fees apply per activity; mainland setup generally expects an Ejari-registered office (the Instant Licence defers Ejari and notarised MOA to year two for eligible low-risk activities)

## Questions

### Is this cheaper than a free zone?

Often not, once you add office and manager. Compare a real quote, not the portal headline.

### Can a foreigner own 100%?

Many activities are 100% foreign-owned on the mainland now. Restricted lists still exist. Check the activity code.


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Source: DXBStart — the working index of the UAE startup ecosystem. Canonical page: https://www.dxbstart.com/programs/dubai-mainland-licence
More machine-readable resources: https://www.dxbstart.com/llms.txt
Startups can request a listing at https://www.dxbstart.com/submit — free, editorially reviewed.