Professional license in Dubai: Everything you need to know about it

To offer services and products in the UAE it’s necessary to have a valid business license. One of the most requested by entrepreneurs and freelancers is the Professional license in Dubai. This is because it allows them to offer professional services to their clients legally in the UAE.

Since the UAE is one of the preferred places to make business, it’s good to know what options you have to start carrying out your activities there. So, knowing how to obtain this business license and what benefits can offer you it’s a great place to start.

In this article, you’re going to learn everything you need to know regarding the professional license in the UAE. In addition, you can gain valuable insight about why a third-party can be of great help during this process. Let’s observe:

• Professional license in Dubai
• What is a professional license?
• Who should apply for a professional license in Dubai?
• What are the benefits of having a professional license?
• What are the requirements to obtain a professional license in Dubai?
• Which activities are covered by the professional license?
• What is the process to obtain a professional license in Dubai?
• What is the cost of the professional license in Dubai?
• Common questions regarding the professional license
• How can Connect Zone help you obtain the professional license?

1. Professional license in Dubai

Running a business in Dubai can be a great decision for investors and entrepreneurs. This is because this place has a thriving and flourishing market that you can enter easily. Additionally, since it’s a place that attracts people from different places, you have high chances of finding your perfect target audience.

In this regard, to have a legal business in the UAE you must apply for a business license. The DED (Department of Economic Development) is the responsible body to issue these licenses. So, there are several licenses to which you can choose from:

• Commercial license: for companies who will carry out trading activities
• Industrial license: companies that will engage in manufacturing activities
• Professional license: for individuals who will offer services, craftsmen and/or artisans.

If you want to be a service provider, you must apply for a Professional license in Dubai.

Here’s what you have to know about Offshore Companies in Dubai.

2. What is a Professional License?

The professional license can be obtained by businesses that want to engage in service-oriented activities. Skilled individuals who hold a professional degree, have enough experience in a particular field or profession, and professionals can apply for this business license.

So, a professional license is for individuals who rely on their talents, skills and intellectual abilities to conduct businesses.

Entrepreneurs may feel confused whether they must apply for this kind of license or if they should go for a commercial license. This is because there are some activities that may fall under the commercial category as well as under the professional one.

Therefore, it’s important to know which one suits your business activity best. It’s also important to understand the Professional license requirements in Dubai, so you can have everything ready to submit your application.

3. Who should apply for a Professional License in Dubai?

Before starting to learn about the process and Professional license fees in Dubai, it’s important to know the eligibility. Anyone who wants to conduct business in the UAE should have a business license. The problem is knowing which license is the proper one for your activity.

If you’re a professional that wants to offer your services in the UAE, you must apply for the professional license.

And, if you’re planning on establishing a business that offers professional services, you’re also eligible to apply.

Regarding who should apply, any individual or company that relies on trained skills to offer a service can be a professional. So, if you hold any of the following professions, you should get the professional license:

• Accountant
• Financial advisor
• Architectural consultant
• Medical representative
• Educational professionals
• Business consultants
• Web designers
• IT professionals
• Technical services
• Artisans and carpenters
• Healthcare professionals

If you’re a skilled professional but you don’t know if you should apply for this kind of license, you should look for help. Here in Connect Zone we can provide guidance regarding how to obtain the proper business license for your company.

Find out how you can obtain your E-trader license in Dubai Mainland.

4. What are the benefits of having a professional license?

Having a Professional license in Dubai can provide several benefits. First and foremost, you’re able to carry out your activities legally while you live in one of the top places in the world.

Here we have some of the best benefits of holding this kind of license

100% ownership

With a professional license you can have 100% ownership of your business, unlike industrial and commercial licenses.

You can have your sole proprietorship business, but to do this you must appoint a local agent. This local service agent must be an UAE national as this is a requirement for completing judicial formalities.

However, the agent won’t have any control over your business. This agent will only charge the fixed annual fee for the service.

Access to a lucrative market

In Dubai you can find clients from different backgrounds, and you can offer your services to obtain a great income. In addition, you can connect with other professionals, vendors, and businesses to develop a solid network.

This will help you have a better quality of life and enjoying the luxurious lifestyle of this thriving place.

Learn how you can get your partnership Visa in Dubai.

5. What are the requirements to obtain a professional license in Dubai?

To obtain this important document you must know about the Professional license requirements in Dubai.

It’s important to have everything ready so you can carry out the process smoothly. Here we have the requirements to obtain the professional license:

• Appoint a local service agent
• Choose a trade name for your business that complies with the law
• Develop a detailed business plan describing your business activity
• Fill the application to obtain the business license
• Get copies of your passport and of your partners’
• Obtain the NOC for the foreign partners (if required)
• Prepare a copy of your visa
• Rent an office space

In addition, you must learn about the Professional license cost in Dubai so you can know how much you’ll have to pay for this document.

6. Which activities are covered by the professional license?

When you have your Professional license in Dubai you can carry out your business activities legally. But, before applying, it’s important to know which business activity you want to conduct. In this regard, the DED has established the list of activities that fall under the professional license. This is to make it easier for individuals to know to which one apply.

Some of the business activities covered by the professional license are the following:

• Consultancy services
• Artisanship
• Medical services
• Financial and auditing services
• Beauty salons
• Repair and maintenance services
• Printing and publishing services
• Security services
• Carpentry

These are just some of the few activities that are under the professional license. The DED has the long list that anyone can consult to check if their profession is suitable with the professional license. After determining your business activity, the next step is knowing How to get professional license in Dubai.

See the process you have to go through to get the UAE Residence Visa.

7. What is the Process to obtain a Professional License in Dubai?

It’s important to note that you should know How to get professional license in Dubai if you want to offer professional services.

In this regard, you should learn about the process so you can know how to carry out it successfully.

1. Local service agent: enter into an agreement with a local service agent (must be an UAE national) and fill the agreement form.
2. Get the agreement translated into Arabic and attested
3. Make the MOA (Memorandum of Association) with your local service agent
4. Find an office space and obtain the tenancy contract for leasing it
5. Get the EJARI registration and approval from the municipality for the tenancy contract
6. Submit the application along with the documents to the DED
7. Once you get the approval, make the payments for the license

Which documents do you need to obtain your business license?

The following are the documents you must gather, translate and attest when necessary:

• Business owners’ passport copies
• If one of the business owner is a resident in the UAE, you must submit the Emirates ID copy
• Visit visa copy for expatriate business owners
• Emirates ID copy and passport copy of the local service agent
• Additional approvals
• Approval from the municipality

Here’s explained how you can get an E-version of the Emirates ID.

Which documents do you need to submit the tenancy contract?

It’s important to obtain the approval from the municipality of your tenancy contract. This is because you’ll need this document to obtain your business license.

Here’s the following documents you need:

• BR1 form
• Trade name certificate
• Initial approval
• Tenancy contract
• EJARI registration

In some cases, the DED will also require for the applicants to pay a fee and a security deposit. If the business is a civil company (two or more partners) it’s necessary to pay the security deposit of AED 20000. If it’s a single person, the security deposit is of AED 10000.

8. What is the cost of the professional license in Dubai?

Another important aspect you have to take into account is the Professional license fees in Dubai. Once you have received the approval, you must pay the necessary fees to collect your business license.

The cost of the professional license is around AED 15310 in Dubai. It’s worth noting that this price includes the following:

1. Fees for the professional license

2. Fees for paying the trade name registration

3. Fees for appointing the service agent

4. Market fees (based on your chosen business activity)

5. Administrative services fees

6. Local fees

7. Government cultural fees

After having paid the Professional license in Dubai cost, you can obtain your business license. Then, you can carry out your business activities and offer your services legally in Dubai.

See how you can obtain a 5-year multiple entry tourist visa in the UAE.

9. Common questions regarding the professional license

It’s important to be clear regarding every aspect surrounding the professional license. For this reason, here we have some of the doubts regarding this important document.

Some of the most common questions are the following:

Can I have 100% ownership of my business with a professional license?

With the professional license, you’re able to have 100% ownership of your business. With all the other legal structures in the UAE, you must have an UAE national as a partner who will hold the 51% of shares of your business, Or does any Legal Services Support or Legal Advice UAE is Required? No Absolutely not.

However, with the professional license you can establish your business and have 100% ownership. But, you should have a local service agent that will receive the fixed annual fee.

How many partners can I have with a professional license?

Perhaps you may think that with a professional license you can establish a company with a single partner. But, the truth is that you can establish a civil company with more than one owner and obtain your professional license.

This kind of legal structure is known as a civil company. Make sure to have all the necessary documents of each owner to apply for the business license.

10. How can Connect Zone help you obtain the professional license?

Here in Connect Zone we want to assist you with your goals of establishing your business in the UAE. Our team of professionals can help you obtain the Professional license in Dubai so you can offer your services legally.

Start building your network, getting clients, and enjoying the high quality of life in Dubai by working as a service provider. We can assist you through each stage of the process so you don’t have to worry about the paperwork or administrative tasks.

If you’re interested in knowing more about the professional license in Dubai, you can contact us at contact@connectzone.ae, or you can call us at +1 (971) 433 1688 and one of our representatives will gladly answer all of your inquiries.