What Fees Do You Pay After Getting a UAE Trade License? (2026 Guide)

Once your UAE trade license is issued, the payments don’t stop. To keep the company legal, you pay:

• a yearly license renewal
• office rent and Ejari (for mainland firms)
• an establishment card
• visa and Emirates ID fees for every resident on the company
• health insurance for staff
• the cost of staying tax compliant

For a small mainland company in Dubai with one visa, the government side alone usually comes to roughly AED 8,300 to AED 14,400 a year. That is before rent, insurance and accounting.

Below is each fee in plain terms: who charges it, how often it comes due, and what it typically costs in 2026. Use it to plan year two of your business in Dubai, which is when most owners first see the full bill.

Which fees come due after the license is issued?

Eight types of cost show up for almost every company. Some are fixed government charges, some depend on your choices, and a few only apply if you miss a deadline.

Most of these depend on each other. If one lapses, the others usually stop working too. An expired license blocks visa renewals, and a lapsed Ejari blocks the license renewal. That is why timing matters as much as price.

How much is the yearly trade license renewal?

A mainland Dubai trade license renewal usually costs between AED 6,000 and AED 20,000. The amount depends on the license type, how many activities are on the license, and your office rent.

Rough 2026 ranges by license type:

• Professional license (consulting and services): about AED 6,000 to 9,500
• Commercial license (trading): about AED 7,500 to 12,000
• Industrial license (manufacturing): about AED 10,000 to 15,000

The renewal voucher from the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) is made up of several smaller charges:

• the base license fee
• the Knowledge Dirham and Innovation Dirham (AED 10 each)
• a small service charge
• a market fee, worked out as a percentage of your yearly office rent

Commercial and industrial licenses also include Dubai Chamber of Commerce membership, which typically adds AED 1,000 to 3,000.

Regulated activities cost more. If your activity needs approval from another authority, such as the Dubai Health Authority for clinics or the RTA for transport, expect another AED 500 to 5,000 for that approval.

Tip: The market fee follows your rent, so moving to a bigger office raises your renewal bill as well as your lease.

Mainland renewal is mostly online. You can renew in three ways:

• through the Invest in Dubai license renewal page
• by texting your license number to 6969 when DET sends your reminder
• at a licensed service centre

With a valid Ejari and no unpaid fines, renewal usually takes one to three working days.

What about free zone renewals?

Free zone companies renew with their own free zone authority, not DET. Each zone sets its own price. The renewal is often close to the original package price, minus the one-time setup charges.

Some zones also ask for audited financial statements before they renew. Check your zone’s rules early in the year, not in the last week before expiry.

Do you pay rent and Ejari every year?

Yes, if your company is on the mainland. A mainland license needs a real business address, and the lease must be registered in Ejari, the Dubai Land Department’s tenancy system. Registering or renewing Ejari costs about AED 170 to 220.

DET will not renew your license without a valid Ejari, so renew the lease first. Rent is usually the largest single running cost, and it varies a lot by area and office size.

Free zones work differently. The zone handles your tenancy directly, so there is no Ejari. Many zones offer flexi-desks or shared offices that keep this cost low.

What is the establishment card and what does it cost?

The establishment card, sometimes called the immigration card, is your company’s file with the immigration department. Without it, the company cannot sponsor any residence visa, including the owner’s.

Renewal for a mainland company usually costs about AED 600 to 1,200. Some free zones charge a fixed amount for a two-year card, for example around AED 640.

If the card expires, visa applications and renewals stop until you renew it. Keep it on the same calendar as your license.

How much do visas cost for you and your staff?

Each two-year mainland residence visa typically costs AED 3,000 to 7,000. This applies to investor, partner and employee visas. Free zone visa packages usually cost about AED 3,500 to 6,500.

That total covers several steps:

• a work permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) for mainland staff, priced by your company’s MOHRE category
• an entry permit, plus a change of status fee if the person is already in the UAE
• a medical fitness test
• an Emirates ID, about AED 370 for two years
• the residence visa stamping

Most visas last two years, so each renewal repeats the medical test and the Emirates ID. UAE law puts these costs on the employer. You cannot take them out of an employee’s salary.

Is health insurance required?

Yes. In Dubai, employers must provide health insurance for the staff they sponsor. If you sponsor family members, you must insure them too.

The price depends on the plan, the person’s age and the level of cover. Get quotes per person and add them to your visa budget.

What tax fees apply after you get a license?

Registering for corporate tax and VAT is free. Missing the deadline is not: each late registration carries a fixed AED 10,000 penalty.

Corporate tax. Every company with a UAE license must register with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), even if it has no income yet. New companies have three months from incorporation to apply through the FTA’s corporate tax registration service.

• Rate: 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000, and 9% above that.
• Late registration: The AED 10,000 penalty is waived if you file your first return within seven months of the end of your first tax period.
• Yearly return: Due within nine months of your financial year end, even if you owe nothing. Late filing costs AED 500 a month for the first year and AED 1,000 a month after that.
• Small Business Relief: Available to businesses with revenue up to AED 3 million, for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2026.

VAT. You must register once your taxable sales pass AED 375,000 over the past 12 months, or are expected to pass it in the next 30 days. You can register voluntarily from AED 187,500. The standard rate is 5%, and most businesses file returns every quarter.

Key point: Put your corporate tax registration deadline in your calendar the day your license is issued. It is the easiest AED 10,000 you will ever save.

What other running costs should you plan for?

A few costs are not government fees but are hard to avoid.

Accounting. Corporate tax rules require you to keep financial records for seven years, so you need bookkeeping from day one. Audited financial statements are required in three cases:

• companies with revenue over AED 50 million
• free zone companies claiming the 0% Qualifying Free Zone Person rate
• companies in free zones that make an audit a condition of renewal

Bank account. Most UAE business accounts set a minimum average balance and charge a monthly fee if you go below it. Transfer and cheque fees come on top.

PRO and service fees. If a typing centre, PRO or business setup provider handles your renewals and visas, their fee is added to the government charges. It is often worth paying for the time saved and the deadlines you don’t miss.

What happens if you renew late?

Late renewal gets expensive quickly. On the mainland, there is usually a short grace period after expiry. After that, you pay:

• a monthly late fine, commonly about AED 250 a month
• a separate fine of around AED 5,000 for trading on an expired license

The knock-on effects often cost more than the fines:

• visa applications and renewals are blocked
• your bank may restrict the company account
• your customs code stops working, which halts imports and exports
• a license left expired long enough can be cancelled

Free zones set their own late fees, and some are high. Start every renewal at least 30 days before the expiry date.

Did Dubai lower renewal fees in 2026?

For many companies, yes. In April 2026, Dubai announced an AED 1 billion support package. It deferred several government fees for three months, including some linked to trade licenses. Since then, many renewal vouchers have shown lower charges for:

• labour fees
• foreign name fees
• waste-related fees

The savings vary by company. In one case, a renewal fell from AED 37,583 to AED 21,683, and in another from AED 12,370 to AED 8,190. Companies with more employees tend to save more, because several of the reduced fees are based on headcount.

Check your voucher line by line when you renew, because the relief depends on your license structure and timing.

Sample budget: year two for a small Dubai mainland company

This estimate is for a mainland professional license with one owner visa and a small office. Rent and insurance are left out because they vary so much.

Each extra employee adds roughly AED 1,500 to 3,500 a year in visa costs, plus insurance. The total goes up if you hold a commercial license with Chamber membership, or if your activity needs outside approval.

How can you keep post-license costs down?

A few simple habits make a real difference.

• Renew early. You avoid fines, and in 2026 early renewal has also let many companies lock in lower fees.
• Drop activities you don’t use. Each activity can add to the renewal price.
• Make changes during renewal. If you need to add an activity or change your address, do it as part of the renewal to avoid paying for a separate amendment.
• Match the office to your visa needs. A bigger office means higher rent and a higher market fee.
• Register for tax on time, even if the company has no income yet.
• Keep one calendar for your license, Ejari, establishment card, visa and tax deadlines.

If you don’t want to track all of this yourself, a business setup provider can manage it for you. HA Group, a Dubai-based business setup firm, handles company registration, visa services, accounting and bank assistance. That covers most of the recurring tasks in this guide with a single provider.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to renew a trade license in Dubai in 2026?

Most mainland renewals cost AED 6,000 to 20,000, depending on the license type, the number of activities and your office rent. Professional licenses sit at the lower end. Free zone renewals follow each zone’s own price list.

Do I have to pay corporate tax if my company makes no profit?

No tax is due on taxable income up to AED 375,000. You must still register with the FTA and file a yearly return. Late registration costs AED 10,000, and late filing adds AED 500 a month.

Can I renew my trade license if my Ejari has expired?

No. For a mainland Dubai company, DET needs a valid Ejari-registered lease before it will renew the license. Renew the lease and Ejari first, then submit the license renewal.

How often do I pay visa fees after setup?

Most UAE residence visas last two years, so you pay renewal fees every two years for each person, about AED 3,000 to 7,000 each. The establishment card that lets your company sponsor visas is renewed separately.

Is there a grace period for late trade license renewal in Dubai?

There is usually a short grace period after expiry, but don’t rely on it. After that, monthly late fines and a separate fine for trading on an expired license apply, and visa renewals are blocked until the license is renewed.

Conclusion

After getting a UAE trade license, plan for these recurring costs:

• a yearly renewal, about AED 6,000 to 20,000 on the Dubai mainland
• Ejari and rent
• an establishment card
• visa and Emirates ID fees every two years
• health insurance
• corporate tax and VAT registration on time

For a small mainland company with one visa, expect roughly AED 8,300 to 14,400 a year before rent, insurance and accounting. The goal is to pay every renewal before it expires and avoid late penalties, so your business in Dubai keeps running without interruption.

Recommended Articles:

How to Get a Mainland Trade License in Dubai

How Long Does Mainland Company Formation Take in Dubai?

How Much Does It Cost to Set Up a Mainland Business in Dubai?

How Accounting Firms Help with Business Setup in Dubai (The Complete 2026 Guide)

Business Setup Mistakes First Time Investors Make in the UAE