The short answer
A Dubai trade licence (often spelled "trade license") is renewed every year, before the expiry date printed on it. Mainland companies renew with the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). Free Zone companies renew with their own zone, such as IFZA, Meydan or RAKEZ. Renewing late costs money: AED 250 plus AED 200 a month on the Dubai mainland, AED 1,000 a month at IFZA, and AED 50 a day at RAKEZ.
Last updated: 10 November 2026 · Fees and rules checked on dlp.dubai.gov.ae, rakez.com, meydanfz.ae and IFZA's schedule of fees (revision 0906) on 10 November 2026 · By 800 Business
Mainland or Free Zone: who renews your licence?
Look at the top of your licence. The authority that issued it is the one that renews it.
| Your licence | Who renews it | How | Official late fine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai mainland | Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) | Online with UAE PASS | AED 250, plus AED 200 for each month of delay |
| IFZA (Dubai Free Zone) | IFZA | IFZA client portal | AED 1,000, then AED 1,000 for every month after |
| Meydan Free Zone (Dubai) | Meydan Free Zone | Online renewal declaration | No figure published by Meydan |
| RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah) | RAKEZ | Portal 360 or the RAKEZ app | AED 50 a day from the expiry date |
Sources, all checked 10 November 2026: Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. 13 of 2011, Schedule 2, items 5 and 6 (Dubai Legislation Portal, listed as in force); IFZA Schedule of Fees, revision 0906 (file dated 31 August 2026), "Penalties"; RAKEZ Free Zone licence renewal checklist REGR-015 (issue 4, 22 January 2025); Meydan Free Zone renewal guidance.
Fees for the renewal itself depend on your zone, your package and your activities. In our experience, a renewal usually costs about the same as the licence did in year one, without the one-off setup costs. The only official figure is your authority's current price list or renewal invoice.
When should you start?
Start 30 to 60 days before the expiry date. Three reasons:
- Changes take time. RAKEZ ties some changes, such as a new activity, a new licence type or a lease upgrade, to the 60 days before expiry. Plan them early and ask RAKEZ about timing, so they don't hold up your renewal (RAKEZ checklist).
- Your office lease must be in order. A mainland licence is linked to your registered office lease (Ejari), so check it is valid before you renew. A Free Zone licence is linked to your desk, office or flexi-desk agreement with the zone.
- Old fines block the renewal. Meydan asks you to clear unpaid fees first, and one old charge can hold up the whole file (Meydan guidance).
How to renew a Dubai mainland licence (DET)
- Check your Ejari. If your office lease ends soon, renew it first.
- Clear any fines on the licence or the trade name.
- Apply online with DET using UAE PASS. Enter your licence number and check the details.
- Upload any external approvals your activity needs, for example from a regulator for health, education or food.
- Pay the fees shown on the voucher.
- Download the renewed e-licence.
If your company has a local service agent or partners, make sure their documents are still valid. The Dubai trade licence guide explains mainland and Free Zone licences side by side.
How to renew a Free Zone licence (IFZA, Meydan, RAKEZ)
In IFZA, Meydan and RAKEZ you renew online, so you don't need to fly in just to renew.
RAKEZ publishes its steps (RAKEZ service card):
- Log in to Portal 360 and choose Registration, then Renewal.
- Pay the renewal fees.
- Upload the documents.
- Submit for RAKEZ checks and add anything missing.
- Receive the renewed e-licence, plus the renewed immigration e-card and Chamber of Commerce certificate if you have them.
RAKEZ says renewal is instant once all requirements are met.
Meydan describes five steps: check the expiry date, settle outstanding fees, confirm company details (activities, shareholders, address), submit the renewal declaration online, and receive the renewed licence digitally. An owner abroad can authorise a representative, usually with a notarised authority document (Meydan guidance).
IFZA renewals go through the IFZA portal. The late fines are in IFZA's schedule of fees, shown in the table above.
Want a zone-by-zone view first? See IFZA, Meydan and RAKEZ.
Documents you need
Most renewals need far less than the first setup. This is the RAKEZ list, which is a good guide for most zones (RAKEZ checklist REGR-015):
| Document | When you need it |
|---|---|
| Valid passport copy of each shareholder, director and manager | Only if the copy the zone holds has expired |
| Trade licence of a UAE mainland company shareholder | If a shareholder is a mainland company |
| Certificate of good standing or commercial register extract, notarised and legalised | If a shareholder is a Free Zone or foreign company |
| Signed Chamber of Commerce renewal form | If you have a membership |
| Two signed copies of the renewed lease | If you rent an office, warehouse or land |
| No objection certificate (NOC) from a regulator | If your activity needs one, for example an environmental compliance certificate for industrial licences |
Documents must be in English or Arabic, or come with a certified translation. Zones can ask for more if needed.
What happens if you renew late, or don't renew?
The fine is the smallest problem. An expired licence affects everything that hangs off it:
- You can't trade legally. Meydan says an expired licence isn't valid for trading, and a grace period is "a window in which a company can still renew, not extra validity". On the Dubai mainland, trading without a licence carries an AED 5,000 fine (Resolution 13/2011, Schedule 2, item 1).
- Visas and Emirates IDs stall. Visa renewals and new visas depend on an active licence. IFZA charges AED 1,000 for a late establishment card renewal, and RAKEZ warns that immigration and Chamber fines are added on top of its own.
- Your bank may hold payments. Banks check that your licence is valid during regular reviews. Meydan reports a bank holding a payment until it saw the renewed licence.
- Your tax duties keep running. Meydan's guidance notes that VAT and corporate tax returns are still due to the FTA while a licence is expired.
There is no official mainland grace period in the DET fine schedule. The AED 250 fine is for not renewing "within the prescribed period", and the AED 200 a month counts each part of a month as a full month.
After you renew: 4 things to update
- EmaraTax. Upload the new licence to your FTA profile. Not telling the FTA about a change to your tax record can cost AED 1,000, or AED 5,000 if repeated within 24 months (Cabinet Decision No. 75 of 2023, as amended). Our guide shows how: update your details on EmaraTax.
- Your bank. Send the renewed licence the same day, before the bank asks.
- Your establishment card and visas. Renew the establishment card if it is due, then any residence visas.
- Your e-invoicing provider, from 2027. Once you use e-invoicing, changes to your FTA data must reach your provider within 5 business days. Late notice costs AED 250 a day. Details: UAE e-invoicing penalties.
Renew or close?
If the company no longer trades, renewing every year can cost more than closing it. Meydan's own guidance makes the same point, and it notes that visas must be cancelled first. Closing also means deregistering for tax properly, so don't just let the licence lapse. Our company liquidation in Dubai page explains the steps.
Frequently asked questions
How early can I renew my trade licence in Dubai? Plan for 30 to 60 days ahead, so changes and documents don't delay you. At RAKEZ, changes such as a new activity are tied to the 60 days before expiry, so ask RAKEZ about timing early.
Is there a grace period after the expiry date? Not one you can rely on. The Dubai mainland fine applies once the renewal period has passed, RAKEZ charges from the expiry date, and Meydan says a grace period doesn't make an expired licence valid.
Can I renew my licence from outside the UAE? Usually, yes. IFZA, Meydan and RAKEZ renew online, and Meydan says an owner abroad can authorise a representative, usually with a notarised authority document.
What is the fine for not renewing a trade licence in Dubai? On the mainland, AED 250 plus AED 200 for each month or part of a month. In Free Zones, each zone sets its own fine: AED 1,000 a month at IFZA and AED 50 a day at RAKEZ.
Do I need an audit report to renew? It depends on your zone. RAKEZ's renewal checklist doesn't list financial statements, but zones set their own rules and some ask for them, so check your zone's renewal list each year.
Does renewing my licence renew my visas? No. Visas and the establishment card have their own dates and fees. Renew the licence first, then the cards and visas linked to it.
This guide is general information based on official sources, reviewed by the 800 Business team. Fees and rules are set by each authority and can change.
Licence renewal coming up? Let's check it together
In a free 30-minute Zoom call we look at your licence, lease, visas and EmaraTax profile, and tell you what to renew, in which order, before any fine starts. If you'd like, our multilingual team handles the renewal with your Free Zone or DET and keeps your tax records in line.
Book my free 30-minute call · Message us on WhatsApp: +971 52 713 7661
Also useful: Free Zone company setup · accounting services in Dubai · PRO services in Dubai
Sources
All sources read on 10 November 2026.
- Dubai Legislation Portal, Executive Council Resolution No. 13 of 2011 Approving Fees and Fines of the Department of Economic Development (status: in force): Schedule 2, items 1, 5 and 6
- RAKEZ, Licence Renewal – Free Zone service card: steps, outcome, documents
- RAKEZ, Free Zone Licence Renewal Checklist, REGR-015 (issue 4, 22 January 2025): documents, NOCs, AED 50 a day late fee, 60-day rule for changes
- Meydan Free Zone, UAE Trade License Renewal Grace Period: Meydan Rules: grace period, steps, representatives, effect on visas and banking
- IFZA, Schedule of Fees (revision 0906, file dated 31 August 2026), "Penalties": late business licence renewal and late establishment card renewal
- Ministry of Finance, Cabinet Decision No. 75 of 2023 and its amendments: fine for not updating the tax record
- Ministry of Finance, Cabinet Decision No. 173 of 2026 and Ministerial Decision No. 243 of 2025, Article 5: telling your e-invoicing provider about changes
Update trigger: a new DET fee or fine resolution; a new IFZA, Meydan or RAKEZ fee schedule; DET renewal channel changes.
Next step: Business setup in Dubai
