Dubai business licence cost calculator: How to estimate your fees before setting up a company

Dubai: Setting up a business in Dubai involves several costs, and the price of a business licence can vary depending on the type of business you want to establish and how it will be structured.

If you are still in the planning stages and want to get an idea of how much you may need to budget for your Dubai business licence, there is a free online tool that can help.

The Business Cost Calculator, available through Invest in Dubai, allows prospective business owners to estimate their licence fees by entering details about their proposed business. Invest in Dubai is operated by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).

How to use Dubai's Business Cost Calculator

1. Visit Invest in Dubai - Go to the Invest in Dubai website - www.investindubai.gov.ae and click on ‘Cost Calculator’.

2. Enter your business activity - Enter the type of business you want to start. A drop-down menu will show the business licence types available under DET. Select the relevant option to continue.

3. Enter partner details - Enter the number of business partners, including yourself, and select their nationality from the three options: UAE nationals, GCC nationals or expatriates.

4. Select the legal structure - Click ‘Next’. The system will show the possible legal structures for your company. Choose the one that best suits your needs, such as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Public Joint Stock Company (PJSC).

A company’s legal structure is the official business structure that defines who owns the company, how it pays taxes and how much personal financial risk the owners face.

5. Calculate the fees - Once you have entered the required details, the calculator will show the available business licence options based on your selections. Click ‘Calculate Fees’.

Dubai business licence cost example

If your licence requires a physical office, you may be asked to enter the annual rent of your business premises before the estimated licence cost is generated. This is because five per cent of the rent is factored into the business licence fee. This requirement does not apply to a virtual licence, which does not require a physical office.

For example, if your business activity is Advertisement Designing and Producing, the owner is an expatriate, the legal structure is a sole establishment, and the business is on the Dubai mainland, you can enter your annual office rent into the calculator.

If you rent an office in Business Bay for around Dh140,000 a year, the estimated cost of the business licence, based on the business activity and legal structure, would be around Dh15,000.

This is only an estimated cost, and the actual amount may vary depending on your business type and selected business activity and legal structure.

How long is the Dubai business licence valid?

The licence cost shown by the calculator covers a period of one year. The same amount will be payable upon renewal annually, subject to the applicable fees and requirements at the time of renewal.

What does the Dubai business licence fee include?

It is important to understand that the amount generated by the calculator is only an estimate of the business licence cost. It does not represent the total amount you will need to spend to establish and operate a business in Dubai.

Depending on your business and circumstances, additional set-up and operating costs may include visa fees, office rent, utility services and other operational expenses.

Therefore, prospective business owners should use the calculator as a starting point for budgeting, rather than treating the estimated licence fee as the complete cost of setting up a company in Dubai.

This article was originally published on April 15, 2025 and has been updated since.