To sell online from Dubai you need a trade licence that covers your activity. For a home-based seller the usual route is the eTrader licence from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), which Invest in Dubai lists at AED 1,070 plus AED 300 Dubai Chamber membership, after a trade name booked at AED 620.
Key takeaways
- Selling online from the UAE still needs a trade licence; a website or social media shop does not remove that need.
- Dubai’s eTrader licence is a sole establishment licence for home-based businesses that already hold a trade name, applied for on the Invest in Dubai portal.
- Invest in Dubai lists AED 620 for a trade name and AED 1,070 plus AED 300 for the eTrader licence, a listed total of AED 1,990 before any other charge.
- A sole establishment gives the owner personal liability, so a limited-liability company may suit sellers with more at stake.
- Sellers who need premises, staff visas or an activity the eTrader licence does not cover look at a standard mainland licence or a free zone licence instead.
On this page 8 sections
What an e-commerce licence is
“E-commerce licence” is a common label, not a separate legal category. In practice it means a trade licence whose permitted activities include selling goods or services online. In Dubai the licensing authority is DET, and the licence families are set out in our guide to trade licence types. DET lists industrial, commercial, professional, eTrader and dual licences, and Invest in Dubai adds instant, SME and Intelaq licences to its list of eight.
What matters is the activity on the licence, not the sales channel. A shop licensed for retail does not become an online business by building a website, and an online seller still needs a licence that matches what is being sold. Check the activity wording with DET or the free zone before you pay.
The eTrader licence in Dubai
DET describes the eTrader licence as being for individuals or home businesses selling products or services online in the UAE. Invest in Dubai describes it as a sole establishment licence for home-based businesses in Dubai that have already been issued a trade name. The application is made on the Invest in Dubai portal with an ID number, and Invest in Dubai gives a service time of five minutes for an eTrader or instant licence.
Requirements to plan for
- A booked trade name. The licence is for businesses that already hold one, so the name comes first. The rules on acceptable names are on the trade name service page of the Invest in Dubai portal.
- An ID number. The portal application asks for one.
- A home-based business. The licence is designed for businesses run from home, not for shops, warehouses or offices.
- Dubai Chamber membership. The fees Invest in Dubai lists include a separate Chamber membership amount.
Eligibility conditions can change and this list is not exhaustive. Open the live service page on the portal for the current requirements before you start.
Who carries the liability
Because the eTrader licence is a sole establishment licence, the owner and the business are not separate for liability purposes. Our guide to company legal forms explains the difference between a sole establishment and a limited-liability company.
What it costs
Invest in Dubai’s service pages publish fixed amounts for the trade name and for the eTrader licence. Other licences vary with the type and the activities, so treat the figures below as the eTrader route only. Our guide to trade licence costs explains the wider picture.
| Item | Fee listed by Invest in Dubai | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Trade name booking | AED 620 | A separate service from the licence; DET lets applicants reserve the name before initial approval |
| eTrader licence | AED 1,070 | Licence fees and knowledge and innovation fees |
| Dubai Chamber membership | AED 300 | Listed alongside the eTrader licence fee |
| Listed total | AED 1,990 | 620 + 1,070 + 300, before any other charge |
Source: Invest in Dubai (Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism), trade name and trade licence services, as checked on 21 October 2026. The total is our addition of the three listed fees.
The total leaves out costs those pages do not price: any approvals your product needs, payment-provider charges, delivery, and an adviser’s fee if you use one. Agent packages are private prices, not official ones, so ask for a quote that separates government fees from service charges.
When the eTrader licence is not enough
The eTrader licence is built around a home-based sole establishment. Some sellers need something different:
- A standard mainland licence. Invest in Dubai says a normal licence needs a Memorandum of Association and a site lease contract. This is the route for sellers with a shop, stockroom or office, and it is covered in mainland company setup.
- A free zone licence. Zones set their own rules for e-commerce activities and for selling outside the zone. Our guide to free zone company setup explains the process.
- An instant licence. For a set group of activities that need no external approvals, Invest in Dubai describes an instant licence issued within five minutes.
Where you will sell, where you will ship from and who owns the business decide between these. The trade-offs are compared in mainland vs free zone.
Tax and compliance after you are licensed
A licence lets you trade; it does not settle your tax position. Two regimes matter for most online sellers.
VAT. Registration depends on the value of your taxable supplies, and the thresholds are set by the Federal Tax Authority (FTA). Check the FTA’s current guidance rather than a third-party summary, and see the VAT hub for our explainers.
Corporate tax. Whether an individual or a company must register is set by FTA and Ministry of Finance rules. Our guide to corporate tax registration covers the process.
Goods you import to sell are also subject to customs rules, covered in importing goods. Products that need a regulator’s approval, such as food, cosmetics or electronics, may need it in addition to the trade licence, and the licensing authority will say which activities are affected.
Renewal
A trade licence is not a one-off purchase. Renewal fees and deadlines depend on the licence, and an expired licence can block services. The Intelaq licence has a published annual issue and renewal fee, but the renewal figure for an eTrader licence should be confirmed on the portal. The mechanics are in our guide to trade licence renewal. For the order of the wider setup steps, see how to start a business in the UAE, and for the full set of guides, Company setup.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence to sell online from Dubai?
Yes. Selling goods or services online is a commercial activity, so it needs a trade licence that covers the activity. Home-based sellers in Dubai commonly look at the eTrader licence from DET; others use a standard mainland or free zone licence.
How much does an eTrader licence cost in Dubai?
Invest in Dubai lists AED 1,070 for the licence fees and knowledge and innovation fees, plus AED 300 for Dubai Chamber membership. A trade name booking is a separate AED 620. Confirm current amounts on the portal, as fees can change.
Can I get an eTrader licence without a trade name?
Invest in Dubai describes the licence as being for home-based businesses that have already been issued a trade name, so the name is booked first. Booking the name is a separate service on the same portal.
Is an eTrader licence the same as a company?
No. It is a sole establishment licence, so the owner and the business are not legally separate. If you want limited liability, look at a company form such as an LLC, which is compared in our legal forms guide.
Can an e-commerce business use a free zone licence instead?
Often, but each zone sets its own activities, packages and rules on selling outside the zone. Ask the zone authority which e-commerce activities it licenses and what it allows for sales to customers elsewhere in the UAE.
Sources
Official bodies to check before acting on this page. The fees quoted come from pages this site recorded on 21 October 2026; they were not re-opened to write this edition, so verify the current text yourself before you pay.