Office lease needed for a mainland licence

The situation

Mainland licences in Dubai are tied to a registered commercial lease. A residential flat generally cannot be used, except under specific home-business permits for some activities.

The law

• Dubai DET licensing requirements: Licence linked to a registered business premises

What it means for you

The lease also drives how many visas the establishment card can sponsor, so size it to your hiring plan. Business centres offer small offices with Ejari that meet the rule. Home-based permits exist for some freelance activities but limit visas and trading scope. Example: a two-person IT firm usually takes a small serviced office rather than a large lease.

What to do

1. Check if your activity qualifies for a home-based permit.
2. If not, compare serviced offices with Ejari.
3. Match the space to your visa needs.
4. Register the lease and upload it to the licence application.

Related

• Full foreign ownership of a mainland LLC
• First-year compliance calendar for a new company
• Documents a bank wants for a new company account
• Sole establishment or LLC for a small trading business
• Corporate Tax registration deadline for a new company
• VAT registration when starting a mainland company