Import export licence in DubaiImport export licence in Dubai, step by step.
To import or export goods in Dubai you need an import export licence in Dubai, which in practice means a trade licence with the right activity and a Dubai Customs client code. Airlift Logistics, a freight forwarder in Dubai, explains the steps, how a mainland licence differs from a free zone licence, and which goods need extra permits from bodies such as MoIAT, the Emirates Drug Establishment and Dubai Municipality.
How to get licensed to trade
Six points take a company from nothing to its first customs declaration.
- 01
Register a company with an import, export or trading activity. Mainland licences come from Dubai Economy and Tourism, and free zone licences from the zone authority.
- 02
Apply to Dubai Customs for a client code (importer or exporter code) linked to your licence.
- 03
Controlled goods need an approval before they ship. Apply to the right authority.
- 04
Book and declare
A forwarder or customs broker books the cargo and files the declaration under your client code.
- 05
Keep records
Keep invoices, declarations and certificates. Customs can audit after clearance.
- 06
Add activities
If you start trading new goods, ask the licensing authority to add the activity first.
Mainland vs free zone
Both can trade internationally. The difference is where you can sell and how goods move.
| Point | Mainland licence | Free zone licence |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Economy and Tourism | The free zone authority, such as JAFZA or DAFZA | |
| Sell in the UAE market | Directly | Through a distributor, or by importing under customs rules |
| Import and export | Yes, with the right activity | Yes, with the right activity |
| Customs duty | Paid on import to the mainland | Suspended while goods stay in the zone |
| Premises | Office or warehouse in the mainland | Office or warehouse in the zone |
| Customs client code | Needed | Needed |
Rules for ownership and activities change over time. Check with the licensing authority before you register.
Goods that need extra permits
A trade licence does not cover regulated goods. These approvals are needed before import or export.
| Goods | Authority | Typical approval |
|---|---|---|
| Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) | Import permit and product registration | |
| Electrical and regulated products | Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) | Conformity certificate (ECAS) |
| Food and beverages | Dubai Municipality | Food import registration |
| Plants, animals and pesticides | Ministry of Climate Change and Environment | Import or export permit |
| Telecom devices | Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) | Type approval |
| Dangerous goods and chemicals | Relevant authority and the carrier | Permit and a signed declaration |
List is a guide, not complete. Your customs broker can confirm the permits for your HS code.
Import export licence questions, answered
Last updated ·
See all shipping questionsAsk a freight questionYes. You need a trade licence with an import or trading activity, and a Dubai Customs client code linked to it. Individuals without a licence cannot import commercial goods. A customs broker or forwarder can file declarations for your licensed company.
- Free zone companies also need a code.
- The activity must match the goods.
Every declaration needs one. Dubai Customs gives it to a licensed company for import and export declarations. It is linked to the trade licence. You need it for every customs declaration, and a customs broker uses it when filing on your behalf.
- Apply after getting the licence.
- Keep the details up to date.
It depends on where you sell. A mainland licence lets you trade directly in the UAE market, while a free zone licence suits re-export and storage inside the zone, with duty suspended there. Selling to the mainland from a zone needs a distributor or customs entry.
- Compare activities and fees.
- Ask the licensing authority.
Regulated goods such as medicines, food, electronics, plants, animals, chemicals and telecom devices. The Emirates Drug Establishment, Dubai Municipality, MoIAT and other regulators issue the approvals. Apply well before the goods ship, because clearance is refused without them and the cargo can be held at the port.
- Check your HS code first.
- Permits are per product.