There is no better feeling than owning and running your own successful business and there is no better feeling than running that business in a first-rate country like the United Arab Emirates. With the many perks and privileges that the UAE offers to businesses, more people want to set up their business there.

But there is a reason why UAE has such a great business environment and that is because they enforce strict rules and regulations for running businesses. This means following the law, making sure your business is up to code, you have all the necessary documents and most importantly that you are operating with a Trade License.

In this guide, we will tell you what a Trade License is, its importance, and most importantly how you can check your trade license online in UAE. Considering there are different Emirates and free zones, the procedure may vary for each, but don’t worry we will guide you through them all.

What is a Trade License?

A trade license is a legal document that is given to you by the UAE government and it allows you to run your own business or company, even freelance work. It is issued by the Department of Economic Development for each of the Emirates and similar authorities for free zones.

Importance of a Trade License

It is extremely important as in order to operate a business in UAE you need to have a trade license. Your trade license indicates the kind of business activities you can take part in and what requirements you need to meet to run your business.

If you are not following the rules and regulations set by the government or taking part in business activities that are not allowed in your trade license then it can be revoked by the government and if you do not renew it, you cannot legally operate your business.

How long is a Dubai trade license valid?

Trade Licenses have a validity period and need to be renewed before expiry. The validity period can vary depending on the type of license you have but most trade licenses need to be renewed every year and if you fail to renew it, you can face penalties if not outright suspension of your business.

Types of Trade Licenses

There are many different types of licenses for all kinds of businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers. Here are a few examples.

• Commercial License: This license is for companies and businesses that are involved in the trading of goods and services, and includes both specialized and general trading.
• Industrial License: This license is for businesses that are involved in the production of goods or some part of the production process and other relevant industrial activities.
• Professional License: This license varies for different kinds of services and professionals like doctors, teachers, accountants, consultants, etc.
• Media License: As the name suggests this license is for media-related activities and there are different types of media licenses that you can get.
• Influencer License: This license is for individual influencers and companies that are involved in social media marketing etc.

How to check trade License online in Dubai

The steps to checking trade licenses online are very easy and convenient, all you need to do is follow these steps.

• The first step is to visit the e-services website of the Dubai Department of Economic Development at this link.
•  Here you can see a variety of license and business-related services that you may require in the course of running your business.
• Here you will click on the search license information tab and you will be taken to a new page.
• On this page, you are required to enter your license number along with trade name in Arabic.
• Enter the required information and click on research and you will get all the license-related information.

How to check trade License online in Abu Dhabi

The process to check a trade license online in Abu Dhabi is very similar to that of Dubai and is as follows.

• Now you have to visit the Abu Dhabi Government Services (TAMM) website here.
• Next, you will click the services options on the main menu.
• Now click on the businesses tab and click on manage your business.
• It will take you to a new page where you can select from different types of licenses.
• You will click on the economic license option and select the necessary option to check the details on it.

How to check trade License online in Sharjah

Again, the process of checking a trade license online in Sharjah is very simple and follows these easy steps.

• First, you need to go to the Sharjah Department of Economic Development website here.
• Next, you need to click on the E-services option on the main menu.
• It will take you to the e-services portal of the website.
• On this new page, you can see all kinds of options to check, renew, etc. licenses and permits.
• All that is left for you to do is select the option that best fits your requirements.

How to check trade Licenses in Free zones

The UAE has many Free zones designed especially for businesses as such some of the administrative departments of these zones handle the issuing, renewal, etc. of trade licenses for businesses in their respective zones.

So, to check the license in any of these zones, you simply need to google search the zone and go to their website. On the website, you will find an option related to services or licenses/permits, etc. and then from there you simply have to follow the instructions laid out for you by the website.

Ministry of Economy Website

To ease up the process of checking licenses and their verification and other stuff related to them. The Ministry of Economy has a dedicated page that has all the important links to all the major departs of all Emirates in one place.

It not only includes all the Emirates but also the various departments in it like economy or tourism and you have the option to search businesses by their names and inquire about their trade licenses.