Your Dubai trade licence is valid for one year — and renewing it on time is the cheapest compliance task you will ever do. Missing it is one of the most expensive. Here is how renewal works in 2026 and what actually happens when a licence lapses.
What you need to renew
For a mainland (DET) licence:
- A valid Ejari (registered tenancy) covering the renewal period — this is the step that catches most people, because the tenancy must be renewed first
- Existing trade licence copy
- Establishment card and shareholder Emirates IDs
- Payment of renewal fees
For a free zone licence: the zone's renewal form, your package/lease renewal and fees — no Ejari needed for flexi-desk packages.
The renewal steps
- Renew the tenancy / package — Ejari for mainland, desk or office package for free zones
- Submit renewal to DET or the free zone authority
- Pay fees — many renewals are approved same-day or within 1–2 working days
- Receive the renewed licence and update anything attached to it
A clean renewal is genuinely a 1–2 day exercise. The delays come from expired Ejaris, unpaid fines or pending amendments discovered at the counter.
What does renewal cost?
Roughly comparable to your original licence fee: free zone renewals commonly run AED 5,000–15,000 depending on the zone and package; mainland renewals depend on activity and tenancy but typically land in the AED 8,000–15,000 range before any fines. Budget it annually — it is a fixed cost of doing business.
What happens if you renew late?
- Monthly late fines accrue on the licence
- After the grace period, the licence can be suspended — blocking new visas, renewals and many government transactions
- Bank compliance teams flag expired licences; accounts can be frozen until you produce a valid one
- Prolonged expiry risks blacklisting of the company and its owners — a problem that follows you into future ventures
- Your employees' and partners' visas become non-renewable against an expired licence
The maths is simple: a few thousand dirhams of renewal always beats months of fines, a frozen account and stalled visas.
Renewal is also the smart time to make changes
Adding an activity, changing a manager, upgrading your visa quota or moving office? Bundle amendments into the renewal — one government cycle instead of two. Read more on MOA amendments.
Never miss a renewal again
Smartgic Visa tracks your expiry, renews your Ejari and licence before the deadline, and keeps your establishment card and visas aligned — see our trade licence renewal service or talk to us before your date comes around.