Trade Licence Cancellation in Dubai & the UAE

Normally not. An LLC is a separate legal entity, so under the Commercial Companies Law it is closed through a formal liquidation: the partners resolve to dissolve it, a registered liquidator is appointed, creditors are notified and a liquidator’s report is prepared before the licence is cancelled. Sole establishments, civil companies and branches usually follow a cancellation route instead, with the exact steps set by the authority. Our liquidation service handles LLC closures.

Every work permit and residence visa sponsored by the business has to be cancelled, or the employee moved to a new employer by transfer, before the licence can be cancelled. Final salaries and end-of-service gratuity are settled first under the UAE Labour Law. Dependants’ visas must be cancelled before their sponsor’s. We tell each person when their status ends so they can arrange a new visa or exit in time.

Yes, if the business is registered. VAT deregistration must be applied for within 20 business days of becoming required, for example after you stop making taxable supplies. Corporate tax deregistration must be applied for within 3 months of the business ceasing, and the FTA will only approve it once all returns are filed and liabilities settled. Late applications can attract penalties, which the FTA sets.

Usually, yes. Outstanding renewal fees and fines generally have to be settled first, and some authorities ask for the licence to be renewed before it can be cancelled. The longer an expired licence is left, the more can build up against it, so it is worth starting promptly. We find out exactly what is owed and what the authority requires, then work through the cancellation from there.

The parent company passes a resolution to close the branch, notarised and, if issued abroad, attested and legalised for use in the UAE. The branch then goes through the same visa, labour, immigration and tax steps as any other licence, and its liabilities must be settled — the parent remains responsible for them. Some authorities also ask for audited accounts or a public notice before they issue the cancellation.

Each free zone runs its own closure process. Some deregister a company on an application with clearances, while others require a liquidator, a public notice and audited or final accounts, much like a mainland LLC. Visas, the establishment card and the lease or flexi-desk are cancelled through the zone itself rather than through MOHRE. We confirm your zone’s current requirements before anything is filed.