E-Commerce License in Dubai and the UAE: Cost by Route

An e-commerce licence in Dubai or anywhere in the UAE can cost AED 1,370 a year or more than AED 12,000, depending on the route: a home-based eTrader licence, a mainland licence with an e-commerce activity, or a free zone licence. This page puts the official prices of each route side by side, as published by the authorities and the zones themselves and read on 4 and 5 October 2026, and lists the lines a quote should contain. If you want the operating decisions rather than the money, our guide to starting an e-commerce business in Dubai covers model choice, activity and market access.

E-commerce licence cost by route

Two zones publish low general packages that may cover online selling, but neither page confirms that the e-commerce activity fits the package: Ajman Media City at AED 4,999 a year and Fujairah Creative City from AED 3,999, which has an e-commerce activity category. Ask either zone before you rely on that price. Free zone prices are licence packages; visas, establishment cards and larger offices are extra, so compare like with like. The wider ranking is in cheapest free zones in the UAE.

The three routes and the free approval

The UAE government portal (updated 28 September 2026) sets the rule: to sell products or services online on the UAE mainland you need a commercial licence that includes an e-commerce activity from your emirate’s Department of Economic Development, and all e-commerce licences require the approval of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA). Selling from a free zone means a zone licence, with a market access consequence attached. Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 on trading by modern technological means adds that a digital trader must obtain the necessary approvals, permits and licences from the competent authority; it does not create a separate licence or fee of its own.

Selling to mainland customers from a free zone

This is the restriction that changes the business model, not just the price. The UAE government portal states that to sell goods or services locally, a free zone company must either work through a licensed mainland distributor or establish a mainland branch or company, and that direct sales in the mainland are generally not permitted without the required mainland licences or approvals. UAQ Free Trade Zone, for example, tells online sellers that deliveries within the UAE mainland are limited to B2B orders or go through licensed logistics partners such as Amazon FBA, Noon, fulfilment centres or couriers. Read that before comparing a cheap zone package with a costlier mainland licence, because they are not selling into the same market.

Every line a quote should contain

Whatever total you are given, it is assembled from these. The commercial lines are the ones a provider can compete on.

The approval that is free and still gets missed

TDRA issues a no-objection certificate for practising an e-activity to individuals and entities that run an economic activity over the internet through websites, applications or social media accounts. Its service page (last updated 23 October 2025) lists it as free of charge with a 2 working day turnaround. The requirements are specific enough to plan around: a website must be on a national .ae domain, and if yours ends in something else you can register a .ae and link it to the original. Social media accounts must be named and linked, and changing an account name means reapplying. Any provider charging you a fee for this is charging for their time, not for the certificate.

Which route fits

• One person selling from home in Dubai through social media or marketplaces: the eTrader licence, the cheapest route at AED 1,370 a year. No current official page states who is eligible, so confirm on Invest in Dubai before you apply.
• Selling to UAE consumers at scale, with your own stock and delivery: a mainland licence with an e-commerce activity; price it in DET’s fee calculator.
• Selling internationally, or to UAE customers through marketplaces and fulfilment partners: a free zone e-commerce licence, from AED 5,500.
• Selling in Abu Dhabi from home: Tajer Abu Dhabi, valid for 3 years.

Opening a business bank account

A bank account does not come with an e-commerce licence: the bank opens it separately, after its own review of the company, its owners and the expected transactions. For a new small company, two common starting points are the RAKBANK business account, which costs AED 103.95 a month plus a required RAKvalue package from AED 51.45, with no minimum balance, and Wio Business, which costs AED 99 a month on the Essential plan, with no minimum balance (banks’ own fee schedules, checked October 2026). Compare all of them on our UAE business banks page.

The costs that arrive after the licence

The licence starts an annual cycle. It renews every year, free zone packages at their own renewal price. VAT registration becomes mandatory once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000, which an online store can reach in a single strong quarter, and corporate tax brings its own return. Ask every provider for the year two figure in writing, not just the first-year price.