Can I renew the licence for several years at once?

Dubai law allows it: a licence is issued for a year, but on the company’s application and with DET approval, in coordination with the competent authority, for up to 4 years. Some free zones also offer multi-year licences. We’ll check what your zone offers and at what price.

Do I need an audit to renew?

It depends on the zone: many free zones ask for audited accounts at every renewal, and a QFZP always needs them. For a mainland LLC, the shareholders’ meeting appoints the auditor every year. We check the requirements in advance so the audit doesn’t hold up the renewal.

Do I need to be present for the renewal?

Usually not. Documents — a new lease or a resolution on changes — are signed remotely or under a power of attorney. You may need to come in person if your own visa is being renewed at the same time: medical test and biometrics.

Can I change the activity during renewal?

Often, yes: changes are filed together with the renewal if the registrar allows. If the new activity needs another authority’s approval or a different office, it takes longer — start earlier. You cannot trade in the new activity before it is added to the licence: on the Dubai mainland that is an AED 2,000 fine.

How do I find out when my licence expires?

The date is on the licence itself. GOFIRM clients see it in the My Firm dashboard alongside visa and establishment card dates. If you don’t work with us yet, send us the licence number and we’ll check.

What should I do after renewal?

Send the new licence to the bank, update the details with partners and on the platforms where the company is registered, check the establishment card date. We prepare this list for every renewal and tick off what’s done.

Dormant? No fine

If the company has not been operating throughout the delay, under Dubai law no licence fees or non-renewal fines are charged. We confirm with DET how this applies to your company.

Violetta Absalyamova

Business support and legal matters

We’ll renew your licence before it expires

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Business Support in the UAE and Abroad

Company Licence Renewal in the UAE

Q: When should I start renewing my licence?

In Dubai, the law requires you to renew the licence within the final month of its term. It is best to prepare 30–60 days ahead: audited accounts or a new lease take longer than the renewal itself. Some zones accept applications earlier — we’ll check yours.

Q: What happens if my licence has expired?

On the Dubai mainland, DET charges AED 250 for failing to renew and AED 200 for every month of delay, a part-month counted as a full month. Until the licence is renewed, immigration will not renew the establishment card, and the card itself costs AED 100 a month after 30 days, up to AED 1,000. If the company has not been operating all this time, under Dubai law no licence fees or fines for non-renewal are charged — we confirm with DET how this applies.

Q: We are not registered for corporate tax. Will that block the renewal?

Renewal and tax registration are separate procedures, but the AED 10,000 late registration fine won’t go away — and profit has nothing to do with it. Banks increasingly ask for the tax number in client reviews. Better to register before renewal; the FTA sometimes announces waiver programmes for the fine — we’ll check whether your company qualifies.

A UAE licence usually runs for a year, and renewal is no formality: your visas, bank account and the company’s tax standing all depend on it. We start 30–60 days before the expiry date and check everything that tends to surface at the last minute.

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1 year
Usual licence term; Dubai law allows up to 4 years: Final month
When Dubai law requires the licence to be renewed: AED 250 + 200
DET fine in Dubai: one-off and for every month of delay: AED 100 a month
For an establishment card more than 30 days overdue, up to AED 1,000

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Everything we do in the UAE

In short

A UAE licence usually runs for a year; Dubai law requires renewal in its final month, and we start 30–60 days ahead. A late renewal on the Dubai mainland costs AED 250 plus AED 200 for every month, and an establishment card more than 30 days overdue costs AED 100 a month, up to AED 1,000.

Checked 4 November 2026 · Violetta Absalyamova

Cost of a mistake

Visas stall

Until the licence is renewed, immigration will not renew the company’s establishment card — and visas already issued stall too.

How to avoid it

Why renewal is more than a payment

On paper, renewal is an application and fees. In practice, by that date everything else has to be in order: the lease, passports and visas, reporting and tax. Otherwise the renewal stalls.

One gap and the renewal stalls
You file with DET or the free zone authority. You need a valid lease — on the Dubai mainland registered with Ejari — the passports and visas of the shareholders and the manager, and in many free zones an audit as well.
A lapse hits your visas
On the Dubai mainland it is AED 250 for failing to renew and AED 200 for every month, with a part-month counted as a full month. Until the licence is renewed, immigration will not renew the establishment card, and visas stall with it.
Tax runs on its own schedule
Corporate tax registration is required even without profit: companies set up from 1 March 2024 must register within 3 months, or face an AED 10,000 fine. Then there is VAT and the UBO register: we check them alongside the renewal.
The law sets the renewal window
In Dubai, a company must renew its licence within the final month of its term. A licence is usually issued for a year; on application and with DET approval, for up to 4 years.

Violetta AbsalyamovaHead of Legal Practice · Business support and legal matters

Situations

What clients come to us with

Typical situations

01Your licence expires in the next 1–2 months, and you want the renewal to go smoothly.
02Another agent registered the company, and you are not sure the office, reporting and tax are in order.
03You don’t live in the UAE and can’t handle the renewal in person.
04Along with the renewal, something needs to change: the activity, the address, the shareholders.
05Your licence has already expired: the fines need calculating and the company’s visas restoring.

Looks similar, but it’s something else

01Decided to close the company? The procedure depends on the zone, and sometimes the licence still has to be renewed — start with a liquidation plan.Business Counsel
02Need every deadline tracked all year round — licence, visas, establishment card? Annual support fits better, and renewal is included.Annual support
03Need only a tax return or an audit? That is work for an accountant and an accredited auditor: we take their result into account, but only the auditor signs the report.
04Want to move to another free zone or to the mainland? That is no longer a renewal but a new registration or a transfer of the company.Mainland or Free Zone

If the deadline has passed

Your licence has already expired: how we get you out of the lapse

The sequence for a company on the Dubai mainland. Free zones have their own fines and procedure — we confirm them with your zone.

You

Renew or close

If the company has not been operating all this time, under Dubai law no licence fees or fines for non-renewal are charged — we confirm with DET how this applies.

You renew the lease

A contract with the landlord for the next term — without it a mainland licence will not be renewed.

GOFIRM

We calculate the delay

We check the licence and establishment card dates and work out the fine: AED 250 for failing to renew and AED 200 for every month, a part-month counted as a full month.

Ejari and the application

We register the contract in Ejari and prepare the renewal application and a breakdown of fees and fines.

Bank

The bank gets the licence

We send the new licence to the bank: with expired documents on file, it may restrict transactions.

Authority

DET renews the licence

Once fees and the fine are paid — a licence for the next term.

Immigration — establishment card

The card is renewed only while the licence is valid and once fines are paid: more than 30 days late — AED 100 a month, up to AED 1,000.

From you — a decision and a renewed lease. We calculate the DET and immigration fines before filing, not from the registrar’s invoice.

Benefits

What you get

We start early

30–60 days before expiry we open the renewal task and send you a list: what to renew, what to update, what to order.

We check the whole company

Lease and Ejari, passports and visas, establishment card, zone audit, FTA registration and the beneficial owners register — before filing, not after a rejection.

Fines calculated before filing

If the deadline has passed, we give you the amount under the DET and immigration tariffs in advance — the registrar’s invoice won’t be a surprise.

Visas keep moving

Right after the new licence we renew the establishment card if it is due, so staff visas can keep being processed.

Changes in one filing

A new activity, address or shareholder — we file it together with the renewal if the registrar allows.

Deadlines in your dashboard

Licence, visa and establishment card dates are visible in the My Firm dashboard, along with the renewal stage and anything missing.

Let’s discuss the details

When does your licence expire?

Send us a copy of your licence — we’ll tell you where to start and which documents you’ll need. If you have visas and a tax registration, we’ll check those too.

Violetta Absalyamova

Business support and legal matters

Process

8 stages of licence renewal

What we do, what we need from you and where we wait for the registrar

Steps on your side: 2 of 8

We handle it · 5Needed from you · 2Authority · 1

We get in touch and open the task in your dashboard — well ahead, not in the last week.

Step 1 of 8

Renewal kick-off

We get in touch and open the task in your dashboard — well ahead, not in the last week.

We handle it30–60 days before expiry

Documents

What to prepare for renewal — for your company

Information

Documents

Ready

0 / 12

The exact list depends on the registrar and the activity. If a shareholder is a foreign company, its documents are legalised.

Timing and budget

What makes up the budget

Renewal is made up of the registrar’s fees for the next year and related costs that are easy to forget. The total depends on the zone, package, activities and number of visas; our fee is separate from government fees.

ItemDepends onWhen

Licence feeDepends onThe main payment to the registrar or zone: depends on the package and activities. On the Dubai mainland, Chamber of Commerce membership is usually added — it is renewed together with the licence.WhenBefore filing
Lease and EjariDepends onRenewing the lease is a separate payment to the landlord. On the Dubai mainland the contract is registered in Ejari: online — AED 100 plus two AED 10 fees, more at a service centre. In free zones the office is often part of the package.WhenBefore the licence renewal
Establishment cardDepends onAn immigration fee. The card is renewed only while the licence is valid and once any fines are paid.WhenAfter the new licence, if due
Audit of accountsDepends onThe auditor’s work, if the zone requires audited accounts. Depends on the volume of transactions.WhenA few weeks before renewal
Other authorities’ feesDepends onApprovals for some mainland activities — each authority has its own tariff.WhenIf your activity requires them
Late renewal finesDepends onOn the Dubai mainland — AED 250 for failing to renew and AED 200 for every month, a part-month counted as a full month. For an establishment card more than 30 days overdue — AED 100 a month, up to AED 1,000. Free zones have their own tariffs.WhenOnly if late
Our feeDepends onFor the company check, preparation and filing. Depends on the zone and whether we combine renewal with changes.WhenBefore work begins

Between renewals

The year between renewals: what’s due when — and the cost of being late

Renewal goes smoothly when the year hasn’t left a backlog on the lease, reporting and company records.

0123456789101112months from the licence date

Day 0

New licence

We send it to the bank and partners. We renew the establishment card if it is due.

If missed: card — more than 30 days late, AED 100 a month, up to AED 1,000

30–60 days ahead

Lease and Ejari

The lease is renewed before the licence: without a valid Ejari a mainland licence will not be renewed.

Final month

Licence renewal

Dubai law requires the licence to be renewed within the final month of its term. Free zones have their own rules.

If missed: DET — AED 250 for failing to renew and AED 200 for every month; a part-month counts as a full month

Every year

9 months after the end of the tax period
Corporate tax return
Filed even at the 0% rate.
If missed: AED 500 a month for the first 12 months, then AED 1,000
4 months after the end of the financial year
Shareholders’ meeting
For a mainland LLC: approves the accounts and appoints the auditor. Free zones have their own rules.
Before renewal
Audit
In many free zones — at every renewal; for a Qualifying Free Zone Person — always.
With the licence
Chamber of Commerce
On the Dubai mainland, membership is usually mandatory and is renewed together with the licence.

On an event

Turnover of AED 375,000 over 12 months
VAT registration
5% rate.
If missed: AED 10,000 for late registration
15 days after a change of owners
Beneficial owner details
Details go to the registrar; we update the licence, MOA, establishment card and bank file in one package.
If missed: after a warning — AED 15,000, on repeat — AED 30,000
Before you start trading
New business activity
Add it to the licence first, with approval from DET or the competent authority.
If missed: AED 2,000 under the DET tariff

Getting it right

Common mistakes — and how to avoid them

Click a card to see how to do it right · 0 of 6 open

01 What people often do
Remembering the renewal a week before the licence expires.
02 What people often do
Applying for renewal without renewing the lease and Ejari.
03 What people often do
Not registering for corporate tax because there is no profit yet.
04 What people often do
Putting off renewal because you don’t need visas right now.
05 What people often do
Not sending the new licence to the bank.
06 What people often do
Changing a shareholder without updating the beneficial owners register.

FAQ

Expert answers

Violetta Absalyamova — Business support and legal matters

In Dubai, the law requires you to renew the licence within the final month of its term. It is best to prepare 30–60 days ahead: audited accounts or a new lease take longer than the renewal itself. Some zones accept applications earlier — we’ll check yours.

Violetta Absalyamova · Business support and legal matters

On the Dubai mainland, DET charges AED 250 for failing to renew and AED 200 for every month of delay, a part-month counted as a full month. Until the licence is renewed, immigration will not renew the establishment card, and the card itself costs AED 100 a month after 30 days, up to AED 1,000. If the company has not been operating all this time, under Dubai law no licence fees or fines for non-renewal are charged — we confirm with DET how this applies.

Violetta Absalyamova · Business support and legal matters

Renewal and tax registration are separate procedures, but the AED 10,000 late registration fine won’t go away — and profit has nothing to do with it. Banks increasingly ask for the tax number in client reviews. Better to register before renewal; the FTA sometimes announces waiver programmes for the fine — we’ll check whether your company qualifies.

Violetta Absalyamova · Business support and legal matters

Sources

Deadlines, amounts and rules are based on these sources as of the check date. Rules change: check with us before deciding.

Often goes with this

What else you may need

Business Support

PRO Services

2 formats · One-off tasks or a subscription

Business Support

Visas

2 years · Usual term of an investor or employee visa

Bank Accounts

UAE

2–8 weeks · To open a corporate account

Next step

We’ll renew your licence before it expires

Send us your licence and we will check the whole company: the lease, visas, tax registration, zone requirements. We’ll tell you what needs doing and by when.

Violetta AbsalyamovaHead of Legal Practice · Business support and legal matters