An e-commerce licence in the UAE is not a separate category of licence. It is a normal trade licence with an e-commerce activity on it, which is why the cost question has no single answer and why the advertised numbers vary so widely.
Through SwiftHub the entry points start at AED 4,499 for a zero-visa free zone licence and AED 10,999 for a Dubai mainland licence. What decides which you need is not price. It is whether your buyers are inside the UAE.
The two routes, and what each costs
| Free zone | Dubai mainland | |
|---|---|---|
| Through SwiftHub, from | AED 4,499 | AED 10,999 |
| Sell to UAE consumers directly | Through marketplaces and arrangements | Yes |
| Sell internationally | Yes | Yes |
| Premises | Desk or flexi-desk often enough | Registered tenancy generally required |
| Hold stock on site | Depends on the zone and facility | Depends on premises |
The premises line is where the real money is. A free zone package can include a desk; a mainland licence generally needs a lease with a registered tenancy, and that recurs annually.
The activity mistake that costs an amendment
What sits on top of the licence
- Establishment card, before any visa can be issued.
- Residence visa per person: our fees are AED 200 typing, AED 300 unemployment insurance, AED 300 portal access and health cover from AED 500, with the government immigration steps billed at cost on top.
- Corporate tax and VAT registration, AED 600 through us.
- Bank account, AED 1,000 for a standard activity. This is the step online businesses stall on most.
- Customs registration, if you import.
- Food or health approvals, if you sell anything Dubai Municipality regulates.
The cost calculator totals our side for any combination of these and names what is still outside it.
Payment gateways, which nobody includes in the price
A licence does not get you a payment gateway. Acquirers assess your bank account, your activity and your trading history, and a new company with no history is a harder application than an established one. Budget time for it rather than money, and get the bank account open first, because the gateway application depends on it.
VAT, once you are selling
VAT registration becomes mandatory once taxable turnover crosses AED 375,000 in a rolling twelve months, and voluntary from AED 187,500. For an online business that threshold arrives faster than founders expect, because it is turnover rather than profit. The Federal Tax Authority publishes the current position.
Corporate tax applies either way, and below AED 3 million of revenue Small Business Relief is usually the relevant provision.
Which zone, if you go free zone
The best free zone for e-commerce works through the cases: SHAMS for the trading pairing, RAKEZ if you hold stock, the cheapest zero-visa option if you are testing an idea. If you have not settled the mainland question yet, mainland or free zone is the one to read first.
E-commerce licence cost questions
Through us a zero-visa free zone licence starts at AED 4,499. That is a licence price rather than a first-year cost, and whether it suits you depends on where your buyers are.
If you buy goods and resell them, almost certainly. E-commerce alone describes the channel, not the trade. Licensing only the cheaper activity is the most common and most expensive mistake in this category.
Through marketplaces and delivery arrangements, commonly. Directly and at scale into the mainland, no. If mainland consumers are the core of the plan, a mainland licence is the honest answer.
Only if you hold stock. If you do, pick a zone with warehousing rather than renting off-zone, because that arrangement usually erases the licence saving.
Once taxable turnover crosses AED 375,000 in a rolling twelve months. You may register voluntarily from AED 187,500. Turnover, not profit, which is why online sellers reach it sooner than they expect.
The licence is a prerequisite, not a guarantee. Acquirers look at the bank account, the activity and the history. Open the bank account first.
Prices last reviewed 29 August 2026. SwiftHub figures are indicative rather than an offer and your quote is confirmed in writing before anything is filed.
