A laundry in Dubai needs a trade license with the laundry activity on it, and a shop that washes on site must also meet Dubai Municipality's laundry guideline, DM-HSD-GU76, whose current version was issued on 26 March 2026. The guideline sets what inspectors check: approved contracts for pest control and waste, Civil Defence fire compliance, annual boiler inspections, storage distances, and how contaminated textiles are washed. A laundry that only collects and delivers, without washing on its premises, is a lighter setup.
Which License Does a Laundry Need?
The license must name the laundry activity, and the municipality's guideline is explicit that the services you provide must match the activities on the license and that the activity cannot be practised without a permit from the competent department. In a free zone, Meydan lists Laundry Services under activity 9601.95 and states that it needs no third-party approval for its license.
| Model | Where it fits | What applies |
|---|---|---|
| Laundry shop that washes on site | Mainland, in a shop unit | DET license, Ejari, and Dubai Municipality's laundry guideline in full |
| Collection and delivery, washing done by a partner | Mainland or free zone | The license for the activity you invoice; the washing partner carries the plant rules |
| Laundry for hospitals or contaminated textiles | Mainland, purpose-built | The guideline's extra building and washing rules for contaminated textiles |
What Dubai Municipality Requires
The laundry guideline applies to "laundry shops and related activities in the Emirate of Dubai". The requirements that decide the fit-out and the running costs:
Contracts and certificates
- A valid contract with a Dubai Municipality-approved pest control company, with at least one visit a month, an immediate visit after a complaint and a follow-up three days later, and a record of the reports.
- A contract with a municipality-approved company for general and hazardous waste.
- A valid fire prevention compliance certificate from Dubai Civil Defence.
- Boilers and pressure vessels inspected every year by a technician approved by the Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC), and safety certificates for lifting equipment and pressure systems.
- In an independent building: a contract for cleaning and disinfecting the water systems, water test reports and an EIAC-approved lift certificate.
The premises
- Storage at least 20 cm above the floor, 50 cm below the ceiling and 30 cm from the wall, with containers for clothes waiting to be washed.
- Exhaust systems in the most polluted areas, such as drying areas, and air-conditioning filters cleaned at least once a month.
- Insulated steam and hot-water pipes, guarded moving parts, and a ground fault circuit interrupter on every electrical circuit.
- No textiles spread outside the premises, and the shop may not be used for housing or cooking.
- No smoking, no tobacco sales, and "No Smoking" signs.
Detergents and workers
- Detergents and disinfectants approved by the relevant authorities, stored away from heat and humidity, never mixed, and refilled containers labelled.
- Gloves and safety glasses for chemical handling, an eyewash in the chemicals area, a first aid kit, and workers trained on each product's hazards.
Contaminated textiles
A laundry that takes contaminated clothing and textiles, for example from clinics, must keep the dirty area at negative pressure to the clean area, separate the textiles at every stage from collection to delivery, use separate transport and colour-coded bags, dry mechanically, and wash at no less than 71°C for 25 minutes, or use approved chemicals at the right concentration below that temperature.
Laundry License Cost in Dubai
The government lines that can be read in Dubai's published fee schedule are below. The full license amount depends on the activity and appears on DET's payment voucher.
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Trade name reservation | AED 200 | Resolution No. 13 of 2011, Schedule 1 |
| License issuance or renewal (the license line) | AED 600 | Resolution No. 13 of 2011, Schedule 1 |
| Name board on the shop front | AED 350 | Resolution No. 13 of 2011, Schedule 1 |
| Permit to open until 2:00 am | AED 2,000 | Resolution No. 13 of 2011, Schedule 1 |
| Fine for displaying goods or providing services outside the shop without a permit | AED 1,000 | Resolution No. 13 of 2011, Schedule 2 |
| Meydan Free Zone license with company registration, from, per year | AED 12,500 | Meydan Free Zone |
Beyond the license, the running contracts the guideline requires (pest control, waste, boiler inspection, fire compliance) are yearly costs, and the machines, boiler and fit-out are the large one-off. Our Dubai mainland license package starts at AED 10,999, and the mainland cost breakdown itemises the government side of a mainland company.
How to Open a Laundry in Dubai, Step by Step
- Choose the model: washing on site, collection only, or contaminated textiles. It decides the premises and the rules.
- Reserve the trade name and get DET's initial approval for the laundry activity.
- Lease a unit that can take the plant, with drainage, exhaust and power for the machines, and register the Ejari.
- Fit out to the guideline: storage, ventilation, insulated pipes, electrical protection, and the dirty and clean areas if you take contaminated textiles.
- Sign the required contracts: approved pest control and waste companies, and arrange the boiler inspection and Civil Defence certificate.
- Pay the fees and receive the license, then the establishment card and staff visas.
- Keep the records the inspector asks for: pest control reports, maintenance logs and certificates.
VAT and Corporate Tax
VAT registration becomes mandatory once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 a year and is voluntary from AED 187,500. Corporate tax is 9% on taxable profit above AED 375,000, and the company must register whatever its profit.
Getting Your Laundry Licensed
We set the activity to your model, run the DET side and coordinate the Dubai Municipality approvals, then handle the establishment card and visas through our PRO services. Tell us whether you will wash on site, the unit you are looking at and how many staff you need, and you get a written quote. If you also clean offices or buildings, see the cleaning company license.
Laundry license questions
Dubai's published schedule sets AED 200 to reserve a trade name and AED 600 for the license line; DET's voucher gives the full amount. A name board permit is AED 350. Meydan Free Zone starts at AED 12,500 a year. The machines, fit-out and the yearly contracts the municipality requires cost more than the license.
A laundry shop in Dubai must meet the municipality's laundry guideline, DM-HSD-GU76 (version 5, March 2026), which requires a permit from the competent department, approved pest control and waste contracts, Civil Defence fire compliance and annual boiler inspections.
Meydan Free Zone lists Laundry Services (9601.95) with no third-party approval for its license, which suits a collection and delivery model. A shop that washes on site in Dubai falls under the municipality's laundry guideline.
At least one visit a month by a Dubai Municipality-approved company, an immediate visit after a complaint and a follow-up three days later, with the reports kept.
At least 71°C for 25 minutes under the municipality's guideline, or with approved chemicals at the right concentration when washing below that temperature.
Sources
- Technical Guidelines on the Compliance of Laundry Facilities, DM-HSD-GU76-LRA2, Dubai Municipality Health and Safety Department, version 5, issued 26 March 2026: scope (5), general requirements and documents (7), hygiene and pest control (8), safety (9), consumer products (10), water (12), indoor air (13). Read 26 October 2026.
- Laundry business license in Dubai, Meydan Free Zone, updated 9 September 2026: activity 9601.95, no third-party approval. Read 26 October 2026.
- Executive Council Resolution No. 13 of 2011, Dubai Legislation Portal: DED fee and fine schedule.
