Consultancy Licence in the UAE
How to get a consultancy licence in the UAE: qualifying degrees, management vs specialised consultancy, mainland and free zone routes, cost bands and approvals.
Business Setup AE editorial review Last reviewed 2026-09-09
Quick answer
A consultancy licence is a professional-category UAE licence for advisory services — management, HR, IT, engineering, financial or marketing consultancy. It permits 100% foreign ownership, and specialised categories require an attested degree and relevant experience for the named consultant. First-year cost typically runs AED 12,000–30,000 depending on jurisdiction and visas.
- Category
- Professional licence
- Ownership
- 100% foreign ownership
- Degree required
- Yes for specialised consultancy
- Local Service Agent
- Only for sole establishment / civil company
- Cost band
- AED 12,000 – 30,000 year one
- Timeline
- 1 – 3 weeks
Consultancy is the most common professional licence category in the UAE, and the rules split sharply between general management consultancy and specialised consultancy. Management, marketing and business consultancy usually issue without a qualification test. Engineering, legal, medical, financial and educational consultancy require an attested degree, documented experience and often a regulator's approval.
The licence permits 100% foreign ownership in every emirate and in free zones. On the mainland, a sole establishment or civil company appoints a Local Service Agent for a fixed annual fee — the agent holds no shares and no profit rights. An LLC needs no agent at all.
This page covers what each consultancy category requires, where to place the licence, realistic costs, and the compliance obligations that follow issuance.
| Item | Mainland (AED) | Free zone (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Licence fee | 12,000 – 20,000 | 8,000 – 16,000 |
| Premises | Ejari 15,000+ | Flexi-desk included |
| Local Service Agent | 5,000 – 15,000 (if applicable) | Not applicable |
| Establishment card | 2,000 | 1,500 – 2,500 |
| Residence visa per person | 3,500 – 5,500 | 3,500 – 6,000 |
General vs specialised consultancy
| Category | Degree required | Regulator approval | Typical examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management consultancy | Usually not | No | Strategy, operations, process advisory |
| Marketing consultancy | Usually not | No | Brand, growth, market entry |
| IT consultancy | Sometimes | No | Systems, cloud, cyber advisory |
| Engineering consultancy | Yes | Yes — municipality/society | Civil, MEP, structural |
| Financial consultancy | Yes | Yes — SCA/DFSA depending on scope | Corporate finance advisory |
| Legal consultancy | Yes | Yes — legal affairs department | Foreign law advisory |
Mainland or free zone for a consultancy?
A mainland consultancy can contract directly with UAE government entities and onshore clients without a distributor, which matters for public-sector and construction advisory. A free zone consultancy is usually cheaper, includes a flexi-desk and visa allocation, and suits consultants serving international or free zone clients.
Both are eligible for the same corporate tax treatment on onshore income; free zone 0% treatment applies only to qualifying income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person, and consultancy income earned from mainland clients is generally not qualifying.
Dubai consultancy routes compared, and advice for solo consultants
Regulated Dubai consultancy categories add an approval layer on top of the licence: engineering consultancy needs Dubai Municipality approval plus a licensed engineer with UAE experience, legal consultancy needs Dubai Legal Affairs Department registration, financial advisory needs DFSA or SCA authorisation depending on jurisdiction, and medical or health consultancy needs DHA or MOHAP licensing for the practitioner.
If you are a solo consultant, take a licence-only package in year one and add a visa once you have signed retainers. Register two or three related activities on the same licence so you can widen your service line without a later amendment, and confirm the amendment fee in writing before you sign.
| Route | From (AED) | Office | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| IFZA / Meydan free zone | 12,900 | Flexi-desk | 3 – 5 days |
| SHAMS / SPC free zone | 11,500 | Flexi-desk | 3 – 5 days |
| Dubai DED mainland | 16,500 | Ejari required | 5 – 10 days |
| DIFC (financial advisory) | 45,000+ | Physical office | 6 – 12 weeks |
Who this option suits best
- Independent strategy, HR and operations consultants
- Boutique advisory firms entering the GCC
- Technology and cybersecurity advisers
- Marketing and market-entry specialists
- Regulated professionals with attested qualifications
Step-by-step process
- 1
Pick the exact consultancy activity1 day
Specialised categories carry degree and approval requirements.
- 2
Choose the jurisdiction and structure1 – 2 days
LLC, sole establishment or free zone FZ-LLC.
- 3
Reserve the trade name and take initial approval1 – 3 days
Names must reflect the advisory activity.
- 4
Submit qualifications where required3 – 10 days
Attested degree and experience letters for specialised categories.
- 5
Arrange premises2 – 7 days
Ejari on the mainland, flexi-desk or office in a free zone.
- 6
Issue the licence and process visas1 – 3 weeks
Establishment card, then residence visas.
Documents required
- Passport copies (valid 6+ months) for every shareholder and manager
- Passport-size photo with white background for each applicant
- Proof of address or a recent utility bill / bank statement
- Three proposed trade names in order of preference
- Business activity list and a short business description
- Emirates ID and visa copy or entry stamp if you are already in the UAE
- Attested degree certificate for specialised consultancy
- Experience letters or professional membership evidence
- CV of the named consultant
Realistic timeline
| Stage | Duration |
|---|---|
| Structure and name | 1 – 3 working days |
| Qualification approval (if any) | 3 – 10 working days |
| Licence issuance | 1 – 3 working days |
| Establishment card and visas | 2 – 4 weeks |
The largest variable is premises, not the licence. A free zone flexi-desk package usually beats a mainland Ejari on year-one cost; the mainland wins where clients are government or onshore contractors.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Picking 'consultancy' generically
Fix: Match the activity code to the advice you actually sell; scope disputes surface at invoicing and bank KYC.
Assuming no degree is needed
Fix: Engineering, legal, medical and financial consultancy require attested qualifications.
Selling products under a consultancy licence
Fix: Add a commercial activity for any resale of goods or third-party software.
Expecting free zone 0% tax on onshore clients
Fix: Mainland-sourced consultancy income is generally not qualifying income.
Skipping the service agent agreement
Fix: Sole establishments and civil companies need a notarised Local Service Agent agreement.
Myth vs reality
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| A consultancy needs a UAE partner holding 51% | Professional consultancy licences allow 100% foreign ownership across mainland and free zones. |
| Consultancies are exempt from corporate tax | 9% applies above AED 375,000 taxable income; Small Business Relief may apply under AED 3m revenue. |
| Any consultant can advise on engineering | Engineering advisory needs regulator approval and accredited qualifications. |
Compliance after licensing
- Corporate tax registration with the FTA — 9% applies on taxable profit above AED 375,000; 0% below it. Small Business Relief may apply to revenue under AED 3m.
- VAT registration is mandatory once taxable turnover passes AED 375,000 in 12 months, and voluntary from AED 187,500.
- Economic Substance Regulations (ESR) notifications for relevant activities such as holding, IP, headquarters and distribution.
- Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) register kept with the licensing authority and updated within 15 days of any change.
- Anti-Money Laundering (AML) registration on the goAML portal for designated non-financial businesses and professions.
- Annual licence and establishment-card renewal, plus audited financials where the free zone or activity requires them.
Regulators referenced: Ministry of Economy (UAE) · Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) · Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) · Federal Tax Authority (FTA) · General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) · Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE)
Frequently asked questions
How much is a consultancy licence in Dubai?
Do I need a degree?
Can I own 100% of a UAE consultancy?
Do I need an office?
Can I hire staff?
Do I need a degree for a Dubai consultancy licence?
Can I be the only employee of my consultancy?
People also ask
What is the difference between a consultancy and a professional licence?
Consultancy is a subset of the professional licence category — a professional licence covers all service activities, of which consultancy is one group.
Can a consultancy invoice international clients?
Yes. Export of services is permitted and may be zero-rated for VAT where the conditions are met.
Is a Local Service Agent expensive?
It is a fixed annual fee, commonly AED 5,000–15,000, and only applies to sole establishments and civil companies.
Founder checklist
- Confirm the exact activity codes you need before paying any fee
- Compare at least three verified providers on total year-one cost, not licence cost alone
- Check the visa quota attached to your chosen facility (flexi-desk vs office)
- Ask what is excluded: establishment card, e-channel deposit, medical, Emirates ID, PRO fees
- Confirm bank-account support and which banks the provider actually opens with
- Attest qualifications before applying if your category is specialised
- Confirm whether your income counts as qualifying income for free zone tax
Why you can trust this guide
- Independent marketplace — Business Setup AE does not form companies and takes no commission on provider pricing
- Every listed provider holds a valid UAE trade licence and publishes fixed prices
- Costs reviewed against 2026 published government schedules
- Written and reviewed by advisers who have processed UAE licences and residence visas
Editorial ownership: Business Setup AE Editorial Team. See our editorial and corrections policy and package verification method.
Related guides and services
Official government sources
Fees, thresholds and licensing rules on this page are checked against these official UAE government and regulator sources.
- Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)Professional and consultancy activity list and approvals
- Ministry of Economy — UAEFederal commercial registration, trade names and company law
- Federal Tax Authority — corporate tax and VATSource for the 9% corporate tax threshold and VAT registration limits
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