Garage licence in Dubai, for repair workshops
A garage licence in Dubai covers repairs in a workshop bay, and repairing cars at customers' doors adds an RTA permit.
- Usual route
- Usually mainland
- Extra approval
- Civil Defence
- AML
- Standard bank checks
A garage licence in Dubai is a DET licence for vehicle maintenance and repair, run from a workshop unit in an industrial area. Dubai Civil Defence clears the unit for fire safety, and used oil and old batteries leave through approved waste collectors. A mobile repair van needs its own yearly permit from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
- Covers
- Servicing, mechanical, electrical, AC, tyre and body repairs
- Not covered
- Counter sales of spare parts, car washing and heavy vehicles
- Premises
- A workshop unit in an industrial area
- Timeline
- Weeks, led by the workshop unit and its fire approval
Services on one garage licence
Vehicle repair is a group of related activities. Most garages fit their whole service list on one licence.
Inside this licence
Outside this licence
- Covered by Auto spare parts trading
- Covered by Car washing
- Covered by Used car trading
- Covered by a heavy vehicle repair activity
Tick what you plan to do. The result shows here.
We fix the wording before you apply. Send us your list on WhatsApp
Parts fitted during a repair belong to the job, so a trading activity is needed only once parts sell on their own.
Industrial unit, free zone or van
Drivers bring their cars to the workshop, so the route follows where the workshop sits and whether you also go out to customers.
| If most of your clients are | Likely route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-in drivers and insurance referrals | Mainland (DET) | A DET licence for a workshop unit on the mainland |
| Company fleets serviced at your workshop | Mainland (DET) | Fleet contracts on the mainland, billed from a DET-licensed workshop |
| Vehicles based inside a free zone | Free zone | A workshop unit in a zone that licenses vehicle repair |
| Repairs at homes and offices | Mainland (DET) | A DET licence plus the RTA's yearly mobile maintenance permit |
A free zone repair company serving drivers on the mainland needs a DET branch licence or a mainland company, under Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025. Mainland repair income is then tested under QFZP.
A free zone suits a workshop serving vehicles based inside that zone, with no walk-in drivers from the mainland. Compare free zones
Three questions. The closest row is marked in the table above.
Your likely route shows here.
Garage licence approvals in order
DET issues the licence against a workshop unit with a registered lease. Civil Defence then clears the unit. A mobile van also waits for its RTA permit before the first callout.
Before the licence
- Trade name and initial approvalDET
- Registered lease for the workshopEjari (Dubai Land Department)
The licence
- Vehicle repair trade licenceDET
Alongside the licence
- Used oil and battery collectionContractors approved by Dubai Municipality
After the licence
- Workshop fire safety approvalDubai Civil Defence
- Mobile maintenance permit, if offeredRoads and Transport Authority (RTA)
- Mechanics' work permits and visasMOHRE, then GDRFA Dubai
- Corporate bank accountThe bank
The RTA permit for mobile repair runs for one year.
Workshop bay or mobile van?
Each square pairs where you repair with how heavy the work is, and shows what that adds to the licence.
A paint booth adds flammable stock to the unit, so we check the layout against Civil Defence's rules before fit-out.
| In a workshop bay | At the customer's car | |
|---|---|---|
| Servicing, tyres and batteries | Light service bay DET licence, workshop unit and Civil Defence approval, with waste oil sent to approved collectors. | Mobile service van DET licence plus the RTA's mobile maintenance permit, renewed every year. |
| Engine, body and paint work | Full repair workshop Paint, solvents and lifts add to the fire check, so the unit plan carries most weight. | Back to the bay Major engine, body and paint work stays in a fixed workshop, even for a mobile brand. |
Answer both to highlight your square.
Insurer payments and parts suppliers
Bank viewStandard; parts purchases and insurer payments are routine
A new garage buys lifts, diagnostic tools and opening parts stock before the first car arrives, often from overseas suppliers. Takings then come by card from walk-in drivers, while insurers and fleet clients pay on account, sometimes weeks later.
Those slow receivables are normal in the trade. We put the lease, the equipment orders and any insurer or fleet agreements into the bank file. The account then opens on a business that adds up.
Why garage openings run late
A unit zoned for something else
Vehicle repair belongs in an industrial area, and a cheaper unit zoned for other use cannot hold the licence. Founders who sign first can end up paying rent on a space they cannot open.
The van on the workshop licence
Repairing cars at homes and offices needs the mobile activity and its own RTA permit. A garage that sends a mechanic out on the workshop licence alone is working outside it.
Used oil treated as rubbish
Used oil, coolant and old batteries count as hazardous waste. Pouring oil into the drains breaks municipality rules, so collection by an approved contractor should run from opening day.
Garage licence questions
A question about your plan? Describe your auto garage plan and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.
Ask on WhatsAppHow much does a garage licence cost in Dubai?
How to open a garage in Dubai?
What are the garage licence requirements in Dubai?
Do mobile mechanics need an RTA permit in Dubai?
Can a free zone company run a car repair workshop in Dubai?
Can a garage sell spare parts in Dubai?
Does a garage need Dubai Municipality approval?
Does a car body shop need its own licence in Dubai?
How do I renew a garage licence in Dubai?
Can I buy an existing car workshop in Dubai?
Related pages
Does your service list fit one licence?
Share your service list and the unit you have in mind, and we confirm whether one licence covers it and what Civil Defence will check.
On the call
- The unit and its zoning
- Mobile repairs and the RTA permit
