Commercial brokerage licence, for deals you never own
A commercial brokerage licence earns commission on goods deals. Property and insurance deals need their own regulators.
- Usual route
- Either route
- Extra approval
- None for goods
- AML
- Standard bank checks
A commercial brokerage licence in Dubai lets a company bring buyers and sellers of goods together for a commission, without buying the goods or taking title. Real estate and insurance broking sit with their own regulators. An exclusive registered agency for a brand is a separate federal register under Federal Law 3 of 2022.
- Covers
- Commission on goods and commodity deals between other parties
- Not covered
- Property, insurance, shares, cars and trading in your own name
- Premises
- An office or desk; no warehouse, because no stock
- Timeline
- Days to weeks for the licence
What a commercial broker can earn on
The activity pays you for matching a buyer with a seller. The goods never pass through your hands or your books.
Inside this licence
Outside this licence
- Covered by General trading
- Covered by Real estate brokerage (RERA)
- Covered by Insurance broker (Central Bank)
- Covered by A motor vehicle activity
Tick what you plan to do. The result shows here.
We fix the wording before you apply. Send us your list on WhatsApp
Brokers who expect to buy a cargo outright now and then add a trading activity at the start, because the brokerage activity forbids holding title.
Where a commission broker should sit
A broker's clients often sit in two other countries, so the route follows who pays the commission. Dubai principals usually mean a DET licence and an Ejari office lease.
| If most of your clients are | Likely route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Suppliers abroad selling to buyers abroad | Free zone | Commission from outside the UAE sits easily on a free zone licence |
| Dubai traders and manufacturers paying commission | Mainland (DET) | A DET licence invoices mainland principals with no branch step |
| A foreign maker paying you on UAE sales | Either route | Either works, unless the maker wants a registered exclusive agent |
If mainland traders pay a free zone broker regularly, the broker should look at a DET branch licence or permit, available under Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025. Commission from the mainland can affect QFZP status.
Commission earned between suppliers and buyers outside the UAE suits a free zone desk, since the broker holds no stock and needs no warehouse. Compare free zones
Three questions. The closest row is marked in the table above.
Your likely route shows here.
Commercial brokerage licence approvals
Commission on goods needs only the trade licence. The federal Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MoET) keeps the commercial agency register, which is open to UAE nationals and companies they wholly own.
Before the licence
- Trade name for the brokerageDET or a free zone authority
The licence
- Trade licence with commercial brokerageThe same authority
- Trading activity, if buying stockDET or the zone
After the licence
- Corporate bank accountThe bank
- Commercial agency registration, if exclusiveMoET, for UAE-owned agents
- Residence visas for staffGDRFA Dubai or the free zone authority
We read your brokerage agreements before the activity is chosen.
Which deals can a commercial broker take?
Tick the deals you expect to arrange. The furthest item shows which licence or regulator it belongs to.
Brokering shares or bonds needs a Capital Market Authority (CMA, formerly SCA) licence, so we keep it off a commercial brokerage plan.
Tick every kind of deal you plan to broker
| What you plan | Points to |
|---|---|
| the commercial brokerage activity, with no sector approval | |
| the commercial brokerage activity, with no sector approval | |
| a trading activity beside brokerage, because you would hold title | |
| a motor vehicle activity, since cars sit outside commercial brokerage | |
| a real estate brokerage licensed through RERA, with certified brokers | |
| a Central Bank insurance broker licence | |
| a MoET-registered commercial agency, open only to UAE national ownership |
Tick a line to see where your plan points.
Commission income and the bank
Bank viewStandard; commission only, never the buyer's payment
A broker's account should show commission and nothing else, because the buyer pays the seller for the goods directly. On that basis banks treat it as a standard trading-services business.
Signed brokerage agreements showing the payment route go into the account file. Each signatory is verified at a branch or on a video call before the account opens.
Broker deals that cross the line
Cargo money running through the account
A broker who collects the full price and pays the seller on looks like a trader. Banks then ask for a trading licence and stock records the broker cannot show.
Calling yourself a brand's sole agent
Exclusive registered agency is a federal status, reserved for UAE national ownership. A foreign-owned broker can still sell a brand on commission. The wording on cards and contracts should say so.
A property deal on a goods licence
Commercial brokerage excludes real estate. Leasing a warehouse or office for a client needs a RERA-licensed brokerage, and a commission earned without one is hard to enforce.
Questions from new brokers
A question about your plan? Describe your commercial brokerage plan and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.
Ask on WhatsAppHow much does a commercial brokerage licence cost in Dubai?
What is a commercial brokerage licence in Dubai?
Is a commercial broker the same as a commercial agent in Dubai?
Can a commercial broker sell property in Dubai?
How to get a commercial broker licence in Dubai?
What activities does a commercial broker licence cover in the UAE?
Can a commercial broker buy and resell goods in Dubai?
What are the commercial agent licence requirements in the UAE?
Do I need a commodity trading licence to broker commodities in Dubai?
Does commercial brokerage fall under AML rules in the UAE?
Can a free zone commercial broker deal with mainland companies?
Related pages
General trading business setupGeneral trading company setup in Dubai, scoped right: free zone for re-export, mainland for onshore sales, and the activity breadth you will use.
Import and export business setupAn import export license in Dubai is decided at the customs line: mainland or free zone, the customs code, re-export rules and the bank that clears you.
Real estate brokerage licence in DubaiA real estate brokerage license in Dubai: the DET licence, RERA office registration and a broker card for every agent.
Will you ever own the goods?
One cargo bought outright changes the licence. With your deal list and principals to hand, we can say which route fits and whether any deal belongs with another regulator.
On the call
- Who pays your commission, and from where
- Your first brokerage agreements
