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Diamond trading licence, rough or polished

A diamond trading licence makes you an AML-supervised dealer from day one. Rough stones add Kimberley Process certificates.

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Fingers hold a round brilliant-cut diamond above a small group of loose stones
Usual route
Either route
Extra approval
AML and SIRA
AML
DNFBP, on goAML
At a glance

A diamond trading licence in Dubai is issued by DET or a free zone authority, and UAE AML law treats the holder as a dealer in precious stones. It must register on goAML before the first sale. Larger deals are reported, including company sales paid by wire, and rough stones cross the border only with Kimberley Process certificates.

Covers
Loose polished diamonds, rough parcels, coloured stones and pearls
Not covered
Cutting and polishing, mounted jewellery and gold bullion
Premises
A secure office or vault with approved security
Timeline
Weeks to months; security approval and goAML come first

Loose stones, rough parcels and pearls

The licence covers stones traded as they arrive. Cutting or polishing them is industrial work, listed under a separate diamond cutting activity.

Inside this licence

Outside this licence

  • Covered by Diamond cutting (industrial activity)
  • Covered by Gold and jewellery trading
  • Covered by Precious metals trading
  • Covered by Gem testing laboratory

Traders who also sell stones set in rings move into jewellery trading, so we list that activity when your buyers include shoppers.

Selling to the trade or the public

Most diamond trade runs company to company and often crosses borders. A showroom selling to Dubai residents needs a DET licence and a lease registered in Ejari.

Likely route by where most of your clients are
If most of your clients areLikely routeWhy
Jewellers and manufacturers in DubaiEither routeEither suits trade sales, though steady supply from a free zone needs DET cover
Traders in Antwerp, Mumbai and Hong KongFree zoneStones that pass through for re-export suit a free zone
Private buyers and collectors in DubaiMainland (DET)Retail buyers in Dubai are served under a DET licence

If a free zone dealer supplies Dubai jewellers on a regular basis, Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025 requires a DET branch licence or permit. Sales to mainland buyers are also measured against the QFZP qualifying test.

Parcels that pass through Dubai to traders abroad suit a free zone, and the zone choice follows the secure office and staff visas you need. Compare free zones

Company formation in the UAE

Sign-offs for a diamond trading licence

SIRA checks premises security alongside the licence. The goAML registration follows, before any sale. Rough parcels also need a Kimberley Process certificate each time they enter or leave the UAE.

  1. Before the licence

    • Initial approval and a trade name for the dealerDET, or the chosen free zone

  2. The licence

    • Licence with precious stones activityThe same authority

  3. Alongside the licence

    • Premises security approvalSecurity Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA)

  4. After the licence

    • goAML registrationMinistry of Economy and Tourism (MoET) supervision
    • Compliance officer and AML manualThe company, for MoET
    • Kimberley Process registration for roughUAE Kimberley Process Office
    • Corporate bank accountThe bank

We draft the AML manual with you before the first parcel is sold.

Rough or polished, trade or private buyer?

Pick the form of the stone and who pays you, and the square shows the certificates and reports that deal brings.

A parcel sold to a company counts even when paid by wire, so we map your usual deal sizes before the first sale.

Who pays you? by What form are the stones in?
Rough or semi-polishedPolished and loose
Companies and tradersKimberley and dealer reports Each parcel needs a KP certificate, and company sales from AED 55,000 are reported.Wire counts too No KP certificate, but company deals from AED 55,000 are reported, cash or wire.
Private buyersRare and closely checked Rough sold to individuals still needs KP paperwork, and cash from AED 55,000 is reported.The cash line Lab reports sell the stone; cash sales from AED 55,000 need ID and a report.

Provenance, parcels and the bank

Bank viewA closer look at the AML file and stone provenance

Small parcels of high-value stones cross borders easily, so banks rate diamond dealers as higher risk. Their first questions are about goAML registration and how you check buyers.

They also ask who the named compliance officer is. Then comes provenance. For rough that means Kimberley certificates, and for polished stones the lab reports.

AMLThis activity is a designated non-financial business (DNFBP) for AML purposes, so the company registers and reports under the AML framework from the start.

Reporting gaps that flag a dealer

  1. Wire payments left out of reporting

    A sale to a company of AED 55,000 or more is reported on goAML, whether it is paid in cash or by wire. Dealers who see reporting as a cash rule leave trade sales unfiled.

  2. Rough parcels without a Kimberley certificate

    The UAE Kimberley Process Office inspects every rough shipment in or out, and traders register with it as members using the trade licence. A parcel that lands without a certificate cannot be cleared.

  3. Trading before goAML is in place

    A named compliance officer and the goAML account have to be in place before the first sale. Banks ask to see both, so registering late holds up the account as well as the trading.

Asked by diamond dealers

A question about your plan? Describe your diamond trading plan and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.

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How much does a diamond trading licence cost in Dubai?

The premises and the compliance set-up drive it. Approved security, an AML manual and a compliance officer come with every dealer, and rough diamonds add Kimberley Process registration.

How to start a diamond business in Dubai?

Start with your buyers and the form of your stones. Trade buyers abroad suit a free zone and Dubai private buyers the mainland, and goAML registration comes before the first sale either way.

Do I need a Kimberley Process certificate to trade diamonds in Dubai?

For rough and semi-polished diamonds, yes. Every parcel in or out of the UAE travels with one, checked by the UAE Kimberley Process Office, while polished stones fall outside the scheme.

What is the UAE Kimberley Process Office?

It is the UAE body that checks Kimberley Process certificates on rough diamond shipments entering and leaving the country. Rough diamond traders register with it as members before their first parcel.

Can I trade precious stones from a Dubai free zone?

Yes. A free zone suits trade between dealers and re-export, and the company is still an AML-supervised dealer. Regular supply to Dubai jewellers adds a DET branch licence or permit.

Do I need a licence to sell gemstones in Dubai?

Yes, once you buy and sell stones as a business. Gemstones and pearls sit on a precious stones trading activity, and the company registers on goAML as a dealer before trading.

How do I become a diamond dealer in Dubai?

Through a company licensed for precious stones trading by DET or a free zone. The company registers on goAML, names a compliance officer and, for rough stones, joins the Kimberley Process Office.

Can I sell my diamonds in Dubai without a licence?

Yes, if you are selling your own stones once as a private sale. Buying and selling stones regularly is trading, which needs a precious stones licence and AML registration as a dealer.

What is DPMS reporting in the UAE?

It is the report dealers in precious metals and stones file on goAML for covered sales. Cash sales to individuals from AED 55,000 count, and so do company deals from AED 55,000 paid by cash or wire.

Can a diamond trader get the UAE Golden Visa?

Yes, through the business owner route, with AED 2 million of company capital or partner share, or AED 250,000 a year in federal tax. The entrepreneur route counts an SME with AED 1 million revenue.

Related pages

Rough parcels or polished stones first?

Walk us through the stones you hold and who buys them, and we set out the activity wording and when SIRA and goAML come in.

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On the call

  1. Your usual deal sizes and payment methods
  2. A showroom for private buyers

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