HR consultancy licence in Dubai, for advisory firms
An HR consultancy licence is light for advice alone, and placing candidates or supplying staff brings in MOHRE.
- Usual route
- Mainland or free zone
- Extra approval
- None if advisory
- Timeline
- Days to weeks
- AML
- Not a DNFBP activity
An HR consultancy licence in Dubai covers advice to employers on policies, pay, structure and labour law compliance, while the client stays the employer. It is one of the lighter professional files, from DET or a free zone. Placing candidates or supplying workers is different, because the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) licenses those agencies.
- Covers
- HR policies, pay structures, Emiratisation planning and compliance reviews
- Not covered
- Recruitment for a fee, staff supply and legal opinions
- Premises
- An office or a free zone desk
- Timeline
- Days to weeks for the licence
What an HR consultancy licence covers
You advise employers on how to organise, pay and manage their people. They hire, pay and sponsor the staff themselves.
Covered
Not covered
- Covered by Recruitment agency
- Covered by an HR provision activity
- Covered by Legal consultancy
- Covered by Management consultancy
Tick what you plan to do. The result shows here.
We fix the wording before you apply. Send us your list on WhatsApp
Many HR consultants are asked to shortlist candidates within a year, so we tell you on day one whether that request needs MOHRE.
Mainland or free zone for HR advice
The licence is light either way. What matters is where your clients are, because that sets the route and the tax position.
| If most of your clients are | Likely route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Companies on the Dubai mainland | Mainland (DET) | A DET licence invoices mainland clients directly |
| Free zone companies and clients abroad | Free zone | A free zone licence suits clients outside the mainland |
| A mix, mostly mainland | Either route | A free zone company can reach mainland clients through a DET permit |
A free zone consultancy can serve mainland clients through a DET branch licence or permit (Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025). Consultancy income from mainland clients usually falls outside QFZP qualifying income.
Several free zones license this activity; we match the zone to your visas, office and banking. Compare free zones
Three questions. The closest row is marked in the table above.
Your likely route shows here.
HR consultancy licence approvals
An advisory HR firm needs only its trade licence. The approvals stack up once the firm places candidates or employs staff for clients, because MOHRE licenses that work separately.
Before the licence
- Trade name and initial approvalDET or the free zone
- Office or desk leaseLandlord or free zone
The licence
- Trade licenceDET or the free zone
After the licence
- Corporate bank accountThe bank
- MOHRE agency licence, if placingMOHRE
We read your service list against MOHRE's rules before filing.
Which of your HR services stay advisory?
Tick what clients will pay you for. The heaviest item shows what it adds to a plain HR consultancy licence.
MOHRE agency licences carry a bank guarantee and a dedicated office, so we flag placement work before you promise it to a client.
Tick every service on your list
| What you plan | Points to |
|---|---|
| Your HR consultancy activity, with nothing more needed | |
| Your HR consultancy activity, with nothing more needed | |
| Your HR consultancy activity, with nothing more needed | |
| A legal consultancy licence for formal legal opinions | |
| A separate HR provision activity, which we confirm per case | |
| A MOHRE private employment agency licence, with its own conditions | |
| A MOHRE private employment agency licence, with its own conditions |
Tick a line to see where your plan points.
What banks see in an HR consultancy
Bank viewStandard; retainers and project invoices to companies
Banks treat an HR consultancy as a standard professional services business. Income arrives as retainers and project invoices from companies, which is easy to explain. Questions come when a new firm has no contracts yet, or when payments start to look like salaries passed through for a client. We put your first engagement letters and a short service description into the account file.
AMLNot a DNFBP activity; the bank's own customer checks still apply.
Where HR consultancy setups go wrong
Taking a placement fee on an advisory licence
Matching candidates with employers for a fee is MOHRE-licensed work. An advisory licence does not cover it, however small the first placement is.
Running client payroll as the employer
Putting a client's staff on your own visas and payroll moves the firm into HR provision. The activity, the bank's view and the labour obligations all change.
Choosing a free zone, then serving mainland clients
Mainland clients need a DET branch licence or permit, and that income usually sits outside QFZP qualifying income. The tax plan should follow your client list.
Questions about a HR consultancy licence
A question about your plan? Describe your HR consultancy plan and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.
Ask on WhatsAppHow much does an HR consultancy licence cost in Dubai?
Does an HR consultancy need a MOHRE licence in Dubai?
What is the difference between HR consultancy and recruitment?
Can I start an HR consultancy from a free zone in Dubai?
Related pages
IndustryConsultancy business setup in DubaiHow to start a consultancy business in Dubai: the activity wording, professional vs commercial licence, free zone or mainland, visas and banking.
ActivityRecruitment agency licence in DubaiRecruiting or supplying workers in the UAE needs a MOHRE agency licence.
JurisdictionFree zone company setupWhich is the best free zone in the UAE for you?
Will clients ask you to find their staff? The MOHRE question comes first
Fifteen minutes with a senior advisor on your services and your first clients. You leave with the activity, the route and a clear answer on MOHRE.
On the call
- The activity wording that fits your plan
- The route, and the approvals in order
- A written quote before any work starts
