Insurance broker licence, through the Central Bank first
An insurance broker licence in Dubai comes from the Central Bank first, and it turns on your shareholders, capital and senior team.
- Usual route
- Mainland (CBUAE)
- Extra approval
- CBUAE licence
- Timeline
- Months
- AML
- Central Bank AML rules
An insurance broker licence in Dubai is a Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) licence for primary insurance, reinsurance or both, followed by a DET trade licence within six months. A UAE-incorporated broker needs majority UAE national shareholding, set capital, a bank guarantee and professional indemnity cover, plus a chief executive with long insurance experience.
- Covers
- Arranging insurance and reinsurance for clients with licensed insurers
- Not covered
- Tied agency, loss adjusting, health claims administration, pure consulting
- Premises
- A headquarters owned or held on an authenticated lease
- Timeline
- Months, set by the Central Bank's licence review
What an insurance broker may do
A broker acts for the client. It places cover with insurers it holds agreements with, and the Central Bank licenses it by line of business.
Covered
Not covered
- Covered by Insurance agent (CBUAE licence)
- Covered by Loss adjuster (CBUAE licence)
- Covered by Third party administrator (CBUAE licence)
- Covered by Insurance consultant (CBUAE licence)
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Each of those is its own Central Bank licence, so a broker planning claims or consulting work alongside broking settles that before applying.
Who can hold a broker licence?
The Central Bank licenses three kinds of applicant. Founders usually set up a mainland company, because ordinary free zone companies are outside the list.
| If most of your clients are | Likely route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Founders building a UAE brokerage | Mainland (DET) | A UAE company with majority UAE national capital, licensed by the Central Bank |
| International brokers entering the UAE | Mainland (DET) | A branch of the foreign broker, licensed by the Central Bank |
| A broker already in a financial free zone | Either route | Onshore clients need a Central Bank licensed branch, with higher capital |
| Reinsurance placed within that financial zone | Free zone | The zone's own regulator covers it, without a Central Bank licence |
A DET branch licence or permit (Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025) does not replace the Central Bank licence for broking onshore. Commission from mainland clients faces the QFZP qualifying test.
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.
Insurance broker licence from the Central Bank
The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) licenses the broker first. The local licence must follow within six months. Before that, the Central Bank reviews shareholders, senior managers, the bank guarantee and the indemnity policy.
Before the licence
- Trade name and initial approvalDET
- Fit and proper reviewCentral Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)
- Bank guarantee and indemnity policyCBUAE
- Central Bank broker licenceCBUAE
The licence
- Trade licence within six monthsDET
After the licence
- Agreements with two insurersLicensed insurers
- Corporate bank accountThe bank
- Staff visasGDRFA Dubai
We prepare and check the Central Bank file before it goes in.
What the Central Bank asks of each broker
Two choices set the money the broker must hold: how it is set up, and what it places.
A broker placing both lines takes Category III, and the Central Bank can ask any broker for more capital or UAE shareholding.
| A UAE company | A financial free zone or foreign branch | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary insurance | Category I, UAE-owned AED 3M capital, 51% UAE nationals, AED 3M guarantee, AED 2M indemnity cover. | Category I branch AED 10M capital, AED 5M guarantee and AED 3M indemnity cover. |
| Reinsurance only | Category II, UAE-owned The same capital, UAE shareholding, guarantee and indemnity as a primary broker. | Inside the zone only Reinsurance broked within a financial free zone stays with that zone's regulator. |
Answer both to highlight your square.
Commission income and the bank
Bank viewCommission income only; premiums go straight to insurers
Banks treat a licensed broker as a regulated financial business. Premiums go straight from clients to insurers. Claim payments come back the same way, so the broker's account mostly receives commission. The questions come at the start, around the shareholders' source of funds, the capital and the bank guarantee. We put the Central Bank licence, the insurer agreements and the ownership file into the account application together.
AMLInsurance brokers sit under the Central Bank's AML supervision as financial institutions, so the company runs its own AML programme from the start.
Where broker applications come back
A free zone company set up first
The Central Bank licenses UAE companies, financial free zone branches and foreign branches. Founders who incorporate in an ordinary free zone first find the broker licence is out of reach there.
A chief executive short on insurance years
The Central Bank sets qualifications and years in insurance for the chief executive and each specialist. A strong manager from banking or sales without that insurance record holds the application back.
A business plan built on client money
Brokers may not collect premiums, claim payments or refunds on primary insurance. Those pass directly between client and insurer. Plans that rely on holding client money need rewriting before filing.
Questions about a insurance broker licence
A question about your plan? Describe your insurance broker plan and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.
Ask on WhatsAppHow much does an insurance broker licence cost in Dubai?
What are the insurance broker licence requirements in Dubai?
Can a foreigner own an insurance brokerage in Dubai?
Can a free zone company be an insurance broker in the UAE?
How do I get an insurance broker licence in Dubai?
Related pages
IndustryFinancial consultancy business setupA financial consultancy license in Dubai turns on one line: unregulated consulting, or regulated advice under the DFSA, FSRA or CMA. Decide it first.
JurisdictionFinancial free zones comparedBoth are common-law centres with their own courts.
JurisdictionDubai mainland company setupSuits businesses that sell to UAE customers or bid for Dubai tenders.
Does your shareholding fit the Central Bank's rules? We test the structure before filing
Fifteen minutes with a senior advisor on your shareholders, the lines you will place and your senior team. You leave with the structure, the licence category and the order of the Central Bank and DET steps.
On the call
- The activity wording that fits your plan
- The route, and the approvals in order
- A written quote before any work starts
