Legal consultancy licence, approved before it is issued

The Legal Affairs Department approves the firm and its lawyers first. Who owns the firm decides which licence route is open.

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At a glance

A legal consultancy licence in Dubai needs approval from the Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department before DET or a free zone can issue the trade licence. The rule applies in free zones too. Dubai firms are owned by UAE-national lawyers, while foreign firms open a branch or qualify through a specialist exemption.

Covers: Legal advice, drafting, opinions and transaction support for paying clients
Not covered: Court appearances, certified legal translation and company formation services
Premises: A dedicated office in Dubai, never shared with another firm
Timeline: Weeks to months, set by the Legal Affairs Department file

What a legal consultancy covers

The licence covers advice and drafting for the public. Pleading in court, certified translation and setting up clients' companies sit with other licences.

Covered

Advice and legal opinions
Contract drafting and review
Corporate and commercial transactions
Dispute strategy before any court filing

Not covered

Appearing for clients in courtCovered by Advocacy firm (registered advocates)
Certified legal translationCovered by Legal translation office
Company formation and government paperworkCovered by Business services or PRO activity

In-house lawyers advising their own employer sit outside these rules. A firm advising the public needs the licence, whichever zone it sits in.

Mainland or free zone for law firms

The Legal Affairs Department licenses legal consultancy across Dubai, free zones included, so its approval comes first on either route.

Likely route by where most of your clients are
If most of your clients are	Likely route	Why
Individuals and companies across Dubai	Mainland (DET)	A DET licence with the department's approval reaches clients citywide
Businesses inside one free zone	Either route	A zone licence can work, with the same department approval first
A foreign firm's international clients	Either route	The branch tests apply on both routes, so the client base decides

A free zone company can serve the mainland through a DET branch licence or permit (Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025). Department approval still applies, and mainland income can affect QFZP status.

Several free zones license this activity; we match the zone to your visas, office and banking. Compare free zones

Legal consultant licence approvals in order

The Legal Affairs Department reviews the owners, the lawyers and the work plan first. DET or the free zone authority issues the trade licence only after that approval, and the department renews it every year.

Before the licence
- Trade name and initial approvalDET or the free zone authority
- Firm approval and work planGovernment of Dubai Legal Affairs Department
- Consultants registered on the rollLegal Affairs Department
- Professional indemnity insuranceA UAE insurer
The licence
- Trade licence issuedDET or the free zone authority
After the licence
- AML registration for transaction workUAE Financial Intelligence Unit (goAML)
- Annual licence renewalLegal Affairs Department

The department's renewal falls due one month before expiry.

Who owns the firm, and what it does

Ownership and court work decide the licence. Pick both to see the route the Legal Affairs Department applies to a firm like yours.

A foreign branch also needs offices in two countries and at least three registered consultants, so we test the parent firm before anything is filed.

What will it do? by Who owns the firm?
	UAE-national lawyers	Foreign lawyers or a foreign firm
Advice, drafting and transactions	Dubai legal consultancy firm Owners on the department's roll, each with two years' UAE experience.	Branch or specialist exemption Branches need an eight-year-old parent; individuals, eight years and scarce specialist expertise.
Appear for clients in court	Advocacy firm Court work belongs to advocates, licensed under the department's advocacy rules.	Advice firm instructing advocates Legal consultants do not plead in court, so clients' cases go to advocates.

The bank file for a law firm

Bank viewClient money, insurance and AML registration questions

Banks look closely at law firms because client money can pass through them. Lawyers who act on property deals, client funds or company formations are designated non-financial businesses, with AML duties of their own. Expect questions on retainers, client accounts and the firm's AML policy. We put the department approval, the indemnity policy and the AML framework into one file, so the bank sees a firm already set up to report.

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.

Where legal consultancy files stall

A trade licence applied for first
DET or a free zone cannot issue or renew a legal consultancy licence without the department's approval. Founders who start with the trade licence find the file waiting at the first step.
A foreign firm that misses one test
A branch needs a parent at least eight years old, presence in two countries, an experienced managing director and three registered consultants. Missing any one sends the plan back to structure.
A shared or temporary office
The firm's premises must be in Dubai, suited to legal work and held by the firm itself or one of its partners, and two firms may never share one office. Co-working desks rarely pass.

Questions about a legal consultancy licence

A question about your plan? Describe your legal consultancy plan and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.

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Can foreigners get a legal consultancy licence in Dubai?

Yes, through two routes. A foreign firm can open a Dubai branch if it is at least eight years old and meets the department's other tests. A foreign lawyer with at least eight years' experience can also be licensed where the services are specialised and scarce in Dubai.

Can a law firm be set up in a Dubai free zone?

Yes, and the same Legal Affairs Department rules apply there. Its bylaw covers legal consultancy across Dubai, free zones included, so the department approves the firm before the zone issues the licence. A free zone firm advising mainland clients may also need a DET branch licence or permit.

Can a legal consultant appear in court in Dubai?

No. Appearing before UAE courts is reserved for advocates under federal law. A legal consultancy advises, drafts and negotiates, then instructs an advocate when a case goes to court. Some founders hold both kinds of firm, so we check which licence each partner qualifies for.

How to start a legal consultancy business in Dubai?

Start with ownership, because it decides the route. Then come the work plan, roll registration for every consultant and indemnity insurance, all checked by the Legal Affairs Department. DET or a free zone issues the trade licence once the department approves, and we prepare that file first.

Do law firms in Dubai have AML obligations?

Yes, for transaction work. Lawyers become designated non-financial businesses when they act on property deals, manage client funds or accounts, or form and run companies for clients. The firm then registers on goAML, applies customer checks and reports suspicious transactions.

Does your firm pass the department's ownership test? Know it before the trade name

Thirty minutes on your partners, your experience and your clients. You leave with the ownership route, the licence path and the order of the department and DET steps.

Book a 30-minute call Message us on WhatsApp

On the call

The activity wording that fits your plan
The route, and the approvals in order
A written scope, agreed before any work starts

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