Moving company licence, with the RTA permit first
A moving company in Dubai needs an RTA permit on top of the trade licence, and every truck is approved against it.
- Usual route
- Usually mainland
- Extra approval
- RTA permit
- Timeline
- Weeks
- AML
- Not a DNFBP activity
A moving company licence in Dubai covers moving furniture for homes and offices, from DET or a free zone. Furniture transport is a regulated road transport activity, so the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) issues a yearly permit and approves each truck. The rule reaches free zones too. Storage, international shipping and pet relocation sit as separate activities.
- Covers
- Home and office moves, packing, crating and furniture assembly
- Not covered
- Storage, international freight, pet relocation and waste disposal
- Premises
- An office and parking that suit the size of the fleet
- Timeline
- Weeks, led by the RTA permit and truck approvals
What a moving company licence covers
The activity covers collecting, moving and delivering furniture and household goods, new or used, for homes and businesses.
Covered
Not covered
- Covered by Warehousing
- Covered by Freight forwarding
- Covered by Waste management
- Covered by Courier company
Tick what you plan to do. The result shows here.
We fix the wording before you apply. Send us your list on WhatsApp
Pet relocation is its own activity with its own federal permits. We add storage or forwarding when your first quotes include them.
Where a moving company should be licensed
Household customers sit mainly on the mainland, which points to DET. A free zone licence still needs the same RTA permit.
| If most of your clients are | Likely route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Families moving home within Dubai | Mainland (DET) | Household moves across the city fit a DET licence |
| Companies relocating offices | Mainland (DET) | Mainland offices and building access point to DET |
| Moves inside one free zone community | Free zone | A zone licence fits, though the trucks still run on RTA permits |
| Expats leaving with goods shipped abroad | Either route | The road move pairs with forwarding, which either route can hold |
A free zone mover serving mainland homes needs a DET branch licence or permit (Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025). Moves billed to individuals sit 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.
Moving company permits in order
DET or the free zone issues the licence. RTA then permits the transport activity for a year at a time and approves each vehicle, and expects an office and parking that match the fleet.
Before the licence
- Trade name and initial approvalDET
The licence
- Furniture removal licenceDET
Alongside the licence
- Office and truck parkingRoads and Transport Authority (RTA)
After the licence
- Transport activity permitRoads and Transport Authority (RTA)
- Approval for each truckRoads and Transport Authority (RTA)
- Crew visas and work permitsMOHRE and GDRFA Dubai
- Corporate bank accountThe bank
We match the trucks to the permit before you buy them.
The licence clock and the fleet clock
The company can be licensed long before its first truck may carry furniture, because the fleet runs on RTA's own clock.
Trucks bought before the permit is planned can turn out to be the wrong class, so we check the vehicle list first.
The company
- Trade licence issuedDays
- Corporate bank accountWeeks
The fleet
- Office and parking securedBefore the permit
- RTA activity permitWeeks
- Each truck approvedEach vehicle
- Permit renewedEvery year
What the bank asks a mover
Bank viewStandard; household deposits and card payments
Banks treat a moving company as a standard service business. Income comes mainly from households paying deposits and balances by card or transfer, with invoices for office moves. The questions come early, when truck purchases or leases leave the account before the first job. Expat customers paying from abroad are normal. We put the RTA permit, the fleet plan and the first corporate quotes into the account file.
AMLNot a DNFBP activity; the bank's own customer checks still apply.
Where moving company setups stall
Trucks bought before the permit
RTA approves each vehicle against the company's transport permit. A truck of the wrong size or class, or one registered to someone else, can hold up the permit or sit unused.
A free zone licence read as enough
Dubai's road transport rules cover free zones, special development zones and the DIFC. A free zone mover still needs the RTA permit before its trucks carry a customer's furniture.
Storage promised in the quote
Holding a customer's furniture between moves is warehousing, a separate activity. A mover that stores goods on a removal licence alone is offering a service it is not licensed for.
Questions about a moving company licence
A question about your plan? Describe your moving company plan and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.
Ask on WhatsAppHow much does a moving company licence cost in Dubai?
How to start a movers and packers business in Dubai?
Can a free zone moving company work across Dubai?
Do movers need an RTA permit in Dubai?
Related pages
ActivityWarehousing licence in DubaiA warehousing licence covers storing other people's goods, and food, cold chain or duty-suspended stock each add an approval.
ActivityCourier company licence in DubaiDelivering for others needs a federal postal licence on top of the trade licence, and the RTA governs riders and vehicles.
JurisdictionDubai mainland licence through DETSuits businesses that sell to UAE customers or bid for Dubai tenders.
Is your fleet plan ready for the RTA permit? Check it before you buy trucks
Fifteen minutes with a senior advisor on your customers, your trucks and any storage or shipping you plan. You leave with the activities, the route and the RTA steps in order.
On the call
- The activity wording that fits your plan
- The route, and the approvals in order
- A written quote before any work starts
