Tailoring licence, for abayas, kanduras and suits

A tailoring licence lists each garment group you sew, women's or men's, and the shop or workshop you sew it in.

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A tailor marks blue cloth with chalk beside a rolled length of fabric

At a glance

A tailoring licence in Dubai is one of the lighter licences. It needs a DET activity for the garments you make and a shop or workshop unit, with no sector approval on the tailoring activities. Ladies' wear, gents' wear and Arabic wear such as abayas and kanduras sit under separate activities, and bulk uniform work points to a workshop activity.

Covers: Made-to-measure clothing, embroidery and Arabic wear for customers
Not covered: Fabric trading, alterations-only shops, pressing and garment factories
Premises: A shop unit, or a workshop for volume orders
Timeline: Weeks, led by the shop unit and staff visas

Abayas, kanduras, suits and embroidery

A tailor measures, cuts and sews to each customer's order. The licence lists each garment group you will make.

Covered

Not covered

Selling fabric by the roll or metreCovered by Textile trading
Alterations and repairs onlyCovered by Clothing repair and alteration
Pressing and ironing for customersCovered by Laundry, with a Dubai Municipality permit
Ready-made clothing in volumeCovered by Garment manufacturing (industrial licence)

Abaya customers often ask for kanduras next, so we list both garment groups at the start when you will sew for men and women.

Tailor shop or tailoring workshop

A walk-in shop serves residents on the mainland. A workshop that sews for boutiques, brands or export buyers can sit in a free zone.

Likely route by where most of your clients are
If most of your clients are	Likely route	Why
Residents walking in for fittings	Mainland (DET)	A shop on the mainland serves the public under a DET licence
Boutiques and brands ordering in batches	Either route	A workshop supplies them from the mainland or a free zone
Export buyers and online orders abroad	Free zone	Work shipped out of the country suits a free zone workshop

Free zone workshops selling regularly to mainland customers need a DET branch licence or permit (Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025). Mainland income also faces the QFZP qualifying test.

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

Tailoring licence, shop unit and staff

DET lists your tailoring activities and the shop goes on the licence, so the real work is the fit-out and your tailors' visas. We confirm at application that nothing else is needed for your garment list.

Before the licence
- Trade name and initial approvalDET
The licence
- Licence listing each garment groupDET
After the licence
- Shop fit-out permitDubai Municipality or the area's authority
- Tailors' work permits and visasMOHRE and GDRFA Dubai
- VAT registration when turnover requiresFederal Tax Authority (FTA)
- Corporate bank accountThe bank

We match the activities to your garment list before filing.

Women's or men's, measured or in bulk?

Two questions place a tailoring business: whose clothes you sew, and whether each piece is made for one customer.

Shops that sew for both women and men list both groups, and we add them before filing so no order sits outside the licence.

How is the work ordered? by Whose clothes will you sew?
	Women's wear and abayas	Men's wear and kanduras
Made to measure, one customer	Ladies' tailoring A ladies' tailoring activity, with Arabic gowns such as abayas listed as their own activity.	Gents' tailoring A gents' tailoring activity, with kanduras, thobes and bishts listed as Arabic men's wear.
In batches for businesses	Ladies' wear workshop A workshop activity for volume orders, such as uniforms for hotels and airlines.	Gents' wear workshop A workshop activity for cut, make and trim work on suits and uniforms.

Deposits and cash at the counter

Bank viewStandard; order deposits and fabric purchases

Banks treat a tailoring shop as a standard small business. Customers pay a deposit when they order and the balance at collection, often by card or cash, while fabric is bought in bulk from traders. Questions come when cash takings run high and the paperwork is thin. We give the bank the shop lease, a fabric supplier account and the expected order volume up front.

AMLNot a DNFBP activity; the bank's own customer checks still apply.

Licence gaps in tailoring shops

Abayas sewn on a gents' licence
Ladies' wear, men's wear and Arabic gowns are separate activities. A shop licensed for one and sewing another works outside its licence, so we list every garment group you take orders for.
Alterations treated as tailoring
Repairs and alterations sit under a separate clothing repair activity. An alterations counter inside a tailoring shop needs that activity added, which is quick at the start and slower once the shop trades.
Pressing offered without the laundry permit
Pressing and ironing for customers is a laundry activity, and Dubai Municipality issues its own permit for it. A steam press added to a tailor's counter brings that permit into the file.

Questions about a tailoring licence

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

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How much does a tailoring licence cost in Dubai?

A tailoring licence cost in Dubai depends on the shop unit, your garment groups and the tailors you sponsor. A small walk-in shop is among the lighter setups, while a production workshop with a larger team, more machines and more visas costs more. You get a written quote before anything starts, and it only changes if your plans do.

What are the tailor shop licence requirements in Dubai?

A DET licence listing the tailoring activities for the garments you make, a shop or workshop unit, and visas for your tailors. Women's wear, men's wear and Arabic wear such as abayas and kanduras are separate activities. Pressing for customers adds a laundry permit. We match the list to your garments before filing.

Do I need a Dubai Municipality permit for a tailoring shop?

Not for tailoring itself. We confirm that with DET at application, against your garment list. Building fitting rooms or counters needs the usual fit-out permit for the unit. Pressing or ironing for customers is a laundry activity with its own Dubai Municipality permit, so we check your counter plan before the lease is signed.

Do you need a licence to be a tailor in Dubai?

Yes, to take orders and payment as a business. A tailoring shop or workshop holds a trade licence with the right tailoring activity, and the tailors it employs work on its visas and work permits. A tailor joining an existing shop needs only the work permit that shop arranges for them.

Can a free zone company run a tailoring shop in Dubai?

Yes, for a workshop. A free zone suits sewing for boutiques, brands or export buyers, and regular sales to mainland customers from there need a DET branch licence or permit. A walk-in shop for Dubai residents sits on a DET licence, because the shop is on the mainland. We compare both against your first orders.

Abayas, kanduras or both on your first rail? Every garment group, listed from day one

Fifteen minutes with a senior advisor on the garments you make, the shop you have in mind and your tailors. You leave with the activities, the route and the order of the steps.

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On the call

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

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