Technical services licence for each trade
A DET licence covers routine maintenance in clients' buildings. Electrical, fire and security systems each add a regulator before the first job.
- Usual route
- Mainland (DET)
- Extra approval
- By trade
- Timeline
- Weeks
- AML
- Not a DNFBP activity
A technical services company in Dubai usually licenses on the mainland with DET, because the work happens in clients' buildings. Electrical installation adds DEWA contractor enrolment, fire systems add Dubai Civil Defence company approval, and CCTV or access control needs a SIRA licence. AC servicing, plumbing and finishing trades need the right licence wording, which we confirm against the authority's list.
- Covers
- Building maintenance, AC servicing, plumbing and minor repair works
- Not covered
- New-build and structural works (see Construction contracting)
- Premises
- An office or workshop that fits your team
- Timeline
- Weeks, set by the DEWA or Civil Defence files
Which activities fit technical services
The licence is built from the jobs you will invoice for, one service line at a time, as each line carries its own wording.
Covered
Not covered
- Covered by Building contracting
- Covered by a fire safety activity (Civil Defence)
- Covered by Security systems (SIRA)
- Covered by Cleaning services
Tick what you plan to do. The result shows here.
We fix the wording before you apply. Send us your list on WhatsApp
Electrical installation adds DEWA contractor enrolment on top of the licence. Fire and security systems each need their own activity and regulator.
Where a maintenance company is licensed
Your teams work in clients' homes and plant rooms across Dubai, so the base is usually a DET mainland licence with a real office or workshop.
| If most of your clients are | Likely route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Homes, villas and buildings across Dubai | Mainland (DET) | Site work for mainland clients sits naturally on a DET licence |
| Clients in free zones and on the mainland | Either route | A free zone company can add a DET branch for mainland sites |
| Main contractors, as a subcontractor | Either route | Contracting work needs Dubai Municipality registration on either route |
A free zone company can take mainland jobs through a DET branch licence or permit under Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025. Income from those mainland jobs can affect the company's QFZP tax status.
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.
Who approves a maintenance company
DET issues the licence, then DEWA and Dubai Civil Defence decide whether the company may take electrical or fire work. Civil Defence also approves each technician by name, so hiring and approvals run together.
Before the licence
- Trade name and initial approvalDET
The licence
- Trade licence and activitiesDET
After the licence
- Electrical contractor enrolmentDEWA
- Fire systems company approvalDubai Civil Defence
- Certified rope access teamsEIAC-accredited certification
- Corporate bank accountThe bank
- Work permits and visasMOHRE and GDRFA Dubai
We line up the DEWA and Civil Defence files behind the licence.
Which trades bring a second regulator
Each line below shows who decides beyond DET before your team can take that work.
Lines marked wording only still need the right activity on the licence, which we confirm at application.
Tick each service line you expect to sell in year one.
| What you plan | Points to |
|---|---|
| Licence wording only | |
| Licence wording only | |
| EIAC-certified rope access | |
| DEWA enrolment | |
| Civil Defence approval | |
| A SIRA licence |
Tick a line to see where your plan points.
How a bank reads a maintenance company
Bank viewCloser look: large payroll and many small invoices
Banks read a maintenance company through its payroll and its invoices, because wages leave the account every month while contract payments arrive in uneven batches. A large site team on WPS, many small invoices and card or cash payments from households draw questions at review. Signed maintenance contracts answer most of them. We put the first contracts and the staffing plan into the bank file together.
AMLNot a DNFBP activity; the bank's own customer checks still apply.
Where maintenance companies lose time
A shelf licence with the wrong activities
Buying a shelf company with a technical services licence looks quick at first. The activities on it decide what the company may do, and adding electrical or fire work later means an amendment plus the regulator's own file.
Electrical jobs quoted before DEWA enrolment
The trade licence alone does not cover electrical installation. Taking that work before DEWA enrols the company puts the job at risk, and the client who wanted one contractor for everything starts looking elsewhere.
Fire alarms bundled into one contract
Building owners often want one firm for everything from AC to fire alarms. Fire systems need Civil Defence company approval and approved technicians, so the bundled contract waits on the slowest file.
Questions about a technical services licence
A question about your plan? Describe your technical services plan and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.
Ask on WhatsAppWhat activities are allowed under a technical services licence in Dubai?
Can I do electrical work with a maintenance licence in Dubai?
Do I need Civil Defence approval to maintain fire alarm systems in Dubai?
Is it safe to buy a technical services licence for sale in Dubai?
Is a technical services licence the same as a contracting licence?
Related pages
ActivityConstruction company licence and the contractor registerDET issues the trade licence, and since January 2026 Dubai Municipality also registers and classifies each contractor before it takes on work.
JurisdictionDubai mainland company setup with DETSuits businesses that sell to UAE customers or bid for Dubai tenders.
ServicePRO services for permits, visas and renewalsPRO services in Dubai for companies: visas, Emirates ID, labour permits, licence renewals and approvals run on a calendar, not chased at the deadline.
Check your trades against DEWA and Civil Defence before the first quote goes out
Thirty minutes with a senior advisor on the services you plan to sell and where your teams will work. You leave with the activity wording, the route and the regulators to line up first.
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
