Transport company licence, matched to your cargo

A transport company licence in Dubai pairs the trade licence with an RTA permit, and the cargo decides which RTA activity applies.

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Transport and travel

Usual route: Mainland or free zone
Extra approval: RTA permit
Timeline: Weeks to months
AML: Not a DNFBP activity

At a glance

A transport company licence in Dubai is a DET or free zone trade licence with a goods transport activity, plus an RTA permit for the fleet. The RTA sets how many vehicles you may run, inspects each one and requires approved tracking. Heavy, light, refrigerated and hazardous loads are separate RTA activities.

Covers: Hauling goods by light or heavy truck for clients
Not covered: Household moves, parcel delivery, freight forwarding and storage
Premises: An office plus parking that meets RTA standards
Timeline: Weeks to months, set by the RTA permit and fleet

Which loads can a transport company carry?

A goods transport company moves other companies' cargo by road for a fee. The RTA permits each kind of load as its own activity.

Covered

Not covered

Household and office movesCovered by Moving company
Parcels and documents to customersCovered by Courier company
Booking freight and clearing customsCovered by Freight forwarding
Storing goods between deliveriesCovered by Warehousing

Bus hire with drivers sits on the same RTA framework as a separate activity, so we add it when staff transport contracts are planned.

Does the route change the RTA permit?

No. The RTA permit applies in free zones too, so the licence route follows your clients. Trucks on Dubai roads need it either way.

Likely route by where most of your clients are
If most of your clients are	Likely route	Why
Retailers, distributors and contractors in Dubai	Mainland (DET)	Daily haulage for mainland clients usually runs from a DET licence
Logistics firms inside one free zone	Free zone	A zone company can hold the transport activity, and the RTA permit still applies
Companies needing buses for staff	Mainland (DET)	Staff transport contracts with Dubai employers sit on the mainland

A free zone transport company hauling for mainland clients looks at a DET branch licence or permit (Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025). Income 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

Transport company licence and RTA permit

DET or the free zone issues the trade licence. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) then permits the activity and sets how many vehicles you may run. Each truck is inspected before it works.

Before the licence
- Trade name and initial approvalDET or the free zone
The licence
- Licence with goods transport activityDET or the free zone
After the licence
- Activity permit and fleet sizeRoads and Transport Authority (RTA)
- Vehicles registered, marked, inspectedRTA
- Approved tracking in each vehicleRTA
- Drivers licensed for the classRTA
- Food transport permit per vehicleDubai Municipality
- Corporate bank accountThe bank

We match the fleet order to the RTA permit before you buy.

What will your trucks carry?

Tick the loads you expect in your first year. The heaviest one shows which RTA activity and extra approvals the fleet needs.

A client who later asks you to carry chilled food or fuel changes the permit, so we plan for the loads you expect in year two.

Tick every kind of load you plan to carry

Tick every kind of load you plan to carry
What you plan	Points to
Pallets and boxes in light trucks	the RTA activity for goods by light trucks
Containers and heavy machinery	the RTA activity for goods by heavy trucks, with drivers licensed for that class
Sand, aggregate and building materials	the RTA activity for land transport of raw materials
Buses with drivers for staff	a bus rental activity under its own RTA permit
Chilled and frozen food	a refrigerated transport activity, plus a Dubai Municipality food transport permit for each vehicle
Fuel, chemicals or gas cylinders	a hazardous or petroleum transport activity, with its own RTA terms and safety approvals

Fleet money and the bank

Bank viewStandard; fleet purchases before contracts draw questions

Banks see a transport company as a standard service business with monthly invoices. The questions come early, when large payments leave for trucks or a fleet lease before any contract pays. Fuel and driver costs then move with the work. We put the RTA permit, the vehicle purchase or lease papers and the first haulage contracts into the account file together. The review then sees a fleet with work behind it.

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

Mistakes with trucks and permits

A fleet bought before the RTA permit
The RTA decides how many vehicles a transport company may run under its permit. Trucks bought ahead of that decision can sit in the yard while the permit and the fleet size are agreed.
One permit stretched across mixed loads
Heavy trucks, light trucks, refrigerated vehicles and hazardous loads are separate RTA activities. A company permitted for general cargo that starts carrying chilled food or fuel is outside its permit on the first run.
Markings and tracking left until last
Each vehicle carries the company name and its weights on the body, plus an approved tracking device. Trucks without them fail the RTA check. We plan both with the purchase.

Questions about a transport company licence

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

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How much does a transport company licence cost in Dubai?

A transport company licence cost in Dubai depends on the fleet and the loads. Each RTA activity is its own permit, and every vehicle is registered, inspected and fitted with approved tracking. Refrigerated or hazardous loads add approvals. Driver visas add more. You get a written quote before anything starts, and it only changes if your plans do.

Which licence is required for a transport business in Dubai?

A trade licence with the transport activity, from DET or a free zone, plus an RTA permit for that activity. Your cargo decides which ones you need, because the RTA treats heavy trucks, light trucks, refrigerated vehicles and hazardous loads as separate activities. We match them to your first contracts before filing.

Can a free zone transport company operate trucks in Dubai?

Yes, with an RTA permit. The RTA's transport rules apply in free zones too, so a zone company hauling on Dubai roads needs the same permit, inspected vehicles and approved tracking. Regular work for mainland clients can call for a DET branch licence or permit, and we test that against your client list.

How to start a goods transport business in Dubai?

Start with the cargo and the clients. They decide the RTA activity, which sets the trucks you buy and the permit you need. The trade licence comes first, then the RTA permit, vehicle registration, tracking and licensed drivers. We plan the fleet order around the permit, so trucks do not sit idle.

Do transport companies need an RTA permit in Dubai?

Yes. A company carrying goods by road for clients in Dubai needs a permit from the RTA's Licensing Agency for that activity. It runs a year at a time, and the RTA decides how many vehicles the company may use. We line up the permit before the trucks arrive.

Do your trucks match the RTA activity? We check before the fleet order

Fifteen minutes with a senior advisor on your loads, your clients and the fleet you have in mind. You leave with the activities, the route and the order of the DET and RTA 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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