Typing centre licence in Dubai, for counter services
A typing centre licence in Dubai is a light file, but visa and residency work belongs to GDRFA's Amer centres.
Professional services
- Usual route
- Usually mainland
- Extra approval
- None extra
- AML
- Standard bank checks
A typing centre licence in Dubai is a DET licence for typing, printing, copying and form filling, usually run from a mainland counter near government offices. No regulator approval is needed for those services. Visa and residency transactions go through Amer centres, which GDRFA Dubai appoints separately, so a typing centre licence does not cover them.
- Covers
- Typing, printing, copying, scanning and online form filling
- Not covered
- Visa and residency processing, which runs through Amer centres
- Premises
- A shop or office counter with a registered lease
- Timeline
- Days to weeks, led by the counter unit and lease
Services a typing centre can sell
Typing and copying sit on one activity. Clearing documents and processing online transactions are separate activities that can join it on the same licence.
Inside this licence
Outside this licence
- Covered by an Amer centre appointed by GDRFA Dubai
- Covered by Translation office
- Covered by Printing press
- Covered by Business services or PRO activity
Tick what you plan to do. The result shows here.
We fix the wording before you apply. Send us your list on WhatsApp
Each extra service is its own activity, so we list everything you plan to sell before DET issues the licence.
Mainland counter or free zone desk
Residents walk in with their paperwork, so the route follows whether you serve the public at a counter or companies from a desk.
| If most of your clients are | Likely route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Residents walking in near government offices | Mainland (DET) | A public counter needs a mainland unit with a registered lease |
| Small companies dropping off paperwork | Mainland (DET) | Walk-in business clients use the same mainland counter |
| Companies sending documents online | Either route | Business-to-business work can run from either route |
| Companies inside one free zone | Free zone | A zone desk suits clients based in that zone |
A free zone document services company serving the mainland public needs a DET branch licence or a mainland company, under Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025. Mainland income is then tested under QFZP.
A free zone suits a back-office document service for companies, with no public counter. Compare free zones
Three questions. The closest row is marked in the table above.
Your likely route shows here.
Typing centre licence approvals
DET issues the licence against a counter unit with a registered lease. No regulator approval is needed for typing services, and an Amer centre is a separate GDRFA process.
Before the licence
- Trade name and initial approvalDET
- Registered lease for the counterEjari (Dubai Land Department)
The licence
- Trade licence with typing activitiesDET
- Clearing or online transaction activitiesDET, on the same licence
After the licence
- Staff work permits and visasMOHRE, then GDRFA Dubai
- Amer centre appointment, if pursuedGDRFA Dubai
- Corporate bank accountThe bank
Amer centre approval runs on GDRFA's own guidelines.
Which counter services need more?
A typed CV and a residency renewal look alike at the counter, yet they sit on different activities and approvals.
Customers also ask for attestation and translation, so we place those services on the right licence before the signboard goes up.
Tick the services you plan to offer
| What you plan | Points to |
|---|---|
| The typing and photocopying activity | |
| The typing and photocopying activity | |
| An online government transactions activity on the same licence | |
| A document clearing activity, the same work PRO firms do | |
| A translation office with a licensed legal translator | |
| An Amer centre appointment from GDRFA Dubai, outside a typing licence |
Tick a line to see where your plan points.
Client fees and card takings
Bank viewStandard; card takings and fees paid on for clients
A typing centre takes many small payments by card and cash. Much of that money is the authorities' charges it pays on for customers. A new account with high turnover and thin margins draws questions without that context.
Terminal statements and the service list explain the pattern. We put the lease, the service list and the expected mix of pass-through charges and service income into the bank file. The review then reads the turnover correctly.
Common slips at a typing counter
Advertising visa work at the counter
Customers walk in asking for visa renewals and residency changes. Those transactions run through Amer centres, so a typing centre that advertises them takes on complaints it cannot resolve.
Online transactions left off the licence
Filling in government applications online for clients is a separate activity from typing. A centre licensed for typing alone that runs online applications is working outside its licence.
A free zone desk for walk-in trade
Free zone licences mostly suit business-to-business services. A typing centre built on residents walking in needs a mainland counter, so a zone licence bought for a lighter start leaves the counter unlicensed.
Typing centre licence FAQs
A question about your plan? Describe your typing centre plan and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.
Ask on WhatsAppHow much does a typing centre licence cost in Dubai?
How to open a typing centre in Dubai?
What are the typing centre licence requirements in Dubai?
Can a typing centre do visa renewals in Dubai?
How to open an Amer centre in Dubai?
Can a typing centre operate from a free zone?
What activities can a typing centre have in Dubai?
Can a typing centre offer PRO services in Dubai?
Can a foreigner open a typing centre in Dubai?
Can I buy a typing centre for sale in Dubai?
Related pages
PRO services in DubaiPRO services in Dubai for companies: visas, Emirates ID, labour permits, licence renewals and approvals run on a calendar, not chased at the deadline.- Translation office licence in DubaiA translation office licence in Dubai covers general work, and certified legal translation needs a translator registered with the Ministry of Justice.
Dubai mainland company setupDubai mainland company formation with a DET licence: trade across the UAE, bid for government tenders and hold 100% ownership for most activities.
Which counter services go on your licence?
Bring your service list and the unit you have found, and we set out which activities to list and where visa work fits.
On the call
- Your service list and prices
- The counter unit and its footfall
