Key takeaways
- The e-Trader licence in Dubai, issued by Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET), covers selling from home through social media and online platforms.
- DET issues it to UAE nationals and residents living in Dubai.
- It is a sole establishment with no shop, so the owner is personally liable for the business.
- Sellers who need a residence visa or stock choose an e-commerce company, which can sponsor visas and grow with staff.
Who can get an e-Trader licence?
Anyone living in Dubai, national or resident.
It stays a one-person licence run from home. We check that it covers your products before you pick a route, because a growing shop needs a company.
E-Trader or an e-commerce company?
The licence suits a small home shop. A company suits a business that grows.
| E-Trader licence | E-commerce company | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | UAE nationals and residents in Dubai | Founders of any nationality |
| Legal form | Sole establishment, owner fully liable | LLC, liability limited to share capital |
| Where you sell | Social media and online platforms, from home | Your website, social media and online channels |
| Shop or warehouse | None | Office or warehouse as you grow |
| Visas | Up to three, only with 100% Emirati ownership | Your residence visa and staff visas |
What can I sell as an e-Trader?
Goods and services legally approved for trade in the UAE, sold online.
Every eTrade licence needs an approval or no-objection from the TDRA. Regulated products need their own approval too: cosmetics and perfumes, for example, are registered with Dubai Municipality before they are sold. Each sale also needs a clear digital invoice.
When do I need an e-commerce company?
Once you need a residence visa or room to grow.
An e-Trader licence stays a one-person licence run from home. That is its limit. A free zone or Dubai mainland company sponsors your residence visa, holds stock in a warehouse and takes on partners. VAT registration becomes mandatory once taxable sales pass AED 375,000 in any 12 months, whichever licence you hold.
Our e-commerce licence in Dubai is set up around what you sell and where your buyers are.
Do I also need an advertiser permit?
Not to promote your own products on your own account.
The National Media Authority’s Advertising Permit covers people who promote another brand, whether they are paid in money or in products. Your own business, promoted on your own account, is exempt. If you also post for other brands, our social media influencer licence covers that route.
What we handle for you
One advisor sets up the right licence now and the company later.
We check whether the e-Trader licence is open to you, then word the activity so it covers every product you sell. Where a product needs an approval, such as cosmetics registration, we line it up before your first sale. Once your numbers call for a company, we move you to one.
