Key takeaways
- Trade licence freezing in Dubai rests a company lawfully while it stops trading, and whether you can freeze depends on your zone.
- On the mainland, DET can suspend your licence, and licence fees and renewal fines stop building up once you apply.
- DMCC allows dormancy for 12 to 36 months and JAFZA freezes for one year, while RAKEZ offers no freeze.
- Every published freeze route clears visas and staff first, and we handle those cancellations for you.
Can I freeze my Dubai trade licence?
Yes, on the mainland and in several free zones, each on its own terms.
Dubai law lets an owner ask DET to suspend a licence while the business stops trading. Doing nothing costs more. An idle licence left unrenewed can be revoked after a public notice.
A freeze keeps the company registered and ready to restart.
Which free zones allow a freeze?
Each authority runs its own route, so start with yours.
| Authority | Freeze route | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai mainland (DET) | Suspension on application | Fees and renewal fines stop building up |
| DMCC | Dormancy for 12, 24 or 36 months | Same licence number when you restart |
| JAFZA | Company Freeze for one year | Ask before expiry or within 30 days |
| Meydan | Suspension on application | Terms set case by case |
| RAKEZ | No freeze | We plan a renewal or a closure |
| IFZA, SPC and Ajman Free Zone | No freeze route published | We plan a renewal or a closure |
What happens to my visas and staff?
They are cleared before the freeze, on every published route.
DMCC, JAFZA and the federal branch register all ask for visas and workers to be cancelled first, and a dormant DMCC company holds no visas and no lease at all. Staff cannot wait it out. MoHRE fines companies that keep registered workers while they are not trading.
Your own residence needs a plan too, made together with your family’s before the freeze request goes in.
Freeze or close the company?
Freeze when you will trade again within your zone’s period.
Otherwise, close.
A DMCC company comes back under the same licence number and history. For a pause of a few months, our guide to trade licence renewal in Dubai sets out the timing.
When no restart is planned, the better move is to close the company cleanly, which ends the renewals.
What we handle for your freeze
One advisor runs the whole file for you.
We cancel the visas, clear the labour file, end the lease and permits and close out dues. Then come the clearances your zone asks for, such as customs, utilities and an auditor’s letter for DMCC. Your corporate tax and VAT position is lined up with the FTA in the same file.
Approval stays with the authority. Our file reaches it complete, with every clearance attached.
