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Import export licence in Dubai

For traders who re-export through Jebel Ali, sell into the UAE market, or do both.

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Crew resting aboard blue-painted cargo dhows moored at the Dubai Creek wharf under UAE flags
Gateway zones
JAFZA, Dubai South
Stock in the zone
Customs-suspended
Mainland entry
About 5% import duty
Clears with
Customs code and HS code
At a glance

For an import export licence in Dubai, a gateway free zone suits bonded storage and re-export, because goods stay customs-suspended there. Selling to UAE buyers needs a mainland entity or distributor, with duty on entry. Traders often weigh JAFZA company setup beside Jebel Ali Port against Dubai South beside Al Maktoum International Airport.

Where your goods land matters

The licence fee matters least. The expensive choices sit in customs.

  • Matched to where stock lands

    JAFZA tiers its trading licence by activity groups, and a general trading licence covers three groups or more.

  • The code that lets goods clear

    Shipments clear in your company's name only with a Dubai Customs code, which is renewed after each licence renewal.

  • Agreeing with the container

    Customs can hold a shipment if the licence activity does not match what is inside it.

  • Confirmed before you ship

    Duty on mainland entry is worked out from the HS code, and the code has to match the invoice and packing list.

Food and fuel import licences

Food imports need Dubai Municipality registration, item by item. Fuels need a Supreme Council of Energy permit.

Is a free zone duty-free for importers?

Stock in a port-side free zone is paused at customs, not exempt.

Once it enters the UAE mainland for local sale, duty of usually 5% of the CIF value applies, checked against your HS codes.

Customs-suspended while held in the zone

No duty is due while goods sit in the zone or leave again for export.

Duty applies on entering the mainland

Duty falls due when goods clear for local sale. Plan the working capital for it.

The free zone route needs a zone workspace, while a mainland trading company adds an Ejari office and its staff visas. Matching buyers and sellers for a commission, without taking title, is a commercial brokerage licence.

Import export structures compared

Where the goods finally land is the row that matters most. Many traders run both, with a free zone entity to land and re-export goods and a mainland route for local sale.

Gateway free zone or mainland for an import export business in Dubai
Gateway free zoneMainland
Built forImport, bonded storage, and re-export, with 100% foreign ownershipSelling and distributing directly to the UAE local market
Customs status of stockCustoms-suspended while held in the zone or re-exportedCleared into the UAE, so import duty applies on entry
Import duty exposureNot triggered until goods enter the mainlandUsually 5% of the CIF value
Sell directly in the UAENot directly; via a mainland entity or a local distributorYes, directly to local buyers
Typical locationGateway zones: JAFZA (sea), Dubai South (air)Anywhere in the emirate, near your local market

  • Usual fitGateway free zone

    Built for
    Import, bonded storage, and re-export, with 100% foreign ownership
    Customs status of stock
    Customs-suspended while held in the zone or re-exported
    Import duty exposure
    Not triggered until goods enter the mainland
    Sell directly in the UAE
    Not directly; via a mainland entity or a local distributor
    Typical location
    Gateway zones: JAFZA (sea), Dubai South (air)

  • Mainland route

    Built for
    Selling and distributing directly to the UAE local market
    Customs status of stock
    Cleared into the UAE, so import duty applies on entry
    Import duty exposure
    Usually 5% of the CIF value
    Sell directly in the UAE
    Yes, directly to local buyers
    Typical location
    Anywhere in the emirate, near your local market

The underlying choice is covered in the mainland versus free zone comparison. For a base beside Al Maktoum International Airport and its logistics district, see Dubai South Free Zone company setup.

What we flag before shipping

  • 01The free zone treated as duty-free

    Goods priced as if no duty applies, then sold into the UAE, pay duty on the CIF value from the first local order.

  • 02The activity and HS mismatch

    A wrong HS code holds the container too. Storage and demurrage then run while the paperwork is fixed, which costs more than checking the classification at setup.

  • 03The free zone without local reach

    A free zone company sells to mainland buyers through a distributor or a DET branch licence, and that route is planned before the first order.

  • 04The trade account under closer review

    Bank compliance teams focus on cross-border flows. They ask for suppliers and buyers by name and match invoices to shipping documents. A file with that trade history, ready before you apply, usually shortens the review.

The structure and the Dubai Customs code are set up together, and the HS classification is checked before the first container ships.

A licence picked on price alone tends to cost more later, once containers start waiting at the port.

Questions traders ask us

A question about your own setup? Send it on WhatsApp and an advisor answers it directly.

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Do I need a mainland or free zone licence for import and export?

That turns on where your stock lands and who buys it. Goods held in a port-side free zone stay customs-suspended for re-export, while goods sold into the UAE market enter the mainland and carry duty. Many traders run both.

Do I need a customs code to import into Dubai?

Yes, an importer code from Dubai Customs on top of the trade licence, registered before your first shipment arrives. Without it, you cannot clear goods in your company's name.

How much does an import export licence cost in Dubai?

It depends on the structure your trade lanes need, the free zone or emirate, warehouse or bonded space and your visa count. Customs duty on goods entering the mainland is a working capital cost on top.

How do I start an import export business in Dubai?

Start with where your goods come from and where they finally land, which settles free zone, mainland or both. Then come the matching licence activity, the customs code and a bank file that shows your trade.

Why does the HS code matter for an import business in Dubai?

It classifies each product for customs, so it sets the duty rate and shows whether the goods need a permit. It also has to match your licensed activity, and a wrong code is a common reason shipments are held.

Does a Dubai customs code need to be renewed?

Yes. It stays active only while the trade licence behind it is valid, so it renews after each licence renewal, and goods arriving while it has lapsed wait at the port.

What is re-export in Dubai?

Importing goods into Dubai and shipping them on to another country without selling them into the UAE market. Stock held in a port-side free zone or bonded warehouse stays under customs suspension, so no UAE duty is paid on it.

Related reading

Tell us where your goods land

We set the structure and the duty position before your first shipment lands.

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On the call

  1. What you move, and the countries on each side
  2. Whether stock re-exports or enters the UAE
  3. The structure, customs code, duty position and warehousing

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