Freight Forwarding License Dubai: DET vs Free Zone (2026)

To get a freight forwarding license Dubai authorities will accept, you first obtain a trade licence with forwarding-related activities. That licence comes either from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) for the mainland or from a free zone authority such as JAFZA. Then you register the company with Dubai Customs through Dubai Trade to receive a business code.

This guide covers the order of steps, how to compare mainland and free zone, the official Dubai Customs fees, and the mistakes that slow new forwarders down.

Check before you act. I could confirm the Dubai Customs steps and fees on official pages. DET and free zone fees, activity names and approval times were not verifiable from official pages, so this guide says "verify" where they apply. Confirm them with DET or your chosen free zone authority.

What are the steps to start a freight forwarding company in Dubai?

The order is: choose a location, get the licence, then register with Dubai Customs and Dubai Trade. You cannot reverse it, because Dubai Customs asks for a copy of your trade licence.

1. Decide where your customers are. Do you mainly serve Dubai mainland importers and exporters, or do you work from a free zone near Jebel Ali?
2. Pick the licensing authority. This is DET for mainland, or the free zone authority (for example JAFZA) for a free zone company.
3. Ask for the right activity wording. Dubai Customs says the business type you pick must match the licence activities. Ask the licensing authority which forwarding-related activity fits your services (sea, air, road, customs documentation).
4. Get the licence and any premises it needs. Requirements vary by authority, so verify them with the authority.
5. Register with Dubai Customs on Dubai Trade and receive your business code.
6. Register your Dubai Trade roles. Choose the Freight Forwarder role, then apply for any representative cards your staff need.

DET mainland or free zone: which should a forwarder choose?

Choose mainland (DET) if most of your customers are Dubai or UAE businesses you serve directly. Choose a free zone such as JAFZA if your operation is centred there and you want its set-up. Both can lead to a Dubai Customs business code, as long as the licence is valid and the activities match.

Do not pick on price alone. Ask both authorities for a written quote that lists the licence fee, premises cost, visa quota and renewal fee for the same year.

A worked example

Say you plan to move 40 shipments a week, mostly for Dubai importers who want one forwarder for sea freight and customs paperwork. Most of your customers sit on the mainland, so a DET licence may fit better. Say instead you serve clients inside a free zone, and mostly handle their cargo. A free zone licence may suit you. These are examples only. Get quotes from both before you decide.

Can a free zone freight forwarder work on the Dubai mainland?

Possibly, but you need permission. Dubai's Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025 sets up a route for free zone companies to work on the mainland. This comes from a Reed Smith legal summary, not from an official government page. Please verify the details with DET.

What that summary reports:

• Free zone companies can work on the mainland with a DET licence or a temporary permit.
• Approval is needed from both DET and the free zone authority.
• Reported fees are AED 10,000 a year for a branch licence operating out of the free zone and AED 5,000 for a temporary permit.
• The effective date was 3 March 2025. Firms already working on the mainland had one year to regularise, with a possible one-time extension.

That one-year window has passed by today (28 October 2026). If you plan to serve mainland customers from a free zone entity, check the current rules with DET before you sign any customer contract.

How do you register a freight forwarder with Dubai Customs?

You register online through Dubai Trade. Dubai Customs says any business that uses its services must register, and no office visit is needed.

The official process has three steps, per the Dubai Customs service page:

1. Submit the application.
2. Pay the service fee.
3. Receive an email with your company registration and customs code.

The Customer Guide also lists an undertaking letter for professional companies only. Whether that applies to you depends on your licence type, so ask Dubai Customs.

Other websites quote different renewal fees. Use the Dubai Customs figure, and confirm it on Dubai Trade before you budget.

Who should be the authorised person?

Use someone who will stay with the company, such as an owner or manager. Their passport and Emirates ID are needed for the application. If they leave, plan the change of contact early.

What comes after the Dubai Customs business code?

Next you set up your Dubai Trade account roles and the staff cards you need. An older Dubai Trade help page says companies licensed by Dubai Economic Department with shipping and forwarding-related activities can register, and that you choose the Freight Forwarder role. It states approval within 2 business days. The same page says shipping agents and freight forwarders need a Dubai Customs Shipping Agent code before registering with DP World. It is an older page, so confirm that this is still the process.

Dubai Customs also lists a Representative Card, which requires a business registration first. Apply for cards for the staff who deal with customs.

When you start taking jobs, you will need a tidy way to track inquiries, quotes, shipments and invoices. Quickship's Freight Management module covers inquiry to invoice for forwarders. If you also handle declarations, there is a Customs Clearance module for UAE and KSA. Quickship is a software company. It does not hold licences, clear cargo or move goods for you.

What mistakes slow down a new forwarder's licence?

• Wrong activity wording. If the business type you pick on Dubai Trade does not match the licence, registration can be stopped. Fix the wording at the licence stage.
• Letting the licence lapse. The Dubai Customs business code is tied to the licence. Renewal is only possible after the licence is renewed.
• Assuming a free zone licence covers mainland work. Check the current rules with DET and your free zone authority first.
• Trusting old fee tables. Consultancy blogs often disagree with each other and with Dubai Customs. Use official pages and written quotes.
• Missing documents. Have the trade licence, passport and Emirates ID scans ready before you start the Dubai Trade form.

Pre-application checklist

• Written quotes from DET and one or more free zone authorities for the same year
• Confirmed activity wording for your forwarding services
• Valid trade licence copy
• Passport and Emirates ID of the authorised person
• AED 120 for Dubai Customs registration, plus any renewal and card fees
• Diary dates for the licence and customs code renewals