Licences & changes
The e-trader and instant licences
Cheap, quick and restricted. An e-trader licence lets you sell online from home without premises — and does not let you open a shop, sponsor a visa, or in most cases open a corporate bank account.
What it covers
What this licence actually permits.
Dubai's e-trader licence permits individuals to sell goods and services online through social media and websites, operating from home, without commercial premises. It is aimed at home businesses and social sellers, is inexpensive, and is issued quickly. Eligibility has historically been limited to UAE and GCC nationals for the full e-trader licence, with a variant available to residents under different terms. Separately, several authorities offer instant licences that issue within a day without an initial approval stage.
The restrictions define the product. An e-trader licence does not permit a physical shop or a commercial address, does not generally support residence visas, and does not open the door to a conventional corporate bank account — which for a business taking card payments is the binding constraint, because merchant onboarding needs a licensed entity with a business account. It is genuinely useful for what it is: a lawful basis for a home-based online seller to trade and to be taken seriously by platforms. It is not a cheaper version of a trade licence, and treating it as one leads to a migration a year later.
At a glance
- Permits
- Online selling from home, without commercial premises
- Does not permit
- A physical shop or commercial address
- Visas
- Generally not supported
- Banking
- Corporate account access is limited
- Eligibility
- Historically UAE and GCC nationals, with resident variants
- Instant licences
- A separate fast-issuance route offered by several authorities
What it costs
The procedure
What the amendment involves.
- Check current eligibilityThe rules on who may hold an e-trader licence have changed and vary by emirate.
- Confirm what you actually needIf you need visas, a shop or card payments, this is the wrong instrument.
- Register the online channelsThe licence covers named platforms and stores; selling through unregistered channels is outside it.
- Test the banking position before committingPayment acceptance is where e-trader holders most often hit the wall.
- Plan the upgrade pathA free zone e-commerce licence is the usual next step once visas or card payments are needed.
Related
Questions
A licence permitting individuals to sell online from home through social media and websites, without commercial premises.
Generally not. If you need residence, a free zone or mainland licence is the right instrument.
Corporate account access is limited, and merchant onboarding for card payments generally requires a conventional licensed entity.
A fast-issuance route offered by several authorities that skips the initial approval stage, typically issuing within a day.
One question
What are you actually trying to change?
Name, activity, manager or address — each is a formal amendment with its own fee, and most require a fresh MOA addendum before the licence is reprinted. Bundling several amendments into one submission usually costs less and takes no longer than doing them one at a time.
How amendments runOr just ask usShare transfers are notarised, not administrative. Every shareholder signs or is represented under an attested power of attorney, the bank has to be told, and the UBO register updates within days rather than at the next renewal.
Transferring sharesOr just ask usThen do it properly rather than letting the licence lapse. An abandoned company accrues renewal penalties, immigration liabilities and a corporate tax deregistration fine, and it blocks the shareholders from clean incorporations later.
Closing down cleanlyOr just ask us