Licences & changes
The tourism licence
Travel agencies, tour operators and holiday home management each need approval from the emirate's tourism authority on top of the trade licence — plus, for outbound travel, a bank guarantee.
What it covers
What this licence actually permits.
Tourism activities are licensed by the emirate's economic department but regulated separately by its tourism authority — the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi. The categories are distinct and matter: inbound tour operation, outbound travel agency, travel agency acting as an intermediary, and holiday home management are separately permitted activities with different requirements. Outbound travel typically requires a bank guarantee, and the manager is usually required to hold relevant experience.
The bank guarantee is the item that catches new operators, because it is a real capital commitment rather than a fee, and it exists to protect travellers whose money has been taken for a trip that has not yet happened. The amount depends on the activity, it must be in place before the licence is issued, and it ties up capital for the life of the licence. Holiday home management is a separate regime again, with its own permit, unit-by-unit registration, tourism dirham collection and standards inspections — closer to hospitality regulation than to travel.
At a glance
- Regulators
- DET in Dubai, DCT in Abu Dhabi, and equivalents elsewhere
- Categories
- Inbound, outbound, intermediary travel, holiday home management
- Bank guarantee
- Typically required for outbound travel
- Manager
- Usually required to hold relevant experience
- Holiday homes
- Separate permit, unit registration and tourism dirham
- IATA
- A separate accreditation, not part of the licence
What it costs
Proportions indicative — they shift with visa count, premises and activity.
The procedure
What the amendment involves.
- Identify the exact categoryInbound, outbound, intermediary and holiday home management have different requirements and different guarantees.
- Budget the bank guarantee as capitalIt is not a fee. It must be in place before issuance and is tied up for the life of the licence.
- Confirm the manager's experience requirementTourism authorities commonly require a manager with a documented track record in the sector.
- Obtain tourism authority approval before the licenceThe economic department issues on the back of it, not the other way round.
- For holiday homes, register each unitPlus tourism dirham collection and compliance with the standards regime.
Related
Questions
A trade licence plus approval from the emirate's tourism authority, with the category depending on whether you operate inbound, outbound or as an intermediary.
Outbound travel typically requires one. The amount depends on the activity and it must be in place before the licence issues.
It is a separate regime with its own permit, unit-by-unit registration and tourism dirham obligations.
IATA is a separate industry accreditation, not part of the UAE licensing requirement, though many agencies pursue it.
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