How to get a restaurant licence in Dubai

What a Dubai restaurant licence actually involves

There is no single "restaurant licence" in Dubai. You get a trade licence for a food activity, then a set of approvals from different government bodies. The order matters. Dubai Municipality has to approve the layout before construction starts, so the lease and the layout come before the fit-out.

Some areas of Dubai fall under Trakhees, the planning and development department of Dubai's Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation. It issues its own commercial licences and building permits. Ask the landlord which authority covers the unit before you sign.

Mainland or free zone for a restaurant

The licensing authority follows the unit. If the site is on the mainland, the trade licence comes from DET. If the site is inside a free zone, the free zone licenses it.

Meydan Free Zone lists F&B and hospitality among its activities and offers online setup. DMCC and IFZA license free zone companies, but their Run The Shift profiles don't list restaurant activities, so ask them directly. Before you pay any free zone, get written confirmation that the licence covers serving the public at the exact unit you plan to rent.

A setup firm can compare the two routes for your concept. Creative Zone advises on mainland, free zone and offshore setups. Shuraa handles mainland and free zone formation.

How to get a restaurant licence in Dubai, step by step

The UAE government's mainland process has nine stages. Here is how they apply to a restaurant.

1. Choose the business activity. Pick the activity that matches what you will do: restaurant, café, cloud kitchen or catering. The activity decides which approvals follow.
2. Choose the legal form. The legal form sets who owns the business and who is liable for its debts. Ask your setup firm or lawyer to explain the options for your shareholders.
3. Apply for the trade licence and register the trade name. Check the name is free before you pay a designer for a logo.
4. Get initial approval. This means the government has no objection to the business. It does not let you trade yet.
5. Draft the founding documents. For most companies this is the Memorandum of Association.
6. Find the site and sign the lease. Every UAE business needs a physical address. In Dubai the lease must be registered with Ejari.
7. Get the layout approved. Submit the kitchen and dining layout to Dubai Municipality's Food Control Department before construction. The layout shows equipment, washing areas, seating and flow.
8. Get the other approvals. These include Civil Defence drawing approvals during fit-out, and any approvals linked to your specific activity.
9. Submit documents and pay the fees. The licence is issued once the fees are paid.

Before you open, appoint a Person in Charge who holds a Dubai Municipality food safety certificate, register staff with MOHRE, and register for VAT if you expect to pass the threshold.

How much does a restaurant licence cost in Dubai

We don't publish a total, because no official source gives one. The licence fee depends on the activity, the legal form, the authority and the rent, and we found no official page that adds up the fees for every approval.

The ranges you see in search results come from setup firms and software vendors. They disagree with each other widely, and none of the pages we read linked to an official fee schedule. Treat them as rough guesses.

To get a real number:

• Ask DET or your free zone for the fee for your exact activity and legal form.
• Ask two setup firms for a written quote that lists each government fee separately from their service fee. Virtuzone has an online setup cost calculator, which is a useful starting point.
• Add Ejari, PIC training, staff visas and work permits, and the fit-out approvals to your budget.

Who helps with restaurant licensing in Dubai

A setup firm handles the trade licence and visas. It usually doesn't draw your kitchen. For the layout approval you need someone who can produce the drawings, such as a kitchen contractor or an F&B consultant.

What to check before you sign a lease or a setup package

1. The activity on the licence. Make sure it matches your concept, including delivery or catering if you plan to do them.
2. The unit. Confirm the landlord allows food use, and which authority covers the building: DET, a free zone or Trakhees.
3. The layout first. Get a draft layout reviewed before you commit to fit-out costs. Moving equipment later needs approval too.
4. Government fees versus service fees. Ask for them on separate lines.
5. Who does what. Get in writing whether the setup firm also handles Ejari, MOHRE registration, VAT registration and your PIC.
6. Timelines in writing. No official source we found gives a standard processing time, so tie your setup firm to dates.

Frequently asked questions

What license do I need to open a restaurant in Dubai?

You need a trade licence with a restaurant or food activity, from the Department of Economy and Tourism on the mainland or from a free zone authority. You also need Dubai Municipality layout approval, an Ejari-registered lease, Civil Defence drawing approvals and a certified Person in Charge.

How much is a restaurant license in Dubai?

No official source publishes a single figure. The fee depends on the activity, legal form, authority and rent. Online ranges come from setup firms and vary widely. Ask DET or your free zone for the exact fee, and get itemised quotes.

Do I need Dubai Municipality approval before fit-out?

Yes. Under the Dubai Municipality Food Code, a licensee has to submit the establishment's layout to the Food Control Department for approval before construction. Adding, removing or moving substantial, permanent equipment later also counts as a change to the approved layout.

What is a PIC in a Dubai restaurant?

A Person in Charge is the hygiene supervisor of a food establishment. Dubai Municipality requires every food establishment to authorise a responsible PIC who has received appropriate training and holds a food safety certificate. Dubai Municipality runs the PIC training courses at three levels.

Does a restaurant in Dubai need to register for VAT?

Yes, once its taxable supplies pass the mandatory registration threshold of AED 375,000. Registration and filing happen on the Federal Tax Authority's EmaraTax platform. VAT in the UAE is 5%.

Can a free zone company run a restaurant in Dubai?

Some free zones license F&B activities. Meydan Free Zone lists F&B and hospitality among its activities. Before you pay, get written confirmation from the free zone that your licence covers serving the public at the unit you plan to rent.

Sources

• Mainland setup steps, initial approval, Ejari and fee payment: u.ae, Steps to start a business on the mainland
• Layout approval: Dubai Municipality Food Code (English), section 2.2
• Person in Charge: Dubai Municipality, mandatory PICs in Dubai's food establishments
• VAT threshold: Federal Tax Authority, Mandatory Registration
• Partner and authority details: each organisation's own website, linked from its Run The Shift profile.

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Last updated: 21 October 2026. Partner details come from each company's own website, summarised on its Run The Shift profile. Partners are listed in alphabetical order. Some partners sponsor Run The Shift, and that does not change where or how they appear in this guide. Spotted something out of date? Use the claim link on the partner's profile.