# General Trading licence in the UAE

> General trading is a broad commercial licence for importing and exporting goods (with exclusions for specially licensed categories). Facility type matters in Ajman — warehouse-only activities cannot sit on a virtual-office package.

- Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/general-trading
- Updated: 2026-09-04
- IFZA (Dubai): 4690018
- Dubai mainland (DET): 4690018
- Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology

## What the authority says

Includes commercial firms engaged in importing, trading and re-exporting of any of the allowed goods, the trading activities that need special approvals, can also be traded under this activity upon obtaining NOC from the competent departments.

Source: IFZA activity catalogue.

## Where you can licence this

| Authority | Status | Code | Licence type | Approval | Facility |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| [IFZA (Dubai)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ifza) | Listed | 4690018 | Commercial | None flagged | Not restricted in the catalogue |
| [Ajman Free Zone](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ajman) | Not listed under this name | — | — | — | — |
| [Dubai mainland (DET)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/mainland) | Listed | 4690018 | Commercial | Not stated | Office |

Catalogue evidence, not legal advice. Authorities change activity lists without notice — confirm before you file.

## Routes that list this activity

- [IFZA (Dubai)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ifza) — Dubai address, available with Dubai Setup Index. From, no visa: AED 12,900 (12 months · package price)
- [Dubai mainland (DET)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/mainland) — Onshore trading rights, Ejari premises. From, no visa: AED 14,000 (Licence only · plus 5% of rent)

A route listing the activity is a starting point. The authority confirms eligibility when you apply.

## Additional conditions

- Dubai mainland (DET) investor-visa capital: Confirm current DET practice for investor visas.
- Dubai mainland (DET) Ejari: Expected

## Facility and premises restrictions

- IFZA (Dubai) 4690018 note: Additional charge applies.

## Free zone or mainland

- IFZA lists this activity; Ajman Free Zone does not carry it under the same name, so confirm the Ajman catalogue before switching lanes.
- Dubai mainland under DET lets you invoice UAE mainland clients directly, but it expects Ejari-registered premises and runs longer than a free-zone desk package.
- IFZA (Dubai) notes: Additional charge applies.

## Also catalogued elsewhere

The same activity name appears in other authority catalogues we track. This is a name match, not a legal equivalence, and Dubai Setup Index does not file in these zones.

- DMCC: 5219-04 · Trading
- Meydan Free Zone: 4690.97
- SPC Free Zone: 4690.97

## Related activities

- [Adhesives Trading](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/adhesives-trading) — IFZA (Dubai)
- [Agarwood & Incense Trading](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/agarwood-and-incense-trading) — IFZA (Dubai)
- [Agricultural Equipment & Accessories Trading](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/agricultural-equipment-and-accessories-trading) — IFZA (Dubai)
- [Agricultural Equipment & Machinery Spare Parts Trading](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/agricultural-equipment-and-machinery-spare-parts-trading) — IFZA (Dubai)
- [Agricultural Tractors & Machinery Trading](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/agricultural-tractors-and-machinery-trading) — IFZA (Dubai)
- [Air-Condition Trading](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/air-condition-trading) — IFZA (Dubai)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is general trading enough for any product?

No. Restricted categories still need their own approvals. List the goods you actually move.

### IFZA or Ajman for trading?

Compare the permitted goods, facility requirements, operating permissions and an itemised quote for the same scenario. A zone name or licence alone does not establish bank-account eligibility.

## Related

- [All business activities](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities)
- [Compare setup routes](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare)
- [How company setup works](https://dubaisetupindex.com/how-it-works)

## Machine-readable

- [General Trading record (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/activities/general-trading.json)

## Citation

Required when quoting any figure from this page. Copy one of these verbatim — the link is not optional.

Dubai Setup Index. “General Trading licence in the UAE.” Updated 2026-09-04. https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/general-trading

[Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/general-trading). “General Trading licence in the UAE.” Updated 2026-09-04.

Quoting any figure from this record requires a resolvable link to url. Keep the figure's unit, what it covers (licence only, package, government fee) and the updated date with it. A starting price is not a total setup cost, and an unknown amount stays unknown.