# Representative Office licence in the UAE

> Representative Office licensing in the UAE — the authority catalogue rows we hold for this line, the approvals attached to them, and where the activity can be filed.

- Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/representative-office
- Updated: 2026-09-05
- IFZA (Dubai): 7010003
- Ajman Free Zone: AM-03561
- Dubai mainland (DET): 7010003
- Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology

## What the authority says

This is an office established in Dubai by any international company or enterprise to represent it in the UAE in order to promote its products and services, boost business, or facilitate commercial agreements between the principal the customers, such office is not allowed to carry out any trading activity nor enter into commercial transactions and deals by itself.

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 | 7010003 | Professional | None flagged | Not restricted in the catalogue |
| [Ajman Free Zone](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ajman) | Listed | AM-03561 | Services | Not stated | Office, Virtual office |
| [Dubai mainland (DET)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/mainland) | Listed | 7010003 | Professional | Not stated | Not restricted in the catalogue |

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 · calculator output)
- [Ajman Free Zone](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ajman) — Lower cost, available with Dubai Setup Index. From, no visa: AED 5,555 (12 months · current package)
- [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

- Ajman Free Zone ISIC code: [7010003](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ajman)

## Facility and premises restrictions

- IFZA (Dubai) 7010003 note: Can only be used for branch companies. It cannot be combined with any other activity.
- Ajman Free Zone AM-03561 facilities: Office, Virtual office

## Free zone or mainland

- Both IFZA in Dubai and Ajman Free Zone list this activity, so the choice is a Dubai licence address against a lower package cost.
- 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: Can only be used for branch companies. It cannot be combined with any other activity.

## 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.

- ADGM: 7022 · Financial (Category A)
- DMCC: 5110-06 · Service
- Meydan Free Zone: 7010.90
- SPC Free Zone: 7010.06

## Related activities

- [Real Estate Representative Office](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/real-estate-representative-office) — Dubai mainland (DET)
- [Pharmaceutical Representative Office](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/pharmaceutical-representative-office) — IFZA (Dubai) · Dubai mainland (DET)
- [Banking Representative Office](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/banking-representative-office) — Dubai mainland (DET)
- [Managing Office](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/managing-office) — IFZA (Dubai) · Ajman Free Zone · Dubai mainland (DET)
- [Government Commercial Liaison Office.](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/government-commercial-liaison-office) — Dubai mainland (DET)
- [Activities of head offices](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/activities-of-head-offices) — Ajman Free Zone · Dubai mainland (DET)

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I add more activities to a Representative Office licence later?

Usually yes, as a licence amendment, subject to the authority's rules and any extra approval attached to the new line.

### Does this activity need third-party approval?

The catalogue rows we hold for this activity carry no prior-approval flag. Re-check the live authority catalogue before filing, since flags change.

## 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

- [Representative Office record (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/activities/representative-office.json)

## Citation

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

Dubai Setup Index. “Representative Office licence in the UAE.” Updated 2026-09-05. https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/representative-office

[Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/representative-office). “Representative Office licence in the UAE.” Updated 2026-09-05.

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.