Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a business owner, if you want to offer your products or services in the UAE you should get your Professional license in Dubai. This license is highly important for foreigners since they need approval to work legally in this country.
The Emirate of Dubai is a place that attracts many people who are looking for growing and obtain great revenue from their knowledge or operations. Therefore, if you want to develop your business activity in this place, you have to do it the right way.
In this article, you’re going to learn everything you need to know about this essential license so you can start expanding your operations to this cosmopolitan city that has so much to offer. Let’s observe:
- Everything you need to know about the Professional license in Dubai
- What is a professional license?
- Who needs to have a professional license?
- How to get the professional license?
- What are the documents you need to get the professional license?
- What are the benefits of obtaining a professional license?
- How can Connect Free Zone help you get the professional license?
1. Everything you need to know about the Professional license in Dubai
Perhaps you’ve considered starting a business or offering your professional services in Dubai. If this is your case, you should know everything you need to work legally so you stay in compliance, and one of the requirements is having a license.
The Government of Dubai is in charge of regulating the operations and services offered in this place, and they demand any entrepreneur or business owner to have licenses so they can work without any troubles.
1.1 What are the types of licenses?
Let’s observe the three types of licenses that are mandatory and depend on the type of business:
- Commercial license: the Commercial license in Dubai is issued for businesses that perform trade activities
- Industrial license: this license is for businesses in the manufacturing sector
- Professional license: the Professional license in Dubai is for foreigners that want to offer their professional services
1.2 Why is Dubai an excellent place to make business?
The UAE has been a top destination for entrepreneurs and businesses who want to grow professionally and have a better quality of life. It’s also a place that attracts international investment so it means that there are many chances of obtaining excellent income by working in your area of expertise.
However, it’s mandatory to have the proper Business license in Dubai if you want to have clients and stay in compliance with the local regulations.
If you’re thinking of setting up your company in one of the many Free Zones in the UAE, you should know which ones are available and are the most suitable for your business. For this reason, it’s important to learn more about them so you can choose the best location.
Learn more about the 45 Free Zones available to create your own company in the UAE.
2. What is a professional license?
Before knowing how to get the Professional license in Dubai you should know what it is. It’s a type of license issued by the DED (Dubai Department of Economic Development) and it’s aimed to those individuals that offer a professional service of any kind.
It’s possible for an enterprise to get a professional license; however, the owner should be a single person because when more than one person owns it then it’s considered a corporation and it’s necessary to obtain a different type of license.
2.1 What can a professional license holder do?
Perhaps you’ve been wondering why you need to have a professional license since you may think that it’s not necessary. But, the truth is that you should follow the local rules if you want to offer your skills or talent as a professional. Once you are a holder of this license you can do the following:
- Work or offer your services legally
- Get customer, clients or work for an employer in the UAE
- Undertake professional activities based on your skills and area of expertise
When you’re planning to set up a corporation in the UAE, you should consider which licenses apply to your specific industry. In case you want to create your own software company, you must know that you need to have the Software Development Business License.
Learn more about the license you need to have for your software company.
3. Who needs to have a professional license?
Once we know what the Professional license in Dubai is you may we wondering who needs to have one. Let’s observe who should get this license:
- Entrepreneurs who want to offer professional services
- Individuals who would like to practice their profession legally in Dubai
- Expatriates who are looking for having 100% ownership of an organization
The term “professional” is used to make reference to the activities carried out by an individual or company with trained skills. Therefore, if you offer a specialized service that requires having qualifications then you need to have a professional license.
3.1 What are the activities covered by a professional license?
When you plan on carrying out a professional activity in Dubai, you should get the necessary license. It’s important to know the right license that applies to your particular enterprise. If your company qualifies as a professional one, then you must get the professional license.
Let’s observe some of the activities that require having a professional license which are the following:
- Consultants and advisors: financial, legal, business, etc.
- Education: teachers and professors
- Accounting and auditing
- Lawyers
- Services: technical, cleaning, design, repair and maintenance, health and medical, etc.
- Artisanship
- Digital marketing
- Artists: dancers, musicians, singers, etc.
These are just some of the common professional activities that need to have a professional license. If you still don’t know if this license is the right one for your business, perhaps you should look for a business consultant in Dubai like Connect Free Zone that can help you with this matter.
3.2 What are the business activities covered by a professional license?
If you want to get a Business license in Dubai because you want to offer your professional services, you should know if your enterprise qualifies for this. Let’s observe the business activities that can be done under a professional license:
- Medical services
- Consultancy
- Printing and publishing
- Beauty salon
- Security
- And any other non-commercial activity
If you want to operate a restaurant in the UAE, you also need to have a special license that allows you to work there legally. In this case, you need a Restaurant License, and if you still don’t know what it is then you need to understand more about it.
Learn more about the Restaurant License needed to open a food business in the UAE.
4. How to get the professional license?
If you have been advised to get a Professional license in Dubai to work legally, then you need to know the process to obtain it.
Keep in mind that the process for obtaining it is different from the process for acquiring the Commercial license in Dubai, so you don’t have to get confused.
The Trade License is also highly important for working in the UAE because you need to have all your legal documents to work in this country. An effective business should have this license and should know how to apply for it to obtain it.
4.1 What is the process for getting the professional license?
There are some steps you must follow if you want to ensure you get this license. However, you can always contact an agency like Connect Free Zone to get assistance with the whole process since it can be complex.
- Business activity: The first step is to make a list of the activities that are going to be carried out by the company or individual.
- Local sponsor: You must have an Emirati agent to sponsor your professional license because this agent will support your application.
- Name reservation: this should be done at the DED
- Initial Approval: you must apply to the DED after you got your initial paperwork
- External Approval: depending on your type of business perhaps you should apply for approval from other judicial body
- Paperwork: keep in mind that you may be requested to supply additional paperwork since the DED may request it.
Once you get the approval, you can start offering your services in the UAE. Keep in mind that you should pay some fees in each step of the process, so be aware of the processing cost before starting.
Learn more about the possibilities for free zone companies to operate mainland
5. What are the documents you need to get the professional license?
To get the Professional license in Dubai you must submit several documents. In fact, there’s the possibility that you submit everything and you still get the request to submit additional information.
It means that you should be prepared in advance so it’s advisable to have all your documents ready before starting the process. Let’s observe some of the most important ones:
- Copies of Passports: owners and partners
- Copies of Visas (foreign partners)
- UID (in case of visit Visa) or NOC
- Local partner’s naturalization book (Jinsiya)
- Ejari registration certificate and Tenancy Contract
- Name reservation certificate
- Application form (BR1)
- Initial Approval
As you can see, there’s a lot of documentation you must gather to process your license. It’s best to get the assistance from experts so you can sort out the paperwork with the DED since a consultant can make the process faster and more effective for you.
When setting up a company in one of the Free Zones in the UAE you should have a good understanding of everything you need to work there legally. Perhaps you’re wondering which licenses you need to operate there and it’s important to know more about them to get them quickly.
Learn more about the General Trading License and how you can get it.
6. What are the benefits of obtaining a professional license?
The Professional license in Dubai provides many benefits for the individual or company that wants to work legally in this place.
Some of the advantages of this type of license are the following:
- 100% ownership of your company: unlike other types of licenses, the professional license gives the expatriate the possibility of 100% ownership and sole proprietorship.
- The individual has the possibility to choose between a wide range of activities
- It’s possible to get a vast range of clients that want to hire your services
- You can renew the license easily and without needing to invest a lot of money
- The individual or company can choose the type of company
- You can enter a flexible market and start working right away
- It’s a cost-effective solution to expand your professional operations
- Your business can undertake high-paying projects
- It’s possible to work in Dubai according to your area of expertise
As you can see, there are many advantages of getting the professional license. If you want to work legally in the UAE offering your professional services while having total control of your business, this is the right way to go. In Connect Free Zone we’re glad to help you achieve your professional goals.
7. How can Connect Free Zone help you get the professional license?
Here in Connect Free Zone we can help you establishing your enterprise and we advise you on how you can work legally in the UAE. We guarantee your professional firm and we assist you in the whole process of setting up your business.
Our team of specialists can offer you outstanding solutions in several areas so you can get your professional license. We can assist you on getting approvals and permissions, handling formalities, preparing agreements and more. Hence, with our consolidated business plan you will get the result you expect.
Would you like to contact Connect Free Zone to help you process the Professional License in Dubai? You can call at +971 433 166 88 or send an email to contact@connectfz.ae , and you’ll talk to one of their representatives that will gladly answer all of your questions.