Construction Company Licence in Dubai: Complete Setup Requirements

Licensing Framework For Construction Companies In Dubai

For a construction contracting license in the Dubai mainland, the DET is the starting point. The DET issues the mainland Dubai construction company trade licence and maintains the official activity list for building contracting, civil works, electromechanical contracting and building maintenance. Its online services allow you to search for a trade name and search for a company licence to verify records.

Once your DET trade licence is issued, several other authorities become relevant. Dubai Municipality regulates consultants and contractors licensing, maintains the Consultants and Contractors Register, runs the Dubai Engineering Qualification System (DEQS), and controls building permits under the Dubai Building Code, including accessibility requirements.

The MOHRE and ICP handle employer and establishment registration, while the GDRFA Dubai issues the establishment card used for residence visa sponsorship. Finally, the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), via the EmaraTax platform, manages VAT and Corporate Tax registration, where your DET licence details must be entered accurately.

Step 1 – Define Construction Activities And Choose A Legal Form

Before you apply for a construction company license in the Dubai mainland, you must be clear on the precise business activities and the legal structure under UAE law. These early decisions affect not only the DET approval but also your later alignment with Dubai Municipality categories and MOHRE worker professions.

Select DET Construction And Contracting Activities

The DET requires applicants to select their exact activities from its official list before it will issue a construction company licence in Dubai. Typical options include building contracting, civil engineering works, or an electromechanical contracting licence in Dubai and building maintenance.

You can use the DET’s online inquiry services to check available activities and confirm how they appear on the licence. The activities chosen for your construction licence in Dubai will drive subsequent compliance. Dubai Municipality will categorise the company and its engineers based on the same scope, and the MOHRE will check that workers’ job titles and work‑permit applications are consistent with the licensed activities. For that reason, investors should ensure that the selected DET activities accurately match the projects and services they intend to deliver in practice.

Step 2 – Obtain Your DET Construction Trade Licence

The formal journey to a DET trade licence for construction begins with choosing and reserving a trade name. Using the DET’s search trade name service, you can check name availability and compliance with naming rules; you can also search for a company licence to benchmark existing contractors and avoid confusion in the market.

The DET typically requires several core items for a new building contracting licence in Dubai: an approved trade name, confirmed activities, a chosen legal form, identification documents (passport and/or Emirates ID) for all partners and the appointed manager, and a properly notarised Memorandum of Association (MoA) where the structure is an LLC or civil company.

In addition, you must provide proof of a leased office in Dubai (usually via an Ejari‑registered tenancy contract), as the DET links the licence to that address. Once the file is complete, the main application is submitted electronically through the DET’s Request to Issue a Trade Licence service.

Step 3 – Register With Dubai Municipality And Manage Building Permits

A DET licence alone does not allow you to practise engineering or execute works. Contractors and engineering consultancies must also comply with the Dubai Municipality’s professional standards, register their engineers and obtain project‑specific building permits before starting construction on site.

4.1 Consultants And Contractors Licensing Standards

Dubai Municipality’s Consultants and Contractors Licensing Standards, based on Circular No. 133 of 2005, govern how engineering consultancy offices and contracting companies are assessed and approved. The standards cover licensing, categorisation by activity and grade, accreditation of technical staff, issuance and renewal of professional practice certificates, and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for local and foreign branches wishing to practise engineering activities in Dubai. For a Dubai engineering consultancy and contracting licence, firms must meet minimum technical and experience criteria, employ qualified engineers, and maintain valid registrations. These requirements are enforced through periodic reviews; failure to maintain standards can limit the ability to obtain or renew professional approvals.

Procedures are published for villas, industrial buildings, and multi-storey or public buildings and are supported through the Dubai Building Permits (Dubai BPs) platform and mobile application. Dubai also operates a single-window electronic system that integrates building permit services with multiple relevant authorities—such as Civil Defence, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), and telecommunications providers—subject to the scope of each authority’s participation.

Designs and construction must comply with the Dubai Building Code, including accessibility standards that are checked at permit review and when issuing building completion certificates.

Step 4 – Establish Labour And Immigration Files (MOHRE, ICP And GDRFA‑Dubai)

After securing the DET licence, a construction company intending to hire staff or start projects must set up interconnected establishment files with ICP, MOHRE and GDRFA Dubai. These are the prerequisite steps before obtaining work permits, labour quotas or residence visas.

First, an establishment card with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) is required for the new employer, as highlighted in the MOHRE’s awareness package for new employers. With the ICP establishment card in place, you apply for a MOHRE Establishment Card and open the establishment file.

Fees for issuing this card typically include an issuance fee of AED 200 plus 5% VAT, a Knowledge Dirham (AED 10), an Innovation Dirham (AED 10), a service fee (AED 50), an optional urgent fee (AED 100) and, where applications are lodged through Amer centres, an additional Amer service fee.

Once the ICP card, GDRFA card and MOHRE establishment file are active, the company can apply for work permits and residence visa sponsorship for employees. The MOHRE uses work permit quotas for construction companies in the UAE to allocate electronic quotas, checking that the establishment has a valid licence and a satisfactory Taq’eem report and that worker professions match the licensed activities.

The company is also placed into MOHRE’s three‑category classification system, where compliant firms with good Emiratisation and labour‑law records benefit from reduced permit and transfer fees compared with non‑compliant category‑three entities.

Corporate Tax Registration Timelines

All taxable persons, including mainland Dubai construction companies formed as juridical persons, must register for UAE Corporate Tax and obtain a Corporate Tax Registration Number through EmaraTax. For resident juridical persons incorporated, established or otherwise recognised in the UAE on or after 1 March 2024, Corporate Tax registration must be completed within three months from the date of incorporation or recognition.

For entities that existed before 1 March 2024, FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024 sets specific deadlines based on the month of licence issuance, and late registration can result in an administrative penalty of AED 10,000.

From 1 January 2024, resident natural persons (for example, individual contractors operating under a sole establishment) must register for Corporate Tax if their annual turnover from business activities in the UAE exceeds AED 1 million, with registration due by 31 March of the following year. In all cases, trade licence details must be added to the EmaraTax forms, matching the DET records. Investors should monitor FTA announcements for any updates to thresholds, timelines or penalties.

Ongoing Compliance, Safety And Data‑Alignment Obligations

After obtaining all approvals, a construction company must keep them valid and synchronised across authorities. The DET trade licences must be renewed on schedule, and Dubai Municipality contractors registration, DEQS engineer records and professional practice certificates must also be kept current to avoid interruptions in obtaining new building permits or engineering of No Objection Certificates (NOCs). Dubai Municipality actively evaluates contractors and engineering firms and has the power to suspend companies from licensing new projects where licensing conditions or professional norms are breached.

On the technical side, Dubai Building Code compliance is assessed at design, permit and completion‑certificate stages, including accessibility requirements that may be recognised through initiatives such as the Wosool seal for buildings friendly for people of determination. Site‑safety compliance is equally essential: Dubai Municipality runs comprehensive construction site safety campaigns and conducts large numbers of supervisory visits each year, linking adherence to safety standards with reductions in accidents and injuries.

FAQ: Construction Company Licence In Dubai

What are the main steps to get a construction company licence in the Dubai mainland?

The typical steps to get a construction company licence in the Dubai mainland are: define your construction and contracting activities from the DET’s list; choose a suitable legal form and ownership structure; reserve and approve a trade name; submit the DET Request to Issue a Trade licence with a MoA, partner IDs and Ejari. After licence issuance, complete Dubai Municipality contractor’s registration, obtain ICP and GDRFA establishment cards, open the MOHRE establishment file, and finally register for VAT and Corporate Tax through EmaraTax if thresholds and timelines apply.

Which authorities approve a construction company in Dubai?

Several authorities are involved. The DET issues and renews the commercial construction company licence. The Dubai Municipality handles professional licensing of consultants and contractors, DEQS engineer registration, and all building permits—the ICP and GDRFA Dubai issue establishment cards used for immigration and visa purposes. The MOHRE manages the establishment file, work permits, quotas and company classification. The FTA, via EmaraTax, administers VAT and Corporate Tax registrations and ongoing tax compliance.

What are the core requirements for a construction licence in Dubai?

Key Dubai construction company licence requirements at the DET level include: an approved trade name, correctly selected construction activities, a chosen legal form, identification for partners and managers, a notarised MoA for LLCs and civil companies, and a leased office in Dubai supported by an Ejari certificate. For professional practice, Dubai Municipality additionally requires compliance with Consultants and Contractors Licensing Standards, registration of engineers in the Consultants and Contractors Register via DEQS, and adherence to Dubai Building Code rules when applying for permits.

How to register engineers with the Dubai Municipality for a construction company?

To register engineers with Dubai Municipality, your firm must first meet the basic criteria under the Consultants and Contractors Licensing Standards. Engineers are then registered in the Consultants and Contractors Register using the Dubai Engineering Qualification System (DEQS), where you submit their qualifications, experience and other supporting documents. If you require clarification before filing, you can schedule a Pre‑Qualification Inquiry appointment through the Dubai Municipality’s online system, covering services such as the Certificate of Accreditation of Engineering Staff and Permit to Practice Engineering Activities.

How to obtain a building permit for a villa in Dubai?

For a villa or similar project, the licensed consultant and contractor must apply to Dubai Municipality’s Building Control and Building Permits Department, following the published building permit procedures for villas. Application and review are managed through the unified building permit platform and the Dubai Building Permits (Dubai BPs) app, which are integrated with Civil Defence, RTA, DEWA and telecom providers for NOCs and utility connections. The design must comply with the Dubai Building Code, and inspections will be conducted before a building completion certificate is issued.

How to open a MOHRE establishment file in Dubai for a construction company?

Opening a MOHRE establishment file for a construction company requires a valid DET trade licence, a valid ICA/ICP establishment card, and usually a GDRFA establishment card, together with a valid and attested tenancy contract (except where an instant licence is used). You must provide an addendum listing partners’ names if these are not shown on the licence, copies of partner and authorised‑signatory IDs, and ensure that the licensee or service agent is at least 21 years old and holds a valid eSignature card. Once the file and MOHRE establishment card are issued, you can request work permits and work‑permit quotas for your workforce.

What documents are required for a GDRFA establishment card for a Dubai company?

For a private‑sector construction company, the GDRFA Dubai typically requires the appendix of partners’ names, passport copies of authorised signatories and, where a manager signs on behalf of the company, a notarised authorisation. Fees for a GDRFA establishment card typically include an issuance fee of AED 200 plus 5% VAT, a Knowledge Dirham (AED 10), an Innovation Dirham (AED 10), a service fee (AED 50), and an optional urgent fee of AED 100, with additional charges if you apply via an Amer centre.

When must a Dubai construction company register for VAT and Corporate Tax?

A Dubai construction company must register for VAT when its taxable supplies and imports exceed AED 375,000 in the previous 12 months or are expected to exceed that within the next 30 days; voluntary VAT registration is available from AED 187,500. For Corporate Tax, all resident juridical persons must register, with new entities established on or after 1 March 2024 required to register within three months of incorporation and earlier entities subject to FTA‑set deadlines based on their licence‑issuance month. Resident natural persons, such as sole‑establishment contractors, must register if their annual turnover from business exceeds AED 1 million, with registration due by 31 March of the following year.