Annual renewal —
every authority, on time.
Trade licence + Establishment Card + Immigration File + Ejari + visa renewals — each has its own deadline. YABS portal tracks every expiry; we coordinate renewal 30 days ahead.
- Cadence
- Annual
- Late fee
- AED 250/mo
- Cap
- AED 5,000
- From
- AED 8,500
Definition — Annual Licence Renewal
UAE annual licence renewal covers the trade licence (Dubai DED or Abu Dhabi DED), Establishment Card, Immigration File at GDRFA, Ejari/Tawtheeq (if tenancy is one-year), corporate tax registration with FTA (annual confirmation), and Chamber of Commerce membership (if applicable). Each has its own deadline and penalty structure. Trade licence late renewal: AED 250/month, capped at AED 5,000. Establishment Card late: AED 100/month. Immigration file late: AED 100+ per dependant. Aggregate penalties for an unrenewed entity can exceed AED 8,000 in 12 months.
Every annual deadline, all in one place.
Each item below renews on its own clock. Missing the trade licence cascade triggers visa cancellations and bank account freezes.
| Authority | What renews | Cycle | Late penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai DED | Trade licence | Annual (or 2/3-year option) | AED 250/month, capped AED 5,000 |
| Dubai DED | Establishment Card | Annual, linked to trade licence | AED 100/month |
| GDRFA Dubai | Immigration File | Annual, linked to trade licence | AED 100+/dependant |
| MOHRE | Labour quota / Worker Protection insurance | Annual + per-hire | AED 100/month per worker |
| DLD | Ejari (if 1-year tenancy) | Annual | Varies; visa stamping blocked without valid Ejari |
| FTA | Corporate tax annual return | 9 months from year-end | AED 500/month + 14% APR |
| FTA | VAT returns | Quarterly | AED 1,000 first offence + 4–14% APR |
| Licensing authority | UBO confirmation | Annual | AED 50,000 + licence-renewal block |
| Chamber of Commerce | Membership (if applicable) | Annual | AED 250+/month |
Where people get this wrong.
Pulled from 500+ YABS engagements. Each pitfall has a knock-on cost in time or AED — knowing them up front is half the value of using a PRO.
Renewing the trade licence but forgetting the Establishment Card / Immigration File
Cost: DED licence valid but visas frozen; new hires blocked at MOHRE
YABS fix: Our renewal coordinator renews the entire chain — DED, Establishment Card, Immigration File — in one batch.
Letting Ejari lapse mid-year
Cost: Visa renewals blocked; DEWA disconnections in some buildings; AED 220 + back-payment to re-register
YABS fix: Ejari tracked alongside trade licence in the portal; we renew it 30 days ahead of expiry.
Late corporate-tax return after year-end
Cost: AED 500/month penalty + 14% APR on tax owed — a calendar-year filer missing September 30 owes AED 6,000+ by next year
YABS fix: Annual return is prepared during Q1 of the following year; payment scheduled before the 9-month statutory deadline.
Allowing 3+ months of non-renewal
Cost: Trade licence suspension; cannot operate, sponsor visas, or sign contracts until reinstated
YABS fix: Portal flags 60/30/7-day expiry warnings; if a renewal is at risk we escalate to the principal directly.
Frequently asked questions
When does my Dubai trade licence expire?
Dubai DED issues 1-year trade licences by default. Expiry is exactly 12 months from issue date. Some activities can be issued 2- or 3-year licences for higher upfront fees. Check expiry on the licence document or via Dubai DED's licence verification tool. YABS portal flags expiry 60/30/7 days out.
Can I renew my Dubai trade licence after expiry?
Yes, with late penalty. AED 250/month after expiry, capped at AED 5,000. After 3 months unrenewed, the licence is suspended (no operations, no visa renewals, no contracts). After 1 year unrenewed, Dubai DED can cancel the licence and release the trade name. YABS proactive renewal coordination prevents all of this.
What does YABS renewal include?
Trade licence renewal at Dubai DED, Establishment Card renewal, Immigration File renewal at GDRFA, Ejari renewal (if tenancy expires same period), Chamber of Commerce membership renewal, FTA tax registration annual confirmation, and any pending MOHRE labour file updates. Single coordinated workflow — you provide approval and we handle everything.
Also useful.
Get started with annual licence renewal
Apply online in 4 steps. Itemised AED quote, no sales-call gate.
This page was last reviewed by the YABS compliance team in Q2 2026 and reflects current Dubai DED, Dubai Municipality, DHA, MOHRE, FTA, and DLD requirements.