Dubai Trade License Check (2026): How to Verify a Company's Licence Online with the Official Tools

A Dubai trade licence can be checked online with official government tools, whether the company holds a mainland licence from the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) or a free zone licence. This guide is built from u.ae's Verify business licences page (updated 6 April 2026), u.ae's National Economic Register page (updated 17 April 2026), DET's Invest in Dubai platform and the Government of Dubai Media Office's announcement of the Dubai Unified Licence, read on 25 October 2026.

How to check a trade licence in Dubai

Quick answer: use Search License Information on Invest in Dubai, the Government of Dubai's business platform (u.ae lists its app.invest.dubai.ae services under Dubai Economy and Tourism). It searches "by License Number, Dubai Unified License (DUL) Number, English Business Name, or Arabic Business Name". For a wider search, Invest in Dubai's Dubai business directory finds "businesses in Dubai using their name or Dubai Unified Licence (DUL) number", with filters for mainland and free zones, sector and licence type.

The check shows whether a licence is on record; it does not tell you whether a company is a good business partner. Match whatever the result shows against the invoice, contract or quotation in front of you.

Mainland or free zone: the Dubai Unified Licence (DUL)

DET launched the Dubai Unified Licence in December 2023 with the Dubai Free Zones Council. The Government of Dubai Media Office describes it as "a unique commercial identification provided to all businesses in Dubai", issued to "existing and newly established businesses in Dubai, operating with either a mainland or a free zone licence". Invest in Dubai's DUL guide says it applies "to mainland and free zone companies alike".

Two points matter when you check a company:

• Two numbers. At launch, the Dubai Media Office said businesses keep "a licence number specific to the mainland or free zone authority of their incorporation" alongside the DUL; Invest in Dubai's current DUL guide describes the DUL as "a single licence number and QR code for all government and business services". Invest in Dubai's licence search accepts either number.
• The QR code. At launch, the Dubai Media Office said: "Businesses can use their unique DUL QR Code on their premises, websites and social media accounts instead of presenting the traditional trade licence certificates", and the code lets "government entities, service providers, suppliers and customers" scan it to see the company's information (Dubai Media Office, 11 December 2023). At launch, DET's announcement said existing companies, including free zone companies, would receive their DUL number and QR code once their data update was complete.

Checking a licence in another emirate

u.ae's Verify business licences page lists these official services. Some are trade-name services rather than licence checks; the federal services, Abu Dhabi's and (on u.ae's Arabic page) Sharjah's licence inquiry check licences:

The National Economic Register is the federal register of economic licences across the UAE. u.ae describes it as a federal platform that integrates "accessible government data at both local and national levels" and provides "instant, accurate, and comprehensive data for listed economic licences in the UAE"; through it "one may enquire about economic licenses, an economic activity or search for the availability of trade names". Its call centre is 8001222 (NER).

What to compare when you verify a company

When the search returns a licence, compare whatever it shows with the paperwork you hold:

• Legal name in English and Arabic against the name on the contract, invoice or tax invoice.
• Licence number and issuing authority: a DET licence for a mainland company, the free zone's authority for a free zone company.
• Activities: whether the licensed activities cover the goods or services you are buying.
• Validity: whether the licence is current.

Checking your own licence before renewal

The same search shows your own company's record, which is worth checking before renewal. A Dubai mainland licence is valid for one year, renewable for the same period (up to four years on request, with DET's approval), and must be renewed within the last month before it expires (Law No. 13 of 2011, Art. 8); our trade licence renewal guide covers the steps and DET's late-renewal fees. If the activities on your licence no longer match what the company does, see our trade licence amendment guide.

How ZETUP PRO helps

For mainland companies on a monthly retainer, we track the trade licence, establishment card, work permits and visas on one calendar, so renewals and amendments are filed before anything expires. See what our PRO services in Dubai cover and our trade licence renewal service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How can I check a trade licence in Dubai? A: Use Search License Information on Invest in Dubai (app.invest.dubai.ae). It searches by licence number, Dubai Unified License (DUL) number, English business name or Arabic business name.

Q: Can I check a Dubai trade licence by company name? A: Yes. Invest in Dubai's licence search accepts the English or Arabic business name, and its Dubai business directory searches by business name or DUL number.

Q: What is a DUL number? A: The Dubai Unified Licence (DUL) number is a unique commercial identification that DET gives businesses in Dubai, with a mainland or a free zone licence. At launch, the Dubai Media Office said the company also keeps the licence number from its own authority.

Q: Can I check a free zone company's licence? A: Yes. The DUL covers free zone companies too, and Invest in Dubai's business directory has a free zone filter. The licence itself is issued by the company's free zone authority.

Q: How do I check if a company is real in the UAE? A: Search its licence with the issuing authority's official check, or the federal National Economic Register, and compare the legal name, licence number, activities and validity with the paperwork you hold. In Dubai, you can also scan the company's DUL QR code if it displays one.

Q: How do I check a trade licence in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah? A: u.ae lists TAMM's Enquire about economic licences for Abu Dhabi, and for Sharjah the Economic Development Department's licence inquiry (on u.ae's Arabic page) and trade name search. The federal National Economic Register covers licences across the UAE.

Q: Does a DUL QR code replace the trade licence certificate? A: At the DUL's launch, the Dubai Media Office said businesses can display their DUL QR code on their premises, websites and social media accounts instead of presenting the traditional trade licence certificate, and that government entities, service providers, suppliers and customers can scan it to see the company's information.