You license the company with the Umm Al Quwain Department of Economic Development. You complete the legal procedures with the department, obtain the approvals your activity needs from the competent authorities, pay the fees and receive the licence.
The department says the documents vary with the activity and the legal form, so the first job is to get its list for your case. NXTSTAR does that and prepares the application.
Last reviewed: by the NXTSTAR team.
Rules are set by the authority and can change. Confirm the current position before you apply.
Who Umm Al Quwain mainland suits
Umm Al Quwain mainland suits small local trading and service businesses, workshops and marine or fishing-related activities that operate in the emirate.
The steps
- Confirm the activity and legal form with the department.
- Reserve the trade name.
- Obtain approvals from the competent authorities for the activity.
- Secure premises and the tenancy contract.
- Complete the legal procedures with the department and pay the fees.
- Receive the licence.
This page is shorter than the others because the department publishes less. The document list above is the usual set. Treat the department's list for your activity as the one that counts.
Documents
- Identity documents for each owner or partner
- Trade name reservation
- Tenancy contract for the premises
- Approvals from the competent authorities
- Memorandum of association, for a company
What is particular to Umm Al Quwain
- The department has its own e-services portal for licence procedures and legal forms.
- Its office is in Al Roudah, in the government buildings on Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street.
- It publishes less procedural detail online than larger emirates.
After the licence
- Establishment card and labour file, before any visa.
- Residence visas for owners and staff.
- A corporate bank account, which the bank decides.
- Corporate tax registration, and VAT registration where it applies.
What NXTSTAR does, and what we do not
- We confirm the activity, legal form and ownership structure with you.
- We handle the trade name, approvals, lease registration and licence application.
- We continue with visas and the bank account file.
- We do not decide approvals. The Umm Al Quwain Department of Economic Development and the other regulators do.
Common questions
Who issues a mainland licence in Umm Al Quwain?
The Umm Al Quwain Department of Economic Development.
What documents do I need?
The department says the required documents vary according to the activity and the legal form of the business.
Can I apply online?
The department runs an e-services portal that covers new licence procedures.
How much does a mainland licence in Umm Al Quwain cost?
We do not publish prices. Ask us for a written quote that separates government fees from our service fee.
Sources
The rules on this page come from the authority's own published material, checked on 7 October 2026.
Talk to NXTSTAR about a company in Umm Al Quwain
Tell us what you want to do and we will tell you which route fits, what it involves and what we would need from you.