A professional or service licence, which is the licence type for selling expertise instead of goods. You can hold one through a free zone company, a mainland company or, for a solo practice in some fields, a freelance permit.
Some kinds of advice are regulated and need a second approval. NXTSTAR matches your field to the right activity and authority, and sets the company up.
Last reviewed: by the NXTSTAR team.
Rules are set by the authority and can change. Confirm the current position before you apply.
How the authorities name it
- IFZA: a professional licence, for consultancy and expert professional services.
- DWTC Free Zone: a professional licence, for advisory, consulting, software, training and human resources.
- DMCC and Dubai Airport Freezone: a service licence.
- Dubai Internet City: an information technology consultants activity. DIFC's list for that activity asks for a relevant degree and three years of hands-on experience.
- Dubai Knowledge Park: human resources and training consultancy.
Free zone, mainland or permit
- Free zone company: suits consultants with international clients or clients inside free zones. Quick to form, often remotely.
- Mainland company: suits consultants who contract with UAE government bodies or want an office open to local clients.
- Freelance permit: suits a solo practice in media, technology or education. It is issued in your own name.
Advice that is regulated
The word consultancy on a licence does not cover every kind of advice. These need a further approval or a different licence altogether:
- Financial and investment advice: a financial regulator, such as the Securities and Commodities Authority or, in DIFC, the DFSA.
- Legal advice: the relevant legal affairs authority.
- Medical and health services: the health regulator.
- Engineering consultancy: classification and registration with the municipality.
- Training delivered as courses in Dubai: an educational permit from the KHDA.
Choosing the activity wording
Banks and large clients read the activity on your licence. A management consultancy licence does not let you invoice for IT implementation or recruitment. List the two or three activities you will really bill for. IFZA allows up to three activities on one licence, Meydan Free Zone up to three groups and Shams up to five.
What NXTSTAR does, and what we do not
We pick the activities, form the company or permit, and handle the visa and bank file.
We do not obtain professional regulatory licences for financial, legal or medical practice.
Common questions
Is a professional licence the same as a commercial licence?
No. A professional or service licence is for services and expertise. A commercial licence is for trading goods.
Can I consult for mainland clients from a free zone company?
A free zone company has limits on doing business directly in the mainland. Tell us who your clients are before you choose.
Do I need a degree to get a consultancy licence?
It depends on the activity. Some, such as information technology consultancy in DIFC's activity list, state a degree and experience requirement.
How much does it cost?
We do not publish prices. Ask us for a written quote that separates authority fees from our service fee.
Sources
The rules on this page come from the authority's own published material, checked on 7 October 2026.
Setting up a consultancy?
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.