With two authorities. The trade licence comes from the Department of Economy and Tourism and must state the exact food activity. Dubai Municipality then approves the kitchen layout before construction and regulates food safety, and the licence is not active for food until that approval is in place.
NXTSTAR handles the licence and coordinates the municipality approvals so the fit-out does not start on an unapproved plan.
Last reviewed: by the NXTSTAR team.
Rules are set by the authority and can change. Confirm the current position before you apply.
What Dubai Municipality requires
- A valid trade licence whose activity is food-related and states exactly what the establishment does.
- Approval of the design layout before construction. The municipality says this is needed to activate the licence and start food activities.
- A layout and floor plan for the preparation area that prevents contamination of food.
- Food sourced, transported, stored, prepared and displayed in line with the Dubai Food Code.
- Registration on the municipality's FoodWatch platform, which is mandatory for all food establishments.
The order that avoids rework
- Choose the exact activity: restaurant, cafeteria, cafe, catering, or a kitchen that only delivers.
- Find premises that can take the activity. Check extraction, drainage and landlord consent before you sign.
- Get initial approval and the trade name, then register the tenancy.
- Submit the layout to Dubai Municipality and wait for approval.
- Build to the approved layout.
- Pass inspection, register on FoodWatch and collect the licence.
The costly mistake is fitting out before layout approval. Changes after construction mean redoing work.
Other permits food businesses often need
- Permits tied to the municipality's food inspection grade. It issues some permits only to establishments graded A, B or C with no critical or major violations.
- Approvals for delivery vehicles that carry food.
- Separate permissions for outdoor seating, shisha or alcohol, each from its own authority.
Mainland or free zone
A restaurant open to the public is normally a mainland business, because it serves walk-in customers. Some free zones license food outlets inside their own districts. The Dubai World Trade Centre authority, for example, issues those licences only after the relevant regulator approves.
What NXTSTAR does, and what we do not
We choose the activity with you, run the licence steps and manage the municipality submissions with your kitchen designer or contractor.
We do not design kitchens or carry out fit-out, and the municipality decides layout approval and inspection results.
Common questions
Who approves a restaurant in Dubai?
The Department of Economy and Tourism issues the trade licence. Dubai Municipality approves the layout and regulates food safety.
Can I start fit-out before layout approval?
You should not. Dubai Municipality requires approval of the design layout before construction.
Is FoodWatch registration optional?
No. The municipality requires all food establishments and related service providers to be registered on FoodWatch.
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.
Planning a restaurant, cafe or cloud kitchen?
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.