Guide · updated 16.10.2026 · 8 min read · Lucent Legal team

Trade license cancellation in Dubai and the UAE: steps and costs

Cancel Trade License Dubai 2026: Steps, NOCs and Fees

Key points

  • In Dubai you file the cancellation request on the Invest in Dubai platform (the "Request for cancellation of trade licence" service).
  • A mainland LLC gets its license cancelled only after liquidation: shareholder resolution, liquidator, a notice in two Arabic newspapers and 45 days for creditors (u.ae). The dissolution and liquidator appointment certificate costs AED 520.
  • Before you file, close work permits with MOHRE and visas with immigration, cancel Ejari, and close DEWA and the bank account.
  • A free zone cancels the license through its own portal, under its own rules and tariffs.
  • A cancelled license cannot be reinstated. You close the FTA tax registration separately.

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Until the trade license is officially cancelled, the company exists. Renewal penalties keep growing, the immigration file stays open, and the FTA keeps expecting returns. Cancellation is the last step of closing a business. Before it come visa cancellations, closing the lease and, for an LLC, liquidation with a creditor notice. Below is what you need to collect for DET and for a free zone.

Mainland or free zone

Mainland LLC. Two stages: company liquidation, then license cancellation with DET. The full liquidation procedure: closing a business and liquidating a company in the UAE.

Sole establishment on the mainland. The LLC liquidator and newspaper notice do not apply: the owner answers for the obligations personally. The clearances (MOHRE, immigration, Ejari, DEWA) stay the same.

Free zone. A deregistration request through the zone portal. The zone decides whether you need a liquidator, an audit and a creditor notice. Dubai Development Authority, for example, lists license cancellation as a separate service on its website.

Step by step: cancelling a trade license in Dubai

  1. Shareholder resolution to cancel or liquidate. For an LLC, notarised minutes appointing a liquidator.
  2. Dissolution certificate and liquidator appointment: AED 520 (for an LLC).
  3. Liquidation notice in two Arabic newspapers for one day, then 45 days for creditor claims (for an LLC). If the license expired more than two years ago, the period is 15 days (dubai.ae).
  4. Staff. Cancel work permits with MOHRE and pay final settlements: salary, leave, gratuity. Then cancel visas and Emirates IDs with GDRFA. The establishment card closes last.
  5. Lease. Close the DEWA account and pay the final bill, get the landlord's NOC confirming the premises are vacant with nothing owed, cancel Ejari.
  6. Bank. Close the corporate account after settlements.
  7. Sector NOCs for regulated activities: Dubai Municipality, RTA, Civil Defence, DHA, KHDA, RERA.
  8. Final file to DET: original newspapers, the liquidator's final report, a letter from the liquidator and shareholders confirming no objections, proof of labour card cancellation, copies of the minutes and the dissolution certificate.
  9. License cancellation.

Run steps 4 to 7 during the 45-day creditor period so the closure does not stretch by another month.

Staff and owner visas: the order

Neither DET nor a free zone accepts cancellation while employment relationships remain open.

  • First, cancel the work permit with MOHRE. The employee gets the final settlement; you can check the gratuity amount in the gratuity calculator.
  • Then cancel the residence visa and Emirates ID.
  • Dependants' visas go before the sponsor's.
  • The owner's or partner's visa goes last, together with the establishment card.

After a visa is cancelled, the person has a grace period to leave or move to a new visa.

What trade license cancellation costs

u.ae publishes one official amount: AED 520 for the dissolution certificate and liquidator appointment. The archived 2021 DED service card for license cancellation lists these fees:

Fee (DED, 2021) AED
License cancellation 520
Cancellation announcement 500
Company dissolution 2,000
Company clearance 3,000

As of 16.10.2026, Invest in Dubai shows the current tariff only inside the account when you file, so treat the table as a reference point, not a price list. On top: the liquidator, newspapers, visa cancellations, any lease break fee, and penalties if the license has already expired. In a free zone, the zone's deregistration tariff applies.

If the license has already expired

You pay the renewal penalties first: without that, the authority will not accept the request. Each authority uses its own tariff. In Dubai, a license expired for more than two years gets a shorter creditor period after the notice: 15 days. Delay costs more: FTA penalties for missing returns stack on top of the license penalties.

Tax: the FTA is separate

A cancelled license does not take the company off the FTA register. You file deregistration in EmaraTax: within 3 months of cessation for corporate tax and 20 business days for VAT. The application needs the license cancellation document and financial statements up to the cessation date. Details: UAE tax deregistration.

What slows cancellation down

  • no final liquidator's report;
  • visas still open for staff, partners or dependants;
  • the landlord withholds the NOC and Ejari stays active;
  • a creditor filed a claim within the notice period;
  • the license expired and penalties come first;
  • the company has lawsuits or frozen accounts.

If the company has debts, start by checking whether the assets cover them. If they don't, you are looking at bankruptcy, not a voluntary closure. If you are a creditor trying to act before the debtor closes: debt recovery from a UAE company.

FAQ

How do I cancel a trade license in Dubai?

For an LLC, liquidate first: shareholder resolution, liquidator, a notice in two Arabic newspapers and 45 days for creditors. In parallel, cancel visas with MOHRE and GDRFA, Ejari and DEWA. Then submit the final file through Invest in Dubai and DET cancels the license.

How much does trade license cancellation cost in Dubai?

Per u.ae, the dissolution certificate and liquidator appointment cost AED 520. The archived 2021 DED service card lists AED 520 for cancellation, 500 for the announcement, 2,000 for dissolution and 3,000 for clearance. Add the liquidator, newspapers, visa cancellations and penalties if the license expired.

How do I cancel a free zone license in the UAE?

Through your zone's portal: a deregistration request, cancellation of visas and the establishment card, closing the office and the bank account, and an auditor's or liquidator's report if the zone requires one. The zone sets tariffs and timelines.

Does a sole establishment or free zone company need a newspaper notice?

The notice with a liquidator is mandatory for mainland companies such as LLCs. A sole establishment and most free zones do without it, but check your zone's rules before filing.

Can a cancelled trade license be reinstated?

No. According to the DED service card, the same license cannot be reactivated: a new business needs a new company.

Does cancelling the license close the tax registration?

No. You file corporate tax and VAT deregistration separately in EmaraTax. Late filing costs AED 1,000 a month up to AED 10,000 for each tax.

Sources

This material is for general information and is not legal advice. Fees come from u.ae and the archived 2021 DED service card; check the current tariff when you file. We do not promise a fixed timeline or a fixed estimate: the result depends on headcount, the license status and the company's debts.

Related: company liquidation in the UAE, UAE tax deregistration, business and companies in the UAE, how to verify a trade licence.

Topic: Doing Business in the UAE

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This material is for information only and is not legal advice. UAE law changes — a lawyer will assess how it applies to your situation.