Consultancy Licence Dubai: Qualifications and Approval Process

A practical guide for professionals who want to set up a consulting business in Dubai, whether in management, IT, HR, engineering, or another advisory field, and who need to know what qualifications the licence really requires, which authority approves it, and how the mainland and free zone routes differ.

Here is the direct answer first. A consultancy licence in Dubai is a professional licence issued by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) for the mainland, or by a free zone authority if you set up in a free zone. For most advisory activities you can own the company 100% as a foreigner, but a mainland professional licence structured as a sole establishment or civil company still needs a Local Service Agent who holds no shares. The manager or owner is usually expected to hold a relevant university degree, and for regulated fields such as engineering, legal, health, or financial consultancy you must also clear a specialized regulator before the licence is issued. This guide covers the qualifications that actually matter, the DET approval process step by step, the extra approvals for regulated activities, the mainland-versus-free-zone decision, and the real costs. If you are still deciding on the licence type itself, our overview of the professional licence in Dubai and its office requirements sets out the broader category that consultancy falls under.

What a consultancy licence is and who issues it

A consultancy licence authorizes you to give expert advice for a fee in a defined field. In UAE licensing terms it sits under the professional licence category, which covers services delivered through intellectual or specialized skill rather than trading in goods. On the Dubai mainland the issuing authority is the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the successor to the Department of Economic Development. If you set up inside a free zone, that zone’s own authority issues the licence instead and DET is not involved.

The activity you choose determines almost everything that follows, including whether you need a regulator’s sign-off and whether a degree is mandatory. Dubai’s activity list separates general advisory work, such as management consultancy, from regulated professional work, such as engineering or legal consultancy, and the two are approved very differently. Choosing the correct activity code at the start avoids a rejected application later, which is the single most common reason a consultancy setup stalls.

Get the activity right first. “Management consultancy” is a general professional activity with light qualification checks. “Engineering consultancy,” “legal consultancy,” and “financial or investment advice” are regulated activities that require a specific degree plus a separate regulator approval. Confirm your exact activity code with DET before you reserve a trade name, because switching activities mid-application means starting parts of the process again.

Qualifications: what you actually need

For a general management or business consultancy, the DET expects the manager or professional partner to hold a relevant bachelor’s degree, and for regulated consultancy that degree is mandatory and must match the field. The degree must be attested to be recognized in the UAE, which means home-country authentication, UAE embassy attestation, and a final stamp from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, currently charged at AED 150 per educational document according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Our full walkthrough of degree attestation for use in the UAE explains the sequence and typical timelines.

How strictly the degree requirement is enforced depends on the activity. General management consultancy is often approved on the strength of a relevant degree and, where asked, professional experience. Regulated consultancy is stricter: an engineering consultancy requires an engineer registered with Dubai Municipality, a legal consultancy requires qualified lawyers approved by the relevant legal affairs authority, and a health consultancy requires practitioners licensed by the Dubai Health Authority. If you cannot show the qualification a regulated activity demands, that activity will not be approved, and no amount of paperwork changes that.

Degree not attested yet?

If your degree is genuine but not yet attested, you can usually begin the trade name and initial approval stages while attestation is in progress, then submit the attested certificate before final licence issuance. Do not rely on this for regulated activities, where the regulator often wants the attested and, in some cases, equivalency-certified qualification up front. Build the attestation timeline into your plan rather than treating it as a formality at the end.

Ownership: 100% foreign ownership and the Local Service Agent

Since the reform of the Commercial Companies Law, most professional and consultancy activities on the Dubai mainland allow 100% foreign ownership, and you no longer need an Emirati partner holding 51% of the shares, as explained on the UAE Government portal. This is the change that made mainland consultancy attractive to independent professionals, and our guide to mainland setup without a local sponsor covers how it works across activities.

There is one structural nuance that trips people up. A mainland professional licence taken as a sole establishment or a civil company still requires a Local Service Agent (LSA), an Emirati individual or UAE-owned company who represents you for government paperwork. The critical point is that an LSA holds zero ownership and has no claim on profits; the role is administrative, and the relationship is fixed in a notarized agreement for an annual fee. If you instead structure the consultancy as a limited liability company, you generally do not need an LSA at all. Which structure suits you depends on liability, number of partners, and visa needs.

Structure	Foreign ownership	Local Service Agent	Best for
Sole establishment (professional)	100%	Required (0% shares)	A single professional owner
Civil company (professional)	100%	Required (0% shares)	Two or more professional partners
Limited liability company (LLC)	100% (most activities)	Generally not required	Limiting personal liability, growth plans
Free zone company	100%	Not required	Serving overseas or free zone clients

The DET approval process step by step

The mainland consultancy licence follows a defined sequence, and each stage gates the next. The direct answer for planning purposes: you reserve a trade name, obtain DET initial approval, clear any regulator approval your activity requires, notarize the company documents and Local Service Agent agreement where relevant, secure office space with an Ejari tenancy registration, and then pay for and collect the licence. In practice, allow a few weeks, with regulated activities taking longer because of the external approval.

1. Reserve the trade name. Choose a compliant business name and reserve it with DET. The name must follow UAE naming rules, avoid restricted words, and match your intended activity.
2. Apply for initial approval. Submit passport copies, the proposed activity, and the professional’s qualifications. Initial approval is DET’s no-objection to proceed; it is not the licence itself.
3. Obtain external regulator approval if required. Engineering, legal, health, education, and financial-advisory consultancies must clear the relevant authority at this stage. General management consultancy usually skips it.
4. Draft and notarize the company documents. Prepare the memorandum of association or the civil company contract, and the Local Service Agent agreement where the structure requires one, then notarize them before a UAE notary.
5. Secure office space and register Ejari. A mainland consultancy needs a physical address; register the tenancy through Ejari so the tenancy contract is officially recorded. A flexi-desk can satisfy this for smaller setups where the activity allows it.
6. Pay the fees and collect the licence. Settle the licence and administrative fees. DET issues the professional licence, after which you can apply for establishment cards and staff visas.

What actually happens at initial approval. DET’s initial approval typically comes back as a payment voucher and a reference you can track on the Invest in Dubai platform. It confirms your activity and structure are acceptable, but it is time-limited, so complete the remaining steps before it lapses rather than treating it as an open-ended green light.

Regulated consultancy: the extra approvals

Some consultancy fields are gated by a specialized regulator because the advice carries public risk. Getting the licence for these activities is impossible until the regulator signs off, and the regulator sets its own qualification and experience bar. The table below maps the most common regulated consultancy activities to their approving authority so you know what you are dealing with before you apply.

Consultancy activity	Approving authority	Typical qualification bar
Engineering consultancy	Dubai Municipality	Registered engineer, relevant degree and experience
Legal consultancy	Legal affairs / Ministry of Justice	Qualified, approved lawyers
Health or medical consultancy	Dubai Health Authority (DHA)	Licensed practitioners
Financial or investment advice	Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA)	Regulated approval, fit-and-proper checks
Education or training consultancy	KHDA	Approved qualifications and scope
Management / business consultancy	DET only (no specialist regulator)	Relevant degree, where requested

Mainland or free zone: which route suits a consultant

The choice between mainland and free zone shapes your costs, your client base, and your obligations. A mainland DET consultancy can invoice UAE government and private clients directly and take on local project work without an intermediary, but it needs a physical office and, for some structures, a Local Service Agent. A free zone consultancy gives 100% ownership with no LSA, often bundles a flexi-desk and visa package, and suits professionals serving overseas or free zone clients, but a free zone company cannot freely do business directly in the mainland market without additional arrangements. Many consultants who target UAE-based corporate clients choose mainland for that reason.

Cost is the other lever. Free zone packages are frequently marketed as all-in bundles, while mainland costs are itemized. Whichever route you pick, a consultancy is still a UAE business, so factor in ongoing obligations such as corporate tax registration and the 9% regime for small businesses, and the practical need for a corporate bank account to invoice clients cleanly. For a broader comparison of routes and structures, our Dubai business setup guide is the hub to start from.

Costs: what to budget

Consultancy setup costs vary widely with structure, office type, activity, and the number of visas, so treat any single figure with caution. As a planning guide only, and based on market pricing rather than a government price list, a mainland professional consultancy licence commonly starts in the region of AED 12,000 upward for the licence and activity registration, before office rent and visa costs. Where a Local Service Agent is required, expect an annual LSA fee that commonly starts from around AED 8,000 and is set by agreement. Regulator fees, MOFA attestation, notary charges, and Ejari registration are additional. Because official DET fees are published per service and can change, confirm the current figures on the Invest in Dubai platform before you commit.

One honest limitation: consultancy is a broad category, and two setups with the same licence name can cost very differently once office, visas, and regulator approvals are added. Price the whole package, not just the headline licence fee, and get a written quotation that lists every line item.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a degree to get a consultancy licence in Dubai?

For general management or business consultancy, DET usually expects the manager or professional partner to hold a relevant bachelor’s degree, and it must be attested to be recognized. For regulated consultancy such as engineering, legal, health, or financial advice, a matching degree is mandatory and the specialist regulator verifies it. If you cannot evidence the qualification a regulated activity demands, that activity will not be approved.

Can I own a consultancy in Dubai 100% as a foreigner?

Yes. Most professional and consultancy activities on the Dubai mainland now allow 100% foreign ownership, so you no longer need an Emirati partner holding 51%. A sole establishment or civil company still requires a Local Service Agent, but that agent holds no shares and has no claim on profits. A limited liability company structure generally avoids the LSA requirement altogether.

What is a Local Service Agent and how much do they cost?

A Local Service Agent is an Emirati individual or UAE-owned company who represents a professional sole establishment or civil company for government paperwork, without owning any part of it. The role is administrative only, fixed in a notarized agreement for an annual fee that commonly starts from around AED 8,000 by market practice. An LLC consultancy usually does not need one.

How long does it take to get a consultancy licence in Dubai?

A straightforward management consultancy can be licensed within a few weeks once documents are in order, covering trade name reservation, initial approval, notarization, office and Ejari, and licence issuance. Regulated consultancies take longer because the external regulator approval is added to the sequence. Attestation of a degree that is not yet attested can also extend the timeline.

Does a consultancy licence need a physical office?

A mainland DET consultancy requires a physical address, and the tenancy must be registered through Ejari. A flexi-desk can satisfy this for smaller setups where the activity permits it. Free zone consultancies often bundle a flexi-desk in their package, which is one reason free zones appeal to solo consultants who do not need a full office.

What is the difference between a professional licence and a consultancy licence?

Consultancy is a type of professional licence, not a separate category. The professional licence covers services delivered through specialized skill, and consultancy activities sit within it. When you apply, you select the specific consultancy activity code under the professional licence, which then determines whether a regulator approval and a specific degree are required.

Can I add more consultancy activities to the same licence later?

Yes, you can apply to add activities to an existing licence, subject to the same qualification and regulator checks that apply to a new activity. Adding a regulated activity later still triggers the relevant authority’s approval and qualification bar. It is often cleaner to include planned activities at setup than to amend the licence repeatedly.

Do I need SCA approval for a consultancy?

You need Securities and Commodities Authority approval only if your consultancy provides financial or investment advice, which is a regulated activity. General management, HR, marketing, and IT consultancies do not involve SCA. Offering investment advice without the required approval is a compliance risk, so confirm your activity scope carefully before you market such services.

Is mainland or free zone better for a consultancy?

Mainland suits consultants who serve UAE government and private clients directly and want to take on local project work, at the cost of an office and, for some structures, a Local Service Agent. Free zone suits professionals serving overseas or free zone clients who want 100% ownership, no LSA, and a bundled desk and visa package. The deciding factor is usually where your clients are based.

Official Sources

• Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)
• Invest in Dubai (business licensing platform)
• The UAE Government Portal — Doing Business on the Mainland
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Document Attestation
• Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA)

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or business-setup advice. Licence categories, qualification requirements, ownership rules, regulator approvals, and fees change and vary by activity, structure, and free zone. Verify current requirements directly with the Department of Economy and Tourism, the Invest in Dubai platform, and the relevant regulator before applying, and seek professional advice for regulated activities.