A cleaning services licence in Dubai typically costs from around AED 15,000 to AED 30,000 in year one, covering the DET trade licence, an office with Ejari, one visa and the establishment card. Staff labour visas are a separate, scaling cost on top.
What it costs (2026)
Cleaning is a staff-heavy business, so the licence is only part of the picture, your visa costs scale with the team. Here is where the money goes, with honest ranges:
- Trade licence (DET, cleaning services activity): typically from around AED 12,000–15,000 for the initial licence and activity registration.
- Office space and Ejari: mainland requires a registered tenancy; budget roughly AED 12,000 upward per year, with smaller-office options at the lower end.
- Staff / labour visas: budget roughly AED 5,000–7,000+ per worker visa including medical, Emirates ID, stamping and typically labour-card and insurance costs; this multiplies by your headcount.
- Establishment card: your company’s immigration file, generally a few hundred up to around AED 2,000.
- Approvals: standard cleaning is straightforward; specialist services (pest control, facade/high-rise, disinfection) can need extra permits.
The line most agents skip is the Year-2 renewal. Your licence, office and every staff visa renew annually, so for a cleaning company the recurring visa cost is the number that really matters. Get the full year-two figure, licence plus all visas, in writing before you commit.
Requirements & approvals
A standard residential and commercial cleaning services licence from DET is relatively straightforward and does not carry heavy external approvals. The complexity is operational rather than regulatory: you will be sponsoring worker visas, which brings labour and immigration requirements, worker accommodation considerations and mandatory insurance. Specialist add-ons change the picture, pest control, facade or high-rise cleaning and disinfection services can require additional municipality or authority permits. We confirm exactly which approvals your service scope needs before you start.
Process & timeline
- Confirm your cleaning services activity and legal form, then reserve your trade name and get initial DET approval.
- Secure premises and register the Ejari tenancy.
- Obtain any extra permits for specialist services.
- Pay fees and receive your trade licence.
- Open your establishment card, then process your own visa and your staff labour visas.
The licence itself is often issued within a few working days to about two weeks. The staff visa processing is what takes real time and repeats as you hire, so we plan your intake in batches and give you an honest timeline.
Mainland or free zone for this activity?
For a cleaning company serving homes and offices across Dubai, mainland is the clear answer, because your clients are UAE households and businesses and you need to operate on-site anywhere in the Emirate, which a free zone licence does not allow on the mainland. Free zone cleaning licences exist but are generally suited to servicing within that zone only, which does not fit a citywide cleaning operation. If you are cleaning customer premises around Dubai, mainland wins.
Ranges are a starting point, not a quote. Use our free cost calculator for your exact all-in number, or WhatsApp us for a straight answer: +971 54 332 2846.
FAQs
How much does a cleaning services licence in Dubai really cost?
Most owners pay from around AED 15,000 to AED 30,000 in year one for the licence, office and Ejari, the establishment card and one visa, with staff labour visas as a separate, scaling cost. Because cleaning is staff-heavy, headcount drives the total. We confirm your exact all-in figure before you commit.
How much do staff visas cost for a cleaning company?
Budget roughly AED 5,000 to 7,000 or more per worker once you include the medical, Emirates ID, stamping, labour card and insurance, and this repeats for each cleaner you sponsor. Worker accommodation and insurance are additional considerations. We plan your visa intake and give you the full cost before you hire.
What is the Year-2 renewal cost for a cleaning services licence?
Your licence, office and every staff visa renew annually, so the recurring visa cost across your team is the number that really matters, not just the licence. This is the figure most agents hide, so ask us and we will put the full year-two total in writing before you pay.
See also: the full mainland company formation cost in Dubai (2026).
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