A logistics or freight forwarding licence in Dubai typically costs from around AED 18,000 to AED 35,000 in year one, covering the trade licence, an office with Ejari, one visa and the establishment card. Warehousing, own transport and a customs code add cost on top.
What it costs (2026)
Logistics ranges widely because a pure freight-forwarding desk costs far less than a warehousing-and-transport operation. Here is where the money goes, with honest ranges:
- Trade licence (DET or free zone, freight forwarding/logistics activity): typically from around AED 15,000 upward for the initial licence and activity registration.
- Office / warehouse and Ejari: a freight-forwarding office can be modest; add warehousing and the premises cost rises sharply. Budget from roughly AED 12,000+ for an office, more for storage space.
- Customs code: importing and exporting requires a customs code registration; budget a few thousand dirhams, plus any deposit.
- Visa allocation: budget roughly AED 4,000–7,000 per visa; warehouse and driver headcount will scale this.
- Establishment card and approvals: your immigration file (a few hundred up to around AED 2,000), plus transport/road authority permits if you run your own vehicles.
The line most agents skip is the Year-2 renewal. Your licence, office or warehouse, customs code and visas renew annually, and warehousing is the line that makes logistics renewals heavier. Get the full year-two figure in writing before you commit.
Requirements & approvals
Pure freight forwarding and logistics coordination is relatively light on approvals, you arrange shipping without necessarily owning trucks or warehouses. The moment you add physical operations, requirements grow: importing and exporting needs a customs code (Dubai Customs), running your own vehicles needs RTA and road-transport permits, and warehousing brings its own municipality and civil-defence requirements, especially for regulated or hazardous goods. Free zones like JAFZA and DAFZA are built for this activity and offer bundled warehousing and customs benefits. We map your model, forwarding only versus full transport and storage, to the right approvals up front.
Process & timeline
- Confirm your logistics/freight activity and legal form, then reserve your trade name and get initial approval.
- Secure your office or warehouse and register the Ejari tenancy (mainland) or select your package (free zone).
- Obtain transport and warehousing permits if you run vehicles or storage.
- Pay fees and receive your trade licence.
- Open your establishment card, process visas, and register your customs code for import/export.
A freight-forwarding licence is often issued within a few working days to about two weeks. Warehousing, transport permits and the customs code add time, so we give you a realistic timeline based on how physical your operation is.
Mainland or free zone for this activity?
Logistics is one of the clearest free-zone cases, with a caveat. Free zone (JAFZA, DAFZA and similar) wins if your business is import, export, re-export and international freight, because these zones bundle customs access, warehousing and duty benefits built for logistics. Mainland wins if you need to deliver and distribute directly to customers inside the UAE, run last-mile transport on local roads and invoice local clients without a distributor. Many operators combine the two, or use a free zone base with a mainland distribution arrangement; we will advise the cleaner structure for your routes.
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 logistics or freight licence in Dubai really cost?
Most owners pay from around AED 18,000 to AED 35,000 in year one for a freight-forwarding office setup with one visa and the establishment card. Adding warehousing, own transport and a larger team raises it significantly. We confirm your exact all-in figure, renewal included, before you commit.
Do I need a customs code and transport permits for logistics?
If you import or export, yes, you need a customs code from Dubai Customs. If you run your own vehicles, you need RTA and road-transport permits, and warehousing brings municipality and civil-defence requirements. Pure freight forwarding without trucks or storage is lighter. We map the approvals to your specific model.
What is the Year-2 renewal cost for a logistics licence?
Your licence, office or warehouse, customs code and visas renew annually, and warehousing is what makes the year-two figure heavier for logistics. This is the number most agents hide, so ask us and we will put the full renewal total in writing before you pay.
See also: the full mainland company formation cost in Dubai (2026).
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