How to Add Activities to Your Free Zone Trade Licence (2026)

You add activities to a trade licence by applying to the authority that issued it for a licence amendment, which is the formal request to change what your licence says. For a free zone company that authority is the free zone; for a Dubai mainland licence it is the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).

Zones sort activities into activity groups, sets of related activities listed together. An activity inside a group your licence already holds is usually a plain amendment with a fee. One from a new group often costs more. One from a different kind of licence, or from a regulated field such as healthcare or education, can need a second licence or an outside approval.

By First Idea Consultant. Reviewed by Amir Aslam, Founder. Updated October 2026.

Below are the rules and published fees for Meydan, IFZA, DMCC, Dubai World Trade Centre, SPC and RAKEZ. Each was read on the authority’s own website on 16 October 2026, and every page used is listed under Sources and how we checked.

WhatsApp Amir: can this activity go on my licence?

What does adding an activity cost?

The cost of adding an activity to a free zone licence starts with the zone’s own fee, which depends on where the activity sits on the zone’s list and whether it needs an outside approval. First Idea has no fixed price for a licence amendment, so every amendment is quoted.

Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote. Add your zone and the activity you want to add; we usually reply within a couple of hours.

Still choosing a zone for a new company? These are First Idea’s package prices at Meydan and IFZA, as of October 2026. Meydan includes three activity groups in the licence; IFZA’s pages say three activity groups or three activities.

Meydan Free Zone publishes a charge of AED 1,000 for each activity added beyond the three activity groups its licence includes (Meydan cost calculator, checked 16 October 2026). Every component of both packages is itemised on our business setup cost in Dubai page.

Can this activity go on your licence?

Whether a new activity can go on your licence depends on three things: its activity group, the licence type it needs and whether it is regulated. A licence type is the broad category a licence belongs to: commercial or trading, professional or service, or industrial. A regulated activity is one that needs approval from another authority, such as the Dubai Health Authority for healthcare, and that approval can come as a no objection certificate (NOC).

Start from the exact activity name on your zone’s list. Our UAE business activities list explains how the lists are organised, and types of trade licence in Dubai covers the licence types.

Outside approvals depend on the field. Meydan’s guide gives the Knowledge and Human Development Authority for education, the Dubai Health Authority for healthcare and Dubai Municipality for food, beverage and manufacturing as examples. Meydan’s FAQ says any virtual asset activity needs a VARA licence, registration or NOC, and that adding or removing one is reviewed by VARA.

Some activities also carry premises requirements. IFZA notes that regulated and non-regulated activities may have property requirements, and DMCC starts an Operation Fitness Certificate during the amendment where the company’s location needs one. Before you file, check the new activity against your zone’s list and its approval rules.

How does each free zone handle a new activity?

Each free zone handles a new activity through its own amendment process and fees, and the table below sets them out for six zones as read on each zone’s website on 16 October 2026. Where a zone publishes no figure or no filing steps, the table says so.

Authority fees change. DMCC’s schedule, for one, says its charges may change without prior notice, so the fee that applies is the one the zone shows on the day you file. Our zone guides cover each authority: DMCC, Dubai World Trade Centre, SPC and Ras Al Khaimah and RAKEZ.

Example: two activities from a new group

Example: two activities from a new activity group add AED 2,000 in Meydan’s published activity charges, and AED 21,780 in DMCC’s published fees when the new group’s code has completely different first two digits (each zone’s own figures, checked 16 October 2026). The company below is made up to show the arithmetic; it is not a First Idea client.

Say you run a trading company at Meydan Free Zone, and your licence already uses all three of its included activity groups. You want to add two trading activities from a fourth group. Meydan’s guide puts each activity beyond the three groups at AED 1,000, and its FAQ says that is per extra activity, not per group.

So the two activities add AED 2,000. Meydan publishes no separate figure for the amendment itself, so confirm the amendment fee with Meydan before you file.

Now put the same company at DMCC on a standard trading licence, with all its activities in one two-digit code group. The two new activities sit in a group with completely different first two digits. DMCC’s schedule charges AED 1,515 for the amendment request plus AED 20,265 a year for the new group, which covers up to six activities in it.

That is AED 21,780 by the schedule’s figures, before the AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation Dirham fees, and the group fee is listed as annual. Had the two activities fitted a group you already hold, Meydan’s AED 1,000 charge would not apply, and DMCC would charge the AED 1,515 request with no yearly activity fee while that group stays at six activities or fewer. So look up the group first.

How to add activities to a trade licence: the steps

Adding activities to a trade licence takes five steps: match the activity, get any outside approval, sign a shareholder resolution where your zone asks for one, file and pay, then collect the amended licence. Start with the papers your zone asks for, listed below; where a zone’s pages list none, the table says so.

1. Match the activity. Find the exact activity on your zone’s list, with its group or code, its licence type and whether it is regulated. Meydan, IFZA and SPC publish their lists; DMCC members pick the activities inside the amendment request.
2. Get any outside approval. DMCC asks for the NOC inside the amendment request, and DWTC Authority issues the licence only after the other authority approves. Meydan says an approval may be needed before or after the licence is issued. IFZA states that securing it is the licensee’s duty, and its activity list marks each regulated activity’s approval as before or after licence issuance.
3. Sign a shareholder resolution, where your zone asks for one. RAKEZ does; the table above lists what it needs.
4. File and pay. Submit the amendment the way your zone takes it (Meydan and DMCC through their portals, RAKEZ by email) and pay the authority fee.
5. Collect the amended licence and MOA. RAKEZ issues an amended e-licence and, where applicable, an amended memorandum of association; DMCC members download the amended licence from the portal.

Wait for the amended licence before you invoice for the new activity. DWTC Authority’s rules put it plainly: “A Licensee shall not carry out an activity other than the activity appearing on the License.”

Removing or replacing an activity

Removing or replacing an activity goes through the same licence amendment service as adding one. A removal is still a change of business activities, so the bank and tax steps below apply to it too.

Published rules checked on 16 October 2026: DMCC runs separate Removing activities and Adding and removing activities requests, and lists no documents for a removal. DWTC Authority’s rules let a licensee apply to add new activities or remove existing ones, and its tariff charges AED 2,500 to modify or replace licence activities. RAKEZ’s licence amendment service covers adding, removing or replacing activities, at AED 1,999 per amendment. IFZA’s guide to adding or removing activities (published 27 February 2026) treats both as a licence amendment.

What should you update after the amendment?

After a licence amendment, update two records: your bank’s profile of the company and, if the company is registered with the Federal Tax Authority, its tax records.

Your bank. Send the bank your amended licence so the account profile matches what the company now does. Meydan’s guide notes that a gap between your operations and your licensed activities can cause problems in banking reviews. IFZA’s guide to adding or removing activities lists banks among the parties to update once an amendment is approved.

If the new line of business needs a new account, see our business bank account opening page. Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.

Your tax records. The Federal Tax Authority’s Tax Records Amendment service (page updated 19 August 2026, checked 16 October 2026) lists a change in the primary business activity or business activities among the changes a registered business notifies within 20 business days. The service is free, runs through EmaraTax, and its terms say a late notice draws an administrative penalty. Registration itself is covered on our corporate tax registration page.

0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward. If your company relies on the free zone corporate tax treatment, check with a licensed tax adviser whether the new activity affects it.

What if your licence is from Dubai mainland?

A Dubai mainland licence is amended with DET through its “Request to amend a trade licence” service on Invest in Dubai (checked 16 October 2026), which lists “Modify your business activities” among the common changes and covers the memorandum of association. DET’s page prints no fee figure; it says the fees vary with the service. If you are still deciding where to hold the licence, our mainland vs free zone guide sets out the differences.

Is renewal a good time to add activities?

Renewal is a good time to review and add activities, because IFZA and Meydan both suggest planning activity changes around it and DMCC charges its activity fees yearly with the licence. No professional service fee on licence renewals; government and authority fees still apply. An amendment filed with the renewal is quoted on its own, and the renewal steps are on our trade licence renewal page.

Adding activities to a trade licence: FAQ

How do I add an activity to my trade licence?

You add an activity to your trade licence by applying for a licence amendment to the authority that issued it: your free zone, or DET for a Dubai mainland licence. Find the exact activity on its list, get any outside approval it needs, sign a shareholder resolution where the zone asks for one, then file the request and pay the authority fee. Invoice for the new activity only once the amended licence is issued.

How much does it cost to add an activity to a free zone licence?

The cost of adding an activity to a free zone licence depends on the zone and on where the activity sits on its list. Published figures checked on 16 October 2026: Meydan AED 1,000 per activity outside your three groups; DMCC AED 1,515 per amendment request, plus yearly fees of AED 1,500 to AED 20,265 when the activity goes beyond six in a group or opens a new group; Dubai World Trade Centre AED 1,500 per additional activity; RAKEZ AED 1,999 per amendment. SPC publishes no fee for amending an existing licence, and IFZA publishes no figure. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.

How many activities can one free zone licence hold?

Each free zone sets its own rule on how many activities a licence includes and holds (checked 16 October 2026). Meydan includes three activity groups in the licence fee, and SPC includes five, with its FAQ saying a licence typically holds up to ten activities. IFZA’s guide includes three activity groups (it also says three activities) in the standard fee, and its FAQ caps a licence at seven activities. RAKEZ sets the number by package, with up to 10 in its Biz Starter offer for new companies, and DMCC covers six activities in one two-digit group on a standard licence, then charges AED 1,500 a year for each one beyond that.

Can I add an activity from a different activity group?

You can usually add an activity from a different activity group, for a fee. Published figures checked on 16 October 2026: Meydan charges AED 1,000 for each activity outside your three groups, and DMCC charges AED 10,000 a year for a new code group that shares your existing group’s first digit, or AED 20,265 a year for one that does not. If the activity belongs to a different licence type, DMCC requires an additional licence, DWTC Authority may require one, and IFZA allows commercial and professional activities on one licence.

Which activities need approval from another authority?

Activities that need approval from another authority are the regulated ones, such as healthcare, education and virtual assets. IFZA calls them Amber activities, and its activity list marks each one’s approval as before or after licence issuance. DWTC Authority names healthcare, education, retail food outlets and hotels; Meydan’s guide gives education (KHDA), healthcare (Dubai Health Authority) and food or manufacturing (Dubai Municipality) as examples, and its FAQ says any virtual asset activity needs a VARA licence, registration or NOC. At DMCC and Dubai World Trade Centre the approval or NOC comes before the amended licence; Meydan says it can come before or after.

Can I remove or replace an activity on my licence?

You can remove or replace an activity through the same amendment service that adds one. Published rules checked on 16 October 2026: DMCC has separate requests for removing activities and for adding and removing them, and lists no documents for a removal; DWTC Authority’s rules allow removals on application, and its tariff charges AED 2,500 to modify or replace licence activities; RAKEZ’s licence amendment covers adding, removing or replacing activities at AED 1,999 per amendment. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.

Can I add activities when I renew my licence?

You can add activities when you renew, and IFZA and Meydan both suggest timing activity changes with the renewal. No professional service fee on licence renewals; government and authority fees still apply. The amendment itself is quoted separately.

Do I need to tell my bank when I add an activity?

Sending your bank the amended licence is wise, and IFZA’s guide to adding or removing activities lists banks among the parties to update after an amendment. Meydan’s guide says your licence defines what the company may invoice, contract and bank for, and that a mismatch with what you actually do can cause issues in banking reviews. If the new activity needs a new account, that is a new application. Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.

Sources and how we checked

The sources for this guide are the official pages below. How we checked: each rule and figure on this page was read on the authority’s own website on 16 October 2026. Rules change, so check the source before you file.

• Meydan Free Zone, guide to adding activities to a trade licence, last updated 4 August 2026; checked 16 October 2026.
• Meydan Free Zone, cost calculator, no date shown; checked 16 October 2026.
• Meydan Free Zone, FAQs, no date shown; checked 16 October 2026.
• Meydan Free Zone, business activities list, no date shown; checked 16 October 2026.
• IFZA, multiple activities guide, published 18 February 2026; checked 16 October 2026.
• IFZA, business activity licence mapping guide (FAQ), no date shown; checked 16 October 2026.
• IFZA, guide to adding or removing activities, published 27 February 2026; checked 16 October 2026.
• IFZA, business activities list, no date shown; checked 16 October 2026.
• DMCC, schedule of charges, no date shown; checked 16 October 2026.
• DMCC, licence amendment guidelines, no date shown; checked 16 October 2026.
• Dubai World Trade Centre Authority, Free Zone Rules and Regulations, file V15 with no date printed, rules on licensed activities and the Appendix 1 tariff; checked 16 October 2026.
• SPC Free Zone, cost calculator, FAQs and business activities, no date shown; checked 16 October 2026.
• RAKEZ, service card for a free zone licence amendment, no date shown; checked 16 October 2026.
• RAKEZ, Biz Starter offer, no page date shown; checked 16 October 2026.
• Department of Economy and Tourism, Request to amend a trade licence, on Invest in Dubai, no date shown; checked 16 October 2026.
• Federal Tax Authority, Tax Records Amendment service, page updated 19 August 2026; checked 16 October 2026.
• UAE Government portal, corporate tax, updated 30 March 2026, for the 9% rate above AED 375,000; checked 16 October 2026.
• UAE Government portal, taxation, no date shown, which says the UAE does not levy income tax on individuals; checked 16 October 2026.

Add an activity to your licence

To add an activity to your licence, send us your zone, your licence type and the activity you want to add.

WhatsApp Amir: add an activity to my licence

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