The UAE has a few options of licensing online business. They depend on the type of E-commerce business you are planning to do. 

1. Portal license

If your company will be acting as an intermediary between the buyer and the seller, your business activity in the UAE will be called Portal or E-marketplace.

Most famous example of e-marketplace is Amazon.com the website serves as a platform for the merchants who advertise their goods, and the buyers.

If your activity is similar to that, Portal is what you need. Most of the free zones have such activity, so it won’t be a problem to find it.

2. E-commerce license

E-commerce setup is a choice of companies who want to sell their own goods through their own website.

It can be a website selling only 1-2 types of goods or big online retailers such as Mumzworld.com for example.

3. Commercial or service license

Even if your license does not relate to e-commerce as such, it does not mean you cannot sell your products or services online.

You can open a company with any business activity and conduct it online. As per the law, the mode of sales does not make any difference.

You can provide educational trainings, marketing consultations, sell food or clothes online or do any other type of business though the Internet.

4. E-trader license

It is the cheapest way to establish your e-commerce company in Dubai. The licence costs 1,070 AED and is issued by the Dubai Department of Economic Development. 

5. Freelance license UAE

With freelance being now legalized in the UAE, any freelancer is able to apply for a freelance license. Having the license, you can advertise and provide your services online in UAE and globally. 

It’s a perfect solution for designers, IT professionals, tutors, personal assistants and other typical freelancers.