Freelance Licensing
Discover the freedom of freelancing in the UAE and realise the dream of working on your own. Get in touch with Bizzmosis to be guided effortlessly through the entire process.
DED e-trader license in Dubai – EXPLAINED
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4000+
DED e-trader licenses
issued
500+
Abu Dhabi freelancer
licenses issued
Increased demand
of freelancers
“Remote work and the
talented freelancers who
work remotely, will increasingly
be the norm, following the
COVID-19 work disruption”
FORTUNE Magazine
A UAE freelance license allows you to work on your own as a freelancer, a sole practitioner or an independent contractor in the UAE. A freelance license enables you to establish yourself as a one-person company, working as an individual and doing business in your own name. Many entrepreneurs choose to start out freelancing and then upgrade to a company setup once their activity reaches another level in the Emirates.
Freelance permits are available in a number of Free Zones including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Um Al Quwain, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah.
Until recently, business activities available for freelancers in the UAE were limited to only 3 sectors: media, education and IT. Now the activities that a freelancer can practice in UAE are extremely diverse (staring from handicrafts to accounting & bookkeeping, depending on the emirate).
Below are only some of the business sectors a freelancer can practice in the UAE:
- Banking
- HR consultancy
- Marketing & management
- Real Estate
- Retail
- Social & cultural services
Freelancer license opportunities:
- Enable businesses to tap into the broad experiences and expertise available on the market
- Eliminate the need to employ people in specialisations that are only required periodically
- Provide workers with the flexibility to work remotely or from authorised locations
- Boost the income of various groups including retirees, housewives and university students
It is compulsory to have either a freelance permit or a freelance license in order to carry out any commercial operation legally in the UAE. Both options allow only non-regulated activities and exclude all forms of trading activity.
Freezone Freelance Permit
Freelance permits in the UAE are issued by a Free Zone authority, therefore jurisdiction limitation should be taking into account (operation must be undertaken only inside of the Free Zone issuing the permit or abroad.
Important to note is that the freelance permits are regulated by the civil law, while businesses by the commercial companies’ law.
The civil law does not have limitation on jurisdiction, as a freelancer you can be contracted on hourly basis by your clients either as a service provider or a supplier. The freelance permit cannot reflect any company/business name, therefore it is issued only for one person with the possibility to avail residency as a freelancer and does not grant any employment visa.
*Important to consider that it is not possible to open a corporate bank account in the UAE, while having a freelance permit.
Mainland Freelance License
The Mainland “freelance” license is issued under the Department of Economic Development of Dubai and Abu Dhabi (DED and ADDED), therefore doesn’t have any jurisdiction limitations.
DED e-trader license is a Mainland license with 100% ownership and no limitations of operations within Dubai allowing only professional & services activities under it (trading/commercial activities are not permitted under this license). In order to obtain a DED e-trader license you must be a resident of Dubai
Abu Dhabi freelancer license also considered a Mainland license covering a vast range of sectors under it, such as: retail, social & cultural services, technology, media & advertising, landscaping services, etc. License owners can obtain a residency visa for themselves as well as for their family dependent’s visas.
The legal type of the Abu Dhabi freelance license will be sole establishment, permitting 100% ownership without a local agent requirement.
