Industry · F&B
Restaurant & Food Business License in Dubai
Open a restaurant, café or cloud kitchen with the right mainland licence.
Food & beverage is a mainland business, you're serving UAE customers from a physical location, so you'll need a DET trade licence, food-safety approvals and municipality permits. Cloud kitchens offer a lower-cost entry to the delivery market.
Indicative from ~AED 25,000+ for the licence; fit out, approvals and location drive the real budget much higher.
What's involved
Mainland licence
F&B serves local customers from premises, so it's a DET (mainland) setup, not a free zone one.
Food-safety & municipality
Food-safety approval, municipality permits and premises inspection are required before you open.
Cloud kitchens
A lower-cost route to the delivery market without a full dine-in fit out.
Visas & staff
We handle the trade licence, approvals, and staff visas so you can focus on the concept.
Frequently asked
01Do I need a mainland licence for a restaurant in Dubai?＋
Yes, restaurants and cafés serve UAE customers from a physical location, which requires a mainland (DET) licence plus food-safety and municipality approvals.
02Is a cloud kitchen cheaper?＋
Generally yes, a cloud kitchen avoids a full dine-in fit out and prime-location rent, making it a lower-cost entry to the delivery market.
Start here
Ready to start a business in Dubai?
Book a free 30 minute consultation. We map free zone, mainland or offshore against what you sell, then send a written all in quote.