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 DED 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 DED (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 (DED) 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 incorporate in Dubai?
Book a free 30-minute consultation. We'll map the right structure, zone and budget for your business — with a written, all-in quote and no obligation.