Key Takeaways
- Freelancer and Mobdea licences need no physical premises, while a Standard licence is normally tied to a lease (ADDED, October 2026).
- On 24 September 2026 ADDED gave Tajer holders whose no-premises period ends in 2026 one more year without a physical premises.
- ADDED launched the Virtual Licence for non-resident foreign investors on 21 October 2021, with local fees capped at AED 1,000 plus federal fees.
- Tajer is issued to UAE citizens and residents, so a non-resident founder looks at the Virtual or Standard licence instead.
- Choosing a type by price before checking the activity and premises rule means a new application under the right type.
Abu Dhabi has no single trade licence. ADDED lists seven mainland types, and the choice between them turns on who you are, whether you need premises and whether you live in the UAE. Many people search for it as an Abu Dhabi trade license; ADDED calls the document an economic licence and issues it through TAMM.
How ADDED licenses mainland businesses
Mainland licences in the emirate come from the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), and the application runs through TAMM, the Abu Dhabi government services portal. A mainland licence lets you contract with Abu Dhabi customers in your own name. A free zone licence alone does not, which is why the Dual Licence below exists.
Company mechanics behind a Standard licence, such as shareholders, capital and the memorandum, are set out in the mainland LLC route. Dubai uses a different authority and different licence names, compared in Dubai's trade licence types.
Abu Dhabi trade licence types on the ADDED list
ADDED's licensing page, last updated on 9 October 2026, names seven types. It separates them by who may hold them and by whether premises are needed, and it shows no fees.
- Standard: the type that is normally tied to a lease; ask TAMM which activities it covers.
- Abu Dhabi Trader, known as Tajer: an electronic licence for UAE citizens and residents.
- Dual: lets an establishment registered in an Abu Dhabi free zone carry out its activities outside the zone.
- Freelancer: works without physical office premises.
- Mobdea: for UAE female citizens, with no physical headquarters required.
- Small Producers: listed by ADDED; ask TAMM for its conditions.
- Virtual: for non-resident foreign investors.
A Standard licence is normally tied to leased premises. Freelancer and Mobdea are described as needing none, and Tajer holders have a limited no-premises period. Whether Virtual needs an address is a question for TAMM, because the 2021 launch release does not mention one.
Tajer Abu Dhabi for home-based sellers
Tajer Abu Dhabi is the licence for UAE citizens and residents who sell from home, and ADDED issues it electronically. Gulf News (8 November 2022) describes the Tajer e-commerce licence as the route for residents selling online and the Freelancer licence as a separate home-based option. How a licence differs from a federal permit is covered in freelance visa and permit in the UAE.
On 24 September 2026 the Abu Dhabi Media Office reported that ADDED extended by one year the period in which Tajer holders may operate without physical premises. It applies to holders whose period expires during 2026. The release gives neither the original period nor the new expiry date, so ask ADDED for the date on your own licence.
The Abu Dhabi virtual licence for non-resident investors
Virtual is the Abu Dhabi route for a foreign investor who lives abroad and wants a mainland company. ADDED launched it on 21 October 2021 for 13 economic sectors, for an LLC or a sole-proprietorship LLC with 100% foreign ownership. The release capped local fees at AED 1,000, with federal fees added, and required neither residency nor prior approvals.
Those are the 2021 terms, and ADDED's licensing page shows no Virtual Licence fee as of October 2026. Check the sector list, the fee and any address requirement on TAMM before you plan around them.
Where choosing by price goes wrong
The weak point is the choice itself. A licence picked on price may not list your activity or suit the premises your landlord or bank expects. It may not be open to you at all, because Tajer is limited to citizens and residents. A wrong type means starting a new application under the right one.
Fees depend on the type and the activity, so a quote that names neither is incomplete. Ask TAMM for the fee for your activity. A resident who wants a Tajer licence applies through TAMM, which ADDED describes as issued electronically. For the other types, an adviser who deals with ADDED can check the activity and premises rule against your customers and your bank, and you can ask for both in writing.
Choosing between mainland, ADGM and another free zone
Take the mainland licence if Abu Dhabi customers must contract with you directly. Take a zone if your clients are abroad or you want a common-law framework. ADGM and ADDED agreed on 14 November 2017 that a company on Al Maryah Island can hold both licences, with the terms in ADGM company setup.
Free zones elsewhere follow their own rules, listed in free zones in the UAE, by emirate, and the UAE cost guide compares the cost lines across routes. The wider picture is in the Company Setup UAE guide. To discuss the choice with someone who works in Abu Dhabi, request an introduction from the Abu Dhabi hub.
AdvisoryHub may receive a fee when you request an introduction; it does not affect the information on this page.
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