Key Takeaways
- Ajman mainland licences come from the Ajman Department of Economic Development, whose e-services portal is eservices.ajmanded.ae.
- Ajman Free Zone and Ajman Media City issue free zone licences under the Free Zones Authority of Ajman, not under DED Ajman.
- Federal law lets foreign owners hold 100% of most mainland activities, except strategic-impact activities and those a regulator restricts.
- Ajman Media City publishes four annual packages from AED 4,999 with no visa to AED 22,999 with three visas (AMC package page, October 2026).
- The mainland fee sheet and premises rule for your activity come from DED Ajman, so ask for them in writing.
What people search for as an Ajman trade license is a trade licence in the official texts, and one of two systems issues it. Which one depends on where your customers are and how many visas you need. A few questions put to the authorities then produce a real price.
Two licensing systems in Ajman
Ajman has two licensing systems. The Ajman Department of Economic Development (DED Ajman, ajmanded.ae, also searched as Ajman DED or the Ajman economic department) issues mainland licences and runs the e-services portal at eservices.ajmanded.ae. Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) and Ajman Media City (AMC) issue free zone licences under the Free Zones Authority of Ajman.
On its own, a free zone licence does not open the whole UAE market. Federal Decree-Law 20 of 2025 lets a free zone company work onshore through a branch or representative office where its own free zone law allows it (Ministry of Economy and Tourism, January 2026). The general comparison of routes is in company setup in the UAE.
When the Ajman mainland licence fits
Pick the mainland when your customers are in Ajman or elsewhere in the UAE and pay you directly. DED Ajman issues the licence against a trade name, a licensed activity and a legal form. The wider procedure is in the guide to mainland company setup in the UAE.
Premises come first. Whether your activity needs a physical office, and of what size, is DED Ajman's decision, so ask before you sign a lease.
When AFZ or Ajman Media City fits
Free zones fit a business that can serve its customers from the zone or from abroad. AFZ issues business (commercial), industrial and sole professional licences to FZEs, FZCs and branches of local and foreign companies. Its focus sectors include food and beverage, automotive, health and construction (AFZ, as of October 2026). The licence, visa and cost points are in the guide to the Ajman Free Zone setup.
AMC serves media, technology, consultancy and e-commerce companies. Its four annual packages run from AED 4,999 with no visa to AED 22,999 with three visas, each with up to 10 activities (AMC package page, as of October 2026).
Selling into the UAE is where a zone reaches its limit. AFZ's FAQ describes goods moving through authorised distributors and branches of foreign companies selling through a UAE-registered agent or distributor. The same FAQ says a freelancer company can use its licence on the mainland. Get the conditions in writing before you rely on that line; the permit side is in the guide to freelance visas and permits.
Foreign ownership and documents
Foreign owners can hold 100% of most mainland activities in Ajman because the rule is federal. Federal Decree-Law 26 of 2020 removed the 51% UAE-national requirement for most activities from 1 June 2021, and the Commercial Companies Law (Federal Decree-Law 32 of 2021) carries it forward. Activities with strategic impact (Cabinet Resolution 55 of 2021) and anything a sector regulator restricts stay outside the rule. Confirm your activity with DED Ajman.
Local service agents are the open point. u.ae's guide to starting a mainland business (16 July 2026) says businesses owned completely by non-GCC residents require a local service agent from the UAE under an attested agreement. Its foreign ownership page (updated 6 April 2026) says the old requirement for 51 per cent Emirati ownership or a local agent was removed for most activities. It adds that branches no longer need an Emirati service agent. Ask DED Ajman for the answer in writing.
Documents depend on the legal form and the activity. DED Ajman publishes a services directory and a service catalogue as a PDF; use those for your service instead of a consultancy checklist. Whichever route you take, the beneficial owner register goes to the licensing authority within 60 days of licensing (Cabinet Decision 109 of 2023, as of October 2026).
Ajman trade licence costs and why vendor prices are not a tariff
Prices for Ajman mainland licences that circulate online are consultancy from-prices, not DED Ajman's tariff. The fee sheet for your activity and legal form, renewal included, comes from DED Ajman; ask for it in writing.
Vendor figures can bundle a free zone licence, service fees and visa costs that DED Ajman does not charge together. Two quotes then cannot be compared line by line. A total built from a vendor figure can change once the trade name, the activity fee and the premises are added.
Zone pricing is easier to read. AMC prints its package prices; ask whether they are before or after VAT. AFZ gives its prices through a cost calculator and publishes no package table. Ask both for the licence term and the renewal price.
How to verify with the authority
Four questions put to the authorities before you pay anyone give you a real price:
- Ask DED Ajman which licensed activity matches what you sell, and whether it needs a sector approval.
- Ask for the fee sheet for that activity and legal form, with the renewal fee.
- Ask what premises it accepts and whether the activity needs a physical office.
- For a zone, ask AFZ or AMC in writing for the visa count, VAT treatment, term and renewal price of the package.
Customer location and visa count decide the choice between the two systems. A consultant who handles Ajman filings can obtain the DED Ajman fee sheet and put both routes into one itemised written quote, which is what makes vendor prices comparable.
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