Tajer Abu Dhabi licence: cost, eligibility and rules

No office lease is required for the first three years, and an Emirates ID is the only document needed. Apply through TAMM.

Tajer Abu Dhabi is one of the seven economic licence types offered by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), which lists it as the Abu Dhabi Trader licence: a licence for specific commercial activities, issued electronically to UAE citizens and residents. Registration and licensing are handled by the Abu Dhabi Registration Authority (ADRA), ADDED's registration arm, through the TAMM platform.

Its appeal is cost and speed. Instead of the standard route with premises, inspections and a longer document list, Tajer is applied for online with an Emirates ID, and the business does not need to lease an office for its first three years. That makes it a fit for home-based traders, online sellers and small service businesses testing a market before committing to rent.

It is still a full economic licence for the activities listed on it. The business can invoice, open a bank account in its trade name and register for tax like any other licensed entity. What it is not is a route around eligibility rules: the owner profile and legal form are fixed, as the next section explains. For the wider Abu Dhabi picture, see Abu Dhabi company setup.

ADRA states that the licence is open to:

• UAE nationals;
• UAE residents;
• GCC nationals.

The business must be set up in one of three legal forms: an establishment, a sole proprietorship or a limited liability company. ADRA describes the typical users as one-person companies owned by Emiratis or GCC nationals, and LLCs owned by residents in partnership with Emiratis.

Two practical consequences follow. First, a non-resident cannot use Tajer; Abu Dhabi's separate virtual licence is the product aimed at individuals living outside the UAE. Second, a resident who wants a sole, fully owned company should confirm with ADRA on TAMM which form is available to them for the chosen activities before applying, because the allowed combination of owner nationality and legal form drives approval.

Activity choice matters as much as eligibility. ADRA publishes a list of about 1,200 activities available under the licence. Regulated activities that need another authority's approval, such as health or education, may require that approval before issue, and some activities are simply not on the Tajer list. Check the activity on TAMM first, and keep a screenshot of the listed conditions with your file.

ADRA publishes the fee structure as a basic charge plus a per-activity charge:

• Basic fee: AED 790, which includes six activities chosen by the investor.
• Additional activities: AED 100 each.
• Overall range: AED 790 to AED 5,500 depending on the economic activities.

The formula for the licence fee is therefore: AED 790 + (number of activities above six x AED 100), subject to activity-specific charges within the published range.

Example 1: a resident selling handmade products online picks four activities. Four is within the six included, so the licence fee is AED 790.

Example 2: a trader wants ten activities. Four are above the six included, so the fee is AED 790 + (4 x AED 100) = AED 1,190.

Approval fees from other authorities, chamber charges, visas and any later office lease are separate. These are the published fees as of October 2026; confirm the amount on TAMM at the payment step, because ADRA notes that fees vary with the activities and legal form selected.

ADRA sets out a short process, and TAMM lists UAE Pass login, application submission and approvals from other entities where required:

1. Check the trade name using TAMM's trade name search, and pick a name that meets UAE naming rules (legal-form suffix, no religious or government names, not already registered).
2. Select your activities and the licence type. Make sure each activity appears on the Tajer list.
3. Fill in the forms on TAMM after logging in with UAE Pass.
4. Finalise any approvals that your activities require from other entities.
5. Pay the fees and receive the licence electronically.

ADRA states that an Emirates ID is enough and that no additional documentation is required, which is why the licence can be issued quickly when no external approval is involved. Keep the licence, owner and address details consistent with your Emirates ID record; mismatches are the usual reason an online application is returned.

The three-year office waiver is the feature to plan around. From year four the business should expect to meet the normal premises requirement for its licence, so build the cost of a lease into any plan that runs beyond three years, or move to a standard licence earlier if you need staff visas or a shopfront.

The licence also covers only the activities printed on it. Adding a new line of business means amending the licence and paying for the extra activity, and trading outside the listed activities can lead to fines from the licensing authority. Review the activity list each year at renewal.

Tax duties are the same as for any licensed business:

• Corporate tax: an LLC must register on EmaraTax; late registration carries an AED 10,000 penalty. A natural person trading under an establishment registers once turnover exceeds AED 1 million in a calendar year.
• VAT: registration is mandatory once taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000 in 12 months, and voluntary from AED 187,500.
• Small Business Relief can reduce corporate tax to nil for revenue up to AED 3 million, for tax periods ending by 31 December 2029.
• UBO: an LLC must keep and file beneficial owner details; see how to file UBO in Abu Dhabi.

• Who can apply: UAE nationals, UAE residents and GCC nationals, as an establishment, sole proprietorship or LLC.
• Fee: AED 790 including six activities, plus AED 100 per extra activity, within a published range of AED 790 to AED 5,500.
• Activities: about 1,200 to choose from on the ADRA list; regulated activities may need another authority's approval first.
• Office: no lease required for the first three years.
• Documents and route: an Emirates ID is the only document needed; apply through TAMM with UAE Pass.
• Tax: the same corporate tax, VAT and UBO duties as any licensed business.