Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I confirm that a company in the UAE has a valid trade license?
Identify the authority named on the certificate, then search its official verification service using the license number. Compare the legal name, status, expiry date, licensed activities and owners with the document you received. Save a dated screenshot for your records.
Where do I verify a license issued by a free zone rather than DET?
Verify it with the free zone authority that issued it, not DET. DET licenses mainland companies in Dubai, while each free zone licenses its own companies. Read the issuer name on the certificate before choosing a portal. For a Meydan Free Zone company, you can also request the digitally issued Business License, Certificate of Formation, Share Register, and Memorandum and Articles of Association.
Which details on a trade license should match the official register?
The legal name, license number, status, expiry date and licensed activities should all match the register. Where the register shows owners or managers, check those too. Any mismatch is a reason to pause before paying or signing.
Can I check a trade license without the license number?
Often you can search by company name, but the license number gives a more reliable result. Similar company names are common, so a name search can return the wrong entity. Ask the counterparty for the full certificate and confirm the number against the register.
What should I do if a supplier's license shows as expired?
Pause any payment and ask the supplier for written clarification. An expired license means the entity may not trade lawfully. Ask for proof of renewal, then re-verify with the issuing authority before you proceed.
Is a tax registration check the same as a trade license check?
No. A trade license check confirms the company is licensed by its issuing authority. A tax registration check confirms its Tax Registration Number with the Federal Tax Authority, which matters where VAT applies. Run both checks, because each answers a different question.
Does a valid trade license guarantee a company can open a bank account?
No. A verified license supports an application, but banks run their own due diligence on the company's structure, activities and business plan. Meydan Free Zone offers business bank account support through mCore, though approval remains the bank's decision.
Topic Summary
What Trade License Verification Means
Trade license verification is confirming that a UAE company holds a valid license from its issuing authority. You match the license number, legal name, licensed activities, status, expiry date and owners against the official register. It proves the business legally exists and may trade in the activities it claims.
Identify the Issuing Authority Before You Search
The UAE has no single licensing register. Mainland companies in Dubai are licensed by DET, while free zone companies are licensed by their own free zone authority. Read the license header and logo first, then use that authority's official verification service, not a third-party site.
How to Check a Trade License in the UAE Online
To check a UAE trade license online, identify the issuing authority, open its official verification service, and enter the license number or company name. Compare the legal name, status, expiry date, activities and owners with the document you received. Save a dated record, and repeat the check before large payments. Digital Dubai publishes information on Dubai's digital government services.
Key Checks to Run on a UAE Trade License
Beyond confirming the license exists, verify the active status, expiry date, licensed activities, legal name and owners, and registered address. Then cross-check the tax registration number where VAT applies. A valid license with the wrong activity doesn't cover the work being sold.
What a Meydan Free Zone License Shows
After registration, Meydan Free Zone issues the Business License, Certificate of Formation, Share Register, and Memorandum and Articles of Association digitally. Counterparties can request these documents to confirm the entity, its owners and its activities. Meydan Free Zone companies are licensed by Meydan Free Zone, not DET.
Red Flags and What to Do Next
Treat any mismatch as a stop signal. Common red flags include a number not found in the register, an expired status, activities that don't match the offer, and a name that differs from the invoice. Pause payment, request clarification in writing, and re-verify with the issuing authority.
Conclusion
Proper verification means identifying the issuing authority, searching its register and matching status, expiry, activities and owners against the document. Run the check before your next payment or signature, and keep a dated record. If the counterparty is a Meydan Free Zone company, you can also ask for its digitally issued Business License and Share Register to confirm activities and ownership.
How to Verify a UAE Trade License: Process and Key Checks
A license certificate from a supplier or partner is where due diligence starts, not where it ends. Deals are still signed and deposits released on a PDF alone, which lets forged, expired and mismatched licenses through. This guide covers which authority holds the record, how to check a UAE trade license online and what to do when the results do not match. It also explains which documents a Meydan Free Zone company can show to prove its own standing.
What Trade License Verification Means
Trade license verification is confirming that a UAE company holds a valid license from its issuing authority. You match the license number, legal name, licensed activities, status, expiry date and owners against the official register. It proves the business legally exists and may trade in the activities it claims.
The register to search depends on who issued the document. That is either the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) for mainland, or the competent free zone authority. Our UAE trade license guide covers the basics.
Why a Certificate Copy Is Not Proof
A PDF or photo can be edited, outdated or issued for an entity since cancelled. Only the issuing authority's register shows current status. Many founders assume a stamped certificate equals active standing. It doesn't.
Picture a trader who receives a license copy from a new supplier and pays a deposit. Later he finds the license expired months earlier. The certificate looked fine. The register would have said otherwise.
Who Needs to Run the Check
Buyers, suppliers, landlords, banks and partners all do. So do freelancers and agencies checking a client entity. A founder awarding a shipment agreement to a logistics provider should verify the provider first, before any signature or payment.
Identify the Issuing Authority Before You Search
The UAE has no single licensing register. Mainland companies in Dubai are licensed by DET, while free zone companies are licensed by their own free zone authority. Read the license header and logo first, then use that authority's official verification service, not a third-party site.
Mainland Licenses and DET
DET issues and records mainland trade licenses in Dubai. Other emirates run their own economic departments, so don't assume one process applies nationwide. A Dubai mainland retailer's license is searched through DET, not a free zone portal. The federal National Economic Register also lists licenses from across the emirates, but its coverage of free zone companies may vary. Invest in Dubai explains the Dubai licensing landscape.
Free Zone Licenses and Their Own Authority
Free zone licensing sits with the free zone authority, not DET. Read the issuer name on the certificate before choosing a portal. A consulting firm presenting a free zone license is verified with that issuing free zone. Its licensed activities are limited to what that authority approved. See types of business licenses in Dubai for the differences.
Why Third-Party Sites Fall Short
- Aggregators may carry stale records.
- Official registers show live status.
- A UK founder relying on a directory listing could miss a cancellation.
- Keep a dated screenshot for your file.
How to Check a Trade License in the UAE Online
To check a UAE trade license online, identify the issuing authority, open its official verification service, and enter the license number or company name. Compare the legal name, status, expiry date, activities and owners with the document you received. Save a dated record, and repeat the check before large payments. Digital Dubai publishes information on Dubai's digital government services.
Step 1: Collect the License Details
- Ask for the license number, legal name and issuing authority.
- Request the full certificate, not a cropped image.
- Note the stated activities and expiry date.
Step 2: Search the Official Register
- Use the authority's own portal or app.
- Search by license number first, name second.
- Watch for similar company names.
Details to Match When You Verify a Trade License
| Feature | Detail | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| License status | Active, suspended, expired or cancelled | Only an active license supports lawful trading |
| Expiry date | Date on the register versus the certificate | A lapse mid-agreement leaves you without a lawful counterparty |
| Licensed activities | Activities approved by the authority | The work sold must fall within them |
| Legal name and owners | Registered name, shareholders or managers | Contracts and invoices must name the real entity |
| Issuing authority | DET or a free zone authority | It tells you which register holds the live record |
Step 3: Match Every Field
- Name, status, expiry and activities must agree with the document.
- Any mismatch is a stop signal, not a clerical detail.
- Check shareholders or managers where the register shows them.
Step 4: Record the Result
- Save a dated screenshot or printout.
- Re-run the check before major payments.
- Share the record with your finance or legal contact.
Key Checks to Run on a UAE Trade License
Beyond confirming the license exists, verify the active status, expiry date, licensed activities, legal name and owners, and registered address. Then cross-check the tax registration number where VAT applies. A valid license with the wrong activity doesn't cover the work being sold.
Status and Expiry Date
Suspended, expired and cancelled statuses carry different risk, but an expired license means the entity may not lawfully trade. If a supplier's license lapses mid-contract, you're left without a lawful counterparty. For long agreements, ask when renewal falls due. Our Dubai trade license renewal guide explains that cycle.
Licensed Activities and Legal Name
The activity must match what's being sold. A company licensed for consulting that quotes for equipment trading isn't covered. Trading names and legal names can differ, so contracts should use the legal name. A mismatch exposes payments and warranties.
Tax Registration and Banking Alignment
Cross-check any Tax Registration Number (TRN) on VAT invoices with the Federal Tax Authority. Bank details on invoices should be in the licensed company's name. Banks run their own due diligence under Central Bank of the UAE expectations, so a payment request to a different name deserves a pause.
What a Meydan Free Zone License Shows
After registration, Meydan Free Zone issues the Business License, Certificate of Formation, Share Register, and Memorandum and Articles of Association digitally. Counterparties can request these documents to confirm the entity, its owners and its activities. Meydan Free Zone companies are licensed by Meydan Free Zone, not DET.
Digital Documents You Can Request
- Business License: confirms licensed activities.
- Certificate of Formation: confirms the entity exists.
- Share Register: shows who owns it.
- Memorandum and Articles of Association: show governance terms.
A buyer who wants to confirm ownership can ask for the Share Register. Digital issuance makes copies easy to share and cross-check.
Supporting Banking and Onboarding Checks
mCore, part of Meydan Plus, provides business bank account support. Banks still assess a company's structure and plan independently. A verified license supports an account opening, but it doesn't guarantee approval.
Essential Services for Entrepreneurs and Startups
Explore mCoreRed Flags and What to Do Next
Treat any mismatch as a stop signal. Common red flags include a number not found in the register, an expired status, activities that don't match the offer, and a name that differs from the invoice. Pause payment, request clarification in writing, and re-verify with the issuing authority.
Common Warning Signs
- Number not found, wrong issuer or expired status.
- Reluctance to share full certificate details.
- Payment requests to an account in a different name.
- An invoice naming a brand while the register shows another legal entity.
How to Respond Before You Pay
Pause the payment and ask for written clarification. Go back to the issuing authority directly, not to contact details the counterparty supplied. If answers stay inconsistent, escalate to your legal adviser before anything is signed.
Conclusion
Proper verification means identifying the issuing authority, searching its register and matching status, expiry, activities and owners against the document. Run the check before your next payment or signature, and keep a dated record. If the counterparty is a Meydan Free Zone company, you can also ask for its digitally issued Business License and Share Register to confirm activities and ownership.
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