Key takeaways
- The Dubai Unified Licence (DUL) is a single business identity number, with a QR code, that DET issues to every business licensed in Dubai, mainland and free zone alike. It is not a new type of trade licence and does not replace yours.
- Your licence number belongs to the authority that licensed you; the DUL works across all of them. Invest in Dubai calls it a “unique company identifier applicable across Dubai’s mainland and free zones”.
- DET launched it on 11 December 2023 with the Dubai Free Zones Council, and by November 2025 more than 900,000 DULs had been issued, according to the Government of Dubai Media Office.
- Most businesses do not apply for it. DET issues it once your licence data is updated and sends the number and a QR code link by email and SMS. You can look any business up by name or DUL number in the Invest in Dubai business directory.
- Banks and government bodies use it. DET reports that accounts opened through its DUL service provider project took about five days on average instead of 65, and the DUL is the entry ticket for the Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit.
- It does not give a free zone company mainland trading rights. That still needs a DET permit or branch licence under Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025.
In short: As of October 2026, the Dubai Unified Licence is the unique number and QR code DET gives every Dubai business, on the mainland or in a free zone, so banks, government bodies and customers can verify it from one registry. It is issued after your licence data is updated, it sits alongside your trade licence, and you use it for banking, government services and DET permits.
The DUL answers a practical problem: a Dubai business used to be identified by a different number at every licensing authority, so each bank, utility and government body checked it separately. The DUL gives one verified identity that all of them can read.
This guide covers the DUL itself: what it is, what changed, who gets it, how to get and check it, how to use it for banking and government services, and how it relates to free zone licences. If you are a free zone company that wants to work on the mainland, the permit that needs your DUL is explained in our Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit guide. Every fact below comes from DET, Invest in Dubai, the Government of Dubai Media Office, the Dubai Legislation Portal and Jafza, checked on 22 October 2026.
What is the Dubai Unified Licence?
The Dubai Unified Licence is “a unique commercial identification provided to all businesses in Dubai”, in the words of the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) when it launched it. Each business receives a DUL number and a QR code that link to a single verified record of its licence data, held in a central registry.
- Who runs it. DET’s Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation (DBLC) manages the DUL “in cooperation with the free zones in Dubai”. The Dubai Free Zones Council coordinates with each free zone to collect licence data and contact details.
- Legal basis. Invest in Dubai links the DUL to Law No. 6 of 2023, issued on 6 February 2023. That law created DBLC and a Unified Business Number (UBN) system that generates a unique number for each business operating in Dubai or a free zone “upon application for, or issuance of, a commercial licence” (Article 1), and it requires every government entity, including free zone authorities, to record businesses’ transactions in that system (Article 10).
- What it is not. It is not a licence type and does not change what you are licensed to do. Your trade licence from DET or your free zone stays the document that authorises your activities.
Before and after the DUL: what changed
Before the DUL, a Dubai business was known by a licence number that only made sense to the authority that issued it. With the DUL, one number and QR code identify it to everyone. Invest in Dubai sets out the difference like this:
| Point | Before (licence numbers only) | With the Dubai Unified Licence |
|---|---|---|
| Which businesses | Mainland and free zone companies had different licence types and numbering | One identifier for mainland and free zone companies |
| Who issues the identifier | Many issuing authorities, depending on the business | One authority, DET, for all businesses |
| Using it with banks and services | A different identifier for different services | One identifier for a range of services |
| Public and private companies | Different licences for government and private organisations | One type for state-owned and private companies |
| How others verify you | A licence number, checked authority by authority | A unique QR code and DUL number, read from one registry |
| What you display | The printed trade licence certificate | The DUL QR code, on premises, website and social media |
| Bank account opening (DET’s figure) | 65 days on average | About 5 days through the DUL service provider project |
Sources: Invest in Dubai, Dubai Unified Licence (“DUL and existing licences compared” and FAQs 3 and 6); Government of Dubai Media Office, 11 December 2023 and 12 November 2025. The banking figure is an average DET reported for accounts opened through its service provider project, not a promise for any single account.
What does the DUL number actually do?
The DUL lets anyone who deals with your business read the same verified licence data, with your consent where the data is not public. DET and Invest in Dubai list these uses:
- Verification. Customers, suppliers and service providers can scan your QR code or search your DUL to see your licence details and status. Invest in Dubai says the QR code retrieves “public information about your legitimate business”.
- Know-your-customer checks. Banks get access to company KYC data when opening accounts and financing companies.
- Permits and NOCs. Government regulators’ no-objection certificates and permits for economic activities are “unified and simplified”.
- Mainland and free zone moves. Invest in Dubai says the DUL makes opening branches between free zones and the mainland easier, and eases transfers of businesses between them.
- Data sharing. The registry has “consent capability”, so data can pass between government bodies, the private sector and service providers without paper copies.
- Compliance. DET says the DUL supports the national anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework.
Who gets a Dubai Unified Licence?
Every business licensed in Dubai, on the mainland or in a free zone, existing or new. DET’s launch release says it is “issued to existing and newly established businesses in Dubai, operating with either a mainland or a free zone licence”, and Invest in Dubai says “all businesses in Dubai, in free zones or on the mainland will be issued a DUL”.
| Business | Gets a DUL? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland company licensed by DET | Yes | Its DET licence number stays on the licence |
| Company licensed by a Dubai free zone authority | Yes | The free zone collects the data through the Dubai Free Zones Council |
| Branch of a foreign or UAE company licensed in Dubai | Yes, as a Dubai licensed business | Our branch of a foreign company guide covers the branch licence itself |
| State-owned and private companies | Yes | Invest in Dubai: one type for both |
| A company licensed only in another emirate | Not by this scheme | The DUL covers businesses licensed in Dubai |
The rollout is staged. Invest in Dubai says “each business will be contacted when it can obtain its DUL”, and DET reported more than 50,000 issued at launch in December 2023 and more than 900,000 by November 2025.
How do you get your DUL?
For most businesses there is no separate application: DET issues the DUL once your licence data has been validated, and tells you by email and SMS. If yours has not arrived, the fix is usually to get your licence data updated with your licensing authority.
1. Check whether you already have one
Look for the DET email and SMS with your DUL number and the link to download your QR code. You can also search your company by name in the Invest in Dubai business directory, which covers mainland and free zone businesses and accepts a name or a DUL number.
2. Make sure your licence data is current
DET’s launch release says existing businesses, including those in free zones, receive their DUL number and QR code “upon completion of the data update process”, after validation, verification and screening. Check that your licence, activities, partners, manager and contact details are up to date with DET or your free zone.
3. Free zone companies: go through your zone
The Dubai Free Zones Council works with each free zone to collect updated licence data and contact information. If your record is missing or wrong, raise it with your free zone authority first.
4. New companies
Under Law No. 6 of 2023 the unified number is generated when a commercial licence is applied for or issued, so a new Dubai company should receive its DUL as part of licensing. Confirm with your licensing authority if it does not appear.
5. Download and display the QR code
Invest in Dubai says the QR code should be shown at your premises and on your website and social media, replacing the licence certificate you used to display.
6. Keep it accurate
Invest in Dubai says businesses can maintain the latest contact details of licence members through the unified portal. Every licence amendment flows into the record that banks and authorities read, so mismatches there cause delays later.
DET’s announcements and Invest in Dubai do not mention any fee for the DUL itself. If you cannot find your DUL after checking with your licensing authority, the DET contact number listed on Invest in Dubai is +971 600 55 55 59 (Sunday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00).
Using the DUL for banking
Banks connected to the DUL system can pull your verified company data instead of collecting it document by document. DET’s DBLC launched a Service Providers Project in October 2024, and by November 2025 the Media Office reported:
- average business account opening time down from 65 days to five, a 90% cut;
- more than 3,000 new business bank accounts opened and more than 134,000 business banking profiles updated through the project;
- integrated banks including Emirates Islamic, Mashreq, Commercial Bank of Dubai, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Emirates NBD, Emirates Development Bank and Ruya Bank.
The bank still runs its own checks and makes its own decision; the DUL speeds up the data part. The rest of the process, from documents to minimum balances and refusals, is in our corporate bank account guide. Source: Government of Dubai Media Office, 12 November 2025.
Using the DUL for government and other services
The same Media Office report lists government and service partners connected to the DUL beyond banks: the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Dubai Trade, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Arab Financial Services. Invest in Dubai describes the DUL and QR code as “the sole identity that you need to share with government authorities and service providers from the private sector”.
| Where you use it | What it does there | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Banks | Shares verified company KYC data for account opening and financing | Media Office, 12 Nov 2025; Invest in Dubai FAQ 4 |
| MOHRE, DEWA, RTA, Dubai Trade, MOFA | Named partners connected to the DUL system | Media Office, 12 Nov 2025 |
| Permits and NOCs for economic activities | Unified, simpler issuance by government regulators | Invest in Dubai FAQ 4; Media Office, 11 Dec 2023 |
| Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit | Free zone companies need a DUL to apply on Invest in Dubai | DET, 8 Oct 2025 |
| Customers and suppliers | Scan the QR code to check your licence details and status | Invest in Dubai FAQs 2 and 6 |
| Checking a counterparty | Search any Dubai business by name or DUL number | Invest in Dubai business directory |
Invest in Dubai also says the DUL “will soon be mandatory for government entities and service providers such as telecommunications, utilities and banks”. In the meantime it says that, while the rollout continues, using the DUL “will not be mandatory, and all services will remain accessible to organisations awaiting a licence”.
The DUL and free zone licences
The DUL sits alongside your free zone licence; it does not replace it and does not widen it. Three points matter for free zone companies:
- Your free zone licence number stays. Invest in Dubai: “A licence number is specific to the Licensing Authority, whereas a DUL is a unique company identifier applicable across Dubai’s mainland and free zones.” DET’s launch release says businesses are allocated a licence number specific to the mainland or free zone authority where they were incorporated.
- Some zones treat it as essential. Jafza’s guide (31 May 2026) calls the DUL “the official recognition of your business identity and authorisation to conduct economic activities in the Emirate of Dubai”, to be read with a valid trade licence, and says “no economic activity may be conducted unless the DUL is issued and remains valid”. Invest in Dubai’s wording is softer while the rollout continues, so the safe course is to make sure your DUL exists and is valid.
- It is not mainland access. Holding a DUL does not let a free zone company trade or provide services on the Dubai mainland. That needs a DET permit or branch licence under Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025, and the DUL is one of the conditions to apply. Our mainland operating permit guide compares the permit, the branch licences and a new mainland company.
Choosing a zone in the first place? Our Dubai free zones list shows which authority licenses each zone, and our Jafza guide covers that zone’s own rules.
Common misunderstandings about the DUL
| What people say | What the official sources say |
|---|---|
| “The DUL is a new licence I have to buy.” | It is a unique identification number and QR code issued to existing and new businesses; no fee is mentioned in DET’s announcements or on Invest in Dubai |
| “The DUL replaces my trade licence.” | No. Your licence and its authority-specific number remain; Jafza says the DUL is read with a valid trade licence |
| “With a DUL my free zone company can work on the mainland.” | No. That needs a DET permit or branch licence under Resolution No. 11 of 2025 |
| “The DUL is the same as the Instant Licence.” | No. The Instant Licence is a DET licence type; see our Instant Licence guide |
| “Only mainland companies get one.” | Mainland and free zone businesses both receive a DUL |
| “Scanning my QR code exposes private data.” | Invest in Dubai says the QR code retrieves public information about your business; other data moves through a consent-based process |
| “A bank account is guaranteed in five days.” | Five days is DET’s reported average for its service provider project; each bank decides |
Checking a business’s DUL before you deal with it
The DUL is also a due diligence tool. Before you sign with a Dubai supplier, landlord or contractor, search its name or DUL number in the Invest in Dubai business directory, or scan the QR code it displays, and compare the licence status and details with what it has told you. A mismatch in name, activity or status is a reason to ask questions before you pay.
Dealing with the DUL from abroad
Founders and owners outside the UAE can check a DUL online in the business directory and receive the DUL email and SMS wherever they are, provided the contact details on the licence are current. Updating licence data usually goes through your licensing authority’s portal, which may need your UAE PASS or an authorised representative in Dubai; for the full setup order of a new company, see our start-a-business route map and our mainland company formation guide.
How MIRDXB PRO helps
We find out where your company record stands, get licence data corrected with DET or your free zone so the DUL and the records that banks and authorities read match your documents, and then handle the work that depends on it: the Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit or a branch licence, licence amendments, establishment cards and visa files. You get a fixed fee in writing before anything is paid; government fees are paid at cost.
MIRDXB PRO is a private PRO and business setup services company in Al Barsha 1, Dubai. It is not DET, DBLC, the Dubai Free Zones Council or a free zone authority, and it cannot issue, speed up or guarantee a DUL or any approval.
See our business setup service in Dubai for what is included.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Dubai Unified Licence (DUL)?
It is a unique business identification number and QR code that Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism issues to every business licensed in Dubai, on the mainland or in a free zone. It links to one verified record of the business’s licence data that banks, government bodies and the public can read.
Is the Dubai Unified Licence a trade licence?
No. It is an identifier, not a licence type. Your trade licence from DET or your free zone still sets out what you may do, and keeps its own licence number. The DUL sits alongside it and is used to verify the business across authorities and service providers.
How do I get my DUL number?
Most businesses do not apply. DET issues the DUL once the licence data is validated and sends the number and a QR code link by email and SMS. If yours has not arrived, check the Invest in Dubai business directory and ask DET or your free zone to update your licence data.
How can I check a company’s DUL?
Search the company’s name or DUL number in the Invest in Dubai business directory, which covers mainland and free zone businesses, or scan the QR code the business displays. Both show the licence information that is public, such as its details and status.
What is the difference between my licence number and my DUL?
Invest in Dubai explains that a licence number is specific to the licensing authority that issued it, while the DUL is a unique company identifier that works across Dubai’s mainland and free zones. You keep both.
Do free zone companies get a DUL?
Yes. The DUL covers businesses in Dubai’s free zones as well as the mainland. The Dubai Free Zones Council coordinates with each free zone to collect licence data, so a free zone company whose record is missing should raise it with its free zone authority.
Can a free zone company work on the mainland with a DUL?
No. The DUL does not grant mainland trading rights. A Dubai free zone company needs a DET permit or branch licence under Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025. A DUL is one of the conditions for applying for the Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit.
Does the DUL help me open a business bank account?
It can. DET reported that accounts opened through its DUL service provider project took about five days on average instead of 65, with banks such as Emirates NBD, Mashreq, FAB and CBD connected. Each bank still makes its own decision.
Is there a fee for the Dubai Unified Licence?
DET’s announcements and the Invest in Dubai DUL page do not mention any fee for the DUL itself. Fees apply to the licence, amendments and permits it is used for, and to any services you buy to get your data corrected.
Is the DUL mandatory?
Invest in Dubai says that while the rollout continues it is not mandatory and services stay accessible, but that it will soon be mandatory for government entities and service providers. Jafza tells its companies that no economic activity may be carried out unless the DUL is issued and valid.
Where should I display my DUL QR code?
Invest in Dubai says the QR code should be displayed at your business premises and published on your website and social media accounts, replacing the licence certificate businesses used to display, so customers and suppliers can scan it.
What law is the Dubai Unified Licence based on?
Invest in Dubai links the DUL to Dubai Law No. 6 of 2023, which established the Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation and a Unified Business Number system that gives each business in Dubai and its free zones a unique number when a commercial licence is applied for or issued.
- Dubai Unified Licence (overview, comparison and FAQs): Invest in Dubai
- Dubai business directory (search by name or DUL number): Invest in Dubai
- Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism launches ‘Dubai Unified Licence’ (11 December 2023): Government of Dubai Media Office
- Dubai Unified Licence cuts business bank account opening time by 90% (12 November 2025): Government of Dubai Media Office
- Dubai launches Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit (8 October 2025, with DBLC’s role in the DUL): Department of Economy and Tourism
- Law No. (6) of 2023 Establishing the Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation, Articles 1, 10 and 11: Dubai Legislation Portal
- Executive Council Resolution No. (11) of 2025 (free zone companies on the mainland): Dubai Legislation Portal
- The Dubai Unified License (31 May 2026): Jafza
Please note. This guide summarises the Dubai Unified Licence as described by the Department of Economy and Tourism, Invest in Dubai, the Government of Dubai Media Office, Dubai Law No. 6 of 2023 and Jafza, checked 22 October 2026. The DUL is being rolled out in stages and its rules for banks, utilities and government services are still changing, so confirm the current position with DET or your licensing authority. Bank timings are DET’s reported averages, not guarantees. The Arabic text of Dubai legislation prevails. This guide is general information, not legal advice. MIRDXB PRO is a private PRO and business setup services company in Al Barsha 1, Dubai. It is not DET, DBLC, the Dubai Free Zones Council or a free zone authority; it prepares applications and submits them through the official channels, and every decision rests with the authority.
