Regulatory & Licensing Support
Licence renewal, amendment and cancellation.
Renewals handled before they become problems, changes filed correctly, and exits closed in the right order. For companies we formed and for those we did not.
What it covers
The life of the licence, after the first year.
A UAE trade licence is usually renewed every year. Renewal is also the right time to check that the structure still fits the business.
01
Renewal
The licence, lease or flexi desk, establishment card and visas reviewed together, with outreach 60 days before expiry, not seven.
02
Renewal review
Whether the activity is still right, whether shareholders or managers changed, whether the visa allocation is enough, and whether any fines are open.
03
Activity amendments
New or changed activities checked against the authority list, external approvals confirmed, amendment filed.
04
Company amendments
Trade name, shareholder, manager, address and share capital changes, and the documents that follow them.
05
Visa quota and workspace
Quota increases, and the workspace upgrade that usually triggers them.
06
Cancellation
Residence visa cancellations, including files where the sponsor cannot be reached, and licence cancellation, scoped after a written file assessment.
Who it is for
Any company with a licence to keep in order.
Free zone and mainland companies, whether or not we formed them.
For you when
Keep it current
- Your licence renews in the next few months
- You are adding an activity, a shareholder or a visa
- Your manager, address or trade name is changing
- You are closing a company or leaving a sponsor
We read the file before we quote a route or a date.
Worth knowing
Before renewal
- Renewal cost differs by zone: some renew flat, some lock the price, some do not publish it
- Some zones now require financial statements at every renewal
- A mainland tenancy needs at least three months of validity at renewal
- A lapsed establishment card can block visa transactions on the company file
We raise these in the first conversation, not at the renewal reminder.
Twelve months included.
For companies we set up, our time on amendments, added visas, quota increases, NOCs and letters is included for twelve months from licence issuance. Authority fees are paid at cost.
No advisor can compel a sponsor.
Where a sponsor or partner will not act, we establish what the file holds first, then choose the cheapest lawful route out. Legal steps sit with a UAE law firm partner.
How it works
Read the file, then act on it.
The same five steps apply to a renewal, an amendment or a cancellation.
01
File check
We read the licence, the immigration file and any open fines, and confirm which authority holds each.
You get: the facts, in writing
02
Plan
What has to change, in what order, and what each authority charges.
You get: a priced route
03
Documents
Resolutions, NOCs, attested papers and translations assembled for the authority.
You get: a complete submission
04
Filing
Submitted through the authority portal or an authorised channel, and followed to the issued document.
You get: the renewed or amended licence, or the cancellation paper
05
Calendar
New expiry dates added to your compliance calendar, with the next reminder set well ahead.
You get: the next deadline handled before it arrives
What you need
A starting list for each job.
We confirm the full list for your file at the first step.
Renewal
- Current trade licence
- Lease, flexi-desk agreement or Ejari with enough validity
- Establishment card
- Passports and visas of shareholders and staff
- Financial statements, where the zone requires them
Amendment
- Current licence and Memorandum of Association
- Shareholder or board resolution for the change
- Passport of any incoming shareholder or manager
- Attested documents, for a corporate shareholder
Visa cancellation
- Passport, and residence visa or Emirates ID
- The company licence details and your role on it
- NOC or board resolution, where the company can act
- Arabic translation of company letters, where required
Time and cost
What to expect, realistically.
Processing times differ by authority. We give you a timeline once the file is read, not before.
- 60
- days before expiry, when we start renewal work
- 12
- months of included coordination on amendments, for companies we set up
Renewal, amendment and cancellation fees are set by each authority and quoted for your file. If a residence has already expired, overstay fines are read from the system on the day. Our own fee is separate. Subject to your needs, we will discuss.
Estimate your setup costQuestions
Renewals and changes, answered.
Straight answers to what licence holders ask most.
01When should I start my licence renewal?
About two months ahead. We start renewal outreach 60 days before expiry, which leaves time to put the lease, the establishment card, the visas and any fines in order before the date.
02Is renewal cheaper than year one?
It depends on the zone. Ajman renews at the same package price every year, and IFZA locks its renewal price. Meydan and SPC do not publish a renewal tariff, so we confirm the figure with the authority before you commit.
03Can I add an activity to my licence?
Usually, if the authority lists it and any external approval it needs is in place. We check the activity against the authority list and confirm the approvals before the amendment is filed.
04Can I change shareholders or the manager?
Yes, by licence amendment. On a free zone licence, a change of shareholder needs the zone's own approval. Who is named manager can also decide which visa that person may hold, so we plan the change together with the visas.
05My sponsor cannot be reached. Can my visa still be cancelled?
Often, yes, but it depends on what the file holds. A cancellation is simple when the sponsor signs. Where the company cannot be produced, we first establish which authority holds the file, whether the licence is live and whether any violation is recorded, then work the authority route. Some files need a UAE law firm partner.
06What happens if I renew late?
Late renewal attracts fines, and a lapsed establishment card can block visa transactions on the company file. Penalties differ by authority, so we confirm them for your file.
Next step
Plan it before you commit.
Two tools answer the first questions in minutes. An advisor answers the rest.
Start here
Start with a conversation.
One no-obligation consultation. We discuss your goals, answer your questions, and recommend a clear path forward. No cost. No pressure. Just clarity.