An e-commerce licence in Abu Dhabi lets your business sell goods or services online from the capital, through its own website, an app, a marketplace such as Amazon or noon, or social media. It is a trade licence that lists an online selling activity, issued by the Abu Dhabi Registration Authority for the mainland or by one of the emirate's free zones.
The hard part is that Abu Dhabi has several routes, and each has its own eligibility test. Tajer Abu Dhabi is the government's own e-commerce licence, but it is not open to everyone. Foreign founders usually need the Standard, Instant or Virtual licence, or a free zone company, and every route still needs the federal telecoms regulator's approval before the first sale.
This is where we come in. We form UAE companies ourselves, so the licence type, the activity, the TDRA approval and the bank and payment accounts all run through one team. You get one clear price and a licence in about a week.
Ready to sell online from the capital? Our team forms Abu Dhabi mainland and free zone companies.
UAE Company Incorporation
Binderr
Corporate tax
0% up to AED 375,000 / 9% above
Freezone Tax
0%
Time to Incorporate
1 Week
Cost
€1,899
E-Commerce Licence in Abu Dhabi at a Glance
Online selling in Abu Dhabi sits on three layers: a trade licence with an e-commerce activity, a no objection certificate from TDRA, and the federal e-commerce and consumer protection laws. The licence decides who can apply, where you can sell and whether you can sponsor visas.
The Main Routes
Route | Who can apply | Office | Fee (ADRA or zone) |
|---|---|---|---|
Tajer Abu Dhabi | One-person companies of Emiratis or GCC nationals, and LLCs of residents partnered with Emiratis | No lease for 3 years | AED 790 to AED 5,500 |
Instant licence | UAE nationals, residents and GCC nationals | Lease required | AED 790 to AED 5,500 |
Standard licence | UAE nationals, residents and GCC nationals | Lease required, optional in year one for some activities | From AED 1,200 for 6 activities |
Virtual licence | Foreign investors living outside the UAE | None | AED 790 to AED 5,500 |
Mobdea | Emirati women living in Abu Dhabi | Home-based | AED 860 for 2 activities |
Free zone company | Anyone, 100% foreign ownership | Desk or office in the package | From AED 6,000 a year |
ADRA says its fees depend on the activities and legal form you select, and each extra activity costs AED 100.
Mainland or Free Zone
A mainland licence lets you sell to any customer in the UAE and hold stock anywhere in the emirate. A free zone company gets a bundled package and, at KEZAD or the Airports Free Zone, a logistics base, but selling onshore needs extra steps such as ADRA's Dual licence. Our guide to the trade licence in Abu Dhabi covers all eight ADRA licence types.
Get an E-Commerce Licence in Abu Dhabi
Selling online from Abu Dhabi is very doable once the route and the activity are right. This is what we do for you.
- Right route first: Tajer, Standard, Virtual or free zone matched to you.
- We form it ourselves: Trade name, ADRA approvals and licence, one team.
- TDRA approval handled: Your .ae domain and sales accounts listed correctly.
- Product rules checked: Restricted goods and approvals flagged early.
- Payments ready: Bank and gateway accounts prepared with the licence.
- Clear pricing, no surprises: One quote, from €1,899, with every fee listed.
The Federal Rules Behind It
Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 on Trading by Modern Technological Means has governed online selling since 16 September 2023. It requires every digital merchant to hold the right licences, show prices and terms, issue digital invoices and accept returns of goods that are defective, damaged or not as described. Payment gateways cannot charge undisclosed fees, and platforms are responsible when third-party sellers on them break the rules. Our guide to the e-commerce licence in the UAE covers the national picture.
The Market
The UAE's online retail market reached AED 32.3 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach AED 50.6 billion by 2029, according to Euromonitor figures reported with EZDubai. Most orders are now placed on phones, so a mobile-ready store and social selling matter as much as the licence. Abu Dhabi's own business base is growing fast too, with new economic licences up 29% in 2025.
Tajer Abu Dhabi, the E-Commerce Licence in Abu Dhabi
The federal portal calls Tajer Abu Dhabi the emirate's e-commerce licence. It was launched in 2017 for UAE nationals and opened to GCC nationals and residents in 2018, and it is built for trading through websites and social media without an office.
What Tajer Gives You
- No lease: no office is needed for the first three years.
- Wide choice: about 1,200 activities, around 30% of the 3,982 activities ADDED regulates.
- The eTajer mark: licence holders get the eTajer badge and a serial number to show when marketing online.
- Existing licences: a business that already holds an Abu Dhabi licence can add online activities instead of applying for a new one.
Who Can Apply
ADRA describes Tajer as ideal for one-person companies owned by Emiratis or GCC nationals, and for LLCs owned by residents in partnership with Emiratis. Older guides say any UAE resident can apply alone, but ADRA's current wording is narrower, so most foreign founders need another route.
Cost and Numbers
Tajer costs AED 790 to AED 5,500 depending on the activities and legal form, with AED 100 for each extra activity. ADRA issued 8,901 new Tajer licences in 2025, and Tajer grew 17% in the first quarter of 2026.
The Standard and Instant Licences
For a foreign resident, the Standard or Instant licence is usually the mainland route to an online store in Abu Dhabi.
Standard Licence
The Standard licence covers more than 1,100 activities and legal forms from an establishment to an LLC. It needs a memorandum of association and a Tawtheeq-registered lease, although ADRA says the office is optional in the first year for some activities. The base fee is AED 1,200 for six activities. Our guide to LLC formation in the UAE covers the most common legal form.
Instant Licence
The Instant licence is fast-tracked and costs AED 790 to AED 5,500. It needs a lease, with documents due within a month of issue, and suits sellers who want to start quickly and already have premises in mind.
Notary and Lease Fees
The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department notarises an LLC memorandum online for AED 50, usually in one working day, and a local service agent contract for AED 50. Tawtheeq lease registration costs AED 50.
The Virtual Licence for Sellers Abroad
The Virtual licence lets a foreign investor living outside the UAE set up a sole proprietorship or LLC from abroad, with a passport and photo. It costs AED 790 to AED 5,500 and needs no office. For an online seller who runs the business from another country, it is one of the few UAE mainland licences built for non-residents. It does not include a residence visa, so the owner stays a non-resident, which matters for banking.
Mobdea for Home Businesses
Mobdea is for Emirati women living in Abu Dhabi who run a home business. It costs AED 860 for two activities, covers about 50 activities including e-commerce sites, and can be used at pop-up shops and craft markets. It allows no employees. ADRA reported Mobdea up 33% in 2025.
Abu Dhabi Free Zones for E-Commerce
A free zone company bundles the licence with a desk or office and gives 100% foreign ownership. Read our guide to free zone company formation in the UAE for zones in other emirates.
Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone
The Airports Free Zone names e-commerce and logistics as one of its sectors and lists more than 900 activities that can be combined on one licence. Setup takes three to four days.
Package | Price a year | Activities and desk | Visas |
|---|---|---|---|
Starter | AED 6,000 | 2 activities, Smart Desk | None |
Entrepreneur | AED 8,000 | 5 activities, Flexi Desk | Quota of 2 |
Startup Pro | AED 12,000 | 2 activities, Smart Desk | 1 included |
Enterprise | AED 16,000 | 5 trading and service activities, Executive Desk | Quota of 2 |
KEZAD
KEZAD is Abu Dhabi's logistics hub and hosts the UAE's largest e-commerce fulfilment centre, built for noon. Its licences are industrial, trading or service, with no e-commerce-specific product. Its start-up packages include VAT and cost AED 9,450 for one year with one visa, falling to AED 22,575 for three years.
Masdar City Free Zone
Masdar City licenses online retail, digital marketplaces and related logistics. Its Startup package costs AED 7,000, and larger packages with visas cost AED 12,000 to AED 27,000.
ADGM Retail
ADGM's retail licence cost USD 2,500 to register and USD 2,000 to renew after its January 2025 fee cut, plus USD 300 for data protection. ADGM asks for a short store concept document, and retail businesses also need an Abu Dhabi government approval. Read our guide to ADGM company formation.
Selling Onshore From a Free Zone
A free zone company that wants to sell to mainland customers directly can add ADRA's Dual licence, which creates a mainland branch from AED 1,200 and is issued within 24 hours when no outside approval is needed.
UAE Company Incorporation
Binderr
Corporate tax
0% up to AED 375,000 / 9% above
Freezone Tax
0%
Time to Incorporate
1 Week
Cost
€1,899
Which Route Fits Your Store
The right route follows from who owns the business, where you live and how you hold stock.
An Emirati or GCC Seller
Tajer is usually the cheapest start, with no lease for three years and the eTajer mark. Emirati women selling from home can also use Mobdea.
A Foreign Resident Selling in the UAE
The Standard licence with a Tawtheeq lease gives full access to UAE customers and lets you sponsor visas. The Instant licence is the faster alternative if you already have premises.
A Foreign Seller Living Abroad
The Virtual licence lets you own an Abu Dhabi business from abroad with no office. If you want a residence visa or a logistics base, a free zone package is the better fit.
A Seller With Heavy Stock
KEZAD and the Airports Free Zone suit sellers who import, store and ship large volumes, especially to the GCC and beyond. If most buyers are in the UAE, add the Dual licence or choose the mainland. Sellers of a very wide product range should read about the general trading licence in the UAE.
The TDRA Approval for Online Selling
Every online seller in the UAE needs TDRA's no objection certificate for practising an e-activity, whatever the emirate or licence. It covers any activity of an economic nature on the internet, through websites, apps or social media.
The Conditions
- Websites: must use a .ae domain.
- Social media: every account you sell through must be listed, and renaming an account needs a new application.
- Apps: list the app's name and link, or, if it is still in development, the website link, a description and screenshots.
- Restricted activities: need NOCs from the relevant authority first.
Cost and Timing
The certificate is free and takes about two working days. It is the same federal certificate in Abu Dhabi as in any other emirate.
Requirements for an Online Store in Abu Dhabi
The Right Activity
The activity on the licence must match what your website sells. Payment gateways check this before they approve an account, and a mismatch is one of the most common reasons for a rejection.
Restricted Goods
Food, cosmetics, supplements, medical products and similar goods need approvals from their regulator before you sell them online. In Abu Dhabi, food businesses are registered with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, and health products fall under the Department of Health. Check the approval for your product before you choose the activity.
Consumer Protection
The consumer protection law requires accurate advertising, displayed prices, dated invoices, secure payment and information in Arabic, or in Arabic and another language. Misleading descriptions can be fined up to AED 250,000.
Returns, Invoices and Data
The e-commerce law gives buyers the right to return goods that are defective, damaged or not as described, with exceptions such as used items, expired food and single-use media. You must issue a digital invoice for every sale, keep a secure technical environment, let customers opt out of marketing and give them a permanent way to complain. Customer data is protected under the national data laws, so your privacy policy and your gateway set-up need to match.
Social Media Promotion
Since 1 February 2026, people who advertise for others on social media need an advertiser permit from the National Media Authority. Promoting your own business on your own account is exempt.
How to Get an E-Commerce Licence in Abu Dhabi
The steps are the same for most mainland routes, and they run through the TAMM platform with UAE PASS.
Choose the Route and Activities
Match the licence to your nationality, residence and where you sell. Pick up to six activities in the base fee and include the online selling activity.
Reserve the Trade Name and Get Initial Approval
Reserve a trade name on TAMM and get initial approval from ADRA. The name has two parts, the reserved name plus the activity.
Sign the Memorandum and Register the Lease
For an LLC, sign the memorandum online through ADJD, and register the lease on Tawtheeq unless your licence type is exempt.
Pay and Receive the Licence
Pay the fees on TAMM by card and download the licence from your TAMM locker.
Apply for TDRA's Approval
Apply for the e-activity certificate with your licence, .ae domain and sales accounts.
Open Bank and Payment Accounts
Open a business account and apply to a payment gateway with the licence and your website policies in place.
Documents for an E-Commerce Licence in Abu Dhabi
- Passport copy of each owner and manager
- Emirates ID and residence visa for UAE residents
- Trade name options and chosen activities
- Memorandum of association for an LLC
- Tawtheeq-registered lease, where required
- For a corporate shareholder, attested incorporation documents and a board resolution
- Your .ae domain and the list of social media accounts for TDRA
- Product approvals for restricted goods
Foreign documents need embassy legalisation and attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Start Selling Online in Abu Dhabi
Most delays come from the wrong route or a missing approval, so we check both first.
- Eligibility checked: Tajer, Standard or Virtual matched to your residence.
- Activities matched: The licence fits what your website sells.
- TDRA ready: Domain and accounts listed before you apply.
- Stock planned: Mainland warehouse or free zone fulfilment.
- Bank ready: A file that fits the bank or gateway you will use.
- Fast formation: Most companies are licensed in about a week.
E-Commerce Licence Cost in Abu Dhabi
These are published fees, not full first-year budgets.
Item | Published fee |
|---|---|
Tajer, Instant or Virtual licence | AED 790 to AED 5,500 |
Standard licence | From AED 1,200 for 6 activities |
Extra activity | AED 100 each |
Mobdea | AED 860 for 2 activities |
ADJD LLC memorandum | AED 50 |
Tawtheeq lease registration | AED 50 |
TDRA e-activity certificate | Free |
Airports Free Zone package | AED 6,000 to AED 16,000 a year |
KEZAD one-visa package | AED 9,450 a year |
Masdar City Startup | AED 7,000 a year |
Add the .ae domain, any office, visas, insurance and payment fees. Our guide to the cost of business setup in the UAE builds a full budget.
Delivery, Stock and Visas
Fulfilment
You can hold stock in a leased mainland warehouse, use a third-party fulfilment provider, or sell through a marketplace that stores and ships for you. KEZAD's noon fulfilment centre shows how much of Abu Dhabi's e-commerce logistics now runs through the free zones. Delivery costs in the northern emirates run AED 35 to AED 50 per parcel, according to one 2026 market report, so price delivery by region.
Visas for Your Team
A Standard licence with premises and an establishment card can sponsor visas, and free zone packages set a visa quota by desk or office. Tajer, Virtual and Mobdea are built for owners who do not need a large team. Read about free zone visa quota and costs and the UAE investor visa for owners who want to live in the UAE.
After Your E-Commerce Licence in Abu Dhabi Is Issued
VAT and Corporate Tax
VAT is 5%, and registration is mandatory once taxable supplies and imports pass AED 375,000 in 12 months. The Federal Tax Authority publishes a dedicated e-commerce VAT guide. Corporate tax is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it, and Small Business Relief applies to revenue up to AED 3 million for tax periods ending by 31 December 2029. Read about UAE VAT registration for new companies and UAE corporate tax for companies.
Abu Dhabi Customs
Abu Dhabi set its own e-commerce customs rules in 2021, five years before Dubai matched them. Personal purchases through online platforms worth up to AED 1,000 are exempt from duty, excluding tobacco, e-smoking devices, nicotine liquids and alcohol. Companies that run a distribution or fulfilment centre must register with Abu Dhabi Customs' licensing department, and consolidated import statements are allowed for shipments of AED 1,000 to AED 5,000, up to AED 50,000 across 50 shipments.
Licence Renewal
An Abu Dhabi licence is renewed each year through TAMM. Abu Dhabi waived late renewal fines from 15 May to 15 August 2026, and 7,823 businesses benefited, but normal fines resumed on 16 August 2026.
Payments and Banking for Abu Dhabi E-Commerce
Payment Gateways
Gateways usually ask for the trade licence, owners' passports and visas, the memorandum and recent bank statements or a bank letter. Your website needs terms naming the UAE as the country of domicile, privacy, delivery, refund and cancellation policies, and full contact details.
Stablecoins
Under the Central Bank's Payment Token Services Regulation, only dirham payment tokens can be accepted for goods and services. Foreign stablecoins such as USDT cannot be used to pay for ordinary goods.
Business Accounts
Banks treat an online store like any other trading company, but they look closely at the website, the payment flows and where the stock comes from. Most Abu Dhabi banks ask for the licence, a registered lease and a UAE-resident signatory, which is harder when you hold an e-commerce licence in Abu Dhabi as a non-resident. Our partners open multi-currency accounts for new e-commerce companies in days, online and with no resident signatory, so you can receive marketplace payouts and pay suppliers abroad. Read about a multi-currency business bank account in the UAE and opening a business bank account in the UAE.
Equals Money
Business Bank Account
Time to onboard
2 Days
Account opening fee
Free
Monthly fee
€30
3S Money
Cross-border payments
Time to onboard
4 Days
Account opening fee
Free
Monthly fee
Starting from € 100
Abu Dhabi or Dubai for Online Selling
Abu Dhabi's licence fees are among the lowest in the UAE, Tajer needs no lease for three years, and the Virtual licence serves sellers abroad. Dubai has more e-commerce free zones and the home-based eTrader licence for nationals. Many sellers choose by where their stock and customers are. Read about the e-commerce licence in Dubai, and if you sell services rather than goods, the freelance licence in Abu Dhabi.
Common Mistakes When Selling Online in Abu Dhabi
Choosing Tajer Without Checking Eligibility
ADRA's current wording limits Tajer to Emirati or GCC-owned one-person companies and resident-Emirati partnerships.
Selling Before TDRA's Approval
The certificate is free and quick, so there is no reason to trade without it.
A Website That Does Not Match the Licence
Gateways reject accounts where the site sells something the licence does not list.
Listing Restricted Goods Without Approval
Cosmetics, supplements, food and health products need their regulator's approval before they go on sale. Choose the activity only after you know which approval your products need.
Assuming a Free Zone Covers the Mainland
It does not. Use the Dual licence or a mainland company to sell onshore directly.
Get Advice on Your Abu Dhabi Online Store
Not sure which route fits? Talk to us before you pay any fees.
- Route compared: Tajer, Standard, Virtual and free zone.
- Where you sell: UAE customers, the GCC or worldwide.
- Owners abroad: The Virtual licence and banking planned together.
- Restricted goods: Approvals mapped before you choose the activity.
- A written plan: Clear next steps sent to you after the call.
Bottom Line
An e-commerce licence in Abu Dhabi comes from ADRA for the mainland or from a free zone such as the Airports Free Zone, KEZAD or Masdar City. Tajer is the government's own e-commerce licence but has a narrow eligibility test, so most foreign founders use the Standard, Instant or Virtual licence or a free zone company. Every route needs TDRA's free approval and a .ae domain before the first sale.
We form the company, get the licence and build the bank file with you, from €1,899. For the wider picture, see business setup in Abu Dhabi.
