Ajman Mainland Licence Cost: Fees, Activities and Setup Process

If you are looking for a mainland company setup without Dubai-level operating costs, Ajman is worth considering.

The headline licence fee is surprisingly low. Ajman Department of Economic Development, or Ajman DED, currently lists AED 600 for economic licence issuance. But that does not mean you can open a mainland company for AED 600.

You also have commercial registration charges, Chamber membership, documentation costs, office expenses and, in some cases, external approvals. An LLC has another published AED 3,000 charge for Ministry of Economy publication.

So, what is the actual Ajman mainland licence cost?

It depends on what you plan to do, your legal structure, your Chamber category, your premises and whether your activity needs additional approval. Here is how the numbers work.

What Is an Ajman Mainland Licence?

An Ajman mainland licence allows you to operate a business registered through Ajman DED rather than through Ajman Free Zone or another free-zone authority.

Depending on the approved activity, a mainland company can sell directly within the UAE, rent commercial premises in Ajman, employ staff and enter contracts with customers throughout the country.

If you are still comparing licence categories, Nexture's commercial licence UAE guide explains how commercial activities are licensed more broadly.

Foreign investors can own 100% of many mainland businesses. The old assumption that every mainland company needs a 51% UAE national shareholder no longer applies to most activities. Certain strategic or specially regulated sectors can still carry ownership or approval restrictions.

How Much Does an Ajman Mainland Licence Cost?

There is no single final price because Ajman DED calculates the application according to your activity, legal form, company capital, number of investors and other details.

Here are the main published government charges.

These figures come from Ajman DED's current trade licence service and Ajman Chamber's membership schedule.

The basic published DED items of AED 600 + AED 50 + AED 200 + AED 200 + AED 200 + AED 1,500 come to AED 2,750. If the AED 350 signboard permit and AED 100 banner approval apply, this becomes AED 3,200.

Your final government bill then changes according to Chamber category, legal structure, trade name, office arrangements and any external approvals. An LLC may also add the AED 3,000 publication charge. So, avoid judging an Ajman setup by the AED 600 licence fee alone.

Ajman Chamber Membership Fees

Ajman Chamber membership is connected to economic licence issuance. For businesses licensed by Ajman DED, the current published membership categories are:

Ajman Chamber states that the applicable amount depends on the establishment's classification. This is one reason two companies with the same AED 600 basic licence fee can receive quite different final invoices.

What Affects the Total Ajman Mainland Licence Cost?

Your activity is one of the first things that changes the price. A straightforward consultancy does not have the same requirements as a restaurant, factory, healthcare business or regulated financial company. Your legal form matters too. An LLC, sole establishment, branch or another permitted structure may involve different documentation and government charges.

Then there is the office. Ajman DED's licensing process requires authentication of the lease contract through the Municipality and Planning Department. Your rent therefore sits outside the basic DED fee.

Other costs can include:

• Trade name reservation

• Lease and tenancy-related charges

• Activity-specific government approvals

• Company document preparation

• Investor or employee visas

• Immigration establishment services

• Medical tests and Emirates ID

• Labour-related registrations

• Professional setup assistance

If you plan to sponsor residence visas, ICP establishment services should also be budgeted separately from the economic licence.

What Activities Can You Do With an Ajman Mainland Licence?

Ajman supports a wide range of commercial, professional and industrial activities. Ajman DED itself provides a free business activity inquiry service where you can check whether the activity you want is available before starting the application.

Common examples include:

Commercial activities: retail, wholesale trading, foodstuff trading, clothing, equipment, building materials and other goods.

Professional activities: consulting, marketing services, IT services, maintenance, technical services and other skill-based businesses.

Industrial activities: manufacturing, processing, production and industrial operations.

Ajman DED reported that professional licences represented 51% of economic licences in Q1 2024, followed by commercial licences at 44% and industrial licences at 4%. Popular activities included clothing sales, perfume retail, meal sales, building maintenance and restaurants.

Your exact activity code is important. Do not choose a broad activity simply because it sounds close to what you intend to do.

Ajman Mainland Company Setup Process

The actual sequence is fairly straightforward.

1. Select your business activity

   Start with the activity you will actually conduct. This affects the licence, external approvals and sometimes the premises you need.

2. Choose the legal structure

   Depending on ownership and activity, this could include an LLC, sole establishment, branch or another permitted structure.

3. Reserve the trade name

   Choose a compliant company name and submit it through Ajman DED.

4. Obtain initial approval

   Ajman DED reviews the proposed business and investor information before you proceed with final incorporation.

5. Complete external approvals

   Regulated or higher-risk activities may require approval from the authority responsible for that sector.

6. Secure commercial premises

   Arrange the appropriate office, shop, warehouse or other approved premises and authenticate the lease where required.

7. Prepare the Memorandum of Association

   Companies that require an MoA must complete the relevant company documents before final issuance.

8. Pay the government fees

   DED charges, Chamber fees and any applicable activity-specific fees are settled at this stage.

9. Receive the licence

   Once the requirements are complete, Ajman DED issues the economic licence. Its published service time for the final licence issuance service is 10 minutes, although your overall company formation can take longer if leases or external approvals are still pending.

   You can access the official Ajman DED licensing service here.

Documents Required

The paperwork depends on the shareholders and company structure, but you should generally prepare:

• Passport copies of shareholders or partners

• Emirates ID for UAE residents

• Trade name reservation

• Licence application

• Security clearance where applicable

• Lease documents

• External approvals if the activity requires them

• Memorandum of Association for applicable companies

For a branch, documents relating to the parent company and its existing commercial registration may also be required.

Non-resident founders can also establish UAE businesses in many cases. Nexture's guide to starting a UAE business as a non-resident covers the ownership and residency side in more detail.

Ajman Mainland vs Ajman Free Zone

Do not pick mainland purely because the licence fee looks inexpensive. Your operating model should decide. Mainland usually makes sense when your customers and day-to-day operations are mainly inside the UAE and you want direct local market access.

A free zone may suit businesses focused on international clients, online services or a setup where a packaged workspace and licence structure works better.

If you are considering both routes, compare the mainland costs here with Nexture's Ajman Free Zone company setup guide before applying.

Corporate Tax and VAT After Setup

Getting your licence does not finish your compliance responsibilities.

UAE resident companies generally need to register for Corporate Tax. The standard rates are 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000, subject to the Corporate Tax rules and available reliefs.

VAT is separate. Mandatory registration generally applies when taxable supplies and imports exceed AED 375,000, while voluntary registration can be available above AED 187,500. Once your company is active, you may also need a corporate bank account. Nexture's UAE business bank account requirements guide explains the documents banks usually request from new companies.

Ajman Mainland Licence Renewal Cost

Ajman licences can generally be renewed for between one and three years where the renewal conditions are met. Ajman DED currently lists the same AED 600 economic licence renewal charge, together with several of the same registration, CSR and related fees applied to licence administration. A valid authenticated lease and renewed external approvals may also be required.

Ajman Chamber membership also has to remain current. For that reason, plan for annual compliance costs rather than treating company formation as a one-time payment.

How Nexture Can Help

A low basic licence fee is useful, but the real job is getting the activity, ownership structure, Chamber category, office requirement and approvals right before you pay.

Nexture can help you review your proposed activity, calculate the expected government costs, prepare company documents and manage the formation process.

You can explore Nexture's business setup and mainland company services if you want an itemised setup plan based on your actual business.

Conclusion

The Ajman mainland licence cost starts with a published AED 600 economic licence issuance fee, but your real setup budget will be higher.

Commercial registration, the AED 1,500 CSR contribution, Ajman Chamber membership, company documentation, office costs and activity approvals all need to be considered.

The safest way to budget is to start with your exact activity and legal form, then calculate each government charge separately. Ajman DED already provides an official cost-estimation tool for this purpose.

If your activity is straightforward and your office requirement is modest, Ajman can offer a practical mainland setup without the overhead associated with some larger UAE business centres.

Frequently Asked Questions