How to Open a Travel Agency in Dubai: Licence, Cost and Approvals

Dubai welcomed 19.59 million international overnight visitors in 2025, up 5% from 2024. That level of demand supports businesses selling flights, holidays, tours, hotel bookings, transfers and corporate travel.

A travel agency is a regulated business in Dubai. You need the correct economic activity, tourism approval and, for some ticketing models, civil aviation approval. The setup changes depending on whether you sell airline tickets, arrange inbound tours, organise outbound holidays or combine several services.

This guide explains how to start a travel agency in Dubai without overcomplicating the process.

Which Travel Agency Licence Do You Need?

Travel and Tourism Agent

This activity covers selling airline tickets for destinations outside the UAE and related travel services. Dubai's rules also refer to tour arrangements, transportation and selling programmes prepared by outbound operators.

If airline-ticket sales are part of your model, check the DCAA permit requirement early. Travel and tourism agents are listed as a civil aviation-related activity under Dubai's current aviation permit framework.

Inbound Tour Operator

An inbound operator arranges services for visitors coming to Dubai or the UAE, such as local tours, hotels, transfers and destination services.

If you use your own tourist vehicles, desert-safari vehicles or guides, extra RTA or DET permits can apply. Dubai now has separate rules for tourist transport businesses and vehicles.

Outbound Tour Operator

An outbound operator creates or sells travel programmes outside the UAE. Tour operators also need clear booking terms, insurance and refund procedures.

Mainland or Free Zone?

For a company selling directly to customers in Dubai, operating a storefront, issuing tickets or arranging local tourism services, mainland is usually the simpler structure because DET regulates the activity directly.

A free-zone company can work for some regional, online or B2B models. However, operating outside the free zone in Dubai can require an additional DET licence or permit and approval from the authority regulating the activity.

Requirements to Open a Travel Agency in Dubai

1. DET Licence and Tourism Approval

   Your economic licence must carry the right tourism activity. Define exactly what you plan to sell before reserving the trade name or paying for premises.

   This sounds basic, but it prevents a costly problem later. A company licensed for inbound tours cannot simply assume every form of airline ticketing, tourist transport or outbound package activity falls under the same approval.

2. Qualified Tourism Manager

   Dubai's published tourism regulation requires a qualified manager.

   It states at least three years of tourism experience where the manager holds a university degree or tourism-related qualification, or five years of experience where the manager holds a secondary-school certificate. Academic qualifications must be properly attested.

3. Commercial Office and Ejari

   The published 2009 tourism regulation states a minimum independent office area of 30 sq m for each tourism activity.

   Dubai later introduced investor-journey rules intended to remove unnecessary premises-size conditions unless legislation specifically requires them. Because the tourism regulation still contains the 30 sq m requirement, confirm DET's current application before signing a long lease.

4. Good Conduct and Company Documents

   Published travel-agency rules refer to recent good-conduct certificates for the owner and responsible manager.

   You will also normally prepare passports, shareholder documents, manager qualifications, experience records and company incorporation papers. Corporate shareholders can require additional legalisation and attestation.

5. DCAA Permit for Ticketing Activity

   Dubai's aviation framework lists Travel and tourism agents as a civil aviation-related activity. A DCAA permit requires a valid commercial licence and compliance with the authority's technical conditions.

   The published DCAA fee framework lists AED 6,500 for issuing or renewing a permit for an aviation-related activity outside the specially priced manufacturing categories.

6. GDS, IATA and Insurance

   If you sell flights, you will normally need access to a Global Distribution System, either directly or through a consolidator. Common platforms include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport/Galileo.

   IATA accreditation is separate from your Dubai business licence. It becomes relevant if you want formal IATA accreditation and direct participation in the BSP airline-settlement system. IATA's travel-agent accreditation requirements require a valid travel-agent licence and can involve financial statements or financial security depending on the accreditation model.

   If you organise inbound or outbound tours, Dubai tourism regulations also require appropriate insurance coverage for tour-related risks.

How Much Does It Cost to Open a Travel Agency in Dubai?

There is no single fixed price. Your final cost depends on the activities, rent, number of visas, manager documents, DCAA approval and ticketing arrangements.

For a lean agency with a modest office and one owner visa, AED 40,000 to AED 70,000 is a sensible first-year planning range. Treat this as a budgeting estimate rather than a fixed government package.

Step-by-Step Process to Start a Travel Agency

• Define whether you need ticketing, inbound tourism, outbound tourism or several activities.

• Choose your legal structure and reserve the trade name.

• Submit the initial DET licensing application.

• Prepare the manager's qualifications, experience evidence and good-conduct documents.

• Apply for DET tourism approvals and any required DCAA permit.

• Secure compliant premises and register the tenancy through Ejari.

• Arrange insurance, GDS access and supplier agreements where needed.

• Pay the final government fees and obtain the licence.

• Open immigration and establishment files, then process investor or employee visas.

• Open your corporate account. 

• Set up tax registration and accounting before booking volume grows.

A regulated setup often takes around three to six weeks when documents and premises are ready. DCAA states that it determines completed permit applications within 10 working days, although the complete company setup can take longer.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Do not choose a generic tourism activity without checking what it actually allows you to sell.

Do not budget for the old DET bank guarantee that Dubai Tourism waived in 2019, but also do not assume financial security can never apply. IATA and immigration processes can create separate requirements.

Avoid signing an expensive office lease before confirming the premises conditions. And if you plan to sell flights, confirm your DCAA, GDS and airline distribution requirements before launch.

Conclusion

Opening a travel agency in Dubai becomes much simpler once you separate the setup into DET licensing, tourism approvals, DCAA requirements, premises and operational systems.

For a small mainland agency, plan around AED 40,000 to AED 70,000 for the first year before optional IATA security, larger staffing and specialist tourism permits.

Start with a clear list of what you plan to sell. Then match every service to the correct licensed activity before paying for premises, systems or supplier contracts.

Frequently Asked Questions