Dubai has established itself as the hotspot for export businesses. The reason behind why Dubai is preferred by most investors for export businesses is its strategic position. The location of Dubai enables businesses to access and trade commodities in markets of Europe, as well as Asia. Besides, Dubai has several sea and airports equipped with world-class infrastructure and services. To further strengthen its position as the leading export hub, Dubai has also set up e-Services for export companies so that they enjoy faster, more efficient, and easier operations.

How to Set Up Export Business in Dubai

To set up your own export business in Dubai, the first thing you need to do is to apply for an export license. For that, you will need to register your business with the Customs Office in Dubai. The Customs Office provides a wide array of eServices so that the process of managing export operations can be done efficiently with transparency.

To get registered at the Dubai Customs Office, you should know about Mirsal 2 – the online declaration and clearing system. The online portal of Mirsal guides the registration process and other aspects of export business in Dubai. While the registration process can be completed online, one needs to submit the documents to the Customs Officer in person.

The Customs Office then verifies if your export goods fall under the prohibited category and also performs a thorough check. If your export goods are included in the restricted item list, you will need to obtain additional permits to trade those goods legally in Dubai.

Steps to Obtain Export License in Dubai

The export license in Dubai is needed when a company wants to engage in the trading of goods and services produced locally in some other country or free trade zones of the UAE. To trade goods and services from Dubai to a location outside the UAE, you will need to obtain an approved license by the Ministry concerned. In case goods are exported to any of the free trade zones of the UAE, you don’t have to pay for their customs duty.    

As an entrepreneur, you need to do the following things to export goods from Dubai:

• Submit the documents required by the Customs Office
• The declaration registration fee for export must be submitted at the Customs Office
• Finally, the Customs Declaration Certificate is issued by the Office.                                                           

Documents Required to Export

• An approved Export Declaration Certificate or the Instructions of the Declaration of Goods Application (IDG) provided by the licensing agency is mandatory to show during the customs point of entry at the airport.
• Permit must be obtained from the concerned authorities to export products that fall in the restricted list
• A Sales Invoice is also needed that should provide the product description of goods, quantity, and value of each of them. This invoice should be addressed to the company outside the UAE.

If you are thinking about temporary export business in Dubai which is done for purposes like maintenance, repair, project use, or display in exhibitions, you will need different documents and permits.