At Decisive Zone, we help you process any type of license amendment whilst making sure your business activities aren’t adversely impacted. Whether you need to make a small change or you require several amendments, we manage the entire process for a quick and hassle-free experience.
As your business grows, you may want to modify your license by adding or removing an activity, changing your sponsor or company name and/or updating your address.
Managing the process requires submitting applications and supporting documents as well as dealing with governmental entities and online portals.
This can be a time consuming process and we’re happy to take care of it for you.
Select the required amendment and get the initial approval. The approval can be formally requested hrough the Service Centers or Happiness Lounge.
License modification is the formal process of updating an approved detail on your trade licence, such as the trade name, business activities, address, manager, shareholders, or capital, through the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) for mainland companies or your free zone authority.
Your trade licence is the legal identity of your company, so it must always reflect its current name, ownership, activities, and structure. A modification keeps your records accurate and your business compliant.
Modification is required whenever a registered detail on your licence changes. Common triggers include adding or removing a business activity, changing the trade name, relocating your office, bringing in or removing a partner, changing the manager, updating the sponsor, or amending the share capital.
Because the licence links to your visas, bank account, and tax records, updating it promptly avoids compliance gaps. It's not just paperwork, it keeps your whole corporate file consistent.
The amendments you can make through modification include:
• Change of trade name
• Addition, change, or removal of a business activity
• Change of business location or address
• Change of local sponsor or service agent
• Change or addition of management details
• Addition or removal of partners or shareholders
• Amendment of authorised capital
• Change of legal structure
Some changes, such as regulated activities or ownership transfers, need prior approval from the relevant authority. We can advise which apply to your amendment.
Yes. Any change in ownership (adding, removing, or transferring shares between partners) or management (appointing a new manager or authorised signatory) must be recorded through a licence amendment. For mainland LLCs, this also means amending and notarising the Memorandum of Association.
Ownership and management changes ripple beyond the licence: they can affect your establishment card, visa quota, and corporate bank account mandate. Updating your bank with the amended documents promptly helps avoid an account freeze.
Yes. Adding a shareholder, removing one, or transferring shares between partners is done through modification, which updates your Memorandum of Association and shareholders' register.
This typically requires a shareholder resolution, a notarised MOA amendment, identification documents for any incoming partner, and a No Objection Certificate where applicable. Share transfers also feed into your Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) records, which must stay current.
A Dubai trade licence amendment typically costs AED 500 to AED 5,000, depending on the change and the authority, plus around AED 500 to AED 1,500 for notarisation and legal translation where an MOA amendment is involved.
Adding an activity often runs AED 1,000 to AED 3,000 per activity, while shareholder changes sit higher because of the notarised MOA. Free zones publish their own fee schedules, so fees are indicative and best confirmed with your specific authority.
The documents depend on the amendment, but commonly include:
• Your current trade licence
• Passport and Emirates ID copies of the relevant parties
• The Memorandum of Association or an addendum (for name, ownership, or capital changes)
• A shareholder resolution or board resolution where required
• A tenancy contract or Ejari (for a location change)
• External approvals for regulated activities
We provide a precise checklist for your specific amendment so nothing is missing at submission.
Yes. Changing your company or trade name is a standard modification. It involves reserving and approving the new name, updating the trade licence and Memorandum of Association, and paying any publication fee where required.
Remember that a name change flows through to your bank account, visas, contracts, stamps, and invoices, so plan to update those records once the new licence is issued. We can manage the change and flag what needs updating afterwards.
