How to Open a Restaurant in Dubai in 2026: Licences, Approvals, Costs and the Order to Do Them In

Opening a restaurant in Dubai means satisfying two regulators that don't share a queue. The Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) licenses the business, and Dubai Municipality decides whether your kitchen is safe enough to cook in. Get the order wrong, by fitting out a kitchen before the municipality has approved the layout, for example, and you pay twice. This guide is for first-time restaurant, café and cloud-kitchen owners on the Dubai mainland and the consultants who help them. It sets out every approval in the order you'll need it, what the official rules actually say, realistic cost estimates and the mistakes that delay openings in 2026.

Quick answer

To open a restaurant in Dubai you reserve a trade name and get initial approval from DET, lease a suitable unit, get Dubai Municipality to approve your kitchen layout before fit-out, pass Civil Defence fire checks, then take your DET licence and the municipality's food permit. You also need a certified Person in Charge (PIC) for food safety and occupational health cards for every food handler. Government fees are modest; fit-out and rent drive the budget.

• Trade name: AED 620 on Invest in Dubai

• Layout approval from Dubai Municipality must come before construction

• At least one certified PIC on site, and on every shift for high-risk food

• Consultants estimate AED 500,000+ in year one for a casual dine-in restaurant (estimate)

• Register for VAT once sales pass AED 375,000

What a Dubai restaurant needs before it can open

A restaurant in Dubai can't run on an instant or home-based licence. DET's instant licence is only for activities that don't need approvals from other government agencies, and food service does. So you'll go through the normal licence route, which DET says requires a memorandum of association, a lease for the site and any approvals from other agencies. Once those are in hand, DET issues the licence within about 10 minutes. Everything before that point is the real work.

The approvals stack up in a particular sequence. Your landlord or the mall's master developer has to agree to a food use in the unit. Dubai Municipality's food safety team approves the kitchen layout. A fit-out permit is issued by the municipality or by the authority that runs your area, Civil Defence signs off fire and life safety, and finally the municipality issues its food permit and registers you on its food safety systems. Dubai Municipality's Food Code also says your trade licence must state the exact activity you carry out, and that you can't do anything that isn't on it. A licence for a café won't cover a full-service restaurant with a grill, and catering to outside events is a separate activity.

The order of approvals for a Dubai restaurant

Step 1

Trade name + initial approval

DET

Step 2

Landlord NOC + lease

Ejari

Step 3

Kitchen layout approval

Dubai Municipality

Step 4

Fit-out permit and works

Step 5

Civil Defence

fire and life safety

Step 6

DET licence + food permit

then open

Mainland, free zone or mall: where you can open

Most restaurants open on the Dubai mainland, because that's where customers walk in. Mainland licences come from DET, and since the 2021 reforms to the Commercial Companies Law, restaurants can be fully foreign-owned. The usual legal forms are a limited liability company (LLC), a single-owner LLC or, for a sole owner who wants the simplest structure, a sole establishment. Our Dubai business setup guide compares the legal forms in detail.

Some free zones and master communities, such as business parks or the areas run by Dubai Development Authority or Trakhees, license food outlets inside their own boundaries, and they may issue the fit-out permit instead of the municipality. That works if your customers are the people who work or live inside the zone. Food safety rules still apply in full, and the outlet still needs a food permit, so check with the zone which body inspects you before you sign anything.

Malls and hotels are a third route. A mall unit usually comes with the landlord's own design rules, fit-out contractor list and opening deadlines, plus a turnover-linked rent in many cases. Because the mall's technical team signs off your drawings before the municipality sees them, the landlord's approval is the first gate. Non-halal food is restricted: the Food Code allows pork preparation only in five-star hotels and clubs, with prior approval, so a pork menu isn't an option for a standalone restaurant.

Where to open a Dubai restaurant

Route	Licence from	First gate	Best for
Mainland street unit	DET	Landlord food-use NOC	Walk-in and delivery customers anywhere in Dubai
Mall or hotel unit	DET	Landlord's design and fit-out rules	High footfall, higher rent and turnover-linked charges
Free zone or master community	Zone or area authority	Zone approval and fit-out permit	Customers working or living inside the zone

Mainland street unit

Licence from

DET

First gate

Landlord food-use NOC

Best for

Walk-in and delivery customers anywhere in Dubai

Mall or hotel unit

Licence from

DET

First gate

Landlord's design and fit-out rules

Best for

High footfall, higher rent and turnover-linked charges

Free zone or master community

Licence from

Zone or area authority

First gate

Zone approval and fit-out permit

Best for

Customers working or living inside the zone

Step 1: Activity, legal form and trade name with DET

Start on DET's Invest in Dubai portal. Pick the activity that matches what you'll actually do (restaurant, café, cafeteria, catering or delivery-only kitchen) and your legal form, then reserve a trade name. DET charges AED 620 in total for the trade name and says the service takes about 10 minutes for straightforward names. The name has to match the activity, be written literally in Arabic and English, and end with your legal form; our trade name guide explains the rules and common rejections.

Initial approval follows. It tells you the government has no objection in principle, and it's the document landlords and the municipality expect to see before you move on. It doesn't let you trade. At this stage DET will also show which outside approvals your activity needs. For food service, expect Dubai Municipality's food safety approval to be listed as a condition of the final licence.

Take care with the activity choice. If you plan to sell packaged products such as sauces or baked goods to supermarkets later, or to run outside catering, ask DET whether you need extra activities now. Adding them later means an amendment, and possibly a new layout review if the kitchen use changes.

Step 2: Find the premises and register the lease

The unit has to be suitable for cooking before you commit to it. Ask the landlord in writing whether food use is allowed, whether there's an exhaust route for kitchen fumes, a grease trap or space for one, and enough electrical and gas capacity. Many units that look cheap need tens of thousands of dirhams of extra work for extraction and drainage. A landlord's no-objection certificate for food use is usually the first document a fit-out designer asks for.

Size matters too. Mitchells Commercial Realty, summarising a Dubai Municipality activity guideline from July 2025, reports minimum kitchen areas of around 300 sq ft for a restaurant, 150 sq ft for a coffee shop and 200 sq ft for a cafeteria. That's a secondary summary; confirm the current minimum for your exact activity with the municipality before you sign a lease.

Once you've signed, register the tenancy on Ejari. DET needs the registered lease for a normal licence, and the municipality's layout submission relies on it. Ejari costs about AED 177.75 through the Dubai REST app; our Ejari guide covers the steps.

Step 3: Get the kitchen layout approved before fit-out

This is the step that catches first-time owners. Dubai Municipality's Food Code says proposed layouts for new food establishments must be reviewed and approved by its food control department before construction, renovation or reconstruction. Later changes that affect the main layout or flow of work, such as moving equipment, changing drainage, exits or ventilation, also need prior approval. Minor jobs such as adding shelves in a store don't.

The Food Code lists what the plan must show: the space for food handling, cooking, cleaning, storage and seating; toilets and sanitary fittings; windows and mechanical ventilation; the position of equipment; every entrance and exit; and the facilities for pot washing, dishwashing and hand washing. In practice an engineering consultant or specialist fit-out designer prepares the drawings. Secondary sources describe the service as the municipality's "approval of the design layout for food establishments", and the municipality's food safety team reviews whether raw and cooked food are kept apart, whether there are enough hand-wash sinks and whether the flow runs from delivery to storage, preparation, cooking and service without crossing back.

Getting the layout approved

1. 1

   Brief a designer who knows the Food Code

   Give them the landlord's drawings, your menu and equipment list. The menu decides how many preparation zones, sinks and fridges you need.

2. 2

   Draw the flow, not just the furniture

   Show receiving, dry and cold storage, raw and cooked preparation, cooking, washing and service, with hand-wash sinks where staff need them.

3. 3

   Submit before any works start

   Apply to Dubai Municipality's food safety team with the plan, trade name or initial approval and lease. Answer comments in writing and resubmit.

   Tip: Fit-out contractors sometimes start demolition early to save time. Don't let them touch kitchen walls, drains or extraction until approval arrives.

4. 4

   Build exactly what was approved

   Inspectors compare the finished kitchen against the approved plan. A moved sink or extra fryer can mean a re-submission.

Step 4: Fit-out permit and Civil Defence

With an approved layout, your contractor applies for the fit-out or building permit. In most of Dubai that's Dubai Municipality; inside areas run by bodies such as Trakhees or Dubai Development Authority, the area authority issues it. The permit covers the construction work, electrical and gas installations, drainage and the grease trap. Kitchens produce grease, and Dubai's drainage rules require a trap sized for your operation and cleaned under contract; the Food Code expects grease traps to be suitable, regularly inspected and, where possible, located outside the premises.

Dubai Civil Defence then checks fire and life safety: the kitchen hood's fire-suppression system, alarms, extinguishers, emergency lighting and escape routes. Consultancies report that the Civil Defence certificate is needed before the municipality issues its food permit, so book the inspection as soon as works are complete. Gas installations need a licensed gas contractor and their own safety checks. Mall and hotel landlords usually run their own inspection in parallel, and won't hand over the unit for trading until they're satisfied.

Step 5: Licence, food permit and opening

When the lease, memorandum of association and outside approvals are complete, DET issues the licence. You'll pay the licence fees at that point; mainland licence fees depend on the activity, the rent and the Dubai Chambers membership, and DET shows the total on Invest in Dubai before you pay. If you hold a payment voucher, settle it within 30 days, or the application lapses.

Dubai Municipality then inspects the finished premises against the approved layout and the Food Code before issuing its food permit. Inspectors check hygiene, storage temperatures, pest control, the PIC certificate and staff health cards, and they look at your records. Once you trade, routine inspections continue and results feed into the grade shown to customers, so treat the opening inspection as the first of many.

Food safety rules once you're trading

Person in Charge. Every food establishment must employ at least one full-time, on-site Person in Charge certified in food safety. Where high-risk, ready-to-eat or raw food is prepared, a certified PIC must be present on every shift. The PIC passes a written exam acceptable to the municipality and receives a certificate valid for five years, and their name must be displayed behind the cash counter or somewhere customers can see it. If your PIC leaves, you have 30 days to designate a new one, who must be certified within 45 days. Dubai Municipality runs PIC training at three levels matched to an establishment's risk classification, and the PIC submits daily reports through the municipality's FoodWatch system.

Health cards. Food handlers must pass medical fitness tests and carry occupational health cards issued by Dubai Municipality. Every cook, server who handles food and kitchen helper needs one before they start, so build the medical test into the onboarding of each new hire alongside the residence visa.

Records. The Food Code lists the documents inspectors can ask for. Keep them in one folder at the restaurant.

Records to keep on site (Dubai Food Code annex)

0/10

• Food inspection book and PIC handbook
• Copy of the trade licence and the approved layout
• Occupational health cards for every food handler
• Food safety training certificates and the PIC certificate
• Pest control contract and visit records
• Grease trap and water tank cleaning contracts
• Cleaning programme and supplier details
• Temperature records: receiving, storage, cooking, hot and cold holding
• Equipment calibration records
• Sick-staff reports, complaint record and recall form

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How much it costs to open a restaurant in Dubai

No government body publishes an all-in cost, because rent and fit-out dominate and vary enormously by location and concept. The official fees you'll definitely meet are small by comparison: AED 620 for the trade name, about AED 177.75 for Ejari, and annual Dubai Chambers membership that depends on your activity and legal form. The table below uses ranges published by a Dubai setup consultancy in 2026. They're estimates, not official figures, and quotes for your unit will differ.

On top of this, budget for the lease deposit, several months' rent before you open, opening stock, uniforms, a point-of-sale system, delivery-platform onboarding and working capital for the first three to six months. Restaurants rarely break even in their first months, and the cash buffer is what keeps the doors open while the reviews build.

Worked example: a 60-seat casual restaurant in Al Barsha

Rana, an Indian national living in Dubai, plans a 60-seat casual dining restaurant in a 2,000 sq ft street-facing unit. She sets up a single-owner LLC and reserves a trade name for AED 620. The landlord asks AED 220,000 a year in rent, payable in four cheques, plus a deposit. Her designer prepares a Food Code layout with separate raw and cooked preparation, three hand-wash sinks and a walk-in chiller; the municipality returns one comment about the dishwashing area, which she fixes on paper before any works begin.

Her fit-out and equipment quote comes to AED 380,000. Licence fees, approvals, Civil Defence and Dubai Chambers add roughly AED 30,000, based on consultant ranges. She hires eight staff, with visas and health cards adding about AED 50,000. With AED 55,000 for the first quarter's rent, AED 20,000 of opening stock and a AED 120,000 cash buffer, her first-year commitment is around AED 655,000 before a single dish is sold, squarely in the consultant range for a casual restaurant. Her designer estimates that rebuilding the kitchen after a failed layout review would have added AED 40,000 to AED 60,000, which is why she waited for approval before demolition.

Try it — cost a dish before you price your menu

Ingredient Cost per PlateMenu PriceTarget Food Cost

Gross Profit per Plate₹225.00

Suggested Price at Target₹316.67

StatusWithin target

Food Cost Percentage29.69%

Open the full Food Cost Calculator (PDF, save, compare)

Cafés, cloud kitchens, food trucks and home kitchens

Cafés and cafeterias follow the same route with a lighter kitchen. Choose the activity carefully: a coffee shop that later adds hot meals may outgrow both its activity and its approved layout.

Cloud kitchens (delivery-only) still need a DET licence with a food activity, an approved layout, a PIC and health cards. Many start in shared kitchen facilities that already hold layout approval and Civil Defence clearance, which is why consultant estimates for a first-year cloud kitchen are far lower. Check that your own trade licence and food permit match the shared site's address before you start taking orders.

Food trucks need the DET licence, a Dubai Municipality food truck permit and a vehicle permit, and they generally need an approved base kitchen for preparation and cleaning. Municipality food truck permits are tied to good inspection grades, so a poor result can withdraw the permit.

Home kitchens are a different case. DET's eTrader licence lets some Dubai residents run a business from home, but Khaleej Times reported that food and cooking-based eTrader activities are limited to UAE and GCC nationals, and food made at home is still subject to municipality rules. Our home business licence guide explains who qualifies.

Tax, banking and compliance after opening

Corporate tax. A restaurant company must register for corporate tax within 3 months of incorporation, or face a AED 10,000 penalty. Profits are taxed at 0% up to AED 375,000 and 9% above; see our corporate tax registration guide.

VAT. You must register once taxable sales and imports over the past 12 months exceed AED 375,000, or will within the next 30 days. That's under AED 1,030 a day of sales, so most dine-in restaurants register before or soon after opening. Menu prices shown to customers must include the 5% VAT. Our VAT registration guide has the steps.

Bank account. Banks ask for the trade licence, memorandum, lease and a description of how cash, card and delivery-platform payments will flow. Delivery platforms pay out to a business account, so open it early; our business bank account guide lists what banks ask for.

Renewal. The licence, Ejari, health cards and PIC certificate all have their own expiry dates. Put them in one calendar, because an expired health card or PIC is an inspection violation even if your licence is valid. The general rules for renewing a mainland licence are in our UAE business licence guide.

Common mistakes, and how to fix them

Fitting out before layout approval. The Food Code requires approval before construction. If works have started, stop, get the drawings approved and accept that some work may need redoing. It's cheaper than failing the opening inspection.

The wrong activity on the licence. A café licence for a restaurant menu, or a restaurant licence used for outside catering, breaks the rule that you can only do what's on the licence. Amend the licence before you change the menu or start catering.

Signing a lease without checking food use. Some units can't take an exhaust or grease trap at all. Get the landlord's food-use approval and a designer's site check before you pay the deposit.

No PIC cover on late shifts. If you serve high-risk food from morning to midnight, one PIC isn't enough. Certify a second staff member early; when a PIC resigns, start the replacement within 30 days.

Underestimating working capital. Most early closures are cash problems, not licence problems. Hold at least three months of rent and salaries in reserve on opening day.

Official links

• Invest in Dubai — Request to issue a trade licenceNormal licence requirements and issue time
• Invest in Dubai — Request to book a trade nameTrade name rules and fee
• Dubai Municipality — Food Code (English)Layout approval, PIC, health cards, records
• Dubai Municipality — PIC programmePIC role and training levels
• FTA — VAT registrationThresholds and how to register

What to do next

Before you sign a lease, cost your menu and test whether the numbers work at realistic covers. The free food cost calculator and menu profitability checker help you price dishes, and the startup cost calculator turns the estimates above into your own first-year budget. Then reserve the trade name, line up a designer who knows the Food Code, and don't let anyone start building until the municipality has approved the layout.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to open a restaurant in Dubai?

There's no official all-in figure. Setup consultants estimate roughly AED 500,000 to AED 1 million or more in the first year for a casual dine-in restaurant, and AED 50,000 to AED 150,000 for a cloud kitchen in a shared facility. Fit-out and rent are the biggest items; government fees such as the AED 620 trade name are a small share. Treat all of these as estimates.

Can a foreigner own 100% of a restaurant in Dubai?

Yes. Since the 2021 Commercial Companies Law reforms, restaurants and most other commercial activities on the Dubai mainland can be fully foreign-owned, usually as an LLC or a single-owner LLC. You still need a Dubai address for the restaurant, the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) licence and Dubai Municipality's food approvals before you serve customers.

Do I need Dubai Municipality approval before fit-out?

Yes. Dubai Municipality's Food Code says layouts for new food establishments must be reviewed and approved by its food control department before construction or renovation starts. The plan has to show cooking, washing, storage and seating areas, equipment positions, ventilation and exits. Building the kitchen first and seeking approval afterwards is the commonest cause of costly rework.

What is a PIC certificate in Dubai?

A Person in Charge (PIC) is the staff member certified in food safety who supervises hygiene and is the link with Dubai Municipality. Every food establishment needs at least one full-time on-site PIC, and outlets handling high-risk or ready-to-eat food need one on every shift. The certificate lasts five years after passing a municipality-approved exam.

How long does it take to open a restaurant in Dubai?

The licence itself is quick: DET says a normal licence is issued within 10 minutes once your lease, memorandum and approvals are in place. The slow parts are finding premises, getting the kitchen layout approved, fit-out and Civil Defence sign-off. Many operators plan three to six months from signing a lease to opening; that's an estimate, not an official timeline.

Do restaurants in Dubai need to register for VAT?

Only once taxable sales and imports over the past 12 months exceed AED 375,000, or will within the next 30 days. Most dine-in restaurants cross that quickly. You may register voluntarily from AED 187,500. Menu prices shown to customers must include the 5% VAT, and registration on EmaraTax is free.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 13 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.Request to issue a trade licence — Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai (Invest in Dubai) · accessed 13 October 2026
2. 2.Request to book a trade name — Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai (Invest in Dubai) · accessed 13 October 2026
3. 3.Food Code (English) — Dubai Municipality · accessed 13 October 2026
4. 4.Dubai Municipality oversees more than 70,000 mandatory PICs in Dubai's food establishments — Dubai Municipality · accessed 13 October 2026
5. 5.VAT Registration (service card) — Federal Tax Authority · accessed 13 October 2026
6. 6.F&B Premises Approvals in Dubai — Mitchells Commercial Realty · accessed 13 October 2026
7. 7.How to open a restaurant in Dubai, UAE — Dubai International Advisory Consultants · accessed 13 October 2026
8. 8.Dubai trade licence: Types, application process, verification explained — Khaleej Times · accessed 13 October 2026