Restaurant License in Dubai (Restaurant, Café & Cafeteria)
A restaurant license in Dubai combines a DET trade licence with Dubai Municipality food safety approvals for your premises, plus Civil Defence and signage approvals. We plan the steps in the right order for restaurants, cafés, cafeterias and cloud kitchens.
Description
A restaurant license in Dubai is not a single document. The Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) issues the trade licence with your food activity, and Dubai Municipality's Food Safety Department approves the kitchen and premises. Civil Defence approves fire safety, and outside signage needs its own permit. The same applies whether you open a restaurant, a café, a cafeteria or a delivery-only kitchen.
How to get a restaurant license in Dubai comes down to order. You choose the activity, reserve a trade name and get DET initial approval, as for any Dubai mainland company. Then you find premises that can legally host a kitchen, get the landlord's no-objection letter and register the lease on Ejari. Before any building work, Dubai Municipality must approve your kitchen layout. Starting fit-out first is the most expensive mistake new owners make, because changes after the walls go up mean rebuilding.
After fit-out, the Municipality and Civil Defence inspect the premises and the licence is issued. Every food business must register on FoodWatch, the Municipality's food safety system, and have a Person in Charge (PIC) trained to the level the Food Code sets for your type of outlet. Only the main PIC or a technical expert can apply for food permits, so choose this person early. Kitchen and service staff also need occupational health cards, and you will need employment visas for them.
A cafeteria licence is a narrower food activity than a full restaurant, usually for a smaller outlet with a simpler menu. Check that the activity wording matches what you plan to cook and sell, because the Municipality approves the kitchen for that activity. The cafeteria licence cost in Dubai is made up of the DET trade licence fee for the activity, the Municipality layout approval and food establishment permit, Civil Defence approval, the signage permit, Ejari registration, PIC training and staff health cards, plus visas. Rent and fit-out are usually the largest costs on top. Shop size, location and the number of staff move each part, so we give you a written quote once we know the premises.
Once trading, most restaurants reach the threshold for VAT registration, and you will need a corporate bank account for card payments and delivery app payouts. Serving alcohol needs a separate venue licence and is not part of this service.
What's Included
- Advice on the right food activity (restaurant, café, cafeteria, cloud kitchen)
- Trade name reservation and DET initial approval
- Memorandum of Association drafting
- Premises check before you sign the lease
- Ejari registration
- Coordination of the Dubai Municipality kitchen layout submission
- Coordination of Civil Defence and Municipality inspections
- Signage permit application
- Trade licence issuance
- Guidance on FoodWatch registration, PIC training and staff health cards
- Establishment card and visa processing
- Introduction for corporate bank account opening
Requirements / Prerequisites
- Premises where a food business is allowed, with landlord consent
- A kitchen layout that meets Dubai Municipality food safety rules
- A Person in Charge who holds, or will complete, the required PIC training
- Fire safety arrangements that Civil Defence will approve
- At least one shareholder
- A trade name that follows DET rules
Required Documents
- Passport copies of all shareholders
- Passport photographs
- UAE visa and Emirates ID copies for UAE residents
- Three proposed trade names
- Concept and menu outline
- Landlord no-objection letter and lease (for Ejari)
- Kitchen layout and floor plan drawings
- PIC training certificate
- Signage design
- Staff occupational health cards (before opening)
Our Process
- Choose the activity and check the premises
- Reserve the trade name and get DET initial approval
- Landlord no-objection letter and Ejari registration
- Submit the kitchen layout to Dubai Municipality and get approval
- Fit out the premises to the approved layout
- Civil Defence and Municipality inspections
- Signage permit
- Trade licence issued
- FoodWatch registration with a certified PIC; staff health cards
- Establishment card, visas, medical tests and Emirates IDs
- Open the corporate bank account
Pricing
Contact us on WhatsApp for a tailored quote for this service.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a restaurant license in Dubai?
Get DET initial approval, secure premises where a food business is allowed, register the lease on Ejari, have Dubai Municipality approve your kitchen layout before fit-out, pass the Municipality and Civil Defence inspections, then receive the licence and register on FoodWatch with a certified Person in Charge.
How much does a cafeteria license cost in Dubai?
It is made up of the DET licence fee for the cafeteria activity, Municipality layout approval and food permit, Civil Defence approval, the signage permit, Ejari, PIC training, staff health cards and visas. Rent and fit-out usually cost more than the licences. Send us the shop location and size for a written quote.
What is the difference between a cafeteria and a restaurant licence?
They are different DET activities. A cafeteria is usually a smaller outlet with a simpler menu, and the Municipality approves the kitchen for that activity. Pick the activity that matches what you will actually cook and sell.
Can I start the fit-out before Municipality approval?
You should not. Dubai Municipality must approve the kitchen layout before construction. Building first often means tearing work out and redoing it.
What is a PIC and do I need one?
A Person in Charge is the trained food safety supervisor the Dubai Municipality Food Code requires in every food business. Only the main PIC or a technical expert can apply for food permits, so appoint and train this person early.
Can I run a delivery-only cloud kitchen?
Yes. You still need the DET licence, Municipality kitchen approval, Civil Defence approval and a PIC, but without the dining area.
Do I need a separate licence for each outlet?
Each location needs its own Municipality and Civil Defence approvals because they are tied to the premises. Extra outlets are usually added as branches of the main licence.