Trade License Amendment & Company Changes in Dubai

A trade license amendment in Dubai records a change to your company with the authority that issued the license: the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) for mainland companies, or your free zone authority. Most partner, share, manager and name changes also need an MOA addendum in Arabic, signed before a notary public. Wordcraft drafts that addendum, has it translated by MOJ-certified legal translators, books the notary and files the amendment.

How to Add a Partner or Change Activity on a Dubai Trade License

To add a partner, the partners agree the new share split, sign an MOA addendum before a notary public and file it with DET (mainland) or the free zone authority, then update the UBO register. To change an activity, you apply for the new activity on the same license; if another authority regulates it, that approval comes first.

1. Send us the current license, MOA and every earlier addendum so the new wording matches what DET already holds.
2. We confirm which of the changes below apply and whether any external approval is needed.
3. The addendum is drafted, translated into Arabic and signed before the notary (or through a digital route where DET offers one for that change).
4. We submit the amendment, then update the establishment card, visas and UBO filing that depend on it.

Amendment Types at a Glance

The table shows what a typical Dubai mainland LLC needs for each change. Free zones use their own forms, and a regulated activity can add steps.

Outside Dubai, the same changes go to the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD), the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development through TAMM, or RAK DED. Our branches in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah file there directly.

Why the MOA Addendum Holds Most Amendments Up

For a mainland LLC, a change of partners, shares, manager, name or capital is written into an addendum to the MOA, or into a restated MOA when the changes are large. The text has to match the existing MOA clause by clause, be in Arabic or bilingual, and be signed by every partner or their attorney. A mismatch between the Arabic and English versions is the most common reason a file comes back. We handle each part:

• Drafting the addendum against the current MOA and every earlier change.
• Arabic legal translation of the addendum and any foreign resolutions by MOJ-certified translators (see legal translation in Dubai).
• The notary appointment, which we book and attend with you (see MOA amendment notarization). The notary public performs the notarization itself.
• A power of attorney when a partner cannot attend. A POA signed abroad must be attested for UAE use before the notary will accept it.

Share Transfers and Selling Your Stake

A share transfer needs a signed transfer agreement, the other partners' consent where the MOA gives them a right of first refusal, and an addendum showing the new ownership. If the buyer is a company, its incorporation documents must be attested in its home country and at the UAE embassy there, then translated into Arabic before the notary will proceed. Free zone companies usually file the transfer agreement on the zone's own portal instead of using a Dubai notary.

UBO Register Update

Every UAE company keeps a register of its Ultimate Beneficial Owners and files it with the licensing authority. When a partner change alters who owns or controls the company, the UBO filing has to be updated within the deadline in the regulations. We prepare the updated UBO declaration and partners' register in the same file as the amendment.

Records That Change After the License Is Amended

• The establishment card with ICP or GDRFA, and the company file at MOHRE
• Visa sponsorship for a new manager or partner
• The bank mandate and KYC file for the company account
• Corporate tax registration details, which your accountant or registered tax agent updates (Wordcraft does not handle tax filings)
• Letterheads, contracts and trademark ownership after a name change

What to Send Us for an Amendment

• Current trade license, MOA and all earlier addenda
• Passport and Emirates ID copies of the partners and manager, old and new
• The share transfer agreement or partners' resolution describing the change
• A new tenancy contract and Ejari if the address is changing
• For a corporate partner: certificate of incorporation, MOA/AOA, the board resolution approving the change and a POA, attested and translated into Arabic
• Any approval or no-objection letter from the authority that regulates a new activity

From Your Message to the Amended License

1. WhatsApp us a photo of the license and MOA, or bring them to any branch, and tell us what is changing.
2. Within 10–30 minutes you get a written quote that lists the documents, the notary step and each authority involved.
3. Once you approve it, we draft, translate, book the notary and submit to DET, collecting originals from you at no charge.
4. You receive the amended license and the notarized addendum, followed by the updated establishment card and visas if you asked us to handle them.

Official references: amendment services on the Department of Economy and Tourism site and the Invest in Dubai platform. If the license is due soon, we can often combine the change with your trade license renewal, and our PRO team updates visas afterwards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: September 2026