New-vehicle wholesale or retail
Choose the vehicle class and whether you will retail, wholesale, import or source locally.
Vehicle category and sales channel must be confirmedA car trading licence in Dubai must match the vehicles you will buy, hold, import and sell. First Elite Global can coordinate the commercial setup; Customs, RTA, MoIAT and tax requirements are handled separately where applicable.
Choose the vehicle type, sales model and whether stock is local or imported before selecting the activity.
Choose the vehicle class and whether you will retail, wholesale, import or source locally.
Vehicle category and sales channel must be confirmedConfirm whether stock is owned, traded in or sold on consignment, and how ownership transfer will work.
Used-vehicle activity and transaction modelIf vehicles are imported or re-exported, plan Customs, storage and vehicle approvals separately. See our Import Export Licence Dubai service.
Commercial licence plus customs and vehicle controlsRental, repairs, spare parts, auctions and plate trading can require separate activities or approvals.
Separate activity or permission may be requiredThe trade licence covers the business activity. Customs, RTA, conformity, inspection and ownership transfer remain separate vehicle-level steps.
Choose the route around where vehicles will be stored, displayed, sold, registered and moved.
Best suited to direct UAE retail or wholesale when the DET activity, premises and linked RTA or Customs workflow fit.
Useful for storage, display, import or re-export models when the facility and customs position match the vehicle flow.
Can suit international or wholesale models when the accepted activity, facility and mainland access are clear.
Use a branch or amendment only when the legal form, premises and activity combination support the vehicle-trading scope.
Separate local sale from re-export. Stock held under a zone or customs procedure is not automatically ready for Dubai retail. Test the entity, facility and vehicle flow together first.
Sequence company formation, premises, Customs and RTA work around the actual stock and sales model.
Define vehicle classes, condition, source markets, ownership model and whether sales are local, wholesale, import, export or re-export.
Match each revenue line to the correct activity and separate trading from rental, repair, parts, auctions and other automotive services.
Choose mainland, specialist zone, free zone, branch or amendment based on market access, premises, customs and visas.
Prepare ownership documents, reserve the name, secure accepted premises evidence and submit the agreed licence applications.
Complete the Customs, RTA, tax, immigration and workforce registrations that apply after licensing.
Set controls for stock intake, title, customs, pricing, VAT, sales agreements, transfer and record keeping before launch.
Timing follows the longest dependency. Activity classification, premises, Customs, RTA and vehicle-specific approvals can move at different speeds. Build the timeline around the slowest dependency.
Keep the company documents and the vehicle-control documents in one case-specific tracker.
Confirm the accepted facility type, location, lease evidence, parking and inspection requirements before committing to premises.
The licence creates the company; each vehicle still needs its own sourcing, customs, transfer and sales record.
Keep supplier, payment, chassis, title or possession, finance-clearance and condition evidence together.
Link customs declarations, freight, clearance, duties, import VAT and release records to each vehicle.
Confirm the conformity, product-status or inspection evidence required before treating a vehicle as registrable.
Use the current RTA route for company records, possession, inspection, sale agreements and ownership transfer.
Keep listings and sales agreements consistent on vehicle identity, condition, price, taxes, warranty and delivery.
Reconcile stock location, title, value, payments, purchase costs, refurbishment, sale proceeds and VAT.
Car-trading setup cost depends on the entity, facility, customs route, approvals, visas and vehicle model.
Keep vehicle purchases, finance, transport, insurance, storage and refurbishment separate from formation costs.
Trade name, incorporation, activity, licence and authority charges.
Rent, deposit, fit-out, inspection, parking, utilities and security.
Business-code setup, declarations, freight, clearance, duty, import VAT and re-export work.
Conformity, product-status, inspection and vehicle-specific evidence where applicable.
Company records, possession, registration, ownership transfer, insurance and handover controls.
Renewals, visas, tax filings, accounting, insurance, staff and activity amendments.
Ask for the exact entity, activities, authority fees, approvals, premises, Customs or RTA work, service fees and exclusions in writing.
Keep licence, tax, Customs, RTA, immigration and facility deadlines on separate calendars.
Check VAT registration under current FTA rules and keep purchase, import and sales records aligned.
The Profit Margin Scheme is optional and evidence-dependent; do not assume every used or imported vehicle qualifies.
Assess Corporate Tax registration and keep inventory, purchase, refurbishment and sale evidence aligned with the accounts.
Keep Customs registration, declarations, values, duties, import VAT and re-export records current.
Track vehicle inspection, possession, ownership, registration, insurance, sale and export status before release.
Use PRO Services Dubai for establishment, visa and renewal administration, and prepare the ownership and transaction narrative for Corporate Bank Account Dubai support.
Keep company setup, applicant responsibilities and authority decisions clearly separated.
Activity descriptions, facilities, approvals, forms, fees and vehicle procedures can change. Current authority material and case-specific written confirmation should control the application.
Sources reviewed 11 August 2026. Recheck the selected authority's activity wording, facility conditions, external approvals, Customs and RTA requirements, MoIAT vehicle rules, tax guidance, fees, forms and direct written correspondence for the specific case.
The answers stay qualified because the vehicle category, condition, source market, sales model, jurisdiction, facility and linked services determine the requirements.
The correct activity depends on the vehicles and transactions: new or used, passenger or commercial, motorcycles or other classes, locally sourced or imported, retail or wholesale, owned stock or consignment. Give the selected authority a complete transaction description and obtain the exact approved activity wording before forming the company or advertising vehicles.
Do not assume so. Spare-parts trading, workshops, rental, passenger transport, auctions, intermediation, e-commerce and vehicle-plate trading can have separate activities, facilities, permits or regulators. RTA describes vehicle-plate trading as its own permitted activity. List each revenue line and add only what the issuing authority and relevant regulator confirm.
The answer depends on where vehicles will be stored, displayed, sold and registered; whether stock is imported or re-exported; the customer market; facility and customs needs; visas; banking; and renewal conditions. Compare the written activity, market-access route and complete vehicle flow rather than choosing from headline licence cost alone.
Premises requirements are activity- and authority-specific. A retail showroom, stock yard, warehouse, specialist auto-zone unit, office or flexi-desk can be treated differently, and linked bodies may have their own conditions. Confirm the accepted facility, location, lease evidence, parking, storage, signage and inspection position before signing a long commitment.
It may do so when the issued activities, customs registration, facility and vehicle procedures support the planned flow. Distinguish vehicles released into UAE circulation from stock held for re-export. Customs declarations, clearance, value, duties, import VAT, conformity, product-status, inspection, possession and export documents can apply separately.
An importing business may need a Dubai Customs business code and transaction-specific declarations, clearance and supporting records. Vehicle type and condition can also trigger conformity or product-status evidence. MoIAT provides a product-status card service for imported used vehicles. Confirm the current vehicle-specific route before purchase or shipment.
The final trade licence can support company registration with RTA, but it does not replace vehicle-level processes. Depending on the transaction, registration, possession, technical inspection, an online sale and purchase agreement, ownership transfer, plates, insurance, mortgage release or export and transfer certificates may apply. Use the current RTA service for each vehicle.
No. The FTA Profit Margin Scheme is optional and can apply only when its conditions and evidence requirements are met. Eligibility must be tested per transaction, invoices and records must follow the scheme, and imported eligible goods are not automatically covered. Where the scheme is not used or available, normal VAT rules can apply.
A starting pack commonly includes owner and manager identification, proposed names, activities, ownership and beneficial-owner details, company-shareholder or parent documents where relevant, signing authority, business model and accepted premises evidence. Add a vehicle-flow pack covering categories, countries, suppliers, customers, customs, storage, conformity, inspection, RTA, sales and tax controls.
There is no dependable universal price or timeline. The authority, activities, legal form, owners, corporate documents, facility, external approvals, Customs and RTA setup, visas and document quality can change both. Vehicle inventory, freight, duty, import VAT, storage, insurance and refurbishment should be budgeted separately from incorporation and service fees.
No. First Elite Global can coordinate an agreed commercial setup, document tracker and post-licence workstream. The licensing authority controls activity and licence decisions; Customs, RTA, MoIAT and the FTA control their processes; and each bank independently controls due diligence, account approval, products and transaction limits.
Send the vehicle classes, source and customer markets, sales model, preferred jurisdiction, premises and visa needs. First Elite Global can map the commercial setup and flag the separate Customs, RTA, tax and specialist workstreams.
