Key Highlights 

• A Dubai travel agency needs both a trade licence and a separate tourism regulatory approval before you can legally operate.
• Swiss nationals can fully own a mainland travel agency, but free zones cannot issue the tourism approval this activity requires.
• Most of the registration sequence can be handled remotely through power of attorney, though certain banking steps may still need your presence.
• A Switzerland-UAE tax treaty exists, but your Dubai entity still pays UAE corporate tax locally.

A Dubai travel agency needs two separate approvals before it can legally operate: a commercial trade licence from Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET) and a tourism-specific regulatory approval tied to your exact activity. Holding only the trade licence is not enough. 

This two-approval structure has been the governing framework for tourism licensing in Dubai for years, and it remains in force today.

Tourism activities generally fall into four categories, and each one carries a different scope of permitted work.

• Appointed general agent for an airline or airlines.
• Travel and tourism agent, which covers selling air tickets for destinations outside the UAE, arranging visas, and distributing tour packages created by outbound operators.
• Outbound tour operator, which designs and sells international travel programs.
• Inbound tour operator, which handles domestic tours, hotel bookings, and visitor logistics.

You’ll need to confirm which category matches your intended business model before DET can process your application, since the activity code determines your licence conditions. 

Keep reading the article to learn more. 

Can a Swiss Citizen Fully Own a Travel Agency in Dubai?

Yes. Since the Commercial Companies Law amendments, foreign investors, including Swiss nationals, can own 100% of a UAE mainland company across the great majority of commercial activities, according to the Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MOET). 

There’s an important catch for this specific sector, though: free zones cannot issue the tourism regulatory approval a travel agency needs, so full agency operations must sit on the mainland.

This makes the mainland-versus-free-zone decision fairly clear-cut for a travel business, but the two structures still differ in scope and banking experience. 

The table below breaks down the practical differences you’ll want to weigh before choosing your structure.

If your business model depends on selling packages or issuing tickets under your own agency name, a mainland licence is the only route that lets you do that legally.

Costs and regulations are subject to change. Confirm current figures with the relevant UAE government authority or with JSB before making decisions.

What Is the Step-by-Step Process to Register a Travel Agency in Dubai?

Registering a Dubai travel agency follows a defined sequence: activity selection, trade name reservation, initial approval, office lease, tourism approval, and licence issuance. 

Each step builds on the last, and skipping the tourism approval step means you hold a licence that doesn’t actually authorize you to trade. JSB manages this entire sequence for clients so nothing gets missed along the way.

As Gaurav Keswani noted on Talk 100.3 FM, “Before COVID, opening a business license in Dubai required a minimum of one week of personal time investment. Today, the process has been streamlined to just a few steps, sometimes completed on the same day.” 

That shift matters directly for a Swiss founder managing the process from abroad, since fewer manual touchpoints mean fewer reasons you’d need to be physically present.

The core sequence looks like this:

1. Choose your tourism activity category and confirm it against current classifications.
2. Reserve your trade name with the relevant Dubai authority.
3. Secure initial approval for your chosen legal form and activity.
4. Lease a physical office, since tourism licences require a registered business address.
5. Submit your tourism approval application alongside your supporting documents.
6. Receive your trade licence once both the commercial and tourism approvals clear.

Processing times depend on document readiness and authority workload at the time of filing, so ask for a current timeline estimate once your activity and structure are confirmed.

Can You Set Up the Entire Company Remotely From Switzerland?

Much of the registration sequence can be completed remotely through power of attorney and digital document submission, so you don’t necessarily need to fly to Dubai to start the process. 

Some steps, particularly certain bank know-your-customer (KYC) requirements, may still call for your direct involvement depending on the bank’s internal policy. Plan for at least one possible in-person requirement even if you intend to manage most of the process from Switzerland.

Here’s a general breakdown of what’s typically remote-friendly versus what may need you in person.

• Remote-possible: trade name reservation, activity selection, document submission, and signing constitutional documents through power of attorney.
• May require in-person action: certain bank KYC video calls or branch visits and occasionally biometric steps tied to residence visa processing.

Bank KYC policy varies from one UAE bank to another and can change without much notice, so reconfirm requirements close to your intended filing date. 

Overseas founders managing this from Switzerland typically need a single local point of contact to keep the moving pieces coordinated.

Also Read: 

Is Remote Company Formation Possible in Dubai, UAE? (2026 Guide)

Remote IFZA Dubai Company Formation: Start Your Business Without Visiting the UAE

Do You Need IATA Accreditation to Operate a Dubai Travel Agency?

IATA accreditation is optional, and it only becomes relevant if you want to issue airline tickets directly under your own agency’s name rather than through a third-party consolidator. 

If your business model doesn’t involve direct ticket issuance, you can operate a fully licensed travel and tourism agency without pursuing it. 

Agencies that do want direct ticketing rights typically need to coordinate an additional civil aviation clearance step before applying to IATA.

Confirm current civil aviation clearance requirements with the relevant UAE authority before assuming direct ticketing rights are included in your licence. 

There’s no need to resolve this upfront if your initial launch plan focuses on packages, visa processing, or hotel bookings instead.

Does the Switzerland-UAE Tax Treaty Affect Your Dubai Travel Agency?

Switzerland and the UAE have a double taxation agreement in place, but that treaty doesn’t exempt your Dubai entity from UAE corporate tax. 

The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) applies corporate tax at 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% on taxable income above that threshold, and this applies regardless of any treaty relief you might claim on the Swiss side of your structure. 

The treaty’s main function is to prevent the same income from being taxed twice, not to eliminate local UAE tax obligations.

If your travel agency generates taxable profit above the AED 375,000 threshold, that portion is taxed locally at 9% under UAE corporate tax law. 

Your Swiss tax position and your UAE tax position are assessed separately, even though the treaty coordinates how the two interact. A cross-border structure like this is worth reviewing with a qualified tax advisor before you file.

Is Starting a Dubai Travel Agency a Path to the UAE Golden Visa?

Starting a new travel agency alone does not automatically qualify you for the UAE Golden Visa. Eligibility depends on meeting specific thresholds set by the UAE government, and simply holding a trade licence isn’t one of them. 

You’ll need to look at the entrepreneur and investor categories separately to see where your business might fit.

According to the UAE’s official government portal, the investor category requires a minimum capital of AED 2 million for a 10-year Golden Visa through public investments, property ownership, or contribution to an establishment paying at least AED 250,000 annually in taxes. 

The entrepreneur category carries a 5-year Golden Visa term under a comparable set of conditions. Neither route is automatic. Approval rests entirely with the relevant federal identity and citizenship authority based on your documentation.

If your travel agency reaches a stage where you’re paying significant UAE tax or meeting the investment threshold, a Golden Visa eligibility review is a natural next step once your business is licensed and generating tax-paid revenue rather than a day-one consideration.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do I need to visit Dubai in person to open a travel agency?

Not for most of the process. Trade name reservation, document submission, and constitutional document signing can typically be done through power of attorney. Some bank KYC steps may still require your involvement, so confirm this with your chosen bank before assuming a fully remote setup.

2. What’s the bank guarantee requirement for a Dubai travel agency license, and does it vary by activity?

Bank guarantee amounts vary by tourism activity category and are set by the licensing authority. Confirm the current figure for your specific activity before budgeting, since amounts can be adjusted.

3. Can a free zone company sell travel packages, or must it be mainland?

A free zone company cannot obtain the tourism approval needed to sell travel packages or operate as a licensed agency. Free zone travel-related licences are generally limited to back-office or consulting work, so full agency operations require a mainland licence.

4. How long does the whole licensing process typically take from Switzerland?

Processing time depends on document readiness, activity classification, and authority workload at the time of filing. Third-party estimates vary considerably, so ask for a current timeline once your activity is confirmed.

5. Do I need UAE residency before I can own the company?

No. UAE Commercial Companies Law amendments allow full foreign ownership for most mainland activities regardless of your residency status at the time of incorporation. Residence visa applications typically follow company formation, not the other way around.

6. What happens if I only get a trade licence and skip the tourism approval?

Your business would not be legally authorized to conduct tourism activity, even with a valid trade licence on paper. Both approvals are required before any tourist activity can commence.

7. Can a Swiss company be the shareholder instead of an individual founder?

Corporate shareholding structures are generally permitted for UAE mainland companies, subject to the documentation the relevant authority requires for foreign corporate shareholders. Confirm the exact document set your Swiss parent company would need to provide.

8. Does starting a travel agency require a minimum share capital?

Minimum share capital requirements depend on your chosen legal form and activity classification. Confirm the current figure before finalizing your structure, since this is not a fixed number across all tourism activities.

Reviewed by Gaurav Keswani, Founder, JSB Incorporation

Gaurav Keswani is the Founder of JSB Incorporation, a Dubai-based business setup and immigration consultancy. He appeared on Talk 100.3 FM answering live listener questions on UAE Golden Visa eligibility, citing GDRFA and ICP guidelines directly on air. JSB Incorporation handles documentation preparation and application coordination; all visa and license decisions rest with the relevant UAE government authorities—GDRFA, ICP, DET, and DLD.

Book Your Free Consultation

Planning a Dubai travel agency from Switzerland involves two separate approvals, a structure decision, and a cross-border tax picture that’s easy to get wrong from a distance. 

Founders managing this remotely often underestimate how the tourism approval, the mainland ownership rules, and the banking steps interact until they’re mid-process and stuck waiting on a document they didn’t know they needed.

A short consultation call can clarify your exact next steps, which approvals apply to your specific activity, and a realistic timeline before you commit to a filing date.

Book your free consultation call today with the experts of JSB Incorporation to learn more.