Beauty Salon Licence in Dubai: Requirements and Costs (2026)
To open a beauty salon in Dubai, you need a trade licence from Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET), a no-objection certificate (NOC) from Dubai Municipality's Health and Safety Department for your salon's internal plan, a fire safety certificate from Dubai Civil Defence, and a valid health certificate for every service provider. Screening for salon staff costs AED 540 per person on the Dubai Health Authority's 2022 fee list. The rules your salon must follow day to day are set out in Dubai Municipality's Technical Guidelines for Compliance of Salons, Barbershops and Beauty Centers, version 5, issued on 26 March 2026.
This guide walks through each step in plain English, with the official source for every rule.
What Does Dubai Municipality Require?
Dubai Municipality's salon guideline applies to all salons, barbershops, beauty centres, women's and men's salons, children's salons and mobile salons in Dubai (Dubai Municipality, DM-HSD-GU77, V5, March 2026). It is based on Local Order No. 11 of 2003 and Public Health Law No. 5 of 2025.
Three general rules come first:
- You may provide services only after getting your licences from the relevant authorities.
- Your services must match the activities on your licence.
- For non-surgical cosmetic services, you must get approvals from the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
Where salons get stuck: offering a treatment that is not on the licence, or a cosmetic treatment that needs DHA approval. Decide your full service menu before you apply.
Which Documents Must You Keep?
Dubai Municipality's guideline lists the documents every salon owner must show on request:
| Document | Issued by |
|---|---|
| Business licence | DET (or your free zone authority) |
| No-objection certificate for the approved internal plan | Dubai Municipality Health and Safety Department |
| Up-to-date list of all employees | You |
| Valid professional health certificate for every service provider | Dubai health authorities |
| Professional certificates for specialised service staff | Training providers |
| Training certificates for professional-use consumer products | Training providers |
| Fire prevention compliance certificate | Dubai Civil Defence |
| Shower head cleaning and disinfection record | You |
| Elevator safety certificate (if you have an elevator) | Accredited company |
If your salon is in a standalone building, you also need contracts with Dubai Municipality-approved companies for water tank cleaning, pest control and waste disposal, plus water test reports.
Step by Step: How Do You Get Licensed?
Step 1: Choose your activity
Decide exactly what you will offer: hair, nails, lashes, makeup, waxing, Moroccan bath and so on. Your services must match your licensed activities. If you plan any non-surgical cosmetic treatment, check DHA's requirements before you apply.
Step 2: Choose mainland or free zone
Foreign owners can hold 100% of a mainland company. Salons are not on the list of activities restricted from full foreign ownership (UAE government portal, updated 6 April 2026). A mainland licence lets you serve clients anywhere in Dubai, which suits a street or mall salon. See mainland vs free zone.
Step 3: Find a space
On dubizzle on 23 October 2026, shops listed for salons were advertised at:
| Listing | Area | Size | Asking rent (per year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitted salon | International City | 409 sq ft | AED 45,000 |
| Shop suited to a salon | Deira (Al Muraqqabat) | 655 sq ft | AED 110,000 |
| Vacant beauty salon unit | JLT | 722 sq ft | AED 115,000 |
| Fitted salon | JLT | 1,008 sq ft | AED 160,000 |
| Furnished salon shop | Meydan (Azizi Riviera) | 703 sq ft | AED 170,000 |
| Salon fit-out shop | Business Bay | 558 sq ft | AED 190,000 |
| Fitted salon | JLT (Mazaya Business Avenue) | 1,915 sq ft | AED 365,000 |
| Salon and spa fit-out | DIFC | 1,548 sq ft | AED 650,000 |
Source: asking rents on dubizzle, 23 October 2026. Asking rents, not agreed rents.
Some "ready" salons also ask for key money, a one-off payment to the outgoing tenant for the fit-out and business. One JVC listing asked AED 120,000 a year in rent plus AED 120,000 in key money. Treat key money as part of your setup cost, and check what you are really getting for it.
For how to pick the area, see best areas in Dubai to open a salon and renting salon space in Dubai.
Step 4: Get your plan approved and your DET licence
Get a no-objection certificate from Dubai Municipality's Health and Safety Department for your salon's internal plan, and apply to DET for your trade licence. DET's fees depend on your activity, trade name and location, so get the exact quote from DET. Do not change the approved plan later without permission: the guideline prohibits adding or modifying any part of it without approval.
Step 5: Fit out and pass Civil Defence
Fit out to the approved plan. Dubai Municipality's guideline requires, among other things:
- Valid, accessible fire extinguishers and clearly marked emergency exits, with nothing stored in emergency corridors
- Safe, approved electrical connections
- A first aid box
- Hot and cold water, with taps and shower heads cleaned and disinfected at least every three months
- Storage at least 20 cm off the floor and 50 cm below the ceiling
Then get your certificate of compliance with fire prevention requirements from Dubai Civil Defence.
Step 6: Screen and certify your staff
Every service provider needs a valid professional health certificate. The DHA's occupational health standard covers barbers, beauticians, hairdressers, nail specialists, makeup artists, spa therapists, and salon cashiers, cleaners, supervisors and trainees. Screening includes a physical exam and blood tests, at AED 540 per person on DHA's 2022 fee list, with reports in up to 15 working days. Step by step: health card guide.
What Hygiene Rules Apply Every Day?
These are the rules inspectors check in practice, from Dubai Municipality's guideline:
- UV sterilisers for hair cutting and styling tools, eyebrow tools and eyelash extension tools, with lamps changed as the manufacturer recommends
- Heat sterilisers (dry heat or steam) for metal nail tools, with temperature and time controls
- Single-use tools used once and thrown away immediately
- No re-dipping of wooden wax sticks, or of hands and feet in paraffin wax between clients
- Client consultation before specialised services, recorded on paper or electronically
- No medical advice and no treating skin conditions
- No cooking, smoking or living on the premises
- Only approved products, with labels that meet the UAE standard, and nothing expired
Where salons get stuck: buying the sterilisers but not keeping the records. Keep cleaning, sterilisation and pest control records up to date every day.
Checklist: Before You Open
- Service menu decided and matched to licensed activities
- DHA approval for any non-surgical cosmetic service
- Space leased and internal plan approved by Dubai Municipality (NOC)
- DET trade licence
- Civil Defence fire compliance certificate
- Health certificate for every service provider (AED 540 each, 2022 fee)
- Sterilisers, single-use tools and consultation forms in place
- Pest control and waste contracts; cleaning records started
For the full business picture, including budget and staffing, see how to start a salon business in Dubai. For specific salon types, see our nail salon licence and barbershop licence guides.