Anyone can open a translation shop in Dubai. Almost nobody can produce a translation a court will accept. That gap is the whole business, and it is the thing most guides blur. The valuable, defensible work, translations accepted by courts, notaries, ministries and embassies, must be stamped by a sworn legal translator accredited by the UAE Ministry of Justice (MOJ). That accreditation is a personal licence tied to one individual and one language pair, usually English and Arabic. It is not a company licence, and it does not transfer. A translation company can hire many staff, but only work carrying an MOJ-registered translator's number and stamp counts as legal translation.
There is also a freshness trap. Nearly every translation-agency blog, and most generic answers, still cite "Federal Law No. 6 of 2012" as the governing law. That law has been repealed. The current instrument is Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 on Regulating the Translation Profession, in force since the start of 2023 [1]. A guide quoting the 2012 law is quoting a dead statute, and it usually misses the newer rules too, including the professional indemnity insurance that became mandatory in 2024.
This guide covers the general-versus-legal distinction, the MOJ sworn-translator licence that is the real barrier, the two business models, ownership, and why the free-zone "0% tax" pitch does not apply. Since 2013, our team has set up professional and regulated firms across the UAE, so the traps here come from real files. This is a guide, not legal advice on your specific licence.
General translation or legal translation: which are you setting up?
Two different businesses, and the money is in the regulated one. Getting this straight decides your whole plan.
- General translation covers marketing copy, subtitling, websites, business documents and interpreting. It needs only a trade licence with a translation activity. No MOJ accreditation is required, the barrier is low, and so are the margins.
- Legal, or certified, translation covers documents for courts, notaries, government departments, embassies and immigration. It must be produced by a translator on the MOJ's roll of translators and stamped with that translator's number, official stamp and signature. Without it, the translation is not accepted for any legal or administrative purpose [1].
The premium and the repeat volume live in legal translation: visas, court cases, powers of attorney, company formation, marriage and divorce papers. Government offices verify the translator's number and stamp against MOJ records before accepting a document, which is exactly why the accreditation is worth having.
Common Mistake: Setting up a "translation company" and assuming you can certify documents for courts and ministries. You cannot, unless the work is stamped by an MOJ-registered sworn translator. A general translation licence with no accredited translator can do business documents and subtitling, but not the certified work clients actually pay a premium for.
What is the MOJ legal translator licence, and why is it the moat?
It is a federal, personal accreditation that turns an individual into a sworn translator, and it is scarce by design. This is the real barrier to entry, and it protects the margins of the firms that hold it. The requirements, drawn from the MOJ and the 2022 law [1][2]:
- A university degree, preferably in translation, languages, linguistics or law, recognised and attested in the UAE.
- At least five years of translation experience for expatriates; UAE nationals are exempted from the experience requirement.
- Passing the MOJ examination, written and oral, testing legal terminology and accuracy in the specific language pair.
- Valid UAE residency for expatriates, plus good-conduct and health certificates.
- Professional indemnity insurance, now mandatory (see below).
- Registration under a specific language pair; the stamp is valid only for that pair, which is why English and Arabic, the language of the courts, is where the core market sits.
The registration fee is around AED 3,000, renewable every three years, with processing that runs to roughly two months, and the translator takes an oath before a judge and receives an official stamp [2]. Because only the sworn translator's stamp carries legal validity, this one accreditation, not the company licence, is the thing that unlocks the high-value pipeline.
Pro Tip: The scarce ingredient is the licensed translator, not the company. If you are not an MOJ-accredited translator yourself, the practical route is to be the owner who employs or partners with one whose stamp validates the office's certified work, or to run a general translation agency while you build toward accreditation. Decide which of those you are before you sign an office lease. Get your translation office scoped around the accreditation→
What changed in 2024, and why does it matter?
A new cost became mandatory that most articles miss: professional indemnity insurance. Under a 2024 Ministerial Decision, every translator and translation house must carry professional indemnity cover, with a minimum of AED 1 million for an individual translator and AED 5 million for a translation house [3]. It is a recurring cost and a licensing precondition, not an optional extra, and it is one more reason to distrust any guide that only cites the old 2012 framework.
Registration has also moved online through UAE PASS and the MOJ's e-services, with translators receiving a legal-translator card and digital stamp. The direction is clearly toward digital certified issuance, which matters for how you set up your workflow.
Do you need to be a translator to own the company?
No, but you need one to do the certified work. Ownership and accreditation are separate questions, and people conflate them.
100% foreign ownership is available. Since Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021, most professional activities including translation allow full foreign ownership on the mainland, and free zones already do [6]. So you can own a translation company outright without being a translator.
What the company cannot do without an MOJ-accredited translator is issue certified legal translations. A translation house's certified output must be produced under a registered translator's stamp, so a legal translation office must employ or retain at least one sworn translator, very commonly the owner or manager. The general manager need not personally be licensed, but the certified work must carry a registered translator's number. So the ownership is open; the accreditation is the gate on the regulated work.
Can you run a legal translation office from a free zone?
You can license general translation in a free zone, but court-accepted legal translation is in practice a mainland business. The MOJ sworn-translator accreditation is federal and personal, independent of where the company sits, but the legal translation offices whose stamps courts, notaries and ministries actually accept operate on a mainland DET licence with MOJ approval [1]. Free zones such as DMCC, IFZA and Meydan commonly license general "translation services" but are not the route to court-accepted certified translation, and a free-zone company generally cannot serve the mainland market directly without a mainland presence.
So the honest rule is: general translation, anywhere; legal, court-accepted translation, mainland with MOJ. If certified work is your business, plan for a mainland DET professional licence with the legal-translation activity and MOJ approval. Our free zone versus mainland guide covers the trade-off.
Is a translation business subject to VAT and corporate tax?
Yes to both, at standard rates, with a zero-rating route for genuinely foreign clients. Translation services supplied to UAE clients are standard-rated at 5% VAT, and you register once taxable turnover exceeds AED 375,000. Work for a client genuinely outside the country can be zero-rated as an export of services, but Cabinet Decision 100 of 2024 tightened the test: the client must be outside the UAE with presence of less than 30 days over a rolling 12 months and not connected to the supply, otherwise 5% applies [7]. Our VAT registration and compliance guide covers the mechanics.
For corporate tax, the standard regime is 0% on the first AED 375,000 of profit and 9% above, with Small Business Relief while revenue stays at or below AED 3 million, for periods up to the end of December 2026. The free-zone 0% rate does not apply: translation is a professional service, not a Qualifying Activity under Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025, so a free-zone translation firm is taxed at 9%, not 0% [8]. Our corporate tax filing guide covers the conditions.
What does it cost, and is it worth it?
Split the company licence, which is modest, from the translator accreditation, which is the real asset. Here is a realistic 2026 picture in AED.
| Item | Typical range (AED) |
|---|---|
| Professional trade licence (mainland or free zone) | 12,500 to 30,000 |
| MOJ legal-translation office approval | Budget a few thousand |
| Office and Ejari | Flexi-desk 8,000 to 15,000; office 25,000+ |
| Visas | ~4,000 to 7,000 each |
| MOJ sworn-translator registration | ~AED 3,000, renewed every 3 years |
| MOJ exam | Modest exam fee, per candidate |
| Professional indemnity insurance | From ~AED 6,000 (individual); higher for a house |
A legal translation office with one accredited translator can be set up all-in for roughly AED 25,000 to 60,000 in the first year. The market rewards it: the GCC translation market was worth over USD 2 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow past USD 3.8 billion by 2032, with the UAE leading the region, driven by an 88% expatriate population and courts, government, immigration and business that all require Arabic legal translation [8]. Certified work commands the premium, with legal pages commonly running from AED 80 to 250 and specialised work higher, plus rush and attestation add-ons. Margins are strong because the main cost is skilled people, and the scarce sworn-translator licence is what protects them.
Real Client Stories
The office that could not certify. A founder set up a translation company and started quoting law firms for court-ready certified translations, only to find nothing he produced would be accepted, because no one in the office held an MOJ stamp. We restructured around an accredited sworn translator, and the certified pipeline opened. The company licence was never the thing that unlocked the work.
The guide that quoted a dead law. A client had planned his office around "Federal Law No. 6 of 2012," found online, and had budgeted nothing for professional indemnity insurance. The 2012 law is repealed, replaced by the 2022 decree-law, and PI insurance became mandatory in 2024. Once we corrected the framework, his setup was compliant and his costs were realistic. The stale source had understated both the rules and the budget.
The free-zone tax assumption. A client set up a translation firm in a free zone expecting 0% corporate tax on his fees. Translation is a professional service, not a Qualifying Activity, so the income was taxable at 9%, and the free-zone base could not produce court-accepted certified work anyway. He moved the certified business to a mainland structure. The activity, not the address, decided both the tax and the ability to work.
Set up your Dubai translation company the right way
Translation rewards operators who understand that the sworn-translator accreditation, not the company licence, is the real asset, and it frustrates those who work from stale guides. Since 2013, BusinessDubai.ae has completed 700+ company registrations across the UAE, including professional and regulated firms. We will help you decide between a general agency and a legal translation office, license it correctly on the mainland or in a free zone around your work, plan the MOJ accreditation and the mandatory insurance, and get the VAT and corporate tax treatment right, all with clear itemised pricing. Talk to a setup expert→ for a plan built around your accreditation. For the professional firm that instructs you most, see our legal consultancy setup guide, and post-setup services covers ongoing renewals and compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start a translation company in Dubai?
Choose your model, general or legal translation, get a professional trade licence with a translation activity, and for certified work register at least one MOJ-accredited sworn translator and obtain MOJ approval for a legal translation office. The accreditation, not the licence, unlocks the valuable work [1].
Do I need a licence to offer translation services in Dubai?
Yes, a professional trade licence with a translation activity. General translation needs only that. Legal or certified translation additionally requires an MOJ-registered sworn translator whose stamp makes the work court-accepted [1].
How do I become a certified legal translator in the UAE?
Register with the Ministry of Justice: hold a recognised degree, have at least five years of experience if you are an expatriate, pass the MOJ written and oral exam in your language pair, carry professional indemnity insurance, and take the oath. UAE nationals are exempt from the experience requirement [1][2].
What law governs translation in the UAE?
Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 on Regulating the Translation Profession, in force since the start of 2023, which replaced the old Federal Law No. 6 of 2012 that most guides still wrongly cite [1].
How many years of experience do you need to be a UAE legal translator?
At least five years of translation experience for expatriates. UAE nationals are exempted from the experience requirement. Both must still pass the MOJ examination in their language pair [1].
What is the difference between certified, sworn and MOJ-approved translation?
They refer to the same thing: a translation produced by a translator on the Ministry of Justice roll and stamped with their number, which courts, notaries and government bodies accept. Uncertified translation, however accurate, is not accepted for legal purposes [1].
Do I need professional indemnity insurance for a translation business?
Yes. Since a 2024 Ministerial Decision it is mandatory, with a minimum of AED 1 million for an individual translator and AED 5 million for a translation house. It is a licensing precondition, not optional [3].
Can I own a translation company without being a translator?
Yes. Ownership is open to 100% foreign ownership under the 2021 Companies Law. But to issue certified legal translations, the company must employ or retain at least one MOJ-accredited sworn translator whose stamp validates the work [6].
Do I need a mainland or free-zone licence for a legal translation office?
In practice, mainland. Court-accepted legal translation offices operate on a mainland DET licence with MOJ approval. Free zones commonly license general translation but are not the route to certified, court-accepted work [1].
How much does it cost to open a legal translation office in Dubai?
Roughly AED 25,000 to 60,000 all-in for the first year with one accredited translator, including the licence, office, a visa, MOJ registration and the mandatory insurance. The scarce asset is the sworn-translator accreditation [8].
Is unlicensed translation illegal in the UAE?
Practising the regulated translation profession without accreditation, and issuing "certified" translations without an MOJ stamp, is not permitted under the 2022 law. Certified work must carry a registered translator's number to be valid [1].
How much do legal translators earn in the UAE?
Certified work commands a premium, with legal pages commonly from AED 80 to 250 and specialised or technical work higher, plus rush and attestation fees. Margins are strong because the main cost is skilled labour and the licence is scarce [8].
How much does legal translation cost per page in Dubai?
Simple personal documents commonly run around AED 50 to 100, standard legal documents such as contracts and powers of attorney around AED 80 to 150, and complex or specialised work higher, with rush and attestation add-ons on top.
What languages are most in demand for translation in the UAE?
English and Arabic dominate the legal market, because Arabic is the language of the courts and government. Other high-demand pairs include French, Russian, Chinese, Hindi, Urdu and Farsi, but the sworn-translator premium sits on the Arabic pair.
Do UAE courts accept only MOJ-stamped translations?
For legal and official purposes, yes. Courts, notaries, ministries and embassies require the translation to be produced and stamped by an MOJ-registered sworn translator, and they verify the translator's number against MOJ records [1].
Can a foreigner become a registered legal translator in the UAE?
Yes, with a recognised degree, at least five years of experience, valid UAE residency, a pass in the MOJ exam, and the mandatory insurance. The accreditation is federal and tied to the individual and their language pair [1][2].
Is translation subject to VAT?
Yes, at 5% for UAE clients. Work for a genuinely foreign client can be zero-rated as an export of services, but Cabinet Decision 100 of 2024 denies zero-rating if the client is in the UAE for 30 days or more over a rolling year in connection with the supply [7].
Does a translation company get the free-zone 0% corporate tax rate?
No. Translation is a professional service, not a Qualifying Activity under Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025, so a free-zone translation firm's income is taxed at the standard 9%, not 0% [8].
How long does it take to get an MOJ translator licence?
Processing runs to roughly two months from application, including the exam and the committee's decision, followed by the oath before a judge and issuance of the stamp and card. Plan the accreditation as a distinct step after the company licence [2].
Is a translation business profitable in Dubai?
It can be. The UAE leads a growing GCC translation market, demand from courts, government, immigration and business is steady, and certified work carries a premium. The scarce sworn-translator licence protects margins against the crowd of general agencies [8].
What documents legally require Arabic legal translation in the UAE?
Documents submitted to courts, notaries, ministries and many government processes, including contracts, powers of attorney, court filings, corporate documents, and personal certificates for visas and family matters, generally require certified Arabic translation to be accepted [1].
References
[1] Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 on Regulating the Translation Profession, in force from the start of 2023, replacing Federal Law No. 6 of 2012, and the Ministry of Justice roll of sworn translators whose stamp is required for court-accepted legal translation. UAE Legislation and MOJ Registration of Legal Translator
[2] Ministry of Justice sworn-translator registration requirements, examination, fees (around AED 3,000, renewable every three years) and processing time. Ministry of Justice
[3] Ministerial Decision of 2024 mandating professional indemnity insurance for translators and translation houses (AED 1 million individual, AED 5 million house). Norton Rose Fulbright
[4] Distinction between general translation (no accreditation) and legal, certified translation (MOJ sworn translator required). egsh.ae legal translation guide
[5] Practical scope of MOJ certification and the two business models (general agency versus legal translation office). egsh.ae
[6] Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 on Commercial Companies, allowing full foreign ownership of most professional activities. u.ae
[7] VAT on translation services and the export-of-services zero-rating under Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2024 (the 30-day rolling "outside the State" test). FTA export of services and PwC VATP040
[8] Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 on Qualifying Activities (professional and translation services are not Qualifying Activities), and GCC translation market size and growth. Ministry of Finance and Astute Analytica GCC translation market
