WhatsApp quoteGoldenKey handles Import / Export Code for the companies we form and for businesses that come to us later, so the process is routine for our tax team. Import / Export Code is a customs client code that lets your company clear goods through UAE ports and airports, and it applies to any company that physically imports or exports goods, whether mainland or free zone. GoldenKey has licensed architecture practice businesses for clients in Import / Export Code and knows which sub-activities to list so you are not asked to amend the licence later. On the ground, architecture & Design in Import / Export Code means architectural design, urban planning and landscape architecture, and it is licensed as a professional activity.
Why Import / Export Code
On the ground, the code is renewed annually with the licence and is required before your first shipment can be cleared. Penalties for late Import / Export Code or late filing start at fixed amounts and grow with delay, which is why GoldenKey diarises every deadline for its customers. For architecture & design, Import / Export Code offers the office options such a business actually needs and a visa quota that can grow with the team.
How Import / Export Code works with GoldenKey
Step 1Assessment
GoldenKey checks your position against the thresholds for Import / Export Code and advises when to register.
Step 2EmaraTax setup
GoldenKey opens or accesses your EmaraTax account and links the licence, signatory and bank details needed for Import / Export Code. Your portal shows the status of this step for import / export code for an architecture practice in real time.
Step 3Application
We complete the Import / Export Code application with turnover, activity and import details and upload the supporting paperwork.
Step 4Certificate and compliance calendar
The FTA issues your Import / Export Code certificate and we add every filing and payment date to your compliance calendar. If the authority raises a query on import / export code for an architecture practice at this stage, we handle it the same day.
Documents required
Gather these papers and GoldenKey will take care of the rest of import / export code for an architecture practice.
- Passport and Emirates ID of the authorised signatory
- Turnover evidence such as invoices, contracts or financial statements
- Bank account letter or IBAN certificate
- Trade licence and certificate of incorporation
- Customs code and import records where applicable
- Memorandum of association showing shareholders
Pricing
The figures below for import / export code for an architecture practice are updated by GoldenKey whenever the authority changes its fees, so the price you see is the current one. Importantly, pricing for import / export code for an architecture practice depends on the package you choose; every option below includes GoldenKey's service and the government fees stated.
| GoldenKey service fee | AED 2,000 |
|---|
Dubai Customs or respective emirate customs code for trade activity
Request this servicePrices are indicative, in AED, exclusive of 5% VAT where applicable, and confirmed in writing before payment. Last updated 2026-10-05.
Why the UAE
The UAE sits within an eight-hour flight of two-thirds of the world's population, which is why so many founders choose it as a base for import / export code for an architecture practice. To be clear, the dirham has been pegged to the US dollar since 1997, which removes currency risk for import / export code for an architecture practice and makes international pricing simple.
Why GoldenKey
As a rule, you deal with one named case manager from the first call until your Import / Export Code licence, visa and bank introduction are complete, and that consultant answers your WhatsApp messages personally. Our office is a short drive from the Ajman Free Zone, Ajman DED and the immigration centre, so physical submissions for import / export code for an architecture practice happen the same day they are ready. On the ground, we speak the languages our clients speak, including English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu and Malayalam, and we can arrange Russian, French and Mandarin support for import / export code for an architecture practice.
Ready to start? Send us a WhatsApp message with your nationality, the activity you have in mind and the number of visas you need, and we will reply shortly with a written quotation for import / export code for an architecture practice.
Frequently asked questions
Does Import / Export Code apply to a new company with no revenue yet?
In practice, the customs code is needed before the first shipment, so new traders apply as soon as the licence is released.
Is Import / Export Code mandatory for a free zone company?
Yes. Free zone traders need a customs code to move goods in and out of the zone, and a separate mainland importer code if they sell into the UAE market.
Can GoldenKey act as my tax agent?
Yes, it can. GoldenKey can prepare and submit filings on your behalf and handle FTA correspondence, so you have one point of contact for licence, visa and tax matters.
Is architecture & design allowed in Import / Export Code?
Import / Export Code applies to an architecture practice businesses on the same basis as any other UAE company: any company that physically imports or exports goods, whether mainland or free zone.
Which licence type covers architecture & design?
For most clients, architecture & Design is classified as a professional activity, and GoldenKey selects the exact activity code so your licence matches what you actually do.
