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UAE compliance deadlines
Every upcoming obligation we're tracking — soonest first, each sourced to the regulator. 42 open deadlines.
October 2026
- Tax 3 days leftE-invoicing provider deadline for large businesses set for October 30
Businesses with annual revenues of Dh50 million or more must appoint an accredited e-invoicing service provider by October 30, 2026, and implement the system by January 1, 2027, or face monthly penalties of Dh5,000.
- Tax 3 days leftUAE scraps e-invoicing pre-approval; providers must now complete full accreditation before October 30
Businesses with annual revenues of Dh50 million or more must appoint an accredited e-invoicing provider by October 30, 2026, and implement e-invoicing by January 1, 2027. Those with revenues below Dh50 million must appoint a provider by March 31, 2027, and implement by July 1, 2027. Verify that your chosen provider has completed full accreditation, not just preliminary approval.
- Tax 3 days leftE-invoicing service provider appointment deadline: 30 October 2026 for large businesses
Businesses with revenues of AED 50 million or more must appoint an Accredited e-Invoicing Service Provider and complete implementation by the stated deadlines, or face administrative penalties.
- Tax 3 days leftLarge UAE firms must appoint e-invoicing provider by October 30
Businesses with annual revenue of Dh50 million or more must appoint an accredited service provider by October 30, 2026 and go live by January 1, 2027. Smaller businesses must appoint a provider by March 31, 2027 and start issuing e-invoices by July 1, 2027.
- Tax 3 days leftBusinesses must appoint e-invoicing provider by 30 October 2026 or face Dh5,000 monthly penalties
Businesses with annual revenue of Dh50 million or more must appoint an Accredited Service Provider by 30 October 2026. Delaying this appointment significantly reduces time to resolve data, integration, or process issues before mandatory implementation on 1 January 2027.
- Labour 3 days leftTrade union workplace access right effective 30 October 2026
Employers should review their existing recognition agreements, update policies, and train managers on handling access requests before the effective date.
- Tax 3 days leftUAE e-invoicing mandates phase-in from July 2026, starting with AED 50m+ firms
Taxpayers with annual revenue of AED 50 million or more must appoint an accredited e-invoicing service provider by 30 October 2026 and implement the system by 1 January 2027.
- Corporate 4 days leftAbu Dhabi extends Al Hadhra fixed-gear fishing season to 31 October 2026
Licensed Al Hadhra fishermen must operate only at licensed sites and comply with all other fishing regulations, closed seasons, and protected-species rules. EAD will conduct field visits and run awareness sessions on sustainable practice, minimum catch sizes, and proper fixed-gear maintenance.
November 2026
- Real estate due 30 Nov 2026Abu Dhabi extends building occupancy certificate deadline to Nov 30
Building owners and real estate operators must submit applications for Building Occupancy certificates by November 30, 2026, to avoid fines of up to Dh1 million.
- Tax due 30 Nov 2026Top-up tax registration deadline set at seven months under FTA Decision 12
Multinational enterprises subject to Top-up Tax must register with the FTA within seven months of the end of their first in-scope fiscal year, or by 30 November 2026 if their fiscal year ended before 30 April 2026. Entities leaving the MNE Group must deregister within six months.
December 2026
- Corporate due 1 Dec 2026Music licensing fees mandatory for UAE businesses from December 2026
Businesses that play music commercially (cafés, restaurants, retail stores, hotels, etc.) must obtain a music licence from an authorised collective management organisation (CMO) before 1 December 2026.
- Corporate due 1 Dec 2026Businesses must obtain annual music licenses starting December 2026
Businesses using copyrighted music commercially must obtain an annual license from EMRA or Music Nation and pay the applicable fee by 1 December 2026. Fees are based on venue type and size.
- Corporate due 1 Dec 2026Music licensing fees for cafes, restaurants and malls from December
Cafes, restaurants, and malls must register for music licensing and pay applicable fees beginning in December 2026 under MOET's collective management framework.
- Corporate due 1 Dec 2026Cafes, hotels, malls must pay music licensing fees from December 2026
Cafes, hotels, malls, restaurants, fitness centres, airlines, radio and television stations, and concert venues must obtain a music licensing permit from either the Emirates Music Rights Association or Music Nation before December 2026 to legally play music.
- Tax due 15 Dec 2026Tobacco excise marking scheme transitions to new design; old marks cease 31 December 2026
Tobacco importers and manufacturers must obtain new-design marks starting 1 January 2027, complete the transition before 30 June 2027, and cease all use of old-design marks by that date. Payment for old-design mark fees must be made by 15 December 2026.
- Labour due 31 Dec 2026Companies with 50+ employees must increase Emirati workforce by 2% by 2026
Private sector companies with 50 or more employees must increase the number of Emirati employees by 2% of their skilled workforce by the end of 2026.
January 2027
- Financial services due 1 Jan 2027UAE banks to enforce mandatory loan-holding period from January 2027
Borrowers planning to transfer outstanding loans must do so before January 1, 2027, or comply with new mandatory holding periods and minimum instalment-payment requirements once the rules take effect.
- Tax due 1 Jan 2027UAE e-invoicing rules amended to exclude same-group transactions for 24 months
Businesses must ensure all electronic invoices, credit notes and relevant data are retained for the prescribed period and can be provided to the FTA upon request. Same-group transactions are excluded from e-invoicing requirements for 24 months from January 1st, 2027.
- Tax due 1 Jan 2027UAE eInvoicing mandatory from 1 January 2027; businesses must select service provider now
All businesses subject to eInvoicing requirements must select an Accredited Service Provider, complete required contractual arrangements, and progress their technical integration before the mandatory implementation deadline of 1 January 2027.
- Corporate due 1 Jan 2027Abu Dhabi hotels must adopt Emirati Hospitality Standards from early 2027
Hotels and hotel apartments in Abu Dhabi must prepare to comply with the Emirati Hospitality Standards framework by early 2027. Properties must identify which 10 optional standards to adopt alongside the 10 mandatory requirements.
- Tax due 1 Jan 2027Tobacco excise mark fee reduced to AED 0.036 under FTA Decision 18 of 2026
Importers and producers of water pipe tobacco and electrically heated cigarettes must ensure all designated excise goods are marked and comply with storage security requirements under the new fee structure effective 1 January 2027.
- Health & safety due 1 Jan 2027Abu Dhabi supermarkets must remove junk food from checkouts by January 2027
Supermarkets larger than 4,000 square feet must relocate HFSS products away from checkouts, entrances, and end-of-aisle displays, and ensure these products are not prominently featured online by January 1, 2027.
- Health & safety due 1 Jan 2027Abu Dhabi mandates responsible food placement in supermarkets from January 2027
Supermarkets larger than 4,000 sqft across Abu Dhabi must comply with the new responsible food and beverage placement policy by redesigning in-store layouts and online interfaces to remove HFSS products from high-visibility locations.
- Corporate due 24 Jan 2027DIFC removes eligibility restrictions for Prescribed Company SPV structures
Existing DIFC Prescribed Companies that do not qualify for exemption must appoint a DIFC-licensed Corporate Services Provider by 24 January 2027 or face penalties up to USD20,000 and status revocation.
- Corporate due 24 Jan 2027DIFC Prescribed Companies must appoint licensed service providers by January 24, 2027
Existing non-exempt Prescribed Companies must appoint a DFSA-licensed Corporate Service Provider to manage ongoing administration and regulatory compliance by 24 January 2027.
March 2027
- Financial services due 31 Mar 2027ADGM introduces lighter licensing routes for institutional fund managers and smaller private funds
Existing foreign fund managers and venture capital fund managers must review the transition arrangements and comply with revised requirements by the March 31, 2027 deadline. Fund managers should assess whether the new IFM, STFM, or FFM categories fit their business structure and seek a variation of permission if needed before exceeding applicable thresholds.
- Financial services due 31 Mar 2027ADGM FSRA finalises streamlined funds framework with transition period to March 2027
Fund Managers, Asset Managers, and Foreign Fund Managers authorised by ADGM FSRA should review the new framework and may apply to change their regulatory status by completing the applicable forms if they wish to qualify for streamlined requirements.
- Corporate due 31 Mar 2027Abu Dhabi hotels must adopt Emirati Dhiyafa Standards by Q1 2027
Hotels and hotel apartments in Abu Dhabi must comply with Emirati Dhiyafa Standards by Q1 2027, implementing a minimum number of mandatory and self-selected standards tailored to their accommodation type.
August 2027
- Real estate due 26 Aug 2027Dubai shared housing law takes effect August 26, 2026 with Dh1M fines for violations
Property owners and operators of shared housing units must comply with the new law by August 26, 2027. All units require a new permit from Dubai Municipality before operating as shared accommodation.
- Real estate due 31 Aug 2027Dubai bans families and individuals from sharing housing units under new law
Owners and establishments operating shared housing must bring existing properties into compliance with Law No. 4 of 2026 within one year. Building violations or unauthorised changes of use must be removed regardless of the grace period. New shared-housing permit applications must be submitted through the Dubai Building Platform.
September 2027
- Real estate due 8 Sept 2027Dubai shared housing: owners have one year to comply with new standards
Property owners and property management companies must regularise shared housing buildings to comply with the Planning and Building Requirements Guide by September 8, 2027, including obtaining permits through the Build in Dubai platform and meeting all fire, CCTV, space and facilities standards.
- Real estate due 8 Sept 2027Bachelor shared housing banned in Dubai tourist and commercial areas
Developers and landlords must ensure their shared accommodation meets new technical standards and complies with zone restrictions by September 8, 2027. Property owners should verify whether their building falls within an approved zone for shared accommodation.
- Real estate due 30 Sept 2027Subletting without permit now prohibited under Dubai shared housing law
Landlords and shared housing operators must apply for official permits before the September 2027 deadline. Properties must meet fire safety, sanitation, environmental, security and electricity standards. Tenants should request a copy of the shared-housing permit, confirmation of approved category and maximum occupancy, operator's trade licence, and confirmation that the lease will be registered in the Shared Housing Register.
October 2027
- Tax due 1 Oct 2027UAE revises input tax apportionment rules for partially exempt businesses
Partially exempt businesses must review their input tax apportionment methodology and begin evaluating the impact of the new output-based standard method before the first tax year beginning after 1 October 2027. Taxpayers should perform dry-run calculations, review cost attribution methodologies, and consider whether to apply for special input tax apportionment methods.
September 2029
- Education due 10 Sept 2029Dubai private schools given three years to adopt FutuReady career guidance standards
Private schools in Dubai must implement the FutuReady Standards or develop existing career guidance provision to align with the new framework within the three-year implementation period.
December 2030
- Health & safety due 31 Dec 2030New limits on sodium, sugar and fat in packaged foods take effect in stages through 2030
Manufacturers and suppliers of packaged foods must reformulate products to meet progressively stricter limits on sodium, sugar and fat content, with initial compliance required within nine months for the first category and final compliance by December 31, 2030.
- Health & safety due 31 Dec 2030Food manufacturers must meet new caps on sodium, sugar and fat by end of 2030
Food manufacturers must reformulate products to comply with new sodium, sugar and fat limits. Bread makers must meet first-stage limits within nine months of the resolution's effective date; processed cheese makers have two years and three months. All products must meet final limits by December 31, 2030.
- Health & safety due 31 Dec 2030UAE enforces new sodium, sugar and fat limits in food; fines up to Dh500,000
Food manufacturers and importers must reformulate products to meet phased sodium, sugar and fat limits. First-group products (bread, milk drinks, yoghurt, snacks) must comply within nine months; processed cheese within two years and three months. All products must meet final limits by December 31, 2030. Businesses seeking exceptions must submit applications within 30 days of the resolution taking effect.
- Health & safety due 31 Dec 2030MoHAP implements caps on sodium, sugar and fats in packaged foods until 2030
Food manufacturers and establishments handling targeted products must comply with phase-one sodium, sugar, and fat caps within nine months (first group) or two years and three months (processed cheese), and reach final limits by 31 December 2030.
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