Verticals
VARA Crypto Licence Dubai
What a Dubai crypto licence actually costs: VARA advisory from AED 40,000 plus AED 80,000 supervision, other activities from AED 100,000, and why the activity you choose decides the bill.
Virtual asset activity in Dubai is regulated by VARA, the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority. What you pay and how long it takes depend almost entirely on which activity you apply for, and those differences are large.
What it costs
VARA fees are tiered by activity.
Two numbers apply to each activity: an application fee, then an annual supervision fee. Quotes that give one figure are usually showing you only the first.
| Advisory services | AED 40,000 application · AED 80,000 annual supervision |
|---|---|
| Broker-dealer, exchange, custody, lending, management | AED 100,000 application · AED 200,000 annual supervision |
| Commercial licence | Separate, and charged by the licensing authority rather than VARA |
Advisory is materially cheaper because it is a narrower permission. If your model can be delivered as advisory rather than as broker-dealer, that decision is worth more than any fee negotiation.
Before you apply
The application is a readiness test.
VARA does not assess an idea. It assesses a firm that is already built on paper: named and vetted control functions, a compliance framework, capital adequacy, custody and key-management arrangements, and documented AML procedures.
Applications that stall usually stall for the same reason. The activity chosen is wider than the business actually needs, which pulls in requirements the founder never intended to meet. Narrowing the activity is often faster than satisfying them.
Where you set up
VARA, DMCC and the free zones.
VARA regulates virtual asset activity across Dubai with the exception of the DIFC, which has its own regulator. A free zone such as DMCC can issue the commercial licence, but it does not replace the VARA permission for a regulated activity.
So most firms need both: a licence from a licensing authority, and a permission from VARA. Being told you need only one is a reliable sign the quote is incomplete.
Questions
Asked about VARA licensing.
Advisory services, at AED 40,000 application and AED 80,000 annual supervision, is the lowest VARA tier. Whether it fits depends on whether you will hold client assets or execute trades — if you will, advisory is not available to you and the higher tier applies.
It depends on how complete the submission is rather than on a published service level. Firms that arrive with control functions named, policies written and capital evidenced move through in months. Firms that treat the application as the start of that work do not.
Yes. VARA grants the permission to conduct a virtual asset activity; a licensing authority issues the commercial licence that lets the company exist and trade. They are two applications and two sets of fees.
No. The DIFC is a separate financial free zone with its own regulator and its own framework. If you are considering both, the choice is made early because the two routes diverge immediately.
Tell us the activity, not the ambition.
Describe what the business will actually do with client assets. We will tell you which VARA tier that lands in and what the true cost is before you spend anything.
Talk to a consultant
Tell us what you need. We will tell you what it takes.
A short WhatsApp conversation is usually enough to scope a file. No forms, no call centre — you reach a consultant who handles the work.