The documents required for business internet in the UAE are the same whether you call the provider e& or by its old name, Etisalat. A business connection is registered against your company, not against a person, so the paperwork proves two things: that the company legally exists, and that the person signing is allowed to sign for it. Get those two right and activation is quick. Almost every delayed connection we see comes down to a document that was expired, missing or in the wrong name.
Here is the full list, in the order you will actually be asked for it.
The Core Documents (Every Company Needs These)
These four cover the vast majority of applications — a mainland LLC, a free zone company or a freelancer all start here:
- Valid UAE trade licence — current, not expired and not stuck in renewal. This is the single most important document, and the one most often out of date.
- Establishment card (immigration card) — confirms the company is registered with immigration.
- Passport and Emirates ID of the authorised signatory — the person opening the account on the company's behalf.
- Tenancy contract / Ejari for the exact office address being connected — the address on it must match the application.
The Fifth Document — Only Sometimes
You only need a Power of Attorney or an authorisation letter when the person signing is not listed as an owner, partner or manager on the trade licence. If the owner is signing, skip it. If an office manager or PRO is signing on the owner's behalf, the provider needs a POA or a signed authorisation letter on company letterhead — a verbal "the boss approved it" is not enough and will hold up the file.
The Documents at a Glance
Free Zone Companies
The list does not really change for free zone companies — you simply provide the free zone versions of the same documents: the free zone trade licence and establishment card instead of the mainland (DED) ones, plus the lease or tenancy document your free zone issues. What can differ is who signs, since some free zones list a manager rather than the owner as the authorised person. We cover the free-zone specifics, including coverage across the major zones, in the free zone connectivity guide.
Freelancers and Freelance Licences
A UAE freelance permit or freelancer licence works exactly like a company trade licence for registering a business internet account. You provide the permit, your Emirates ID and passport, and the tenancy contract for the address being connected. There is no requirement to be a limited company — the permit is enough to make the connection a business account with business support terms.
Can You Get Business Internet Without a Trade Licence?
Not as a business account. The trade licence — or a freelance permit — is what registers the connection to a company and unlocks the business SLA, the corporate SIMs, Cloud PABX and the rest of the bundle. Without one you can only take a residential connection in an individual's name, which carries no business support terms and cannot be invoiced to the company. If you are still setting up, our new-company setup guide walks through getting connectivity live alongside the licence.
The Same Documents Cover Business WiFi and B2B
"Business internet", "business WiFi" and a full "B2B account" are the same account underneath — the WiFi is just the wireless side of the internet line, and the B2B bundle adds SIMs and voice on top. So this one document set covers all of them; you do not submit anything extra to have WiFi. What happens after the documents — the site survey, fibre check and installation — is laid out step by step in the B2B account setup guide.
The Four Things That Delay a Document Check
An expired or renewing trade licence. The file cannot proceed on a licence that is not currently valid. Check the expiry date before you submit, not after.
An unauthorised signatory. If the signatory is not named on the licence and there is no Power of Attorney, the account cannot be opened in their name.
An address mismatch. The address on the application must match the tenancy contract exactly — same building, same unit number — or the file goes back to the start.
A blurry or partial scan. Documents that cannot be read clearly get rejected in verification. Send full, sharp scans of every page the first time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the core list?
Valid trade licence, establishment card, signatory passport + Emirates ID, and the tenancy contract for the office — plus a POA only if the signatory isn't on the licence.
No trade licence?
Then no business account — a licence or freelance permit is required. Without one you can only take a residential line in an individual's name.
Does a freelancer qualify?
Yes. A valid UAE freelance permit works like a trade licence — submit it with your Emirates ID, passport and tenancy contract.
Not sure your documents are in order?
Send your trade licence and office address on WhatsApp. We will check the paperwork, confirm fibre at your building, and prepare the file for activation — free of charge.
Check My Documents on WhatsApp
