Longevity Clinic Dubai: Licence Cost, Revenue and Margins
Content reviewed by My Business Setup Team, Business Setup Specialists.
Dubai has become one of the strongest markets in the world for longevity and wellness medicine, driven by a wealthy resident base and a government actively positioning the emirate as a medical tourism destination. The format spans IV vitamin therapy at the accessible end through to full diagnostic longevity programmes selling at AED 25,000 to 90,000 a year. The critical thing to understand before you budget is that this is a regulated clinical business, not a spa. Even a straightforward IV drip service needs a Dubai Health Authority facility licence and individually DHA-licensed clinical staff, and that licensing path drives both your timeline and your minimum viable premises. Most operators underestimate how much of the cost sits in DHA compliance and clinical staffing rather than in fit-out.
Who Should Consider a Longevity and Wellness Clinic License?
- Doctors already DHA-licensed who want to operate their own facility
- Investor and clinician partnerships, where the clinician holds the DHA licence
- Existing aesthetic or wellness operators adding a clinical longevity service line
What You Can and Cannot Do
A DHA facility licence is specific to the services you declare. IV infusion therapy, aesthetic treatments, diagnostics and laboratory work, hormone therapy and genetic testing are each scoped separately, and adding one later means a licence amendment rather than a simple activity addition. Selling supplements retail is a separate commercial activity. Anything described as treating or curing disease moves you into tighter regulatory territory, and marketing claims are actively policed in the UAE.
How Much Does a Longevity and Wellness Clinic License Cost?
For a Longevity and Wellness Clinic License, expect AED 25,000 - 75,000 in a free zone and AED 30,000 - 70,000 on the mainland for year one, with the licence issued in roughly 45-90 working days once documents are ready. The lower end of each range is a single-activity licence with no staff visas in a low-cost emirate; the upper end reflects Dubai, extra activities, or a larger office.
| Item | Indicative cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free-zone licence (year one) | AED 25,000 - 75,000 | Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, RAK and UAQ sit at the low end; Dubai zones at the high end |
| Mainland licence (year one) | AED 30,000 - 70,000 | Excludes the tenancy, which mainland requires separately |
| Establishment / immigration card | AED 1,200 - 2,000 | One-off, needed before any visa |
| Investor or partner visa (2 years) | AED 3,500 - 5,500 | Includes medical, Emirates ID and status change |
| Employee visa (2 years) | AED 4,000 - 6,500 | Per employee, plus deposit on mainland |
| Ejari tenancy (mainland only) | from AED 15,000 / year | Not required for a free-zone flexi desk |
| Corporate tax registration | No fee | 9% applies only on taxable profit above AED 375,000 |
| Annual licence renewal | 85 - 100% of year-one licence fee | Excludes one-off formation items |
Indicative market ranges for planning, not a quote. Government fees, zone packages and external approvals change; confirm current figures before you apply.
Approvals you should budget time for
DHA, MOHAP or DoH facility licence plus individual staff licensing. This is the part that moves the timeline, not the licence itself.
Clinical licensing, premises that meet DHA layout requirements, and DHA-licensed staff are the real cost. The trade licence is minor by comparison, and the DHA facility approval is what sets your opening date.
Good to know
- 100% foreign ownership available
- Flexi/shared office keeps overhead low
- Visa quota scales with office size
Watch out
- Budgeting for a spa fit-out and then discovering DHA premises requirements
- Signing a lease before DHA has approved the layout and location
- Assuming an overseas medical qualification transfers without DHA licensing exams
- Marketing anti-ageing or curative claims that UAE advertising rules do not permit
Is a Longevity and Wellness Clinic License Business Profitable?
This is a high-ticket, low-volume business. The economics work on repeat visits and memberships, not walk-ins, because the clinical cost base is fixed from the day you open and has to be carried whether or not the chairs are full.
How the business makes money
| Revenue stream | Typical pricing | Share of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| IV vitamin and hydration therapy | AED 400 - 1,500 per session | Entry product; drives first visits and referrals |
| Basic hydration drips | AED 200 - 400 per session | Volume line; thin margin after nursing time |
| Diagnostic and longevity panels | AED 3,000 - 15,000 | Bloodwork, biomarkers and imaging; the real differentiator |
| Annual longevity programmes | AED 25,000 - 90,000 | Membership model; the line that makes the business stable |
| Aesthetic and hormone treatments | AED 1,500 - 8,000 | Higher margin, but widen the DHA scope first |
| Supplements and retail | 15 - 30% of revenue at good margin | Separate commercial activity on the licence |
| Mobile and at-home service | AED 800 - 2,500 per visit | Premium convenience charge; needs DHA approval for home care |
Startup capital beyond the licence
The licence is the small number. This is what actually has to be funded before you open.
| Item | Indicative cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DHA facility licensing and approvals | AED 20,000 - 60,000 | Including design approval and inspection rounds |
| Clinic fit-out to DHA standard | AED 250,000 - 900,000 | Treatment rooms, sluice, storage and waste handling drive this |
| Medical equipment and diagnostics | AED 100,000 - 500,000 | Infusion equipment is cheap; diagnostics and imaging are not |
| Trade licence, visas and establishment card | AED 25,000 - 60,000 | Plus a visa for each clinical hire |
| Initial pharmacy and consumables stock | AED 40,000 - 120,000 | Cold chain storage required for some products |
| Brand, website and booking system | AED 40,000 - 120,000 | Presentation carries unusual weight in this segment |
| Working capital, 6 months | AED 300,000 - 800,000 | Clinical payroll runs from day one, revenue ramps slowly |
Monthly running costs
| Cost | Indicative monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical staff | AED 60,000 - 220,000 | Doctors, nurses and a facility manager; the dominant cost |
| Premises rent | AED 20,000 - 90,000 | Prime Jumeirah or Downtown locations command a premium that the clientele expects |
| Consumables and pharmacy | 20 - 30% of treatment revenue | Imported product and cold chain push this up |
| DHA compliance and insurance | AED 8,000 - 25,000 | Malpractice cover per practitioner plus facility renewals |
| Marketing | AED 20,000 - 80,000 | Heavily influencer and referral led in this segment |
| Clinical waste and servicing | AED 4,000 - 12,000 | Licensed disposal is mandatory |
Margins and what breaks them
A clinic that converts first-visit IV clients into diagnostic packages and annual memberships runs at roughly 20 to 35% net margin once established, and break-even is typically month 9 to 18. The business turns entirely on that conversion: a clinic selling only AED 400 drips cannot cover DHA-licensed clinical payroll, which is why so many IV-only operators stall. Two risks are specific to this segment. Clinical staffing is the constraint, because a DHA-licensed doctor is expensive and cannot be flexed down in a quiet month. And the UAE market is crowding quickly at the IV end, so pricing power sits with clinics that own a genuine diagnostic or programme offering rather than a drip menu.
What a lender or investor will ask for
- Named lead clinician with DHA licensing already verified, not assumed
- DHA facility approval route and the premises requirements it imposes
- Conversion assumptions from entry treatment to programme or membership
- Clinical payroll modelled as a fixed cost from month one
- Scope of service mapped to the DHA licence you are actually applying for
- Marketing claims reviewed against UAE healthcare advertising rules
Indicative market ranges for planning, not a forecast. Returns depend on location, pricing, season and execution — treat these as a starting point for your own numbers, not a projection.
How to Get Started
- Confirm the clinical scope and check the lead clinician can obtain a DHA licence
- Obtain DHA initial approval for the facility concept and proposed location
- Secure premises and submit the layout for DHA design approval before fit-out
- Reserve the trade name and obtain the commercial licence
- Complete the fit-out to approved drawings, then pass DHA inspection
- Licence DHA staff individually, open the immigration file and begin operating
Documents Checklist
- Passport copy & recent photo of each shareholder
- Current visa/entry status
- 2 to 3 preferred trade names
- Brief scope & staffing plan
Longevity and Wellness Clinic License FAQs
How much does it cost to open a longevity or IV therapy clinic in Dubai?
Budget AED 450,000 to 1.8m. The fit-out to DHA standard is AED 250,000 to 900,000, equipment AED 100,000 to 500,000, and you need AED 300,000 to 800,000 of working capital because clinical payroll starts before revenue does. DHA facility licensing itself is AED 20,000 to 60,000 and the trade licence is a minor line.
Do I need a medical licence for an IV drip business in Dubai?
Yes. Even a straightforward IV vitamin service is a clinical activity requiring a Dubai Health Authority facility licence, and every doctor and nurse must hold an individual DHA licence verified through DataFlow. You also need a commercial trade licence. There is no route to operating this as a spa or wellness service without clinical licensing.
What does IV therapy sell for in Dubai?
Basic hydration runs AED 200 to 400 a session, vitamin infusions AED 400 to 800, and customised drips AED 800 to 1,500. Clinics in Downtown or Jumeirah charge at the top of that range. Mobile at-home service carries a premium of AED 800 to 2,500 per visit, subject to DHA approval for home care.
Is a longevity clinic profitable in Dubai?
A well-run clinic holds 20 to 35% net margin and breaks even between month 9 and 18. Profitability depends on converting entry-level IV clients into diagnostic packages and annual programmes at AED 25,000 to 90,000. An IV-only menu rarely covers DHA-licensed clinical payroll, which is the main reason operators in this segment stall.
How long does DHA licensing take for a new clinic?
Plan six to twelve months end to end. Initial approval is a few weeks, but design approval before fit-out, the fit-out itself, inspection rounds and individual staff licensing dominate the schedule. Do not sign a lease before DHA has approved the location and layout.
Can I open a wellness clinic in a free zone?
Only in a zone with a healthcare mandate, such as Dubai Healthcare City, which has its own regulator rather than DHA. Standard commercial free zones cannot license clinical activity. For a clinic serving Dubai residents the mainland DHA route is usually the correct one.
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Last updated: October 2026
Requirements, timelines, and fees vary by jurisdiction, office setup, and external approvals. Confirm the current structure before applying.