If you live in Dubai, you need an alcohol/liquor licence if you want to buy alcohol and drink it at home

Getting a liquor licence takes around three weeks and once you’ve got it, your dark days are over. No more driving miles to some dodgy hole-in-the-wall place, taking a convoluted route back, eyes glued to your rear-view mirror looking for a tail.

Here’s how to go about it.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• Not be Muslim
• Be over 21 years old
• Earn at least AED 3000 per month
• Have a Dubai Residency Visa.

Don’t panic if you live in Dubai but your residency visa is issued in another Emirate because they are used to dealing with this scenario. You just need to include a no objection letter from the police in the Emirate your visa was issued.

The Process

1) Pick up your application form

You can legally buy alcohol from two vendors. African & Eastern (A&E) and Maritime & Mercantile International (MMI). You pick up an application form from one of these outlets. A&E are normally next to a Spinney’s.

Whichever vendor you choose to apply through is the one you will be buying from when your licence comes through. So find out which one is close to you and go to the shop to pick up your application form. No PDF forms or photocopies allowed.

UPDATE 17th Feb 2013: You can now apply online for your alcohol licence. Find out more here

With married couples, only the husband can apply but the wife can ask to be named on the licence if the husband is willing to give her a no objection letter to this effect. Would he dare not?

 2) Complete your application form

The vendors are very helpful and used to teaching the ropes to people so don’t feel shy in asking.

The form itself is straight-forward. You need to attach copies of the following:

• Passport
• Residence visa
• Tenancy contract
• Original passport size photograph

If you are self employed, also attach:

• A copy of your trade licence
• A letter from your company (yourself even) confirming your salary

If you work for someone else, you need to attach:

• A no objection letter from your employer giving permission for you to apply for an alcohol licence
• Your labour agreement showing your salary details

If your residence visa is issued in a different Emirate, you need to attach:

• A no objection letter from the police headquarters in that Emirate giving permission for you to apply for an alcohol licence in Dubai

3) Submit your application form

Return your application form with all attachments to the outlet you picked them up from. You will be asked for a Municipality fee of AED 160.

The vendor will phone you when your licence is ready to be picked up. It must be renewed every year.

Additional Points to Note

Your alcohol/liquor licence comes with a monthly spend limit. This limit is based on your salary.

Your licence is issued through the CID. As such they monitor the quantity and frequency of your purchases.

Your employer can ask to monitor your spend and has the authority to revoke permission for your licence at any time. Some employers are quite strict and have their own value judgements that can differ from the official spend limit that you have been granted. If you work for such an employer, I don’t know what to say except keep your head down and don’t draw attention to yourself.

Enjoy drinking legally and don’t drink and drive.

Bottoms Up!