A DMCC sanction on your member account is the moment a small compliance gap becomes a business problem. DMCC's own guidelines require any sanction to be cleared before you can apply for new visas, visa renewals, licence amendments, share transfers or a change of company officers. Employees' visas expire, new hires can't start and the bank starts asking questions. Clearing sanctions quickly is one of the most valuable things a DMCC PRO does.
What a sanction blocks
| Service | Blocked while sanctioned? |
|---|
| New employee visas | Yes |
| Employee visa renewals | Yes |
| Employee visa cancellations | Yes (except companies being wound up) |
| Licence amendments and share transfers | Yes |
| Change of company officers | Yes |
Based on DMCC Knowledge Bank service guidelines. DMCC regulations describe sanctions as a restriction or suspension of services, a fine or penalty, or both.
The most common causes
- Late licence renewal. DMCC places a sanction on the account if the licence isn't renewed by its expiry date, with late fees of AED 2,500 (31–60 days) and AED 5,000 (61–90 days). See DMCC licence renewal.
- Expired establishment card. See DMCC establishment card.
- Missing audit or compliance filings, such as audited financial statements or an out-of-date UBO register. See the DMCC compliance calendar.
- Expired lease or flexi desk, or insurance not kept current.
- Breaches of DMCC's licensing rules, which DMCC can sanction at its discretion.
How we clear a DMCC sanction
- DiagnoseWe review the portal, licence, establishment card, lease, audit and UBO status to find every open issue, not just the first one.
- Fix the root causeRenew the licence or card, file the missing documents or settle the outstanding fees.
- Request releaseWe follow up with DMCC until the sanction is lifted from the account.
- Restart blocked servicesPending visas, renewals and amendments are filed in the right order straight away.
- Prevent a repeatEvery deadline goes onto a compliance calendar with reminders.
Visas don't wait for the sanction. Employees' visas keep their expiry dates even while you can't renew them, and overstay fines apply after the grace period. If you have visas expiring soon, tell us on day one so we can prioritise the release.
DMCC account sanctions — FAQs
Why is my DMCC account sanctioned?
The most common reasons are a late licence renewal, an expired establishment card, missing compliance filings such as the audit, or an expired lease. DMCC can also sanction breaches of its licensing rules.
What can't I do while my DMCC account is sanctioned?
DMCC's guidelines require sanctions to be cleared before new employee visas, visa renewals, licence amendments, share transfers and changes of company officers can be processed.
How do I remove a DMCC sanction?
Fix the underlying issue, such as renewing the licence or filing the missing document, settle any fines, then have DMCC release the sanction. A PRO can diagnose every open issue at once so nothing is missed.
Can I cancel an employee's visa while sanctioned?
Generally the sanction must be cleared first. DMCC makes an exception for companies that are being wound up.
How much are DMCC late renewal fines?
According to DMCC's schedule of charges at the time of writing, AED 2,500 for 31 to 60 days late and AED 5,000 for 61 to 90 days late.
How we keep this page accurate. Fees and process steps are checked against DMCC’s official
Schedule of Charges and the
DMCC Knowledge Bank guidelines, and against the DMCC member-portal filings our JLT team handles every week.
Last verified: October 2026. Government fees change, so we confirm the live figure before you pay.
