Business Setup Consultants in Dubai & UAE

- Home
- /
- Business Setup
Company Formation · Dubai, UAE

Business Setup Consultants in Dubai & the UAE

Plan your mainland, free zone or offshore company with a Dubai accounting and tax team. We help compare jurisdictions, prepare the application and coordinate licensing, visas and tax registration. Start with your activity, customers and visa needs.

Get a Free Quote WhatsApp Us
Free Zone Setup

Over 40 free zones. Only a handful suit your activity.

IFZA, Meydan, DMCC, JAFZA, SHAMS, RAKEZ and the rest are built for different businesses. We match the zone to your activity, visa needs and customers, with the application and ongoing compliance requirements in view.

Compare Free Zones Talk to a Consultant
PRO, Visas & Documents

The paperwork, handled end to end

Establishment card, immigration file, investor and staff visas, medicals, Emirates ID, licence amendments and attestation. One team, one point of contact, no chasing counters.

PRO Services Call Us
Bank Account & Web Presence

Prepare your business profile for bank onboarding

Compliance teams check that the business is real before they open an account. We prepare the application, and build the single-page company site with one year of hosting for AED 500.

See What's Included WhatsApp Us

Dubai-based supportAccounting, tax and company setup across the UAE

Accounting & tax supportJurisdiction and compliance considered together

0% or 9% checked firstYour tax position, before the jurisdiction is chosen

We stay after launchBooks, VAT and corporate tax with the same team

Welcome to Exiloz

Business setup advice with tax planning built in

Exiloz helps founders compare UAE company structures and coordinate the work needed to establish and maintain a business.

Compare the jurisdiction choices here. For the application scope, documents and a written quote, see our company formation service in Dubai. Accounting, VAT and corporate tax support can continue with the same team after incorporation.

Tell us what the business does and who pays its invoices. The jurisdiction follows from that.

Service information from Exiloz Management & Tax Consultant LLC, Deira, Dubai. Sources checked and page updated 14 September 2026. Contact the team about your circumstances.

Request a Written Quote WhatsApp Us

Meeting room in a Dubai consultancy office overlooking the city

About Us

One team for setup and ongoing compliance

Exiloz Management & Tax Consultant LLC works from Deira, Dubai, providing accounting, VAT, corporate tax and business setup support. The proposed activity and ownership structure inform both the application and the records needed after incorporation.

Discuss the scope with our team at Office 110, Burj Nahar Views, Deira. Ask who will handle the application, which authority approvals are needed and how accounting and filing responsibilities will be handed over after the licence is issued.

DeiraDubai office, in person when it matters

End to endLicence, visas, bank, books and filings under one roof

Tax-ledStructure assessed before a fee is paid

Company Formation

Your path to business establishment

Three routes into the UAE market, and the choice turns on one question: who is going to pay your invoices? Settle that before anyone shows you a package price, because the structure decides your tax position for every year that follows.

Dubai mainland commercial street with ground-floor shopfronts at golden hour

Selling inside the UAE

Mainland Business Setup

A mainland licence is issued by the emirate's Department of Economy and lets you trade directly with UAE businesses and consumers, open retail premises and bid for government and semi-government contracts. It carries the widest activity list of the three routes, and since the 2021 Commercial Companies Law amendment, 100% foreign ownership applies across the great majority of activities. We take the whole process, from activity selection and trade name through Ejari, external approvals and licence issue.

Mainland setup

UAE free zone business towers and logistics warehousing at dusk

Export, services & holding

Free Zone Business Setup

A free zone is often the fastest and most affordable way into the UAE, and there are more than forty of them, each with its own activity list, visa quota and office rules. A Qualifying Free Zone Person may benefit from 0% on qualifying income when the statutory conditions are met. The ordinary corporate tax regime has its own 0% taxable-income band. We match the zone to your activity, your customers and your visa count, and we tell you plainly whether your income will actually qualify.

Compare the free zones

Corporate document folder, company seal and brass globe on a dark desk

Holding & asset structures

Offshore Business Setup

RAK ICC, JAFZA Offshore and their equivalents are holding vehicles, not operating licences. They carry no UAE visas, no local trading rights and no physical premises requirement, which makes them well suited to owning property, holding shares in other companies and structuring a group. Confirm the permitted activities and banking requirements for the specific structure; offshore registration is not a substitute for a UAE operating licence.

Ask about offshore

Plan your budget

What does business setup in Dubai cost?

Compare a complete first-year budget with the renewal cost for the same activity, workspace and visa count. The licence fee is one part of the total. We separate authority charges, third-party charges and our professional fee in the written quote.

Licence and registration

Trade name, initial approval and incorporation charges
Activity-specific approvals and legal-document preparation
Workspace, lease or flexi-desk requirements

Confirm which charges recur at renewal and whether an introductory offer expires.

People and premises

Establishment and immigration file charges where applicable
Entry or status-change costs, medical examination and Emirates ID
Visa allowances, workspace upgrades and applicable insurance

Compare packages using the same number of visas. A licence package may not include residence processing.

After incorporation

Accounting and tax-compliance scope
Bank onboarding support and any minimum-balance requirement
Annual licence, premises and relevant immigration renewals

Show refundable deposits and required balances separately from fees. Confirm VAT on quoted services and all exclusions.

For an authority example, check the DMCC schedule of charges. Each authority sets its own fees. See our company formation service and request an itemised quote.

Prepare the application

Documents for UAE company formation

Use this as a preparation checklist. The selected authority confirms the final requirements for the activity, legal form and shareholders; not every document below is required in every case.

Individual shareholders

Passport and contact details for owners and appointed officers
Residential address information and evidence when requested
UAE visa and Emirates ID, where applicable
Proposed activities, trade names and ownership shares

Corporate shareholders

Parent-company registration and constitutional documents
Ownership structure and ultimate beneficial owner information
Resolution approving the investment and authorised signatory
Attestation or translation required by the receiving authority

Activity and application

Business plan or external approval, when required
Workspace or premises information
Signatures and identity verification in the required format
Visa requirements and expected customer markets

Check the DMCC application templates and Dubai business setup steps for the relevant route. Need legalised corporate documents? See commercial document attestation support.

Choose the jurisdiction

Mainland, free zone or offshore?

Questions to settle before selecting a package
Route	What to establish	Next step
Mainland	Which emirate licenses the activity, the legal form, premises and any external approvals.	Compare mainland and free zone requirements
Free zone	Whether the authority supports the activity, customer markets, workspace and visa needs. Check tax eligibility separately.	Explore the existing free zone guides
Offshore	Whether the structure suits the holding or asset purpose. Do not assume operating rights, residence visas or bank approval.	Discuss the formation scope

Plan the work after the licence

Set the registration and record-keeping responsibilities before trading starts: corporate tax registration, VAT registration assessment and ongoing tax compliance. If you are closing an existing entity, coordinate liquidation audit support, corporate tax deregistration and VAT deregistration.

Growth Potential

Why companies keep choosing the Emirates

Not one of the real reasons is "no tax". That stopped being true in 2023, and the businesses that plan around the rules as they actually stand consistently do better than the ones still working from an old brochure.

What remains is a genuinely strong proposition: a low headline rate, full foreign ownership, free movement of capital, and a location that reaches most of the world's population inside eight hours' flying.

See What It Takes

019% headline corporate taxNil on the first AED 375,000 of taxable profit, and 0% on qualifying free zone income where the conditions are met.
02100% foreign ownershipAcross the great majority of mainland activities since the 2021 Commercial Companies Law amendment. No local partner required.
03No personal income taxSalaries and dividends drawn by individuals are not taxed personally, which changes the salary-versus-dividend maths for owners.
04Capital moves freelyNo exchange controls, the dirham pegged to the US dollar, and profits and capital repatriable in full.
05Residency follows the licenceAn operating licence carries investor and employee visa quotas, with longer routes available to qualifying investors and specialists.

Successful Business Setup Structure

Six stages, in the order that keeps you out of trouble

Some stages run in parallel. Regulated activities add an external approval between two and three. The licence itself is rarely the bottleneck: visas and the bank account take longer.

1Activity & Legal FormThe activity code decides who can license you, what approvals apply, and how your income is taxed.

2Name & ApprovalTrade name reservation, shareholder documents and the authority's initial approval.

3PremisesFlexi-desk, shared desk or a physical unit. Confirm premises requirements for the activity; Dubai lease registration may require Ejari.

4Licence IssuedFees settled, MOA signed, trade licence and establishment card in hand.

5Immigration & VisasImmigration file, e-channel, entry permit, medical, Emirates ID and stamping.

6Bank & RegistrationsCorporate account, corporate tax registration, VAT at threshold, books from invoice one.

Our Services

Explore our range of business services

Company formation, licensing, PRO and visas, banking, trademarks and closure. The same team across all of it, from the first question to your first corporate tax return.

Serviced office space prepared for a newly licensed UAE company

Business Setup Services

Forming a company in the UAE is straightforward once the structure is right. We handle mainland, free zone and offshore incorporation end to end, starting from your activity code rather than from a package price. Because we file the corporate tax returns afterwards, the jurisdiction we recommend has to survive its first year.

Company incorporation

Modern retail and trading showroom interior in Dubai

Trade Licence & DED Services

The Department of Economy and Tourism issues the licence that lets you trade across Dubai and the wider UAE. Commercial, professional, industrial and tourism categories each carry their own approvals and activity lists. We match the category to how you actually earn, then take the application through to issue.

Licence categories

Modern UAE government service centre counters with the UAE flag

PRO Services & Visas

Our PRO team handles the government side so you are not queuing at counters. Establishment card, labour and immigration files, investor and employee visas, entry permits, medicals, Emirates ID, renewals and cancellations. Attestation and legal translation run through the same workflow.

PRO & document clearing

Laptop showing a company website beside documents and a bank card on a Dubai office desk

Bank Account Assistance

Opening a corporate account is where most new companies stall. We assemble the document pack, match you to a bank that actually serves your activity and size, and brief you before the compliance interview. We will also build a company website to explain your business activity, from AED 500.

Bank account & website

Certificate with an embossed seal, wax seal and stamp on a dark desk

Trademark Registration

A trade name on a licence is not a protected brand. Registering your mark with the Ministry of Economy gives you official recognition and something you can enforce. We run the search, prepare the classes and file the application, then keep the renewal dates on our calendar rather than yours.

Protect your brand

Sealed archive boxes on a desk in an office being wound down at dusk

Company Liquidation

Closing a company properly matters more than it used to. Walking away from a licence leaves penalties accruing against the shareholders. We handle the liquidator report, authority clearances, visa cancellations, and corporate tax and VAT deregistration so the file is genuinely closed.

Liquidation audit support

Official certificates carrying embossed seals prepared for UAE attestation

Document Attestation

Degrees, marriage and birth certificates, powers of attorney and corporate papers, legalised for use in the UAE or abroad. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not enough, the chain runs through the UAE mission in the issuing country and then MOFA.

Document attestation

Why Choose Us

Your free zone does not decide your tax rate

A free-zone licence does not automatically establish Qualifying Free Zone Person status. Substance, qualifying income, transfer pricing and audited financial statements matter. Some qualifying activities with non-free-zone customers can qualify. Non-qualifying income and loss of qualifying status need separate assessment under the current rules.

Confirm the treatment before choosing a package. The ordinary corporate tax regime applies 0% to taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it; qualifying free-zone income follows a separate conditional regime.

Company setup and tax supportWe assess the proposed activity, customer markets and tax obligations alongside the licensing requirements.
Fees confirmed with the authority, in writingThe quote identifies the activity, assumptions, authority charges and professional scope.
We are still here at your first returnBooks, VAT and corporate tax continue with the same team that chose the structure. The decision has to survive contact with reality.

Read the QFZP Guide

UAE residence visa and establishment card processing for a new company

Our Business Setup Expertise

The free zones, and what each is actually built for

Start with the activity list, permitted markets, workspace and visa requirements. Compare the first-year package and renewal terms for the same scope; a headline licence price alone does not establish suitability.

Dubai

15 zones

All 15 Dubai free zones · +7 more

Abu Dhabi

5 zones

All 5 Abu Dhabi free zones

Sharjah & Ajman

7 zones

All 7 Sharjah & Ajman free zones

Northern Emirates

6 zones

All 6 Northern Emirates free zones

Not sure which structure you need? Fifteen minutes on the phone usually settles it. No script, no package pitch.

Speak to a consultant+971 55 685 0940 WhatsApp

Bank Account Support

A company website to support your business profile

A company website can help explain your activity during bank onboarding. Requirements vary by bank; the bank makes its own approval decision. This optional service is separate from the licence and does not guarantee an account.

Optional website support

Single-page company website & hosting

One professionally designed page covering your activity, services and company details
A full year of hosting included
Business email address on your own domain
Company address, trade licence details and a working contact form: what compliance actually checks
Mobile-ready and live before your account interview

Domain registration is charged at cost. Multi-page sites, e-commerce and branding are quoted separately.

One-off price AED 500 Website plus one year of hosting Add This Live before your bank interview

Which is better for my business, mainland or free zone?

Choose from your licensed activity, customer markets, premises and visa needs. Mainland can suit local operations; a free zone can suit activities supported by that authority. Before trading outside a free zone, confirm the applicable licence, permit, branch or distribution requirements. Neither route determines the tax result on its own.

How much does business setup in Dubai cost?

There is no single fee for every company. Compare the same activity, shareholder structure, workspace and visa count. Request an itemised first-year quote and a renewal estimate covering authority fees, premises, immigration, visas and professional fees. Show bank balances and refundable deposits separately from fees.

Which documents are required to set up a UAE company?

Individual shareholders should prepare passports, contact and address details, and UAE visa or Emirates ID where applicable. Corporate shareholders may also need incorporation and constitutional documents, an ownership chart and an authorising resolution. The authority may request a business plan, attestations, translations or external approvals. Confirm its checklist for the activity and legal form.

Does choosing a free zone give me 0% corporate tax?

No. A Qualifying Free Zone Person can apply 0% to qualifying income only when statutory conditions are met, including substance, transfer pricing and audited financial statements. Certain qualifying activities with non-free-zone customers can qualify. Non-qualifying income and loss of qualifying status need separate analysis. Under the ordinary regime, taxable income up to AED 375,000 is taxed at 0%, with 9% above that threshold.

Which free zone is the cheapest?

Compare the total for the same activity and visa allowance, including workspace, establishment card, renewals and activity approvals. A low advertised licence price may exclude these items. Ask whether the offer applies only to the first year and request the authority fee schedule for the proposed package.

Do I still need a local Emirati partner?

Most mainland activities permit full foreign ownership. Strategic-impact activities and some legal forms have specific requirements. Confirm ownership and any local-service-agent requirements against the activity and legal form before applying.

How long does company formation take in the UAE?

Timing depends on the authority, activity, complete documents and external approvals. Treat licence issue, immigration and visas, and bank onboarding as separate stages. Request an estimate for each stage; a licence approval does not guarantee a visa or bank-account opening date.

Can a non-resident start a company in Dubai?

Non-residents can apply for suitable company structures, subject to authority and activity requirements. Confirm identity verification, signing arrangements, premises and visa requirements before choosing a package. Remote incorporation does not guarantee remote bank onboarding or account approval.

Is a company website required to open a bank account?

A website can explain the business activity and contact details, but bank requirements vary. The bank performs its own checks and decides whether to open the account. A website does not replace incorporation documents, ownership information or evidence of the source and purpose of funds.

What happens after the licence is issued?

Assess corporate tax registration and filing obligations, including for qualifying free-zone businesses. UAE-resident businesses generally need VAT registration when taxable supplies and imports exceed AED 375,000 over the relevant period; voluntary registration may be available above AED 187,500, including qualifying expense cases. Start accounting records and track licence, immigration and visa renewals. Confirm the rules for your circumstances.

Official sources

Tax and application references checked for this update are listed below. Requirements vary by activity and legal form; the quote should identify the rules and charges relevant to your application.

Corporate tax, 9% above AED 375,000 → Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 on the Taxation of Corporations and Businesses. Federal Tax Authority
Qualifying Free Zone Person and 0% qualifying income → Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2023 and Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025. Qualifying and excluded activities; qualifying income rules
VAT at 5%, registration from AED 375,000 (voluntary AED 187,500) → Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 as amended. Federal Tax Authority
100% foreign ownership on most mainland activities → Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020, in force June 2021, consolidated into the Commercial Companies Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021). Ministry of Economy
Licensing, activity lists and trade names → the licensing authority for your jurisdiction: the emirate's Department of Economy for mainland, or the individual free zone authority.

Free zone package fees are set by each authority and change through the year, so they are quoted to you in writing rather than published here.

Ready to set up your company in the UAE?

Tell us what the business does and where you want to trade. We come back with the right jurisdiction, the current authority fees in writing, and a realistic timeline to licence, visas and a working bank account.

Get a Free Quote WhatsApp

Business Setup Consultants in Dubai & the UAE