Shareholder Change
Changing Shareholders in a Dubai Company: The Licence Is Only the Start
A share transfer changes the licence in a few days. It also changes the visa sponsor, the bank mandate, the tax registration and the ownership register. Those are the parts that get missed.
- Share transfer documented and notarised
- Licence amended with DET or the free zone
- Visas, bank and tax records updated to match
- UBO register filed on time
Dubai PRO, payroll and tax support for UAE companies, handled by one team.
Last reviewed against current MOHRE, ICP and GDRFA guidance.
Quick Answer
To change shareholders in a mainland Dubai company, the partners agree the transfer, amend and notarise the memorandum of association, and amend the trade licence with the Department of Economy and Tourism. The change then has to flow through to the establishment card, any investor visas, the bank, the Federal Tax Authority, where changes to registration details are due within 20 business days, and the Ultimate Beneficial Owner register, which must be updated within 15 days.
The Licence Side
The partners agree the transfer, usually in a share sale agreement. The memorandum of association is amended to show the new ownership and notarised. The licence is then amended with DET, or with the free zone.
The incoming partner's documents need to be ready, and attested if they come from abroad.
- 1Partners agree the transfer
- 2Share sale agreement prepared
- 3Memorandum amended and notarised
- 4Licence amended with DET or the free zone
What Has to Follow
This is where the work is. Each of these records still shows the old ownership until someone changes it.
- Establishment card and MOHRE labour file
- Departing partner's investor visa
- New partner's investor visa, if wanted
- Bank mandate and signatories
- FTA registration for VAT and corporate tax
- Ultimate Beneficial Owner register
The Tax and Ownership Deadlines
Two deadlines are short. Changes to tax registration details must be notified to the FTA within 20 business days. The UBO register must be updated within 15 days of the change under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023.
Both carry penalties if missed, and both are easy to forget once the new licence is printed.
- FTA notified within 20 business days
- UBO register updated within 15 days
- Corporate tax implications of the transfer reviewed
- Penalties for late notification
The Departing Partner
If the outgoing partner is on an investor visa through the company, that sponsorship ends with their shares. They need to cancel it or move to another route.
Settle what the company owes them, and they owe the company, before the transfer is final.
- Investor visa cancelled or moved
- Loan accounts settled
- Signing authority removed from the bank
- Resignation as manager, if they held the role
How Exiloz Handles It
We run the licence amendment and then every record behind it, including the tax and UBO filings that a licensing agent would not touch. One checklist, closed off item by item.
- Memorandum and licence amended
- Visas and establishment card updated
- FTA registrations amended
- UBO register filed
Related Exiloz Services & Guides
How do I change shareholders in a Dubai company?
Agree the transfer, amend and notarise the memorandum of association, then amend the trade licence with DET or the free zone. Then update visas, the bank, the FTA and the UBO register.
Do I need to tell the FTA?
Yes. Changes to tax registration details must be notified within 20 business days.
What is the UBO deadline?
The Ultimate Beneficial Owner register must be updated within 15 days of the change, under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023.
What happens to the old partner's visa?
It ends with the shareholding, so it must be cancelled or moved to another route.
Does a foreign incoming partner need attested documents?
Usually yes. Passports and, for corporate shareholders, incorporation documents from abroad must be attested for UAE use.
Is there tax on a share transfer?
It can have corporate tax consequences for the seller, especially a corporate seller. Review it before signing.
The rest of what we do
Licence, visas, bank account, books and the first tax return — handled by the same team, so the structure has to survive its first year.
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Corporate Tax Filing
Returns, elections and the qualifying income analysis behind them.
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Accounting & Bookkeeping
Books kept audit-ready from month one, not reconstructed at year end.
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Audit Preparation
Schedules, reconciliations and the evidence your auditor will ask for.
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Payroll & WPS
Payroll, WPS files and end-of-service calculated correctly.
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Tax Residency Certificate
Day-count position verified and the FTA document pack assembled.
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Customs Registration
Client code and Mirsal registration, before your first shipment, not after.
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ICV Certification
Score modelled and improved before the audit, not explained afterwards.
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UAE Free Zones
All 37 zones compared by emirate, with the founding law and what each is really for.
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Changing Partners?
Tell us who is coming in and who is leaving. We will set out every record that has to change.
