Business Setup
Company Formation in Dubai
Licence, structure and the first year of compliance planned together, so the cheap setup does not turn into the expensive year two.
- Mainland or free zone chosen from where your customers are, not from a brochure
- Corporate tax and VAT consequences priced in before the licence is issued
- Bank account introduction, which is where most setups actually stall
Who this is for
- You are starting from scratchAnd the quotes you have been given all say something different.
- You are comparing free zonesThere are 33 in the UAE and the differences that matter are not the headline price.
- You already trade elsewhereAnd need a UAE entity for customers, banking or residency.
- You were quoted a cheap licenceWhich did not mention visa quota, establishment card, or year-two renewal.
What is included
- Jurisdiction advice: mainland versus free zone, against your actual customer base
- Trade name reservation and initial approval
- MOA drafting and notarisation
- Trade licence issue and establishment card
- Investor and employee visa processing
- Corporate bank account introduction and the application file
- VAT and corporate tax registration once the licence is live
How it works
- Tell us who you sell toOnshore UAE, export, or online. It decides the jurisdiction.
- We price two optionsUsually one mainland and one free zone, with year-two costs shown.
- You pick, we fileApprovals, MOA, licence, establishment card.
- Compliance switched onCorporate tax registration, VAT if you need it, books from month one.
Company Formation in Dubai — questions we get asked
Mainland or free zone?
If you sell to UAE customers onshore, mainland avoids the agent or distributor workaround. If you export, serve clients abroad, or want a cheaper entry, free zone usually wins. The corporate tax question is separate and it is where free zone companies get caught: 0% applies to qualifying income, not to everything the company earns.
How much does it cost to set up in Dubai?
Our fee is fixed and quoted up front. Government and free zone charges sit on top and vary widely by activity and visa count, so we put both in one written quote. You see the real total, not the licence headline.
How long does it take?
A straightforward free zone licence can be days. Mainland with external approvals takes longer, and the bank account is almost always the slowest step regardless of jurisdiction.
Do I need a local partner?
For most mainland activities, no. 100% foreign ownership has been available on the great majority of commercial and industrial activities since 2021. A short list of strategic activities still has conditions.
Can you open the bank account?
We prepare and introduce the file. No consultant can guarantee an account; the bank decides, and it decides on substance, activity and source of funds. Being honest about that up front is why our files get through.
What do I owe in year two?
Licence renewal, establishment card, visa renewals, and now corporate tax registration and filing. This is the number that surprises people, so we show it in the original quote.
Book your free compliance review
Fifteen minutes, no charge, and you leave with a written summary of where you stand whether or not you engage us.
