Business Setup · Timeline
Dubai Company Setup Timeline: How Long Each Step Takes, From Name to Tax Registration
Last reviewed by the Exiloz tax team against the UAE legislation in force on that date. Tax law moves — confirm any figure against tax.gov.ae before you act on it.
The licence is the quick part
The licence is the fastest part of a Dubai mainland setup, and DET issues one in about ten minutes. What takes time is everything around it: approvals, the lease, the bank and the first registrations. Founders who plan only the licence usually miss their launch date. Experienced company formation support in Dubai plans the whole sequence from the first day.
This guide sets out that sequence in the order it really runs for a typical mainland company. It covers the steps before the licence, the licence itself and the usual causes of delay. It then covers what follows the licence, including the first tax deadlines. It ends with an illustrative week-by-week plan that you can adapt to your own company.
What must happen before the licence?
First comes the business activity, because it decides the legal form, the approvals and the office you need. Then comes the trade name, which DET books for AED 620 in about ten minutes. The name must match the activity, so the two are settled together.
Some activities also need approval from another authority before DET will issue the licence. DET's licence page lists these external approvals as a required document for a normal licence. Regulated activities in health, education or finance usually sit in this group, with their own timelines.
Quick Answer
In Dubai, choose the activity before the trade name. Regulated activities also need another authority's approval before DET issues the licence, and booking the trade name itself costs AED 620.
How long does the licence itself take?
DET says a normal licence is completed within ten minutes once the requirements are in place. A normal licence needs a memorandum of association and a site lease contract. Approvals from other government agencies are added only where the chosen activity needs them.
DET's instant licence is issued within five minutes for activities needing no external approvals. It includes a virtual site for the first year and Dubai Chamber membership for commercial activities. It also includes establishment cards from the GDRFA and MOHRE, with the option to employ three people.
Quick Answer
Dubai's DET issues a licence in five to ten minutes. The real weeks go on the office lease, the memorandum of association and any external approvals the chosen activity needs.
What usually slows a Dubai setup down?
External approvals are the first common delay, because another authority works to its own timetable. The second is the office: a normal licence needs a lease contract before DET will issue it. The third is the memorandum of association, especially when some shareholders sign from abroad.
After the licence, the corporate bank account is usually the longest single step in practice. Banks ask about shareholders, activities and expected transactions before they open anything. A common and costly mistake is booking staff and stock before the bank account is actually working.
Quick Answer
In Dubai, approvals, the lease and the memorandum delay the licence. After it, the corporate bank account usually takes the longest, so plan cash flow and hiring around that wait.
What comes after the licence?
Establishment cards with the GDRFA and MOHRE come next, unless the instant licence already included them. They allow the company to sponsor visas and legally employ staff. Investor and employee visas follow, each with its own medical test, Emirates ID and insurance steps.
Tax deadlines start on incorporation day, not when trading begins. Article 3(3) of FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024 gives a new UAE company three months to apply for Corporate Tax registration. VAT registration becomes mandatory above AED 375,000 of taxable supplies, with 30 days to apply.
Quick Answer
Cards, visas and the bank follow the Dubai licence. A new UAE company must apply for Corporate Tax registration within three months of incorporation, even before it has started trading.
What does a realistic week-by-week plan look like?
Take an illustrative general trading company with one resident shareholder and no regulated activities. Week one settles the activity, the trade name and the office, and drafts the memorandum. Week two signs the memorandum and lease, and the licence is issued the same day.
Weeks three to six usually cover the bank account, establishment cards and the first visas. Corporate Tax registration should be filed in the first month, well inside the three-month deadline. A regulated activity or an overseas shareholder can add several weeks to any of these stages.
Quick Answer
Unregulated Dubai companies are often licensed within about two weeks. The bank account, establishment cards and first visas often take another month, and regulated activities add more time on top.
Plan Your Setup as One Sequence
Exiloz runs the licence, cards, visas, bank and first tax registrations together, so the launch date holds. Ask about company formation support in Dubai.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to set up a company in Dubai?
Usually several weeks, although the licence itself takes minutes. Approvals, the office lease, the corporate bank account and visas decide the real timeline for most founders setting up in Dubai.
How much does the trade name cost?
AED 620 in total, according to DET's published fee. The booking runs through the official Invest in Dubai portal, and DET says the service is completed in about ten minutes.
What is the difference between a normal and an instant licence?
The difference comes down to approvals and paperwork. An instant licence covers activities needing no external approvals and takes five minutes, while a normal licence needs a memorandum and lease.
Do I need an office before getting a licence?
For a normal Dubai licence, the answer is yes. DET needs a site lease contract first, but the instant licence includes a virtual site for year one, removing that step.
Can I hire staff straight after the licence?
Not until the company's establishment cards are issued. The company needs cards from the GDRFA and MOHRE, and DET's instant licence includes both, with the option to employ three people.
When must a new company register for Corporate Tax?
A new company has three months from incorporation. Article 3(3) of FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024 sets that deadline, running whether or not the company has actually started trading.
Does a new company need VAT registration immediately?
Only once its taxable supplies pass AED 375,000. The threshold also applies when supplies are expected to pass it within 30 days, and the application is due within 30 days.
What delays a bank account opening?
Most delays come from the bank's due diligence review. Banks check shareholders, activities and expected transactions in detail, and missing documents or unclear ownership structures are the usual sticking points.
Does a free zone setup follow the same timeline?
No, every free zone runs a separate process. Each one sets its own licensing steps, documents and timelines, and this guide covers only Dubai mainland licences issued by Dubai's DET.
Can Exiloz manage the whole setup?
Yes, Exiloz can run it as one coordinated job. It handles the licence, establishment cards, visas and the first tax registrations, and plans the sequence so no deadline is missed.
Main Takeaways
The Dubai licence itself takes minutes, but the full mainland setup usually takes several weeks. External approvals, the office lease and the memorandum decide when the licence is actually issued. The corporate bank account is usually the longest single step after the licence is issued. Corporate Tax registration is due within three months of incorporation, so file the application early.
Plan the Sequence, Not Just the Licence
A Dubai licence is quick to issue, and that speed misleads many founders. The real timeline is set by approvals, the office lease, the bank account and the visas. Each step depends on the one before, so a delay early on moves everything after it. Planning the whole sequence on day one is what protects the launch date you promised.
Tax deadlines join the plan the moment the company is incorporated. Our guide to tax and accounting setup after company formation covers those first tax deadlines in more detail. Put every date and deadline on one shared calendar from the very start. Exiloz can run the setup and the first tax registrations together, so nothing important falls between the steps.
Sources & References
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