COMPANY FORMATION · UAE

Set up your company in the UAE, from licence to bank account.

Mainland, free zone or offshore, with one named consultant from the first call to the day the account opens. Fixed fees, agreed before we start.

  • 5–10working days to a licence
  • 100%foreign ownership
  • 1consultant, start to bank

Where to set up

Three jurisdictions, three different answers. The right one depends on where your clients are, whether you need visas and what the company will hold.

Mainland

AED 15,000+
Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism
  • Trade anywhere in the UAE and abroad
  • 100% foreign ownership for most activities
  • Government and corporate contracts
  • Unlimited visas, scaled to office size

Free zone

AED 12,500+
DMCC · IFZA · SPC · RAKEZ · DIFC · ADGM
  • 100% ownership and 0% tax on qualifying income
  • Fast licensing, often within days
  • Flexi-desk to full office
  • Best for services, trading and holding

Offshore

AED 9,000+
RAK ICC · JAFZA Offshore
  • Holding assets, shares and property
  • No office and no visas
  • Privacy and simple upkeep
  • No trading inside the UAE
Not sure which one, or what it will cost for your activity? Open the cost calculator

How it works

Six steps, one consultant, one timeline. Most free zone companies reach step four within two weeks.

2 weekstypical time to a free zone licence
  1. 01

    Activity and zone

    Day 1

    One call to fix the activity, the jurisdiction and the number of visas. You leave with a written quote.

  2. 02

    Name and initial approval

    Days 2–3

    Trade name reserved and initial approval obtained from the authority, usually within two working days.

  3. 03

    Documents and MOA

    Days 3–5

    Passports, application forms and the memorandum drafted, signed and submitted by your consultant.

  4. 04

    Licence issued

    Days 5–10

    Licence, establishment card and registered office in hand; typically five to ten working days from step one for a free zone.

  5. 05

    Visas and Emirates ID

    Weeks 2–4

    Entry permit, medical, biometrics and Emirates ID for you and your first hires, booked back to back.

  6. 06

    Bank account

    Weeks 3–8

    File prepared for the bank's compliance team, meeting attended with you, account opened.

Documents you will need

The core list is short; what each authority adds depends on the zone, the activity and whether a parent company is involved. Missing one? Tell your consultant and we plan around it.

CHECKLISTCompany formation · UAE
Every shareholder and director
1.1
Passport copyValid for at least six months, all pages with stamps
Required
1.2
Passport photoWhite background, taken in the last six months
Required
1.3
Proof of addressUtility bill or bank statement under three months old, in your name
Required
1.4
Entry stamp or visa copyIf you are already in the UAE; tourist, visit or residence
If applicable
1.5
Emirates ID copyFront and back, if you already hold UAE residency
If applicable
1.6
No objection certificateFrom the current employer or sponsor, if you hold a UAE residence visa
If applicable
1.7
CV or professional profileAsked by some free zones for professional and consultancy licences
Zone dependent
1.8
Attested degree certificateFor activities that need a qualified manager, such as engineering, medical, legal, education
Activity dependent
The company
2.1
Three proposed trade namesIn order of preference; the authority reserves the first that passes
Required
2.2
Business activity listThe activities the licence will carry; we map them to the authority's codes
Required
2.3
Business planRegulated, financial, education, healthcare and some trading activities
Activity dependent
2.4
Office lease or EjariMainland only; free zones issue a flexi-desk with the licence
Mainland
2.5
Initial approval and external approvalsFrom ministries or regulators for restricted activities; we obtain these
Activity dependent
2.6
Memorandum of associationDrafted by your consultant, signed before the authority or notary
We prepare
2.7
Bank reference letterAsked by a few free zones and by most banks at account opening
Zone dependent
A branch or subsidiary of an existing company
3.1
Parent company licence or certificate of incorporationAttested by the UAE embassy in the home country and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here
Branches only
3.2
Parent memorandum and articlesAttested and, where not in English or Arabic, legally translated
Branches only
3.3
Board resolutionResolving to open the UAE entity and appointing the manager, attested
Branches only
3.4
Power of attorneyIn favour of the manager or your consultant, attested
Branches only
3.5
Audited financial statementsLast one or two years; some authorities and all banks ask for them
Branches only
PLEASE NOTE
  • Every free zone and the mainland authority keeps its own list. Items beyond this checklist can be requested during the application, and your consultant tells you the moment one is.
  • Documents issued outside the UAE usually need attestation by the UAE embassy in the issuing country and then by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE; documents not in English or Arabic need a legal translation.
  • Clear colour scans are enough to start. Originals are needed at the visa stage and, for attested documents, at the authority's counter.
  • Banks ask for more than the licensing authority: expected volumes, client and supplier contracts, and source-of-funds evidence. We prepare that file separately before the meeting.
AUTHORITIES AND BANKS WE WORK WITH
DMCCDubai International Financial CentreAbu Dhabi Global MarketJafzaRAKEZMeydan Free ZoneSharjah Publishing CityDubai SouthDubai Chamber of CommerceDubai Airport Freezonetwofour54 Abu DhabiFirst Abu Dhabi BankEmirates NBDADCBMashreqWio BankADIB

Questions we are asked

A free zone licence starts around AED 12,500 and a mainland licence around AED 15,000, before visas, the establishment card and office space. Use the cost calculator for an estimate in AED, then a consultant confirms the exact figure after one call.

A free zone company is usually licensed in five to ten working days from the first call; mainland takes two to four weeks because of the office lease and external approvals. Visas and the bank account add two to six weeks after the licence.

Yes. Free zone and offshore companies have always allowed it, and since 2021 mainland companies allow 100% foreign ownership for almost every commercial and professional activity.

Mainland if you sell inside the UAE or want government contracts; free zone if your clients are abroad or you want the lowest cost and fastest licence; offshore if the company only holds assets and will not trade. We decide this on the first call.

No. A free zone company can be formed entirely remotely. You need to be here for the medical and biometrics when your visa is issued, and some banks ask to meet you once.

Not any more for most activities. A handful of strategic activities still require an Emirati partner, and we tell you if yours is one of them before you commit.

Each authority publishes a list of several thousand activities. A licence can carry several related activities; we match yours to the right code and authority.

Yes. You can open a mainland branch of the free zone company or form a new mainland entity and migrate. We plan the move so the bank account and visas are not interrupted.

The immigration file for your company. It is issued after the licence and is required before any visa can be applied for.

Free zones offer flexi-desks that satisfy the licence. Mainland companies need a leased office registered on Ejari, sized to the number of visas.

NEXT STEP

Tell us about the company you want to start.

A consultant reads your message and calls you within one working day with the zone, the timeline and a written quote.