Starting a company in Dubai or the UAE can include endless paperwork, fines, unexpected costs, and hidden laws. Don’t make your summer one to regret.
Our business setup summer offer includes:
Start your UAE business journey
Book your free consultation with one of our experts
"*" indicates required fields
This summer, we are presenting you our exclusive Summer Business Setup Offer, which gives you everything you need to launch your business and get ahead of the game. Enjoy 3 years of business growth while only paying for 2 and get access to amazing business benefits.
If you’re not ready to commit to a 3-year license, we also have a premium 1-year Dubai Kickstarter Offer which allows for multiple shareholders and includes residence visa, business bank account, and more.
Book a 15 minute consultation to finalise the details.
Book a 15 minute consultation to finalise the details.
Enjoy 100% operational and financial control of your company.
Send your capital and profits to your home country.
Secure a two-year residence visa for one (1) shareholder.
Register for corporate tax and stay tax-compliant.
Obtain the official card issued by a free zone to identify your business.
Experience a seamless medical fitness test and Emirates ID application process.
Also referred to as a business license, a trade license is a document that specifies the activities that a company can carry out in the UAE.
There are three main types of licenses:
The requirements may vary depending on which jurisdiction you will set up your company (free zone or mainland), but the basic documents include:
Foreign nationals who want to operate a business in the UAE need a visa, which will allow them to legally reside in the country. Here are the three types of visas you can secure (depending on the jurisdiction):
Once your trade license is issued, you will then receive your establishment card (some jurisdictions automatically issue the establishment card, while others issue it upon request).
After your establishment card has been issued, you can proceed with applying for a visa. You will need to submit the following documents:
A free zone is a special economic jurisdiction in the UAE that offers the following business benefits:
However, if your business is registered in a free zone, you can only trade within that free zone and internationally. To conduct trade in the mainland, you will need to get permission from the concerned free zone authority and the local Department of Economic Development.
As mentioned above, free zone companies can only trade and operate within the free zone where they are registered and overseas. In contrast, mainland companies are free to trade anywhere in the UAE and outside of the country.
Furthermore, setting up a company in the mainland previously required a local sponsor, who will own 51% of the company. With the revised Commercial Companies Law, foreign investors can now own 100% of their mainland companies, except in strategic sectors such as oil and gas and banking.
A mainland company setup offers the following benefits:
A mainland trade license is renewed annually. A free zone license, on the other hand, has a different validity period depending on the free zone authority. This can range from one to five years.
A shareholder refers to an individual or a legal entity that owns shares in a company.
The UAE has introduced a low corporate tax rate of 9% on June 1, 2023. All businesses must do three things to comply with the new tax law:
While not all businesses will have to pay corporate tax, every business – including freelancers and free zone companies – must comply with these three steps.
Since 2009, we have helped more than 70,000 entrepreneurs from 180 countries to establish their businesses in the UAE. With our tried and tested process for company setup, we can do the same for you.
We are a one-stop shop for all your trade license, visa and corporate service needs.
Our extensive partnership network includes key business relationships with the Ministry of Economy, Chamber of Commerce, Dubai FDI and Dubai Future Foundation.
We offer round-the-clock customer support via email, call, WhatsApp and LiveChat.
We have more than 150 staff members speaking 40 languages ready to assist with your business setup, visa, accounting, tax and other corporate service requirements.
Our clients benefit from the expert assistance of a Relationship Manager, ensuring a streamlined communication process and focused client support.
With the addition of the newest technologies, applications and AI-assisted tools, we have significantly reduced our turnaround times, eliminated inefficiencies and enhanced the delivery of our services.