Business Setup in the UAE
Mainland and free zone company formation, from first decision to licence.
Company formation runs from choosing between mainland and free zone, through reserving the trade name, drafting the constitutional documents, obtaining the licence, opening the corporate bank account and processing investor and staff visas. The structure you pick at the start determines your costs, your visa quota and what you are allowed to invoice for — which is where most of the value in getting help is.
We do not carry this out ourselves. We work out what your case actually needs and put you in touch with a licensed provider who does — and we stay your point of contact while it runs.
Who this is for
- Founders setting up their first UAE entity
- Foreign companies opening a UAE branch
- Freelancers outgrowing a permit and needing a real licence
How it works
- 1We work through what you will actually be selling, and to whom
- 2We narrow it to the jurisdictions and licence types that genuinely fit
- 3We introduce you to a licensed corporate services provider to file it
- 4We stay with you through licence, establishment card, bank account and visas
What we need from you
Turnaround: Free zone setups are typically faster than mainland; we give a realistic timeline per jurisdiction
Questions we get
Mainland or free zone?
It depends on who your customers are. Free zones suit businesses trading internationally or serving other companies; mainland is generally needed to trade freely inside the UAE market and to bid for certain contracts. We work it out from your actual activity rather than defaulting to whichever is cheapest to sell.
How much does it cost to set up a company?
Licence and registration fees vary widely by jurisdiction, activity, visa quota and office requirement, and they change between licensing periods. We quote against a specific structure instead of advertising a headline figure that few applicants actually qualify for.
Can I own 100% of the company?
In free zones, yes. On the mainland, full foreign ownership is available for a large list of activities, but not all of them — it depends on your specific activity code.