Business Setup in the UAE
Company formation, licence, bank account and residence visa — prepared in the right order.
Two ways to your own company in the UAE
There are two options for setting up your company: Mainland or Free Zone. Which one fits depends on where your clients are and how you work.
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Mainland
Licensed for the local UAE market: trade directly, invoice local clients and bid for government contracts.
Compare the two -
Free Zone
A zone with its own authority and rules. Suits holding, consultancy, trading and regional headquarters. Often quick to set up, with a fixed visa quota.
Compare the two
Which company structure fits your business?
We look at where your customers are, how you invoice, your visa needs and planned activities. We also check property ownership and ongoing banking and reporting duties.
Then we work out the structure that best fits your business model and operations. The three questions below give you a first direction.
Answer the three questions.
This is orientation only, not advice. Rules, activity lists and bank requirements vary and can change. We confirm the requirements for your case before anything is filed.
The two company models compared
Find out how the two company forms differ and what advantages each one offers. We help you find the right solution for your business goals in the United Arab Emirates.
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Mainland
- Trade directly in the UAE market
- Invoice local clients without a local distributor
- Can bid for government and semi-government contracts
- Visa quota usually tied to the size of your office
- More permitted activities, including most professional services
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Free Zone
- Suits holding, consultancy, trading and regional headquarters
- Flexi-desk options with a fixed visa quota
- Often faster to set up
- Selling inside the UAE usually needs a local sales channel
- The zone you choose can affect how banks assess the company
A general overview, not advice. Rules can change. We confirm the requirements for your case before any application is filed.
What we handle: eight services, one process
We handle formation, licence, office, bank account support and corporate upkeep. Visas and tax run through licensed partners. Each step comes in the order it has to happen.
UAE Mainland Company Formation
A mainland licence can allow your company to trade directly in the UAE market and serve local customers. Subject to eligibility and activity, it can also take part in government tenders. We guide you through activity selection, name reservation and initial approval. Then follow the Memorandum of Association (the company's founding document), premises and licence issue.
Free Zone Company Formation
A free zone company suits holding, consultancy, trading and regional headquarters. We compare zones on what actually differs: permitted activities, visa quota, office requirements, renewal cost and bank requirements.
Business Licensing
Your trade licence lists your permitted activities as codes. Get them right from the start: a wrong choice can cause avoidable banking and licensing problems later.
Office & Business Address
Flexi-desk, serviced office or full premises, matched to your visa quota and your licence's substance requirements (proof of real presence).
Corporate Bank Account Assistance
We prepare and support your corporate account opening: substance documents, source-of-funds file (where your money comes from), business plan and bank introductions. The bank makes the decision. We make sure the file it receives is complete and clear.
Visa & Immigration Support
Licensed partners process residence visas for investors, partners and employees. This includes the Emirates ID (resident ID card), medical test and establishment card (the company's immigration registration). Family members and domestic staff go in the same application round, not as a separate project.
Ongoing Corporate Services
Licence renewals and amendments, shareholder and activity changes, PRO services (government paperwork) and document attestation. This is the part that is easy to forget until a deadline arrives.
Accounting & Tax Coordination
Licensed accounting and tax partners handle bookkeeping, corporate tax registration and VAT. MARNAL coordinates. The licensed firm makes the filings.
How the setup runs: three phases
Indicative timeline only. Actual timing depends on zone, activity and bank. Fixing a rushed licence later is the expensive route.
Structure and licence
We base the structure on what you actually plan to do. We agree activity and structure together with the banking plan, before anything is filed.
Visas and arrival
Licensed partners handle residence visas for investors, partners, employees and family members, plus the Emirates ID. Licence, establishment card, visas and Emirates ID run as one process, not three separate projects.
Start of operations
We support you in opening the bank account. In parallel, we set up accounting and corporate tax with licensed partners, so both run from your first month of trading.
Sequence for a standard application.
Property and company: planned together
Where property ownership and company structure are connected, we look at both together. Where it makes sense, we align ownership, business setup, financing and residency with your wider plan.
Changing who holds the property after the purchase can mean a second transfer and a second set of fees. We review tax and legal aspects with licensed partners.
See property servicesTell us what your company will do.
Share your planned activity, target customers, number of visas and whether property or financing is involved. We will come back with a structure recommendation and a cost breakdown.
