How an engagement runs, stage by stage
Nothing is filed until the structure decision is written down and agreed. Each stage has a defined output, so you always know what has been done and what happens next.
The short answer
Assessment first, then a written decision summary, then documents, licence, residency, banking readiness, tax registration, and an ongoing renewal calendar.
The eight stages
What happens, and in what order
- 01
1. Structure assessment
We map your activity list, customer locations, ownership chain, residency needs, hiring plans, and money flow, then set out the routes that fit and the ones that do not.
- 02
2. Written decision summary
You receive a plain-language summary: recommended structure and jurisdiction, the trade-offs, the document list, and the open questions that still need an answer or a specialist opinion.
- 03
3. Document preparation
We prepare the application pack — passports, proof of address, corporate documents, attestations, and legalisation where a corporate shareholder is involved — and flag gaps before filing.
- 04
4. Licence application
We file with the chosen registry or free-zone authority, handle name reservation and activity approvals, and manage any queries raised during review.
- 05
5. Residency and Emirates ID
Establishment card, entry permit, medical, and Emirates ID are sequenced so that dependent steps such as banking are not delayed by a missing document.
- 06
6. Banking readiness
We build the bank file: business description, contracts or invoices, source-of-funds narrative, and expected transaction profile — then coordinate introductions and respond to KYC questions.
- 07
7. Tax and compliance registration
Corporate tax registration, VAT assessment against the registration thresholds, accounting setup, and your first-year filing calendar.
- 08
8. Renewals and changes
Licence renewal, visa renewals, activity or shareholder amendments, and a review whenever your operating model changes materially.
Your part
What we need from you
- An honest description of the activity, including anything regulated
- Where your customers are based and how they will pay you
- The full ownership chain, including any corporate shareholders
- Whether you need UAE residency, and for how many people
- Existing contracts, invoices, or a website that evidence the business
Timing
What tends to cause delay
- Corporate shareholder documents that still need attestation and legalisation
- An activity list that does not match what the business really does
- A bank file with no contracts, invoices, or source-of-funds narrative
- Name reservations that conflict with an existing registration
Please note
Questions
About the process
- How long does the whole process take?
- It depends on the registry, the activity, whether a corporate shareholder needs legalised documents, and bank timelines. We give an indicative sequence in the decision summary and update it as each authority responds; we do not commit to a fixed date.
- What do you need from me to start?
- A description of what you sell and to whom, the ownership chain, whether you need UAE residency, and your timing. Documents come later, once the route is chosen.
- Can you take over a setup that has already started?
- Yes. We review what has been filed, identify anything that conflicts with your operating model — a wrong activity code is the common one — and set out what can be amended and what needs restructuring.
Start with a structure assessment, not a package
In an initial consultation you receive a plain-language decision summary, a document-preparation list, and the next actions for your situation. It is not an approval, a fixed price, or a tax opinion.