Set up the UAE company your business actually needs.
- Eligible licences in as little as 24 hours — clock starts at a complete file
- No filing until you approve the route
- Renewal costs shown before you commit
About 2 minutes · No documents required · No obligation
Situation
Start with where you are.
Each route begins from the same place: what you actually do, who you sell to and what the business needs in order to function here.
A licence is the start, not the finish.
A transactional formation ends the day the licence is issued. An operating business needs the decisions behind it to hold up afterwards — with authorities, with banks and with your own advisers.
Traditional formation
- Choose licence
- Pay fee
- Receive licence
- Done
Operational readiness
Decision
Six decisions before you incorporate
Answer these in order and the structure follows from the facts, rather than the facts being bent to fit a package.
- 01 / 06
Activity
What are you actually going to do?
The licensed activity decides the authority, the approvals and the documents. Describing the work accurately at the start is what prevents an amendment, a second licence or a refused application later.
- 02 / 06
Markets
Where are your customers, suppliers and revenue?
Selling onshore, exporting from a free zone and invoicing clients abroad each lead to a different route. We map where value actually flows before anyone chooses a jurisdiction.
- 03 / 06
Ownership
Who owns and controls the structure?
Shareholders, corporate parents, signatories and control arrangements shape the documents you must produce and how a bank will read the file. Getting this straight early avoids re-papering the entity.
- 04 / 06
Team
Who needs to live and work in the UAE?
Visa quota is a consequence of licence type and workspace, not a package you buy separately. Residency routes are subject to eligibility criteria and authority approval.
- 05 / 06
Workspace
What physical presence does the business require?
A desk, a private office or a warehouse changes cost, quota and the substance position of the company. We plan the space around how the business will genuinely operate.
- 06 / 06
Operational readiness
What does the business need after incorporation?
Corporate tax registration, accounting records, banking preparation and renewals begin the day the licence issues. We prepare and coordinate them; approvals remain with the authorities and banks.
Routes
Every setup route, one page each
Each page below covers one route or one part of the process. Start with free zone versus mainland if you are choosing, or go straight to the page for the route you have already settled on.
- Free-zone company
- All UAE free zonesDirectory of the major zones by emirate, with activity fit.
- Mainland company
- Offshore company
- Branch or subsidiary
- Licence types explained
- Trade licence explainedWhat the licence shows and what the licence number means.
- Business activitiesHow activity classification decides jurisdiction and approvals.
- Establishment card & e-channel
- Amendments & cancellation
- Cost of company formation
- Timelines
- Renewals & compliance
Structure
What we coordinate
Formation & jurisdiction
Mainland, free zone or offshore assessed against your activity, markets and ownership.
→Corporate structuring
Holding, operating and branch arrangements documented so advisers can review the reasoning.
→Visa & PRO coordination
Establishment cards, quota and residency steps prepared and tracked, subject to authority approval.
→Banking readiness
A bank-ready file and introduction coordination. Approval and timing remain with the bank.
→Tax & compliance coordination
Corporate tax and VAT registration steps coordinated with your qualified tax adviser.
→Annual renewals
A renewal calendar for licence, workspace, visas and filings so nothing lapses quietly.
→
Guides
Read before you decide
Common questions
Straight answers
- How much does it cost to set up a company in the UAE?
- A free-zone company without visas starts at roughly AED 5,000–6,000 in authority costs; a standard mainland licence from AED 14,000. Visas, workspace and renewals move the total, which is why your plan prices the whole first year and the renewal, not just the licence. Figures are indicative starting points, confirmed in your adviser-reviewed comparison.
- How long does it take?
- Eligible UAE trade licences can be issued in as little as 24 hours once the required documents are complete. Regulated activities, external approvals, corporate shareholders, residency and banking follow their own timelines, and we report progress by stage.
- Free zone or mainland — which is right for me?
- Neither is universally better. Mostly-UAE customers and physical premises point to mainland; international and export work often suits a free zone. Your plan compares both against your actual activity rather than assuming either.
- Can I set up without travelling to the UAE?
- Often, yes — many free-zone setups can be completed remotely, and we coordinate document legalisation where your situation requires it. Residency visas require biometrics in the UAE. Your plan states exactly what your route requires in person.
- What happens after the licence is issued?
- The licence is the start. Corporate tax registration, accounting records, any visa processing, and the bank application follow — your plan sequences them, and we coordinate each stage. Bank approval always remains the bank's decision.
Request an initial assessment
Tell us what you do and what you want the UAE entity to achieve. An adviser responds with the questions that decide your route.
Free assessment — current figures are confirmed within your adviser-reviewed route comparison. Your details are not shared with third parties.
This page is general information about UAE business setup, not legal, tax, immigration, or banking advice. Rules, fees, permitted activities, and bank policies can change. Final eligibility depends on your facts and the applicable rules at the time of application.
Know your route before you file.
Tell us how you intend to operate and we will identify the questions, structure paths and preparation steps an adviser should assess. It is a planning tool, not legal, tax, immigration or banking advice.