Business setup in Dubai: guides
Setting up in Dubai is a sequence of decisions: what you will do, where you will be licensed, which legal form to use and how you will bank. These guides take each step in order and explain where founders usually lose time.
14 guides on Business Setup
- How to start a business in Dubai: the steps in orderHow to start a business in Dubai, in order: activity, mainland or free zone, legal form, trade name, approvals, office, licence, visas, bank and tax.
- What a Dubai company setup really costs, and what drives the priceCompany setup cost in Dubai, line by line: licence fees, visas, office and Ejari, establishment card, banking, audit and renewal, and what moves the total.
- Can a free zone company do business in mainland Dubai?Can a free zone company work with mainland clients? The general rule, the routes that work, Dubai's DET permit for free zone firms and the tax impact.
- Dubai trade licence types: commercial, professional, industrial and moreTypes of trade licence in Dubai: commercial, professional and industrial, tourism, the instant and eTrader routes, freelance permits and free zone labels.
- How to choose the business activities on your Dubai licenceHow to use the Dubai business activity list: picking activities, why the wording matters to banks and visas, combining them and which need approval.
- How to close a company in Dubai properlyHow to close a company in Dubai: liquidation or cancellation, choosing a liquidator, the creditor notice, visas, and VAT and corporate tax deregistration.
- How to open a corporate bank account in the UAEThe documents UAE banks ask for, why their checks are so detailed, digital versus traditional banks, common causes of delay and how to prepare.
- LLC, sole establishment or branch: choosing a legal form in DubaiLLC vs sole establishment in Dubai: liability, foreign ownership, local service agents, civil companies, FZE, FZCO and FZ-LLC, and branch or subsidiary.
- Office requirements in Dubai: Ejari, flexi-desks and virtual officesWhy a Dubai mainland licence needs an Ejari-registered lease, how free zone flexi-desks work, where virtual offices fall short and how space affects visas.
- Offshore companies in the UAE: what they can and can't doWhat a UAE offshore company can and can't do, how RAK ICC and JAFZA Offshore work, and why corporate tax and UBO rules still apply to one.
- Renewing your Dubai trade licence: process, timing and finesHow trade licence renewal in Dubai works for mainland and free zone companies: when to start, what blocks it, late fines and what lapses with the licence.
- Setting up a Dubai company from India: ODI rules, banking and visasDubai company setup for Indians: how ODI works under FEMA, the USD 250,000 LRS limit, UIN and Form FC, yearly reporting, tax residency, banking and visas.
- Starting an e-commerce business in Dubai: licences and optionsHow to get an e-commerce licence in Dubai: mainland or free zone, Amazon.ae versus your own store, payment gateways, and VAT and customs on imported stock.
- UBO rules in the UAE: declaring who really owns your companyWho counts as a UBO under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023, the registers a UAE company must keep, filing deadlines, nominee rules and the fines.
Tell us what you're planning
One short call is usually enough to recommend a jurisdiction, licence and visa route. A written quote follows.
Or call +971 52 210 4014 (Mon–Fri, 9 AM – 6 PM)