Practically any adult, regardless of nationality. Foreign founders can own 100 % of a UAE company – for most activities a local partner or local agent is no longer required, in free zones as well as on the mainland.

The formal requirements are modest: you need to be at least 18 years old and submit the required documents. Note that most banks set the minimum age for a corporate account at 21.

No. Residency is not a condition for incorporation. Depending on the company form and the licence, the provisions differ, but as a rule you can set up the company without moving to the UAE.

Not for the incorporation itself. We are an official free zone partner and can register the company using your digital signature – you do not need to be physically present.

The Residence Visa is different: the medical test and the biometric appointment at the Emirates ID centre have to be done in person, so one trip is required once the visa process starts. If you only need a holding company without a visa and without a bank account, you never have to come.

For private shareholders the standard set is short:

• a copy of your passport
• a passport photo

Depending on the free zone, the chosen activity and the bank, a proof of address in English (a utility bill or bank statement) may be requested on top. We tell you exactly what is needed before you start collecting paperwork.

No. Setting up a free zone company requires neither a deposit nor proof of share capital – the figure exists on paper only. The same applies to a mainland LLC in most cases.

This is one of the practical differences to a German GmbH or a similar European entity, where capital has to be paid in before the company exists.

It comes down to where you are allowed to trade, and it is the most important decision of your setup.

• Free zone company: built for international service providers, consultants, agencies and online businesses that do not trade inside the UAE market. Faster to set up, no share capital, and the most cost-efficient route.
• Mainland company: required if you serve customers inside the UAE directly – a shop, a restaurant, a salon, a clinic, or any business with local walk-in clients. It also allows business relationships with all Emirati and GCC companies.

Free zone licences are issued by the respective free zone authority, mainland licences by the DED (Department of Economic Development).

Whenever you operate on the local UAE market. Mainland licences fall into two categories:

• Commercial – trade and industry: general trading, e-commerce, car and motorbike rental, business brokerage, food processing.
• Professional – services and consultancy: beauty salon, restaurant, supermarket, architect, construction company, real estate agency.

For most sectors an LLC can now be 100 % foreign owned, with no local partner required. An authorised signatory manager or director is needed.

Many agencies still sell offshore companies. We generally advise against them, for one blunt reason: it is practically impossible to obtain a bank account for an offshore company.

If you still choose this route, be aware of two limits: an offshore company gives no residence visa eligibility, so a corporate account only becomes possible if one of the partners already holds a valid Residence Visa and Emirates ID – and it cannot do business with companies inside the UAE.

Four constellations from our day-to-day practice:

• Pure holding: you own companies or assets in Europe, want your Dubai entity to hold shares in them, are not moving and need no bank account. → free zone company with 0 visas
• Agency, e-commerce, international services: location-independent, mostly international clients, bank account essential. → free zone company with visa
• Restaurant, salon, retail: customers come to your premises, you plan to relocate. → mainland company with visa
• Financial services, crypto or NFT with third-party funds: the activity is regulated. → designated free zone such as DMCC, DIFC or ADGM, with visa

These are orientation cases, not a recommendation for yours. Which form fits usually comes down to details – the exact activity, and whether you need banking.

There is no universal answer, and anyone giving you one is selling their standard package. It depends on concrete factors: are you providing services or trading? Do you need to store goods or a customs-free warehouse? Do you handle third-party capital? Are you in gold or diamonds?

Cost is the second half of the question, and office space drives it. Every UAE company needs a registered physical address. Some free zones solve this cost-efficiently with a FlexiDesk or shared desk; others require a dedicated office once a licence or visa is issued, which raises the total considerably.

Four cover the vast majority of cases. Processing times are typical values, not guarantees:

• IFZA (in Dubai Silicon Oasis) – our default for most setups and where we hold Platinum Partner status. Wide range of activities from trading and services to consulting, IT and industrial licences, with recurring special offers. Roughly 4–5 days for the company, 1–3 days for the establishment card, 3–5 days for the eVisa, 3–4 days for the residence visa.
• Meydan Free Zone – the fastest of the four and excellently regarded by banks and authorities thanks to its Dubai Holding affiliation. Company formation in about 24 hours, sometimes under 60 minutes; 1–2 days for the immigration card, 1 day for the eVisa, 12–24 hours for the residence visa. We are a Gold Partner here.
• DMCC – the best-known free zone worldwide, a leading hub for commodities and specialised in gold, diamond and precious metals trading; crypto and blockchain activities can also be licensed. About 7–9 days for the company, 2–5 days for the establishment card, 2–3 days for the eVisa, 3–4 days for the residence visa.
• JAFZA – at Dubai's port, one of the largest free trade zones in the UAE, with an extensive customs-free logistics area plus office, warehouse and industrial facilities. About 7–14 days for the company, 2–3 days for the establishment card, 2–3 days for the eVisa, 3–4 days for the residence visa.

Dubai currently has 21 free zones or free zone authorities, with some authorities operating several physical branches. Across the United Arab Emirates there are close to 50.

Most of them share largely the same list of activities and offer similar packages, which makes it genuinely hard for a founder to tell them apart. The differences that matter are price, reputation with banks, and office requirements.

We work with three packages, priced with the original fees of IFZA and a one-year term for one shareholder:

• Eco – from AED 20,650: self-managed. We file every application, you follow a step-by-step guide to the appointments. No service fees – you pay the free zone and authority fees only.
• Standard – from AED 31,160: we handle the bulk of the process, accompany you to the visa appointments, collect your Emirates ID and answer questions by WhatsApp. Up to 2 shareholders included.
• Premium – from AED 35,360: full service including banking. We coordinate every appointment and open your personal and corporate accounts online, with no bank appointment required.

All three include the licence, the FlexiDesk with an official tenancy contract, the establishment card and a Residence Visa valid for two years.

Every package contains the elements you cannot do without: the business licence, the office tenancy contract (FlexiDesk), the establishment card and the Residence Visa eligibility, plus our work on the applications.

The step up between packages is the amount of work you keep. Eco gives you an in-depth initial consultation, the selection and bankability check of your activity, all filings and a written guide – but you attend the appointments yourself. Standard adds a VIP medical test, health insurance arrangement if required, Emirates ID collection and personal assistance. Premium adds UAE driving licence support and the online opening of both your personal and corporate bank accounts.

No. You pay the free zone's original prices plus authority fees – our consultation and review come at no extra charge, and in the Eco package there are no service fees at all.

Going direct to the free zone does not make it cheaper; it only means nobody checks whether your chosen activity will survive a bank's review, and nobody catches the details that become deal-breakers later.

The following breakdown covers a mainland formation including licence, virtual office space, one residence visa and all related charges:

• Licence fee: around EUR 4,000*
• AoA, establishment card and labour card: EUR 700
• Office contract: EUR 1,800 (not applicable if you rent your own office)
• Residence Visa: EUR 950 (two years' validity)
• Our service fee: from EUR 1,500
• Total first year: from EUR 8,950

* For a General Trading activity the authorities charge an additional fee of around EUR 5,000.

Rules and fees are broadly similar across the emirates, so an Abu Dhabi mainland company costs roughly the same as a Dubai one.

For a mainland company the recurring costs drop, because the one-off items fall away:

• Licence renewal: around EUR 4,000*
• Office contract: EUR 1,800 (not applicable if you rent your own office)
• Our service fee: from EUR 600
• Total second year: from EUR 6,400

* Fees depend on the chosen activities and the nature of the business.

For free zone companies the renewal is quoted per free zone and visa count – we give you that figure before you commit, not after.

Five factors, in roughly this order of impact:

• the free zone – above all whether a FlexiDesk is accepted or a dedicated office is required
• the activities on the licence
• the number of visas you need
• the number of shareholders, and whether one of them is a corporate shareholder, meaning a foreign company
• current offers and discounts of the free zones, which change several times a year

Once all documents and information are in, a free zone company usually takes 3 to 5 working days. In the fastest free zones it is quicker still – Meydan issues licences in about 24 hours and, for some activities, in under 60 minutes.

You do not have to be present. We are an official free zone partner and register the company with your digital signature.

The visa process starts once the company exists and the immigration card and e-permit have been issued. From there it takes roughly 5 working days. The digital Emirates ID follows in about 5 to 12 working days.

Only after that can a corporate bank account be opened – which is why the visa and the account are best planned together rather than one after the other.

For a free zone company:

• 1. Clarify the activity, the distribution of shares and who holds which position
• 2. Submit the basic information: type of company, number of shareholders, desired name
• 3. Submit the documents – passport copy and passport photo for private shareholders
• 4. Apply for the licence with the free zone
• 5. Apply for the establishment card, if visas are to be issued through the company
• 6. Apply for the e-visa for the applicants and managing directors
• 7. Enter the UAE for the medical test and the Emirates ID centre
• 8. Receive the Residence Visa and the Emirates ID
• 9. Apply for and open corporate and personal bank accounts
• 10. Apply for family visas, once your own visa is issued

Because regulated activities need clearance from authorities outside the free zone, and the licence is only issued once those have signed off. This applies in particular to the investment and management of third-party capital and client funds, which require incorporation in a designated free zone such as DMCC, DIFC or ADGM.

For these cases we do not give a firm date. We would rather tell you that upfront than miss a promise.

It is a two-year residence permit for the United Arab Emirates. You need it if you want to live in the Emirates or if you need a corporate bank account.

When you set up the company you acquire eligibility for a defined number of residence visas. Each visa eligibility costs around EUR 500 and entitles you to apply for a two-year visa; authority fees of roughly EUR 960 come on top. Our service fee is separate and depends on your package.

Two years, renewable without a fixed limit as long as your company is active.

It is valid across all seven emirates, not just the one your company is registered in. If you set up in Dubai you can live in Abu Dhabi, and your bank account is not restricted to the emirate of your licence either. Along with the visa you receive your Emirates ID, the UAE equivalent of a national identity card.

No. The visa does not oblige you to live in the Emirates, and there is no requirement to register a UAE address.

This is where the two visa types differ:

• Investor or partner visa: one entry per year is sufficient to keep it valid.
• Employment visa: you must enter the UAE at least every 6 months.

For entrepreneurs who want to stay flexible, the investor visa is usually the better choice.

Two appointments, both in person and both short:

• Medical test: a blood test and a chest X-ray.
• Biometrics: fingerprints, an eye scan and an official photo at the Emirates ID centre.

Both fit comfortably into one trip. In the Standard and Premium packages we book a VIP medical test, accompany you and collect the Emirates ID on your behalf.

Yes. Once your own Residence Visa has been issued, you can sponsor family visas for your spouse and children – it is a standard part of the process and we handle the applications for you.

The sequence matters: your visa has to be in place first, so plan the family visas as a second step rather than expecting them at the same time.

For private individuals, essentially yes. There is no personal income tax in the UAE – no tax on salary, no capital gains tax, no withholding tax.

For companies it is more nuanced. A corporate tax of 9 % applies to financial years beginning on or after 1 June 2023, and only to the portion of annual profit above AED 375,000 (approximately USD 102,000). Profits below that threshold are not taxed.

Because salaries, office costs and similar operating expenses reduce taxable profit – and there is no income tax on the salary you pay yourself as a UAE resident – many owner-managed companies end up at or close to 0 % in practice.

Every UAE company falls within the scope of the corporate tax regime – free zone companies included. What differs is the rate they end up paying, not whether the rules apply to them.

• Mainland companies pay 9 % on profits above AED 375,000.
• Free zone companies can reach 0 % on their qualifying income as a Qualifying Free Zone Person, provided they meet the conditions.
• Small companies of either kind can reach 0 % through Small Business Relief.

The most relevant rule for the majority of founders: companies with an annual turnover of up to AED 3 million (approximately USD 817,000) pay no corporate tax at all. Ministerial Decision No. 131 extended the relief to tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029 – it had originally been set to expire at the end of 2026.

• It is not automatic. The relief has to be elected actively, in a return filed on time, for every single tax period.
• Registration still applies. Even at 0 % you must register with the Federal Tax Authority and keep books – a simplified return and cash-basis accounting are permitted.
• Exceed it once and it is gone for good. Cross AED 3 million in any single period and you lose the relief for that period and all future ones.
• You must be a UAE resident person. Members of multinational groups with consolidated global revenue above AED 3.15 billion are excluded.

Through QFZP status, which exempts qualifying income from the 9 % rate. It is not granted automatically – it has to be earned and maintained:

• audited annual financial statements
• the de minimis threshold: non-qualifying revenue below 5 % of total revenue or below AED 5 million, whichever is lower
• demonstrable substance in the UAE, plus transfer pricing documentation

Miss the conditions and you pay 9 % on everything above the threshold. Which of the two routes to 0 % is cheaper for you depends on your turnover, your client mix and your substance – we work that out before incorporation, not when the first return falls due.

VAT in the UAE is 5 %. Registration becomes mandatory once your taxable turnover reaches AED 375,000 within the UAE.

• Revenue inside the UAE above that threshold → regular VAT registration.
• Revenue generated exclusively outside the UAE → an application for exemption instead.

Both are time-bound. Note that an exemption also means no input VAT recovery, so for a company with substantial UAE costs a regular registration is often the better deal. We calculate that with you rather than defaulting to one option.

A company formation does not end with the licence. Four items keep your structure compliant:

• Corporate tax registration with the Federal Tax Authority, within the statutory deadline. Missing it means automatic fines.
• Bookkeeping and annual filings – free zone companies generally keep simplified records of income and expenses and file annual statements or returns.
• UBO reporting: the ultimate beneficial owners must be registered, and the register updated whenever ownership changes.
• VAT registration or exemption from AED 375,000 of annual turnover.

We handle the registration and the deadlines, so none of these dates are yours to remember.

Yes – nothing in UAE regulation prevents it. Whether it works for you is decided entirely by the tax law of the country you live in.

Four questions tend to determine the outcome, whatever your home country:

• Where is the company effectively managed? If the real decisions are taken from your home country, most jurisdictions will treat the company as resident there and tax it accordingly.
• Do CFC rules apply? Many countries attribute the profits of low-taxed foreign companies to their resident shareholders, even when nothing is distributed.
• Is there an exit tax? Moving your own residence can trigger taxation of unrealised gains on your shareholdings.
• Is there a double taxation treaty with the UAE? Several countries have none – Germany's treaty, for example, ended in 2021 – which means double taxation is possible in principle.

Yes. Requirements tightened across the Emirates in 2022 and banks review applications far more closely than they used to, but with the right preparation it works reliably. Our banking packages come with a money-back guarantee.

Three conditions have to line up: one of the partners must hold a valid Residence Visa and Emirates ID, the company's activity has to be acceptable to the bank, and the nationality of the shareholders plays a role in the assessment. We recommend a bank package with all three in mind.

Because the bank reads your licence before it ever speaks to you. The activity written on it is not an administrative detail – it is the basis on which your application is assessed, and its exact wording frequently decides whether an account is opened at all.

That is why we check the bankability of your activity before the licence is applied for. Correcting it afterwards is possible, but it costs time and money.

It depends on whether you need speed or standing:

• Established banks for long-term business relationships and the strongest external impression.
• Modern neobanks for a fast operational start, often within a few days.
• Both – operational from day one through the neobank, backed long-term by a traditional institution.

In the Premium package we open your personal and corporate accounts online, with no branch appointment required. Which combination suits you, we settle before any application is filed.

That depends on your tax residency, not on where the bank is.

If you move your centre of life to the UAE and evidence it to the bank with an Emirates ID and a UAE address, the bank will treat you as a UAE tax resident, and an account attributed solely to UAE residency is not reported under CRS.

EmiratesSetup is a service of The Austrians LLC, a mainland LLC based in the United Arab Emirates since 2016, with offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The shareholders are Barbara Roessle and Gerhard Strasser.

The commercial licence number is CN-2167310 and can be verified on the DED website. We are one of the first European-run agencies in the UAE and a long-standing partner of almost all free zones in the country.

EmiratesSetup is an authorised partner of the International Freezone Authority (IFZA) and was distinguished with its Platinum Award – held by only a handful of agencies worldwide. With Meydan Free Zone we are a Gold Partner.

For you it translates into short routes to the authority, faster processing and fewer surprises. Behind it stands a team of more than 15 specialists on the ground – company formation experts, legal and tax advisers and finance professionals – and more than a thousand completed setups since 2016.

Nothing. The initial consultation is free and without obligation, by phone or video.

We use it to settle what actually matters before any money moves: whether your sector needs a regulated free zone or a mainland licence, which activity fits your business and will pass a bank's review, and what the setup will realistically cost. If Dubai is not the right answer for you, we say so.

No. EmiratesSetup is a private consultancy offering paid company formation services. We are not a government body of the UAE.

All official documents – the licence, the establishment card, the visa and the Emirates ID – are issued exclusively by the competent government authorities. Our role is to guide you through that process and make sure your applications are complete and approvable the first time.