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Read moreSRV-01 · Overview
Business Setup & Company Formation in Dubai & the U.A.E.
Setting up a company in the U.A.E. is less about paperwork volume and more about sequence. Pick the wrong jurisdiction or the wrong activity code at the start and you pay for it later in visa quotas, office requirements and bank rejections. We start by mapping what you actually intend to do commercially, then match it to the licence that supports it.
From there we run the whole file: trade name reservation, initial approval, memorandum of association, lease or Ejari where required, licence issuance and the establishment card that unlocks your visa quota. You approve at each gate; we handle the counters.
SRV-01 · What's included
Scope of work
- Jurisdiction advice — mainland, free zone or offshore, compared on cost, visa quota and ownership
- Trade name reservation and activity selection against the official DED activity list
- Initial approval and all external approvals your activity triggers
- Memorandum of Association drafting, typing and notarisation
- Office solutions — Ejari, flexi-desk or serviced space to satisfy the licence
- Trade licence issuance, establishment card and labour computer card
Process
How we run this file
Four stages, and you are told when each one clears. No chasing us for an update.
Documents you'll need
- Passport copies of every shareholder and manager
- Passport-size photographs with white background
- Existing U.A.E. visa or entry stamp copy, if applicable
- Three preferred trade names, in order
- A short description of the business activity you intend to run
Not sure whether you have everything? Send what you do have and we will tell you what is missing.
BRIEFED
Structure call
We map your activity, ownership and visa needs, then recommend the jurisdiction and licence type that fits.
RESERVED
Name & initial approval
Trade name reserved, activity codes fixed, and initial approval secured from the licensing authority.
NOTARISED
MOA & premises
Memorandum drafted and notarised, lease or flexi-desk arranged, and any external approvals collected.
ISSUED
Licence in hand
Trade licence, establishment card and labour card issued — you are ready to apply for visas and open a bank account.
Questions
Business Setup — what clients ask
For most commercial and professional activities, yes — full foreign ownership is permitted on the mainland. A short list of strategic activities still requires an Emirati partner or agent. We check your specific activity code before you commit to a structure.
Free zone packages usually look cheaper on day one, but if you plan to invoice U.A.E. customers directly or open a shop, a mainland licence often costs less over three years once you add distributor fees and NOCs. We put both options side by side with real numbers for your activity.
A straightforward free zone licence can be issued in a few working days. Mainland companies typically take longer because of notarisation and external approvals. Activities that need approval from a regulator — health, education, transport — take the longest, and we tell you that upfront.
Related services
Often needed alongside this
Next step
Need business setup? Send us the details.
Tell us where you are in the process and what your deadline looks like. You get the required documents, the government fee and a realistic timeline before you commit.
- Free first consultation
- Fees quoted in writing
- One named contact