Mainland company
Choose the emirate, legal form and licensed activity together. The relevant economic department handles the establishment route, with additional approvals depending on the activity.
Mainland & free zones
Company formation in the United Arab Emirates
Establish your UAE company with the structure, licence and practical support your business needs. We bring together company formation, visa support, banking preparation and international tax advice.
Your establishment options
Start with the right structure.
The route depends on your activity, ownership and operating plans. These are the decisions to resolve before the application.
Free-zone company
Match the activity to the authority and its permitted business categories. Office arrangements, licence scope and staffing needs belong in the same decision.
An existing business expanding
Assess a subsidiary or branch against the parent company, operating model and intended market. The structure determines the application and supporting corporate documents.
Explore the UAE
Find your establishment route.
Explore the options in more detail, then discuss which route fits your business.
Local establishment essentials
Know what comes next.
The exact document list follows the selected entity, owners and activity. Your adviser will confirm the requirements for your case.
- Define the exact business activity before selecting a licence.
- Prepare the ownership structure, proposed names and formation documents.
- Confirm the address or workspace required by the chosen authority.
- Separate company registration from visa, banking and any sector approvals.
After incorporation
Plan for the years ahead.
Plan for licence renewal with the authority that issued it. In Abu Dhabi, changes to the licensed activity or address have their own amendment process; free zones set their own renewal requirements. Confirm the premises arrangements and renewal calendar for the chosen route.
From decision to establishment
A clear path to your next company.
The scope is agreed before the work begins. You can see what is included, who is responsible and what information is needed.
01
Define your requirements
We review the activity, owners, operating markets and practical requirements. Where the destination is undecided, the brief starts with comparing options.
02
Review your proposal
Your proposal sets out the chosen route, work involved, professional fees and external costs. Timing is assessed against the actual application and dependencies.
03
Establish & prepare to operate
Following agreement, the incorporation work and supporting steps are coordinated. Banking, visas and sector permissions follow their own assessment and approval processes.
Beyond incorporation
Bring the decisions together.
Select the support your business needs. The agreed scope may combine formation with corporate structuring, tax advice, banking preparation and relocation planning.
01 / Structure
Ownership & governance
Clarify shareholders, decision-making and the relationship with your wider group.
02 / TaxInternational tax advisory
Our own tax team considers the cross-border position, treaty questions and transfer pricing relevant to your brief.
03 / BankingCorporate banking support
Prepare the business profile, ownership information and account-opening requirements for bank review.
04 / PeopleVisas & personal residency
Coordinate immigration and personal tax-residency questions separately from the company’s registration.
Costs & timing
One proposal.
Your actual requirements.
Every case is quoted individually. The activity, ownership, location, premises and additional services determine the work and cost.
Professional work
The advisory, preparation and coordination included in your engagement.
External charges
Authority, notarial, registry, workspace and third-party costs, as applicable.
Time & dependencies
The document readiness, authority reviews and separate banking or immigration steps that influence delivery.
Your questions
Before you begin.
Which UAE route should I choose?
Start with what the company will do, where its customers are and who will work in it. We compare mainland and relevant free-zone routes against those facts before preparing your proposal.
How much will my company setup cost?
We quote each case individually after reviewing the proposed activity, owners and required support. Your proposal separates professional fees from authority and third-party charges.
Can formation, banking and visas be handled together?
They can be coordinated within an agreed scope where applicable. Each follows its own requirements, and the relevant authority or bank makes the approval decision.
Your next step
Let’s plan your establishment.
Tell us your business activity, intended markets, ownership and any visa or banking needs. We will define the scope and prepare an individual proposal.
A short outline is enough to begin. Please do not email passports or bank documents at this stage.
Official incorporation references
Source material checked: 24 October 2026. General establishment information; requirements are confirmed for the individual case.
Photograph & credit
User-supplied photograph
Photograph displayed with a responsive crop.