Business setup and PRO services in Dubai, done properly

Choose your business activity and whether you want a mainland, free zone or offshore company. Then reserve a trade name, get initial approval, sign your MOA, arrange office space and collect your license. On the mainland DET issues the license; in a free zone, the zone's authority does. We prepare and submit each step.

It depends on your activity, the jurisdiction, your office and how many visas you need. Government fees are set by the authority and paid at cost. Before you pay anything, we give you a written quote with government fees and our service fee listed separately.

A mainland company suits businesses that want to serve customers across Dubai. A free zone suits companies that mainly work inside the zone or internationally; free zone companies need DET authorisation to operate on the Dubai mainland. We compare both for your activity before you decide.

For most activities, yes. Since 1 June 2021, foreign investors can own up to 100% of a mainland company, and more than 1,000 activities are open to full foreign ownership in Dubai. Activities with a strategic impact are excluded.

PRO (public relations officer) services cover the government paperwork around your company and staff: visa applications, work permits, document typing, translation and attestation. We prepare the files, submit them to DET, ICP, GDRFA Dubai or MOHRE, and follow up until there's a decision.

A business setup consultant handles the paperwork between you and the licensing authority, so your application goes in complete and in the right order. We help you choose an activity, legal form and jurisdiction, check trade names, type the forms, arrange translations and submit them to the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) or your free zone. The authority makes every decision; we prepare, submit and follow up until it does.

Source: u.ae: steps to start a business on the mainland

Choose one who explains the route plainly, lists government fees separately from their own fee and gives you that fee in writing before work starts. Be wary of anyone who promises approval or a fixed timeline, because only the authority, such as DET or your free zone, can decide. Ask which official channel your application will use and who will follow it up with the authority.

Source: u.ae: steps to start a business on the mainland

The first step is choosing your business activity, because everything else follows from it. Your activity decides the license type, the legal form you can use, the kind of premises you need and whether another government body must approve it before the license is issued. Once the activity is clear, you can compare mainland, free zone and offshore options properly instead of guessing.

Source: u.ae: steps to start a business on the mainland

An establishment card is a card issued by the immigration authority that carries your company's details. In Dubai, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) issues it to private sector and free zone businesses, which apply through its website, smart app or Amer centres with documents such as the list of partners and the signatories' passport copies. At the time of writing, GDRFA Dubai lists an expected completion time of 48 hours.

Source: GDRFA Dubai: establishment card for private sector and free zone businesses

Plan for corporate tax from the start and VAT as your sales grow. Corporate tax is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above that, and companies incorporated from 1 March 2024 must register with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) within three months. VAT is charged at 5%, with registration mandatory above AED 375,000 of taxable supplies and voluntary above AED 187,500. The FTA makes all tax decisions.

Source: u.ae: corporate tax

Two to watch are late corporate tax registration and missing staff health insurance. The Ministry of Finance sets an AED 10,000 penalty for registering late for corporate tax with the FTA. In Dubai, employers must provide health insurance for their staff, and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) can fine an employer AED 500 per person per month without cover. We flag both as soon as your license is issued.

Source: Ministry of Finance: AED 10,000 penalty for late corporate tax registration

After setup, PRO work shifts to keeping your company and staff documents valid. That means renewing the trade license and establishment card, applying for and renewing work permits and residence visas, updating records when owners or managers change, and attesting or translating documents for new hires. DET, GDRFA Dubai, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) and other authorities each decide their own part.

Source: GDRFA Dubai: establishment card for private sector and free zone businesses