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Get your UAE setup estimate

Answer eight questions. A specialist checks them and sends your estimate with a proposal.

Step 1 of 8

What will the company do?

Pick the closest match. The licence category follows from the activity.

Why are you setting up?

How many owners will the company have?

How many UAE residence visas do you need?

Count the owners and staff who will live in the UAE. Dependants come later.

What workspace do you need?

A flexi-desk is a shared desk in the free zone's business centre — it satisfies the licence's address requirement.

Which route: free zone or mainland?

A free zone licence suits trading abroad and online; selling into the UAE market directly usually needs mainland.

Do you live in the UAE today?

When would you like to begin?

Mainland licensingEconomic-department context
Free zonesZone-authority licensing
ICP / GDRFAEstablishment & visa capacity
BanksAccount-readiness context

What impacts cost

Setup costs can vary significantly based on licence and registration, workspace, visa count, approvals, and year-two renewals.

Licence and registration
Starting point
Sets the baseline for the setup you choose.
Relative impact: baseline
Workspace
Main variable
Often one of the biggest factors in the overall estimate, and in visa capacity.
Relative impact: high
Visa count
Per visa
Each visa adds its own government and processing cost.
Relative impact: variable, per visa
Activity approvals
Activity-based
Some activities require additional approvals, depending on what the business does.
Relative impact: moderate, activity-dependent
Year two
Ongoing costs
Renewals, visas, and tax admin follow their own timeline after setup.
Relative impact: ongoing, recurring

Selected setups by business type

Selling in the UAE and beyond

Government buyers and mainland customers push the estimate toward a mainland setup.

Setup
Dubai mainland company with a free-zone holding company
Selling into the UAE
Direct contracting, including government buyers
Visas
Planned around the workspace you choose
Cost drivers
Licence, workspace, and visa count
Estimate
Confirmed after scope review
  1. Week 1Scope agreed in writing, initial approvals
  2. Week 2Trade licence issued
  3. Week 3Establishment card and first visa steps
  4. After licensingBanking referral and tax registration

Relocating for client work and residence

Desk-based work billed abroad usually keeps the estimate at the lower end.

Setup
Single-founder free-zone company on a desk workspace
Clients
Overseas clients and remote delivery
Visas
One founder visa
Cost drivers
Licence and a single visa
Estimate
Confirmed after scope review
  1. Week 1Activity confirmed, scope agreed, name approved
  2. Week 2Licence and establishment card issued
  3. Week 3Entry permit, medical, Emirates ID, residence
  4. After licensingBanking referral and tax registration

Building a regional base for enterprise sales

Institutional buyers and local hiring raise both the setup and the year-two estimate.

Setup
Foreign-owned mainland company with leased premises
Selling into the UAE
Enterprise sales and institutional procurement
Visas
Planned around the local team and office
Cost drivers
Office lease, visa count, and approvals
Estimate
Confirmed after scope review
  1. Week 1Scope agreed in writing, parent legalisations
  2. Week 2Initial approval, trade name, tenancy registered
  3. Week 3Commercial licence issued, immigration file opened
  4. After licensingVendor onboarding, banking referral, tax registration

Importing, storing, and selling into the UAE

Warehousing and customs usually move the estimate more than the licence itself.

Setup
Free-zone trading company with bonded warehousing
Operations
Import, storage, and UAE fulfilment
Premises
Warehouse sized around stock and fulfilment needs
Cost drivers
Warehouse, customs registration, and visa count
Estimate
Confirmed after scope review
  1. Week 1Warehouse requirements agreed
  2. Week 2Trade name, initial approval, warehouse agreement
  3. Week 3Licence, customs code, and import setup
  4. After licensingBanking referral and marketplace onboarding

Holding assets across jurisdictions

Structure and banking acceptance drive the estimate more than setup speed.

Setup
Two-tier holding structure across complementary registries
Ownership
Consolidated ownership and succession planning
Banking
Matched to the asset profile and expected activity
Cost drivers
Two entities, registers, and compliance setup
Estimate
Confirmed after scope review
  1. Week 1Structure design and scope agreed in writing
  2. Week 2Entity documents and ownership records prepared
  3. Week 3Company registration and corporate records issued
  4. After licensingBanking referral and ongoing compliance setup

Talk to a UAE specialist

Frequently asked

How accurate is the cost estimator?
It is designed to give an early planning range, not a binding quote. Actual cost depends on the selected authority, activity, ownership, visas, office or facility requirement, document readiness, insurance, immigration steps, and any specialist approvals. The written scope confirms the applicable route and cost assumptions.
Does the estimate include visas and office costs?
It depends on the options selected and assumptions shown in the estimate. Visa, office, insurance, immigration, document, tax, and professional-support costs can vary materially between routes. Check the estimate assumptions and included line items and use the result as a starting point for a written scope.
Can I set up a UAE company for the lowest displayed price?
Possibly, for a narrow set of circumstances. But the lowest licence price may not include the operating requirements the business actually needs. Banking preparation, visa capacity, suitable premises, regulated approvals, customs, insurance, tax registration, and renewal costs can change the overall picture.
Is a free-zone company cheaper?
The entry price can be lower for some free-zone packages, but the full cost depends on visas, office or facility requirements, renewals, banking needs, activity approvals, customs, accounting, and the route needed to operate. The cheapest licence is not always the cheapest workable structure.
Do I need an office in a free zone?
The facility requirement depends on the authority, activity, licence package, visa needs, and operating model. Some packages use flexi-desk, desk, or serviced-office arrangements; others require a dedicated office, warehouse, studio, retail unit, or another specific facility. We confirm this before selecting a package.
How many visas can my company obtain?
Visa availability depends on the issuing authority, licence package, facility or office arrangement, establishment status, employee role, and current immigration rules. A licence alone does not create a fixed universal visa quota. We confirm available capacity before the setup is finalised.
Does a free-zone company automatically qualify for 0% corporate tax?
No. Free-zone status alone does not create an automatic 0% outcome. A company seeking Qualifying Free Zone Person treatment must meet the applicable conditions, and the treatment can depend on income, activities, substance, accounting, elections, transfer-pricing compliance, and other requirements.
Can you review my estimate with me?
Yes. We can review the assumptions, identify missing cost drivers, and compare viable routes before you proceed. The purpose is to turn the initial range into a practical setup plan.

Still deciding?

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