Business setup
Business setup in the UAE
Setting up a company in the UAE — mainland, free zone and offshore compared, the documents you actually need legalised, and honest total costs.
Documents and licensing
What you must produce, what must be attested, and which licence applies.
Choosing a jurisdiction
Mainland, free zone or offshore — decided by where you intend to trade.
Mainland company formation in Dubai
Selling directly to customers inside the UAE
Read the full route →Free zone company setup in the UAE
Trading internationally or inside a zone with full foreign ownership
Read the full route →Offshore company formation in the UAE
Holding shares, IP or assets without UAE residency
Read the full route →Cost and visas
The full figure, including everything the headline price leaves out.
Everything compared, in one table
Typical all-in cost and realistic elapsed time. Every figure is sourced on the page it links to.
| Page | Used for | Typical total | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| What UAE business setup actually costs | Budgeting a company before you commit to a package | AED 14,000–41,000 first year, one visa | — |
| Documents required for UAE business setup | Working out what to gather, and what has to be legalised | AED 150–2,000 per document at MoFAIC | — |
| UAE investor visa (partner visa) | Getting UAE residence through the company you own | AED 730 GDRFA fee + medical and Emirates ID | — |
| UAE trade licence types and how to get one | Choosing the right licence category and applying in the right order | From AED 1,100 in Dubai statutory fees | Instant to 14 working days |
Get the exact cost for your document
Three questions. You get the route, a realistic timeline and the full cost — including the fees most quotes leave out.
Common questions
Mainland, free zone or offshore — which do I need?
It is decided by where you intend to trade, not by price. A mainland licence lets you contract directly with customers anywhere in the UAE market. A free zone company is cheaper and quicker but faces restrictions on trading inside the local market. An offshore company cannot trade in the UAE at all and issues no residence visas.
Do my company documents need to be attested?
If a foreign company is a shareholder, yes. The certificate of incorporation, memorandum of association and board resolution normally need legalising through the UAE embassy in the country of issue and then MoFAIC. MoFAIC charges AED 2,000 per commercial document, against AED 150 for personal documents — a difference that materially changes a formation budget.
Can I set up a UAE company without visiting the UAE?
Company formation itself can usually be completed remotely through an attested power of attorney. Bank account opening is the step that most often still requires the shareholder to attend in person, so treat banking as a separate question from incorporation when you plan.