What taxes does a UAE company pay?

Corporate tax is 9% on profits above AED 375,000, and 0% below that threshold. A company with Qualifying Free Zone Person status pays 0% on qualifying income. VAT is 5%, and registration is mandatory once turnover exceeds AED 375,000 over 12 months. Every company must register with the FTA for corporate tax, even with no profit.

Do you guarantee a bank account will be opened?

No, nobody can guarantee that: the decision rests with the bank and its compliance policy. We choose a structure and activity codes the bank understands in advance, match the bank to your profile, prepare the file and accompany you to the meeting. This noticeably improves the odds and shortens the timeline.

How long does it take from decision to an operating company?

Realistically, allow one and a half to three months until the company can accept payments. A free zone licence takes from 5 working days, a mainland one usually from two weeks. Visas take another 2–4 weeks. A bank account takes anywhere from two weeks to two months, depending on the bank and your profile.

Can the structure be changed later?

Yes, but it costs more than choosing correctly from the start. Adding an activity or visas is usually straightforward. Switching free zones or moving to the mainland often means a new company, new visas and a new bank review. That is why we spend time on the choice before registration.

Company Registration in the UAE and Abroad

Q: Can a foreigner own 100% of a company in the UAE?

Yes: in free zones this has always been the case, and on the mainland since 2021 for most activities. The exception is activities of strategic importance, such as security, defence and some financial services, where UAE national participation is still required. We check this against the specific activity code before applying.

Q: Do you register companies outside the UAE?

Yes — in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Turkey. We choose the country to fit the task: where your clients and suppliers are, where you need a bank, what the taxes and director requirements are. The documents are almost the same everywhere — a passport, proof of address and a KYC questionnaire — while China and Turkey also require certified translations. The bank account is opened separately, and the decision rests with the bank.

Q: Do I need to come to the UAE to register?

For a licence in many free zones and offshore, you don’t need to come: documents are signed remotely and identity is verified by video call. You need to come for the visa — the medical test and Emirates ID biometrics — and, as a rule, to open a bank account. We plan the visit so that everything fits into one trip. Abroad: in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia we register without a trip, in Turkey we handle most of the procedure under a power of attorney, and for China your passport is notarised in your country and apostilled, while documents from the UAE go through consular legalisation.

Q: Who keeps track of deadlines after registration?

We do — in your client portal: you can see what expires and when, and we start renewals in advance. There is plenty to track: the licence is renewed every year, visas usually every two years, the corporate tax return is due within 9 months of the financial year-end, VAT is usually filed quarterly, and beneficial ownership details must be updated within 15 days of any change.

Services in this section

Choose where to start

Operating company

Licence, office and visas

Mainland
Mainland company: clients across the UAE and government contracts
up to 100%
Foreign ownership
from 2 weeks
To get the licence
- — Any client in the UAE
- — Government procurement and corporates
- — Visas based on real need
Learn more
Freezone
Free zone company: a fast start and 0% on qualifying income
from 5 working days
Licence
100%
Ownership
- — A fast start
- — 100% ownership and free profit repatriation
- — An office to match your needs
Learn more

Asset holding

Stakes, real estate, inheritance

Company abroad

Asia and Turkey

Company Registration

How to choose a free zone

40+ · Free zones in the UAE

Company Registration

Mainland or Free Zone

100% · Ownership in both options

What the choice of structure really decides

Registration is the shortest part of the journey. Problems with banks, visas and taxes are built in on day one — through the choice of company type, jurisdiction and activity codes.

The hard part starts after the licence
A licence is issued in one to two weeks. Then the bank can’t make sense of trading under a consulting licence, the quota runs out before the third visa, and a mainland client insists on a local licence.
Taxes start right away
A company must register with the FTA for corporate tax within three months of its registration — even with no profit. Missing the deadline costs AED 10,000, and the penalty often arrives together with the first tax return.
Five questions narrow the choice
Who your clients are and where, how many people need visas, what your turnover is, where the money will come from, and which bank you need an account with. The answers usually leave two or three options.
One team for the whole journey
Our team in Dubai handles registration, the establishment card, visas, the bank account and taxes. We keep in touch via WhatsApp or Telegram, and stages and deadlines are tracked in your client portal.

Kermen TserenkeevaSenior Lawyer · Company registration

How to choose

How to choose a company form

01
You work with clients inside the UAE
If you sell goods and services to companies and individuals in the UAE, open a shop or restaurant, or bid for government contracts — look at Mainland. A free zone company can operate onshore only through intermediaries or under separate permits.
02
Clients abroad or in other free zones
Consulting, IT, trading with foreign counterparties, remote teams — this is free zone territory. Fast registration, flexible office packages and, for certain activities, 0% tax on qualifying income.
03
You need to own, not operate
Stakes in other companies, real estate, intellectual property — this is a job for a holding company or an SPV. If there will be no activity in the UAE and no visas are needed, consider a RAK ICC or JAFZA Offshore company.
04
You’re thinking about family and succession
To protect assets and pass them on under clear rules, you need a foundation in DIFC, ADGM or RAK ICC. It does not replace an operating company — it owns it.
05
You work with Asia or Turkey
Trading with China — a Hong Kong company; operations in China itself — a local company; an Asian banking hub — Singapore. Export manufacturing and IT projects — Turkey, with its free zones and technoparks. This is often a second company alongside the main one in the UAE.

Quick match

Mainland, free zone, offshore, holding or foundation — which suits you?

Four questions — the same criteria as above. The result is a guide: for mixed models and regulated activities, we run the numbers on your figures.

01What do you need the company for?
02Where will your revenue come from?
03How many residence visas do you need?
04Do you need a shop, a warehouse in the city or government contracts?

Answer the questions — we will show what fits and why.

Mainland
Mainland company: clients across the UAE and government contracts
Free zone
A fast start and 0% on qualifying income
Offshore
A company for holding assets — no office or visas
Holding & SPV
Holding and SPV for stakes, investments and separate assets
Foundation
A foundation for family assets and inheritance

Fits

Mainland

Mainland company: clients across the UAE and government contracts

from 2 weeks

to the licence

up to 100%

foreign ownership

the entire UAE market

clients

Why

Sales to companies and individuals in the UAE mean Mainland: a free zone company can operate onshore only through intermediaries or under separate permits.
On the mainland, the visa quota depends on the office space — for a large team this can work out cheaper.
A shop, a restaurant, a warehouse in the city and government procurement are Mainland territory: a free zone company, as a rule, does not take part in government procurement.

With a team of ten or more, compare both options: a mainland office may turn out cheaper than a string of free zone packages.

Open the page

Fits

Free zone

A fast start and 0% on qualifying income

from 5 working days

licence

100%

ownership

40+

zones to choose from

Why

Clients abroad and in other free zones are free zone territory: fast registration, flexible office packages and, for certain activities, 0% on qualifying income.
One to three visas — a free zone with a flexible office package.

Open the page

Fits

Offshore

A company for holding assets — no office or visas

from 5 working days

registration

no visas

and no office

0 or 9%

corporate tax

Why

To hold shares or property with no business activity, you need neither an office nor visas — an offshore company is the easiest to maintain.
No visas needed — and an offshore company doesn’t provide them anyway.

Open the page

Fits

Holding & SPV

Holding and SPV for stakes, investments and separate assets

from 1–2 weeks

SPV registration

from 5%

stake for the dividend exemption

95%

tax group threshold

Why

Stakes in several companies or a separate asset are a job for a holding company or an SPV; the dividend exemption is possible with a stake of 5% or more.
For investors or a single deal — an SPV in ADGM or DIFC: common law, with share classes, exit and options set out in a shareholders’ agreement.

Open the page

Fits

Foundation

A foundation for family assets and inheritance

from 3 weeks

setup

no shareholders

the foundation owns the assets

not published

by-laws and beneficiaries

Why

For family assets and succession, a foundation fits: it owns the assets itself, has no shareholders, and its by-laws and beneficiaries are not published.

A foundation does not replace an operating company — it owns it. If the assets are modest — one apartment and one account — a will is often enough.

Open the page

Country comparison

A company abroad: five countries side by side

Timelines run from a complete document package. Package prices are “from” figures, indicative as of October 2026; the Turkey amounts are third-party costs as of 5 October 2026, excluding VAT. Tax is the headline rate before any reliefs.

Registration

3–7 days

First year

from €1,308

registration and registered address

From year two

from €1,308 a year

+ Business Registration HK$2,350

Corporate tax

8.25% / 16.5%

8.25% on the first HK$2 million, Hong Kong-sourced profit only

Click an option to highlight it across every parameter

Registration

3–7 days

before that — apostille, translation, address

2–5 days

≈ 7 working days

After document review

set by legalisation, translation and the registry

First year

from €1,308

registration and registered address

from €2,880

+ address from €1,440 a year

from €1,908

with director, secretary and address

from €2,508

with secretary and address

after review

+ registry fees TRY 10,000–18,000

From year two

from €1,308 a year

+ Business Registration HK$2,350

Address from €1,440 a year

bookkeeping — monthly, billed separately

from €1,668 a year

company renewal

from €1,332 a year

secretary and address

TRY 9,000–18,000 a month

bookkeeping and address

Corporate tax

8.25% / 16.5%

8.25% on the first HK$2 million, Hong Kong-sourced profit only

25%

small firms — effectively 5% until the end of 2027

17%

new companies — partial exemption for 3 years

24%

if foreigners own more than 20%

25%

reliefs in free zones and technoparks

Local director

Not required

a director of any nationality

Not required

a foreigner can be the legal representative

Required

nominee included in the package

Required

nominee not included in the package

Not required

a branch needs a representative living in Turkey

Visit to register

Not required

Hong Kong banks usually want the director in person

Not required

the bank usually wants the legal representative in person

Not required

a visit for the account is up to the bank

Not required

a visit for the account is up to the bank

By power of attorney

you may need to attend for some signatures and at the bank

Founder’s documents

Passport scan and selfie

Notary, apostille, translation

from the UAE — consular legalisation

Passport scan and selfie

Scans as instructed

passport — colour scan at 300 dpi or higher

Apostille and sworn translation

from the UAE — consular legalisation

Registered address

Included

Separately

a real address, from €1,440 a year

Included for a year

virtual office

Separately

virtual office — TRY 1,000–2,000 a month

Registered capital

No minimum

Paid in within 5 years

no general minimum

From S$1

minimum share capital

No minimum

a work pass has its own requirements

from TRY 50,000

Ltd. Şti.; paid in within 24 months

Audit

Every year

at any turnover, unless the company is dormant

—

Not always

small companies exempt: 2 of 3 criteria

Yes, by default

small companies — SSM exemption

—

Reporting

Once a year

NAR1, BR renewal, tax return

Monthly or quarterly

even nil returns

Once a year

four mandatory filings

Once a year

annual return to SSM, tax return to LHDN

Monthly

VAT — even in months with no sales

Withholding tax on dividends

No

10%

under treaties: Hong Kong — 5% with a 25%+ stake, UAE — 7%

No

15%

without a tax treaty

FAQ

Expert answers

Kermen Tserenkeeva — Company registration

Yes: in free zones this has always been the case, and on the mainland since 2021 for most activities. The exception is activities of strategic importance, such as security, defence and some financial services, where UAE national participation is still required. We check this against the specific activity code before applying.