GOFIRM

Company Registration in the UAE and Abroad

Mainland Company Registration in the UAE

A Mainland company is licensed by the emirate’s department of economy — in Dubai that is the — and can work with any client in the UAE, open retail outlets and bid for government contracts. Since 2021, a foreigner can own 100% of it for most activities.

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up to 100%
Foreign ownership
from 2 weeks
To get the licence
the entire UAE market
Clients
0 or 9%
Corporate tax

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Everything we do in the UAE

In short

A Mainland company licensed by DET can work with any client in the UAE, and a foreigner can own 100% of it for most activities. The licence takes 2–6 weeks and a bank account about 7–17 weeks in total; corporate tax is 0 or 9%, and FTA registration is due within 3 months.

Checked 4 November 2026 · Kermen Tserenkeeva

Cost of a mistake

AED 10,000

The penalty for registering for corporate tax later than three months after setting up the company — even with zero income.

How to avoid it

Mainland means a full presence in the UAE market

A Mainland company sits in the emirate’s jurisdiction, not a free zone’s. It can sell to anyone in the UAE, but pays for that freedom with office requirements.

  • The whole mainland is open

    Sales to any client in the UAE, a shop or warehouse in any district, work on client sites and government tenders. A free zone company runs into the need for intermediaries here.

  • A local partner is no longer required

    The rule requiring 51% to be held by a local partner was abolished for most activities in 2021 and enshrined in Federal Decree-Law No. 32. UAE national participation remains only for strategic sectors.

  • An agent is not a co-owner

    For a professional licence as a sole establishment or civil company, a foreigner usually needs a . The agent holds no shares and no share of profits.

  • The budget is mostly the office

    Most licences require a real address with . The visa quota depends on floor area, so the budget is driven by rent and headcount, not government fees.

Expert tip

We check the premises before you pay the deposit: if it is residential, sublet without the owner’s consent or zoned for the wrong use, Ejari can’t be registered — and without it there is no licence.
Kermen TserenkeevaKermen TserenkeevaSenior Lawyer · Company registration

Who it suits

Who it suits — and when to choose something else

A good fit if

  1. 01Your clients are companies and individuals inside the UAE: retail, on-site services, repairs, clinics, salons, restaurants.
  2. 02You need a shop, showroom, warehouse or production site outside a free zone.
  3. 03You plan to bid in tenders from government bodies and state-owned companies or take on contracts from large local corporations.
  4. 04You need more visas than standard free zone packages allow and are ready to rent an office to fit the team.
  5. 05Your free zone company is already hitting limits on the mainland.

Consider something else if

  1. 01All your clients are abroad and in the UAE you only need a licence, a couple of visas and an account — a free zone is simpler and cheaper to maintain.Freezone
  2. 02You need the company only to hold shares, property or IP.Holding & SPV
  3. 03You are counting on 0% on qualifying income — the mainland has no such regime; it is available only to a .Freezone
  4. 04You aren’t ready to rent an office and are looking for minimal running costs — in a free zone, a is enough.How to choose a free zone

Company form

LLC, sole establishment or branch — which form to choose for Mainland

The form is chosen before initial approval: it determines liability for debts, whether you need an agent and which documents to prepare.

LLC

Limited liability company — a separate legal entity

Owners

1 to 50 shareholders — individuals or companies of any nationality

Liability for debts

The company itself: a shareholder risks only their share of the capital

Business activity

Trading, services, manufacturing; 100% foreign ownership for most activities

Local agent

Not required; UAE nationals in the capital — only in strategic sectors

Key document

, signed before a notary

Every year

Shareholders’ meeting within 4 months of year-end; an auditor is mandatory

Sole establishment

A one-person business; for professional activity by two or more people — a civil company

Owners

One individual

Liability for debts

The owner personally — for all of the business’s obligations

Business activity

For a foreigner, as a rule, professional services: consulting, training

Local agent

— required; holds no shares and has no say in management

Key document

Agreement with the agent instead of an MOA

Every year

Licence renewal and the agent’s fee

Branch of a foreign company

A unit of an operating company based abroad

Owners

The foreign company; the branch has no legal entity of its own

Liability for debts

The parent company: the branch’s contracts bind it

Business activity

Conducts the parent company’s business in the UAE — in its name

Local agent

Not required — under the Ministry of Economy’s 2024 rules

Key document

Board resolution on the branch and its manager; articles and certificate of incorporation — legalised

Every year

Ministry of Economy registration renewal — AED 7,500, plus financial statements for the audit

Benefits

What you get

Any client in the UAE

Direct contracts with companies and private clients in any emirate — no distributors or agency arrangements.

Government procurement and corporates

Access to tenders from government bodies and large local companies, which often work only with Mainland contractors. Many procurements require an certificate.

Visas based on real need

The quota is tied to office floor area, not a package. A bigger office means more visas, without the ceiling of a standard free zone package.

Freedom to choose your premises

An office, shop or warehouse in any commercial district of the emirate, not just within the boundaries of one zone.

A profile banks understand

An operating company with an office, staff and local contracts is a familiar picture for banks. That makes opening an account and passing later reviews easier.

A broad catalogue of activities

The DET catalogue includes what free zones don’t offer: food service, construction, healthcare, education — with permits from the relevant authorities.

Let’s discuss the details

Not sure which activity code you need?

A wrong code is the most common cause of bank problems and unnecessary costs. Send us a description of your business and we’ll select codes from the DET catalogue.

Process

8 steps from the first conversation to the result

Every step is visible in the client portal: what’s happening now and whether we need anything from you.

Steps on your side: 2 of 8

We handle it · 3Needed from you · 2Authority · 3

  1. You tell us what you sell and to whom. We select codes from the DET catalogue and the legal form — LLC, sole establishment, civil company or branch — and check whether regulated activities need approvals from the relevant authorities.

Timeline

How long it takes: from application to bank account

The durations of the steps above, added up in order: a licence in 2–6 weeks, then visas and the bank. The office and the bank move the total the most.

To a bank account

≈ 7–17 weeks

The solid part of each bar assumes every stage takes its minimum time; the hatched part runs to the maximum. FTA registration runs in parallel, within three months.

01234567891011121314151617

weeks

  • Codes, name, initial approval and MOA

    4–10 working days

  • Office and Ejari

    1–3 weeks — depends on the market and your decision

  • DET licence

    1–3 working days after the full package

  • Establishment card and MOHRE file

    3–7 working days

  • Visas and Emirates ID

    2–4 weeks, you need to be in the UAE

  • Bank account

    2–6 weeks after the manager’s Emirates ID

Documents

What to prepare — depending on who is setting up the company

Information

Documents

Ready

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Company documents and powers of attorney issued abroad go through a notary, the issuing country’s foreign ministry, the UAE consulate, UAE MOFA and an Arabic translation. Start with them — this chain sets the overall timeline.

Timing and budget

What makes up the budget

A Mainland budget depends most on three decisions: activity, office and number of visas. Government fees are only part of the cost — the main item is rent.

  • DET government feesDepends onTrade name, initial approval, licence, registration. The amount depends on the licence type and the number of activities. A branch of a foreign company is also registered with the Ministry of Economy: AED 3,500 and AED 7,500, then AED 7,500 a year — indicative as of October 2026.WhenOn application and on licence issuance
  • Chamber of CommerceDepends onMembership is generally mandatory for companies on the Dubai mainland and is renewed together with the licence.WhenOn licence issuance, then annually
  • Office and EjariDepends onThe largest cost item. Depends on floor area, district and format. Floor area determines the visa quota; landlords often ask for a year’s worth of cheques upfront.WhenBefore licence issuance, then annually
  • Approvals from relevant authoritiesDepends onFor regulated activities: healthcare, education, food, construction, finance. Timelines and costs depend on the authority.WhenBefore licence issuance
  • Notary, translation, legalisationDepends onMOA notarisation, Arabic translations. If the founder is a foreign company, its documents are legalised: UAE MOFA attestation costs AED 2,000 per commercial document, indicative as of October 2026.WhenWhen preparing documents
  • Local service agentDepends onOnly for professional licences as a sole establishment or civil company. A fixed fee under the agreement.WhenAnnually
  • Establishment card and MOHRE fileDepends onRegistration of the company with immigration and the labour ministry — no visas can be issued without them.WhenAfter the licence, then on renewal
  • Visas and insuranceDepends onEntry permit, change of status, medical test, Emirates ID, health insurance. Calculated per person.WhenOn issuance and renewal of each visa
  • Our services and company maintenanceDepends onDepend on scope: licence only, or licence, visas, bank and taxes. Accounting, tax reporting and, if required, audit are separate.WhenBy stage and annually

After the licence

The company’s first year: deadlines and fines

0123456789101112months from the licence date

Day 0

Licence issued

The deadlines on the scale run from this date. We open the establishment card and the MOHRE file right away — no visas can be issued without them.

Within 3 months

Corporate tax registration

Required even for companies that will claim Small Business Relief.

If missed: AED 10,000 — even with zero income

30 days before expiry

Licence Renewal

We start with the lease: without a valid Ejari, the renewal won’t go through.

If missed: in Dubai — AED 250 for not renewing plus AED 200 for each month of delay; the immigration file is blocked

Every month

  • By the 1st of the following month

    Salaries via WPS

    Once you have employees. The rule applies from 1 June 2026, with no grace period.

    If missed: from day 5 of delay, MOHRE suspends new work permits; fines follow

Every year

  • 4 months after the financial year-end

    LLC shareholders’ meeting

    Approves the balance sheet and the profit and loss statement, and appoints the auditor.

  • 9 months after the tax period ends

    Corporate tax return and payment

    Filed even at the 0% rate. 9% applies to profit above AED 375,000.

    If missed: AED 500 a month in the first year of delay, then AED 1,000 a month

Event-driven

  • A month after the branch licence

    Branch registration with the Ministry of Economy

    Only for a branch of a foreign company. Fees — AED 3,500 and AED 7,500.

    If missed: AED 100,000

  • AED 375,000 turnover over 12 months

    VAT registration

    5% rate; returns are usually due within 28 days after the period ends.

    If missed: AED 10,000 for late registration

  • 15 days after a change of shareholder

    Beneficial ownership details

    Update the details with the registrar, and with them the licence, the MOA and the bank’s file.

    If missed: a warning, then AED 15,000 and AED 30,000

Getting it right

Common mistakes — and how to avoid them

Click a card to see how to do it right · 0 of 6 open

  1. 01 What people often do

    Taking General Trading “just in case” because it lets you trade anything.

  2. 02 What people often do

    Signing a lease before checking the premises: residential use, a sublease without the owner’s consent, the wrong zoning — and Ejari won’t register.

  3. 03 What people often do

    Renting the smallest workspace and discovering six months later that the quota doesn’t cover a third employee.

  4. 04 What people often do

    Setting up an LLC with a partner on a template MOA without agreeing on exit, deadlocks and profit distribution.

  5. 05 What people often do

    Putting off FTA registration because “there’s no profit yet”.

  6. 06 What people often do

    Starting legalisation of the parent company’s documents when everything else is already done.

FAQ

Expert answers

Kermen Tserenkeeva — Company registration

For most activities, no: since 2021 a foreigner can own 100% of an LLC. UAE national participation remains mandatory for activities of strategic importance. Professional licences as a sole establishment or civil company require a local service agent, who holds no shares and has no say in management.

Kermen Tserenkeeva · Company registration

Sources

  1. UAE Ministry of Economy — establishing businesses
  2. UAE Ministry of Economy — registering a foreign company branch
  3. UAE Ministry of Economy — Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 on Commercial Companies
  4. Dubai Legislation — Executive Council Resolution No. 13 of 2011
  5. UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs — document attestation FAQs
  6. UAE Government portal — filing a VAT return
  7. The National — small business relief extended to 2029

Deadlines, amounts and rules are based on these sources as of the check date. Rules change: check with us before deciding.

News & insights

Related reading

News6 November 2026

E-invoicing in the UAE: who it applies to and from when

From 2027, invoices between businesses in the UAE are issued only electronically, through an accredited provider. Companies with revenue below AED 50 million must appoint a provider by 31 March 2027.

1 July 2027 · mandatory for revenue below AED 50 million

Often goes with this

What else you may need

Company Registration

Mainland or Free Zone

100% · Ownership in both options

Business Support

Visas

2 years · Usual term of an investor or employee visa

Bank Accounts

UAE

2–8 weeks · To open a corporate account

Next step

We’ll cost out Mainland for your activity

Tell us your activity, the emirate and how many employees you expect over the next year. We’ll select the codes, company form and office format and send you a budget breakdown — for the first year and for annual maintenance.

Kermen TserenkeevaKermen TserenkeevaSenior Lawyer · Company registration
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