The card waits for the licence
The establishment card is renewed separately — only while the licence is valid and once the company’s fines are paid. From day 31 overdue, it costs AED 100 a month, up to AED 1,000.
Business support in the UAE
Business support in the UAEAnnual company support in the UAE
We take on your company’s regular administrative work: we track document deadlines, prepare applications and handle agreed procedures. You have a dedicated manager, and the scope of services is set out in the contract.
- 1 year
- Usual term of a Dubai mainland licence — renewed in its final month
- 2 years
- Usual term of a visa and work permit — each employee has their own dates
- 15 days
- To update beneficial owner details after a change of shareholder
- 9 months
- To file the corporate tax return after the period ends — even at 0%
In short
Support for 12 months: a dedicated manager tracks your UAE company’s deadlines and procedures. A Dubai mainland licence is renewed yearly in its final month, visas and work permits usually every 2 years, and beneficial owner details are updated within 15 days. Government fees and fines are extra.
Checked 4 November 2026 · Violetta Absalyamova
Cost of a mistake
AED 250 + 200/month
The fine for a late licence renewal on the Dubai mainland: AED 250 plus AED 200 for each month of delay.
How to avoid itYour company’s ongoing tasks under control
After registration, a company renews its licence and establishment card every year, processes visas for employees and keeps its details up to date. Annual support brings these tasks into one plan with a dedicated manager.
Document renewals
We track the expiry dates of the licence, the establishment card and other documents in the package, and tell you in advance what to file and when.
Visas and employees
We handle the agreed procedures: issuing, renewing and cancelling visas, work permits and employment documents.
Company changes
A new shareholder, director or business activity — we tell you which documents to update and handle the agreed changes.
Requests from authorities
We prepare applications, follow their progress and respond to requests from government bodies and the free zone authority.
Expert tip
Before we talk, list your documents, employees and planned changes. Write into the contract straight away which procedures are included in the price and which are paid separately.
Violetta AbsalyamovaHead of Legal Practice · Business support and legal mattersWho it suits
When annual support makes sense
A good fit if
- 01Your company regularly needs help with documents and government procedures.
- 02You want one manager to keep track of your licence and other document deadlines.
- 03You have employees whose visas and permits need to be issued and renewed.
- 04You run the business from another country, and someone needs to handle tasks on the ground in the UAE.
- 05Changes are coming up in the company, and you want to understand the steps and costs in advance.
Other services
- 01One specific task. For a single procedure, a one-off PRO service is more convenient.PRO services
- 02A visa only. If you need a visa for yourself, your family or one employee, visa support is enough.Visas
- 03A legal question or dispute. Contracts, demand letters and court matters are work for a lawyer, not an administrator.Legal services
Benefits
What you get
How to choose
How to define the scope of support
What goes into the package depends on the company and its plans for the year.
- 01
Company and place of registration
The emirate, free zone or mainland, the business activities and which documents the company already holds.
- 02
Employees and visas
Whose documents we look after and which issuances, renewals or cancellations are coming up.
- 03
Upcoming changes
Hiring, a change of shareholder or director, a new business activity, new company details.
- 04
What the package includes
We set out the procedures, how many of them and how requests are made, with work beyond the package paid separately. That way the year’s scope is clear from the start.
What’s in the package
What support includes — and what is paid separately
The exact scope is set out in the contract. Here is what it is usually made of and what stays outside it.
Annual package
12 months
We quote the price in the proposal: it depends on the number of employees, visas and procedures
Included
- A dedicated manager — one contact for all day-to-day tasks
- A deadline calendar for the licence, establishment card, visas and Emirates IDs in the package
- Preparing and submitting applications for the agreed procedures
- Issuing, renewing and cancelling visas and work permits — within the agreed scope
- Changes to company details: what to update and in what order
- Responses to requests from government bodies and the free zone authority
Separately
- Government fees and fines — at the authorities’ tariffs
- Translations, notary, legalisation, medical tests — third-party services
- Bookkeeping, corporate tax and VAT returns, audit
- Contracts, disputes and other legal matters — work for a lawyer
- Procedures beyond the package — agreed separately
Meeting with an expert
We’ll tailor support to your company’s tasks
Let’s meet to discuss your company, employees and plans for the year; afterwards we’ll send a proposal with a list of services and a cost estimate.
Who does what
Renewing the company each year: who does what
The licence and the establishment card are renewed in sequence: the card will not be renewed without a valid licence. The example is a Dubai mainland company; in a free zone, the timing and tariffs are the zone’s own.
From you — the lease renewal and signatures on request. A late licence costs AED 250 plus AED 200 for each month; a late establishment card, AED 100 a month from day 31.
Process
How support begins
Steps on your side: 1 of 5
We clarify the place of registration, the number of employees, the state of the documents and the immediate tasks.
Step 1 of 5
We get to know the company
We clarify the place of registration, the number of employees, the state of the documents and the immediate tasks.
How long an application takes depends on the authority and the procedure — we give you the timeframe for each task separately.
Documents
What we need to get started
First we review the company’s current documents, then we send a list of what is needed for the chosen package and the upcoming procedures.
Company documents
- Current trade licence
- Constitutional and registration documents
- Establishment card — if the company already has one
- Documents confirming the company’s address — if the procedure requires them
Manager and employees
- Passport and documents of the authorised representative
- Visas and Emirates IDs of everyone covered by the support
- Details of employees and their permits — as far as the chosen services require
Current tasks and authority
- List of pending applications
- Notices and requests from authorities
- Upcoming renewals
- Documents confirming authority for the agreed actions
We only ask for what the selected services require. How access and confirmations are shared is agreed separately.
Timing and budget
What a year’s costs are made of
The price depends on the number of companies and employees, the procedures involved and the expected number of requests. Before the contract you receive a proposal with the list of services and payment terms. Government fees and fines are not included — they are paid to the authorities at their tariffs.
Our support
Payment for the agreed 12-month package. The payment schedule and the number of procedures included are set out in the contract.
Government fees
Fees for the licence, visas, permits and other procedures — as separate lines in the estimate.
Third-party costs
Translations, notary, legalisation, medical tests — separately, if the task requires them.
- Licence renewalDepends onFee of the licensing authority: DET on the Dubai mainland, or the free zone authority. On the Dubai mainland, Chamber of Commerce membership is usually added on top.WhenOnce a year; in Dubai — in the licence’s final month
- Lease and EjariDepends onOn the Dubai mainland the tenancy contract is registered in Ejari: online — AED 100 plus two fees of AED 10. In free zones, the office is often part of the zone package.When30–60 days before the licence expires
- Establishment cardDepends onImmigration fee for each year. It is renewed only while the licence is valid and once the company’s fines are paid.WhenRight after the licence
- Work permitDepends onMOHRE fee for 2 years: AED 250, 1,200 or 3,450 depending on the company’s category, plus AED 50 per application — the tariff in force since June 2022.WhenUsually every 2 years per employee
- Visa and Emirates IDDepends onICP or GDRFA fees, medical test and biometrics. The amounts depend on the emirate and the type of visa.WhenUsually every 2 years
- Translation and legalisationDepends onIf a document was issued abroad. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs charges AED 150 per personal document and AED 2,000 per commercial one.WhenPer task
- Late renewal finesDepends onDubai mainland licence — AED 250 plus AED 200 for each month. Establishment card — AED 100 a month from day 31, up to AED 1,000. Emirates ID — AED 20 a day after a month overdue, up to AED 1,000.WhenIf a deadline is missed
- Tax penaltiesDepends onLate corporate tax registration — AED 10,000; late return — AED 500 a month for the first 12 months, then AED 1,000. Bookkeeping and returns are handled by an accountant.WhenIf a deadline is missed
Disputes, bookkeeping, tax reporting and audit are not part of the administrative package: they are either added to the contract or handled separately. Fees and fines follow the authorities’ tariffs, indicative as of October 2026; applicable taxes are shown in the proposal and the invoice.
Getting it right
Where companies lose money and time
Click a card to see how to do it right · 0 of 6 open
01 What people often do
A package with no list
Agreeing to “annual support” without a list of procedures.
02 What people often do
Fees hidden in the price
Comparing offers by a single total in which fees are mixed with the work.
03 What people often do
Renewing on the last day
Thinking about the licence renewal only once it has expired.
04 What people often do
A forgotten establishment card
Renewing the licence and forgetting the establishment card.
05 What people often do
A new shareholder, an old register
Changing a shareholder or director without telling your manager.
06 What people often do
“Zero tax, nothing to file”
Not filing a corporate tax return because the tax is 0%.
FAQ
Questions about annual support
Violetta Absalyamova — Business support and legal matters
The scope is set out in the contract. It usually covers tracking licence, establishment card and visa deadlines, preparing and submitting applications, visa and employment procedures and agreed changes to company details.
Violetta Absalyamova · Business support and legal mattersSources
- Dubai Law No. 13 of 2011 — licence term and renewal
- Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. 13 of 2011 — DET fees and fines
- ICP — Renewal of Establishment Card
- GDRFA Dubai — fine for not renewing an establishment card
- GDRFA Dubai — residence permits for the private sector
- Dubai Land Department — FAQ (Ejari)
- FTA — corporate tax returns within nine months of the period end
- UAE Ministry of Finance — AED 10,000 penalty for late corporate tax registration
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
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
UAE free zone corporate tax: when QFZP status gives 0% and when 9%
A free zone alone does not give 0%: the 0% rate on qualifying income with no threshold goes to a company with QFZP status. Miss one condition and the standard rates apply for the current and the next four tax periods.
0% · on qualifying income of a company with QFZP status
Next step
Let’s discuss support for your company
Tell us where your company is registered, how many employees it has and what is coming up. We will prepare a proposal for annual support.
Violetta AbsalyamovaHead of Legal Practice · Business support and legal matters