Practical, current guides on forming a UAE company, what it really costs, staying on the right side of corporate tax, and getting a Golden Visa. No jargon, real AED figures, and the same honest advice we'd give a paying client on the phone.
The two questions almost everyone asks first: how do I actually register a company here, and what's the true all-in bill?
A step-by-step walkthrough — jurisdiction, activity, name, license, visas, bank and tax registration — with realistic timelines for each stage.
Read the guide →A sourced data reference — real starting costs by zone and structure, corporate tax and VAT thresholds, ownership rules, visa costs and setup timelines. Free to cite.
See the 2026 data →Establishment cards, deposits, PRO fees and the AED 8,000–15,000 renewal nobody quotes you. An itemised example so you avoid bill-shock.
See the real numbers →Which structure actually fits your customers, office needs and visa plans — a plain-English comparison with a decision table.
Compare the three →The UAE isn't tax-free any more. Here's what small businesses actually owe, and when.
The 9% rate above AED 375,000, the free-zone 0% QFZP question, registration deadlines, the AED 10,000 penalty and Small Business Relief — sorted.
Understand your tax →Our transparent, itemised package pricing — setup, per-visa cost and the Year-2 renewal, all published on the page.
See our pricing →Answer a few questions and get a ballpark figure before you speak to anyone — no email wall to see the number.
Estimate my cost →An honest, itemised comparison of what setup really costs across every free zone, mainland and offshore route — with a full price table.
See the cost index →A company is often the start. For many founders and professionals, long-term residency is the real goal.
Who qualifies — investor, AED 2m property, entrepreneur, skilled professional and talent routes — the benefits, documents and how the process really runs.
Check the routes →Our service page: we check your eligibility, prepare the file and manage the nomination through ICP or GDRFA to approval.
Start your application →Not sure where to begin? Start with the big picture on mainland, free zone and offshore setups and how we run each.
Explore setup options →Practical, honest walkthroughs for the setups we handle every week.
The food license, Dubai Municipality approvals, real fit-out costs, timelines and the lease mistake that costs the most.
Read the guide →General trading license, mainland vs free zone, customs code, VAT and the onshore-selling rule traders get wrong.
Read the guide →Cost, visas, hiring, banking and client perception compared — with a clear "choose this if…" for each side.
Compare them →Remote setup from India, LRS funding, banking reality, costs, Golden Visa and the UAE-vs-India tax split, explained.
Read the guide →Professional vs commercial license, free zone vs mainland, the degree-attestation catch, banking and real costs for a solo or small consultancy.
Read the guide →DET license, Dubai Municipality health approvals, the ladies/gents rule, where beauty ends and a medical license begins, plus real costs.
Read the guide →The DET license plus the RERA layer — broker cards, the exam, ORN and Trakheesi permits — with per-agent costs and the pitfalls.
Read the guide →The genuinely low-cost zones compared — Ajman, SHAMS, SPC, RAKEZ, IFZA, Meydan, Dubai South — with real AED ranges and the trade-offs of going cheap.
Compare the costs →The right activity and license, free zone vs mainland for an agency, running UAE campaigns, banking and real costs.
Read the guide →Software, IT services and tech setups — the best free zones, 100% ownership, banking, hiring developers and protecting your IP.
Read the guide →Why Sharjah is cheaper than Dubai — SHAMS, SPC, Hamriyah and SAIF free zones, mainland via SEDD, costs and the honest trade-offs.
Read the guide →Dubai's cheap e-Trader permit or a full e-commerce company? The honest difference — visas, banking, cost and when to upgrade.
Read the guide →The honest playbook for dropshipping in Dubai — the licence you really need, free zone vs mainland, VAT and real costs.
Read the guide →How a RAK ICC offshore company works — 100% ownership, no visa, for holding, IP and international trade, with honest trade-offs.
Read the guide →A straight guide to registering your UAE trademark — the search, Ministry filing, classes, timelines and honest per-class costs.
Read the guide →A holding company owns shares, property and IP, not trades — free-zone, offshore and mainland routes, tax and honest costs.
Read the guide →The UAE corporate tax filing process, step by step — EmaraTax registration, your TRN, the nine-month deadline and avoiding penalties.
Understand filing →The real reasons UAE banks decline or stall a company account — weak substance, risky activity, unverifiable funds — and how to fix each.
See the reasons →Owed VAT back? How to claim a UAE business VAT refund via the EmaraTax VAT311 form, plus timelines and pitfalls.
Claim your refund →Licensed by ADDED, not Dubai's DET — 100% ownership, Tawtheeq office rules, when Abu Dhabi beats Dubai, and honest AED costs.
Read the guide →Dubai zones cost double the northern ones, yet the licence works UAE-wide. An honest cost, address and banking comparison.
Compare the zones →What a corporate services provider actually does — one partner for formation, renewals, PRO, visas, banking, tax and compliance.
See what’s covered →The immigration card that lets your company sponsor residence visas — what it is, the cost, the process and renewal.
Read the guide →Renew through GDRFA, ICP or your free zone before expiry — documents, steps, delays and honest fee guidance.
Read the renewal guide →A cleaning company is really a staffing business — the mainland licence, Municipality approval, visa quota and honest running costs.
Read the guide →The trade licence, your Dubai Customs importer code, and whether free-zone re-export or mainland selling fits your goods.
Read the guide →The DET licence, the RTA layer, fleet financing, insurance and the honest costs of running a rental fleet.
Read the guide →Opening a medical clinic runs on two tracks — the trade licence and the demanding DHA facility and doctor licensing. The honest map.
Read the guide →Your trade licence is only step one — every event needs its own permits. The honest mainland-vs-free-zone playbook.
Read the guide →Setting up from Pakistan — 100% ownership, moving funds legally, banking scrutiny, costs, visas and the Golden Visa, straight.
Read the guide →A candid guide for UK founders — 100% ownership, easy banking, the Golden Visa, and the honest UK tax reality.
Read the guide →Straight talk for Chinese founders — 100% ownership, re-export free zones, moving capital legally, bank-ready files.
Read the guide →You can't transfer a Chinese company to the UAE — here's what actually happens, the three structures, costs and timelines.
Read the guide →Dubai setup for US founders — 100% ownership, real costs, and the honest truth about FBAR, 5471 and GILTI.
Read the guide →GCC national treatment, no residence visa needed, banking, structures and honest costs for Saudi founders.
Read the guide →Already working in the UAE, or still in Manila? An honest guide to starting a Dubai company as a Filipino.
Read the guide →For Dutch, German, French and other EU founders: Dubai setup costs, banking, visas — and the home-tax traps first.
Read the guide →For Bangladeshis in the UAE or Dhaka: owning a company while employed, moving funds legally, and real costs.
Read the guide →Egyptian and Arab founders — owning a company while employed, setting up from Cairo, moving money, banking and honest costs.
Read the guide →Russian-speaking founders: real licence costs, why banking is the hard part, compliance realities, visas and CFC duties.
Read the guide →Why founders in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore use Dubai as a re-export bridge.
Read the guide →Send us a message and a Dubai-based advisor will answer — no call-centre script, no obligation. We'll tell you honestly which setup fits, even when it's the cheaper one.
Tell us where to send the advice and any quote you request. Then the assistant will help you straight away.
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