Mainland company setup in Dubai or Abu Dhabi: activity, legal form, trade licence, office and first registrations

We pick the right activity and legal form, check whether any activity needs an Emirati partner or a regulator approval, file the trade name and initial approval, prepare the memorandum, line up the office lease, and finish the first registrations: establishment card, MOHRE file, Corporate Tax and VAT if needed, so you open on day one without gaps.

AED 4,500One time

For: Founders, expat professionals and foreign companies who want to trade directly with the UAE market, bid for government work or open a shop or office outside a free zone. Covers sole establishments, civil companies and LLCs licensed by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) or the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED).

What we need from you

Passport copies of all shareholders and managers
KYC for the licence and bank
UAE visa and Emirates ID if the founder is a resident
Manager appointment and UAE Pass
Proposed business activities in plain words
Mapped to the DET or ADDED activity list
Three trade name options
Trade name reservation
Shareholding split and capital
Memorandum of association
Parent company documents, attested, if a corporate shareholder
Board resolution and certificate of incorporation
Office option: lease, business centre or shared desk
Ejari or tenancy for the licence
Expected yearly turnover and first customers
VAT and Corporate Tax planning
Number of visas needed in year one
Establishment card and office size

What we discuss

Will you sell to UAE customers directly or mostly export?
Mainland suits local trade; a free zone may be cheaper for export-only work
Is any activity regulated, such as health, education, food or finance?
External approvals add time and cost
Do you need a local service agent or Emirati partner for this activity?
Most activities allow full foreign ownership; a few strategic ones do not
Sole establishment or LLC?
An LLC limits liability; a sole establishment exposes personal assets
How many people will you hire and when?
Drives office size, establishment card, WPS and Emiratisation exposure
Do you expect to cross AED 375,000 of taxable sales soon?
VAT registration timing

What we file

Choose activity codes and legal form; reserve trade name and get initial approval
Sign the memorandum of association before the notary or through the portal
Register the office lease (Ejari in Dubai) and pay licence fees
Get establishment card and open the MOHRE file
Register for Corporate Tax on EmaraTax
Register for VAT if the threshold test is met
Taxable supplies plus imports in the last 12 months, or expected in the next 30 days

What you get

Trade licence, memorandum and initial registrations
Corporate Tax registration number and, if needed, VAT TRN
First-year compliance calendar: licence, UBO, CT, VAT, WPS
Bank account opening pack

The law

Federal Decree-Law 32 of 2021 on Commercial Companies: Sets the legal forms (LLC, joint stock, partnership) and allows foreign ownership of most mainland activities Source
Art 51, Federal Decree-Law 47 of 2022 (Corporate Tax): Every taxable person must register for Corporate Tax in the form and timeline the FTA sets Source
Art 13, Federal Decree-Law 8 of 2017 (VAT): Mandatory VAT registration once taxable supplies and imports pass AED 375,000 in 12 months or are expected to within 30 days Source
Cabinet Resolution 109 of 2023 on Real Beneficiary procedures: Each licensed entity keeps a beneficial owner register and files it with the registrar Source

Questions people ask

Online payment in AED is not open yet. Send us a message and an adviser for United Arab Emirates confirms the scope and the fee before any work starts.