Choosing on licence price alone
The licence is typically the smallest line in year one once visas, office and compliance are counted.
Business setup in Dubai, done once and done properly
Choosing the right jurisdiction, getting licensed, opening the bank account and securing visas — with the accounting, tax and renewals that follow already thought through.
- Mainland, free zone & offshore
- Bank account support
- Fixed fees stated upfront
Already trading and need compliance help instead? Start here.
Dubai-based since 2015Office in Barsha Heights, Dubai
Formation to filingOne firm across the whole company lifecycle
Fees stated upfrontYou see the number before work starts
A named contactYou know who is handling your file
Verify Regulator-conferred credentials and a live Google review rating are the two highest-value additions to this strip. Neither is displayed until Aizaa supplies evidence.
What’s included
- A written recommendation on jurisdiction and licence type, with reasoning
- Trade name reservation and initial approval
- Preparation of the memorandum and incorporation documents
- Licence application and issue
- Establishment card and immigration file opening
- Investor and employee residence visa processing, including medical and Emirates ID steps
- Corporate bank account preparation and introduction
- Registration for corporate tax, and VAT where the thresholds apply
- A first-year compliance calendar with your actual dates on it
Who this is for
- Founders setting up their first UAE company
- Foreign companies establishing a UAE branch or subsidiary
- Existing UAE companies adding a second licence or restructuring
- Investors who need residence visas alongside the licence
Who it is not for
We would rather say so now than three weeks in.
- Anyone looking for the cheapest possible licence with no regard to what it permits
- Businesses whose activity is not licensable in the UAE — we will tell you early rather than late
Process
How it works
Each step says what we do and what we need from you, so nothing stalls on an unasked question.
A real conversation
We ask what you are building, who you sell to, and how many visas you need. Twenty minutes, no documents.
A written plan
Jurisdiction, licence type, activity codes, visa allocation, costs and timeline — in writing, before you commit.
Documentation
We prepare everything and tell you exactly what to sign and what to attest. You provide passports and, for corporate shareholders, the parent documents.
Licence issue
Name reservation, initial approval and licence, with the approvals your activity specifically requires.
Visas and banking
Establishment card, immigration file, residence visas, and the bank account introduction with the pack the bank actually wants.
We stay
Books, VAT, corporate tax, audit and renewals on a calendar we manage — the part most formation firms hand back to you.
Ready to start? We can open the file this week.
The rules
Mainland, free zone or offshore
| Question | Mainland | Free zone | Offshore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade directly in the UAE market | Yes | Through a mainland distributor or branch in most cases | No |
| Foreign ownership | 100% for most activities | 100% | 100% |
| Residence visas | Tied to office space and activity | Zone-specific allocation, often package-based | Not available |
| Office requirement | Physical premises usually required | Flexi-desk upward, zone dependent | Registered agent only |
| Government-sector contracts | Generally accessible | Usually restricted | No |
| Corporate tax | Standard regime | 0% on qualifying income where the conditions are met, 9% otherwise | Standard regime |
| Typical audit requirement at renewal | Activity dependent | Required by many zones | Jurisdiction dependent |
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
Requires verification Activity lists, visa allocations and office rules are set by each authority and change. The table above describes the general shape of the decision; your specific activity must be checked against the current list of the authority you choose before you commit.
What goes wrong
Common mistakes
These are the ones we are asked to unpick most often.
Picking an activity code that fits the licence but not the bank
Banks read activity codes closely. A vague or mismatched activity is a common reason accounts stall.
Under-counting visas
Adding a visa later can mean changing office type or, in some zones, changing package entirely.
Assuming free zone means no tax obligations
Free zone companies register for corporate tax like everyone else. The 0% rate is about qualifying income, not about the address.
Forgetting the audit requirement
Many free zones require audited financial statements at renewal. Discovering that eleven months in is expensive.
Why Aizaa
Four reasons you can check
A written plan before you pay anything
Jurisdiction, licence, visas, costs and timeline in writing first. If it does not suit you, you have lost nothing.
We price the whole first year, not the licence
Setup, visas, accounting, tax registration and renewal — so the number you compare is the real one.
We open the bank account conversation early
Because activity choice and shareholder profile affect it, and both are easier to get right before the licence is issued than after.
We are still here at renewal
Formation is month one. The value of a consultancy shows in month thirty-six.
Who handles this
Your named specialist
Assigned when your file opens
Every Aizaa engagement has one named person responsible for it. You get their direct line — not a shared inbox and not a ticket number. If they are away, you are told who is covering and when they are back.
Verify Photograph, credential and direct contact details to be supplied before this page is published. Nothing is asserted here that Aizaa has not confirmed.
Sources and review
Every figure on this page was checked against the issuing authority’s own publication:
- UAE Government portal — Starting a business
- Ministry of Finance — Corporate Tax
- Federal Tax Authority
Last reviewed 22 September 2026 by named reviewer required.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
It depends on jurisdiction, activity, visa count and office requirement, and any single published figure hides all four. Our estimator returns a range with the assumptions visible. For a firm quote, a fifteen-minute call is enough.
If you need to sell directly into the UAE market, take government work, or hold premises in the city, mainland is usually the answer. If your customers are international or other free zone companies and you want a predictable package, a free zone often is. The real decision turns on activity, visa count and three-year plan.
For most commercial activities, 100% foreign ownership is available on the mainland as well as in free zones. Some specific activities still carry local participation or agency requirements, so the activity has to be checked rather than assumed.
In many cases yes, with documents attested and, for some structures, a power of attorney. The visa and Emirates ID steps require at least one visit. We tell you at the outset exactly which steps need you in country.
A straightforward free zone licence is often issued within a week of complete documents. Mainland takes longer where approvals or premises are involved. Visas add two to four weeks. The bank account is the least predictable step.
Yes — preparation, introduction and follow-through. No consultancy can guarantee an account, and you should treat anyone who does with caution. What we can do is make the application one a bank can say yes to.
Corporate tax registration, VAT if you cross the threshold, bookkeeping, possibly an audit at renewal, and the renewal itself. We set all of it out on a calendar with your actual dates before you launch.
Yes. We review the licence, activity codes, visa allocation and compliance position, and tell you plainly what is fine and what needs fixing.
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Page last reviewed 22 September 2026. Regulatory content on this page is reviewed at least quarterly and whenever the issuing authority publishes a change. Read our content disclaimer.