Setting up from outside the UAE
Starting a Dubai company from abroad: what you can do from home, and when you need to fly in
Most of a UAE company setup can begin before you travel. A few steps need you in the country. Here is the order we follow, what to prepare at home, and where your own country's rules change the picture.
- Up to 100%Foreign ownership on most mainland activities
- 60, 90 or 120 daysVisit visa to explore investment
- 9% above AED 375,000UAE corporate tax on taxable profit
- 12 country guidesDocuments and rules by country
Written by Tabish Ahmed, Senior ManagerReviewed by Auj Afreen Ahmad, Founder and Chief Executive OfficerLast updated
The short answer
Can I set up a Dubai company without living in the UAE?
Yes. You can choose the structure, reserve the name, prepare and attest documents and apply for the licence from abroad, usually with a power of attorney. You normally travel for the residence visa steps (medical test and Emirates ID biometrics) and, for most banks, to meet the bank. Exact requirements depend on the authority and your country.
Remote or in person
Which Dubai company setup steps can I do from abroad, and which need me in the UAE?
Most can be done from abroad: choosing the structure, the trade name and initial approval, shareholder documents and often signing through a power of attorney or e-signature. You must be in the UAE for the residence visa medical test and Emirates ID biometrics, and most banks ask to meet the signatory. An offshore company needs no visa steps.
Typical split for a new Dubai company. Each authority sets its own rules; we confirm yours before you book a flight.
| Step | From abroad | In the UAE |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing mainland, free zone or offshore | Yes, on a call and in writing | Not needed |
| Trade name and initial approval | Yes, we apply in Dubai | Not needed |
| Shareholder documents | Yes, prepared and attested in your country | Not needed |
| Signing the licence application | Often yes, through a power of attorney or the authority's e-signature | Some authorities ask the owner to sign in person |
| Residence visa: medical test and Emirates ID biometrics | No | Yes, you must be in the UAE |
| Corporate bank account | Preparation, yes | Most banks ask to meet the signatory; each bank decides |
An offshore company is the exception: it has no residence visas, so there are no medical or biometric steps. It also cannot trade inside the UAE. See offshore companies in the UAE.
The order we follow
How do I start a Dubai company from abroad, step by step?
Six steps: decide the structure, get the document list for your jurisdiction, attest documents in your country, have Aizaa apply for the licence in Dubai, fly in for the entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID biometrics and residence visa, then open the bank account. Plan the visa trip around the bank meeting so you travel once where possible.
- Decide the structure. Mainland, free zone or offshore, chosen on where your customers are, how many visas you need and the activity. Start with the setup assessment or read mainland vs free zone.
- Get the document list for your jurisdiction. Each free zone and the mainland authority publish their own list. We send yours before you collect anything, so nothing is attested twice.
- Attest documents in your country. Corporate shareholders and powers of attorney usually need the full attestation chain. Your country guide explains the route.
- We apply for the licence in Dubai. Name, initial approval, licence and establishment card, handled from our office in Deira. See company formation.
- Fly in for the visa steps. Entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID biometrics and the residence visa. Plan this trip around the bank meeting so you travel once where possible.
- Open the bank account. We prepare the file and introduce you to banks that fit your profile. See bank account opening.
Documents
What documents and attestation do I need to set up a Dubai company from abroad?
It depends on who owns the shares: an individual needs a passport, photo, proof of home address and a short CV, while a corporate shareholder needs its incorporation certificate, memorandum and articles, a board resolution and a good-standing certificate, usually attested at home and by the UAE. Anyone signing for you needs a notarised, attested power of attorney.
What you prepare depends on who owns the shares.
- You own the shares personally: passport, photo, proof of home address and a short CV of your business background.
- A company owns the shares: certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, a board resolution approving the UAE company and a recent good-standing certificate. These usually need attestation in your country and then by the UAE.
- Someone signs for you: a power of attorney, signed before a notary and attested.
Whether your country uses the apostille or the embassy-attestation route, and which ministry starts the chain, is covered country by country in the guides below. For example, our India guide explains the MEA and UAE Embassy steps.
Start attestation early. It is usually the slowest part of a setup from abroad, and it runs in your country, not ours.
Visas
How does a company owner enter the UAE and get residence?
As a shareholder, you can apply for the five-year Green visa, listed for investors and business partners. Public investments with minimum capital of AED 2 million can qualify for a ten-year Golden visa, among other conditions. A single-entry visit visa of 60, 90 or 120 days lets you explore first. Both residence visas allow family sponsorship.
- To look before you commit: the UAE offers a single-entry visit visa to explore investment opportunities, valid for 60, 90 or 120 days. Many nationalities can also enter visa-free or on arrival; check your nationality on the official list.
- As a shareholder: owning the company opens a residence route. The UAE portal lists investors and business partners among those eligible for the five-year Green visa, and our investor visa page covers the company-linked route.
- Long term: for investors, the UAE portal lists a ten-year Golden visa for public investments with minimum capital of AED 2 million, among other conditions.
- Family: both the Golden and Green visas allow holders to sponsor family members, including spouses and children. See family visa.
Banking
Can I open a UAE business bank account from abroad?
You can prepare the file from abroad, but most banks ask to meet the signatory in person and each bank decides, so no one can promise an account. A clear paper trail helps most: passport, proof of address and CV or company profile, home bank statements showing the source of funds, and a short business plan.
Banks decide on their own file, and no one can promise an account. What helps most is a clear paper trail: who you are, where the money comes from, and who you will trade with.
- Identity and background: passport, proof of address, CV or company profile.
- Source of funds: recent bank statements from your home country and the record of the money sent to fund the company.
- A short business plan: expected clients and suppliers, the countries involved and rough monthly turnover.
- Expect to meet the bank. Most ask to see the signatory in person. We tell you what each bank on your shortlist asks for before you book travel.
Tax
How is a Dubai company owner taxed in the UAE and at home?
The company pays UAE corporate tax at 0% on taxable profit up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it, while your personal tax depends on your tax residence, not on where the company is registered. Moving a company to Dubai does not by itself end tax in your home country, so check with a home-country tax adviser.
In the UAE, corporate tax is 0% on taxable profit up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it, according to the UAE government portal. The same portal says free zone businesses that meet the regulatory requirements and do not do business on the mainland keep their corporate tax incentives.
Where you personally pay tax depends on your tax residence, not on where the company is registered. Moving a company to Dubai does not by itself end tax in your home country. Check your position with a tax adviser in your country; we do not give home-country tax advice.
Country guides
How do I set up a UAE company from my country?
The same steps apply from any country, but documents, attestation, entry rules, tax treaty position and banking differ. Country guides cover India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia and Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Turkey, Germany, France, Spain and Mexico, and Brazil and Portugal. If your country is not listed, Aizaa can confirm the attestation route for your documents.
- India
- Pakistan
- United Kingdom
- Bangladesh
- Saudi Arabia
- China
- Russia and Kazakhstan
- Ukraine
- Turkey
- Germany
- France
- Spain and Mexico
- Brazil and Portugal
Your country is not listed? The steps above still apply; ask us on WhatsApp and we will tell you the attestation route for your documents.
Questions
Starting a Dubai company from abroad: common questions
Anything else? Ask on WhatsApp and the person who handles it will answer.
Can a foreigner own 100% of a Dubai company?
For most commercial and professional activities, yes, on the mainland as well as in free zones. The UAE government portal confirms full foreign ownership of mainland companies for most activities. A small number of strategic activities still have restrictions, which we check for your activity before you commit.
Do I need to visit Dubai to open a company?
Not for most of the licence work, which can be done through a power of attorney or the authority's e-signature. You need to be in the UAE for the residence visa medical test and Emirates ID biometrics, and most banks ask to meet the signatory. We confirm the exact steps for your authority before you book.
How long does it take to set up a Dubai company from abroad?
The licence itself is often quick once documents are ready. The time usually goes on attesting documents in your home country and on bank onboarding, which each bank controls. We give you a timeline for your jurisdiction in writing on the first call.
Can I get a UAE residence visa through my company?
Yes, a company owner can usually hold a residence visa linked to the company, within the visa quota of the licence and office. The UAE portal also lists investors and partners among those eligible for the five-year Green visa. A Golden visa has higher thresholds.
Does setting up in Dubai stop me paying tax at home?
Not by itself. Personal tax depends on where you are tax resident, which your home country's rules decide, and some countries may tax a foreign company that is managed from there. Check with a tax adviser in your country before you move.
What is the cheapest way to start a Dubai company from abroad?
There is no single answer, because the activity, visas and office change the cost more than the location of the founder. Our setup cost guide shows the published fees, and we quote the full cost in writing before you pay anything.
Sources
Where these facts come from
The official pages we checked. Rules and fees change; we confirm the current position before we advise you.
- Full foreign ownership of mainland companies — UAE government portal: u.aeChecked 3 November 2026
- Visit visa to explore investment opportunities — UAE government portal: u.aeChecked 3 November 2026
- Green visa for investors and partners — UAE government portal: u.aeChecked 3 November 2026
- Golden visa — UAE government portal: u.aeChecked 3 November 2026
- Corporate tax rates — UAE government portal: u.aeChecked 3 November 2026
- Visa exemptions by nationality — UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs: mofa.gov.aeChecked 3 November 2026
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