For founders from Spain and Mexico
Setting up a UAE company from Spain and Mexico
What applies to founders from Spain and Mexico and investors: the tax treaty position, how you enter the UAE, and how we set the company up for you from our office in Dubai. Every fact below links to the official source we checked.
- In forceTax treaty with the UAE
- Visa freeEntry to the UAE
- 0% to AED 375,000Corporate tax, then 9%
- 100%Foreign ownership on most mainland activities
The facts, with sources
What applies to founders from Spain and Mexico
Rules change, so each line shows where it comes from and when we last checked it.
| Topic | Position | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Double taxation agreement | Spain: In force since 2007 (signed 2006). Mexico: In force since 2014 (signed 2012). | UAE Ministry of Finance, treaties dashboardChecked 21 October 2026 |
| Entering the UAE | Spanish and Mexican passport holders do not need a visa arranged in advance: the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists them as visa free. The permitted length of stay is set by the UAE authorities, so we confirm it for your passport before you travel. | UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visa informationChecked 21 October 2026 |
| UAE corporate tax | 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000, and 9% above that. A separate rate applies to large multinational groups under the global minimum tax rules. | u.ae, corporate taxChecked 21 October 2026 |
| Owning the company | Since 2021, foreign investors can fully own most mainland (onshore) companies. A short list of strategic activities, such as defence, banking and telecoms, stays restricted. | u.ae, full foreign ownershipChecked 21 October 2026 |
| Personal income tax | The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals. | u.ae, other taxesChecked 21 October 2026 |
What it means in practice
The UAE side and the home side are two questions
A double taxation agreement can stop the same income being taxed twice, but whether it helps you depends on where you are tax resident and on your home country’s own rules.
- UAE side
Structure, licence, visas, bank file
We choose the jurisdiction with you, form the company, and handle residence visas, the Emirates ID and the documents banks ask for.
- Home side
Your home-country tax position
Moving abroad or owning a foreign company can have tax consequences at home. Speak to a tax adviser in Spain or Mexico before you commit; we can work alongside them.
- Language
Ask in your own language
Write to us on WhatsApp in your language and we will reply, or arrange a call.
Documents from Spain and Mexico
What to prepare, and how it is legalised for the UAE
The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention. So instead of an apostille, your documents follow a legalisation chain. Plan it before you post anything.
- If you own shares personallyA passport copy, proof of your home address, a passport-style photo and a short CV. Banks ask for the CV too.
- If a Spanish or Mexican company owns the sharesA recent commercial register extract (Registro Mercantil or Registro Público de Comercio). Add the articles (estatutos) and a list of shareholders and ultimate owners.
- Board resolutionA resolution of the parent company approving the UAE company and naming who will sign for it. We draft it with you.
- Power of attorneyOnly if someone will sign in the UAE on your behalf. You usually sign it before a notary at home, so it can then be legalised.
| Topic | Position | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Apostille | Spain and Mexico are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention. The UAE is not listed as a party. | Hague Conference, Apostille Convention status tableChecked 26 October 2026 |
| Spanish documents | Documents issued outside the UAE are subject to the UAE’s attestation procedures, including attestation through UAE missions abroad. For Spanish papers, we confirm the exact steps in Spain and at the UAE Embassy in Madrid before you start. | UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, document attestationChecked 26 October 2026 |
| Mexican documents | For countries outside the Apostille Convention, Mexico’s embassy guidance describes a chain. State documents go to the state government, then the Secretaría de Gobernación, then the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores. Last comes the embassy of the destination country. | Embassy of Mexico (SRE site), legalisation guidanceChecked 26 October 2026 |
| The UAE step | The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation service certifies signatures and seals on documents issued within or outside the UAE. For its courier route, the document must be in Arabic or English, or come with a legally certified translation. | UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, document attestationChecked 26 October 2026 |
Spanish and Mexican documents are usually in Spanish, so budget for a legally certified translation. We confirm the exact chain with the receiving UAE authority before you start, so nothing is legalised twice.
Choosing a structure
Start from how you will earn money
The right licence depends on who your customers are and where the work is done. For founders from Spain and Mexico, it also depends on how your home tax rules treat the company.
- Selling in the UAE
Mainland company
Will you sell to UAE customers, open a shop or bid for local contracts? A Dubai mainland licence gives you the widest access to the local market.
- Services and online
- Trade and logistics
Port-based free zone
If you move goods between the Gulf, Europe and Latin America, a port-based zone such as JAFZA can sit close to your warehouse.
- Holding
Banking
What UAE banks usually ask Spanish and Mexican owners for
Each bank runs its own checks and makes its own decision. A clear file, prepared once, saves weeks of follow-up questions.
- Source of fundsStatements from your bank in Spain or Mexico showing where the capital comes from. Examples are salary, dividends or the sale of a business or property.
- Your profileA CV, your passport and proof of address, plus details of any other companies you own.
- The business caseWho your customers and suppliers are, the countries you will trade with, and the payments you expect in the first year. Contracts or invoices help.
- English versionsSpanish-language statements and company papers may need an English translation before a bank can review them.
- Tax residenceBanks usually ask where you are tax resident. Give the same answer you give your home tax authority.
We build and check this file with you. See bank account opening. We cannot promise that any bank will open an account.
Home-country rules
What Spain and Mexico check before you invest abroad
Spain can tax a resident on income earned through a low-taxed foreign company. Mexico has its own rules on preferential tax regimes. Both have rules on when you stop being resident.
| Topic | Position | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Spain: tax residence | You are resident in Spain if you spend more than 183 days there in a calendar year. You are also resident if your main base of economic activities or interests is there. Unless you prove otherwise, you are presumed resident if your spouse (not legally separated) and dependent minor children live in Spain. | Agencia Tributaria, IRPF manual: residenceChecked 26 October 2026 |
| Spain: international tax transparency | A Spanish resident holding 50% or more of a foreign company may have to include its income at home. Stakes held with related entities, or with a spouse or close relatives who are Spanish taxpayers, count. This applies when the foreign tax is below 75% of Spanish corporate tax on that income. | Agencia Tributaria, IRPF manual: scopeChecked 26 October 2026 |
| Spain: exit tax | If you leave after being resident for at least 10 of the previous 15 years, unrealised gains on shares can be taxed. This applies if your shares are worth over €4 million, or over €1 million for a stake above 25%. | Agencia Tributaria, IRPF manual: exit taxChecked 26 October 2026 |
| Spain: Modelo 720 | One information return covers three blocks of assets abroad: accounts at foreign banks, securities and insurance, and property. The worked examples in the tax agency’s FAQs use a €50,000 threshold. | Agencia Tributaria, Modelo 720 FAQs (threshold examples)Checked 26 October 2026 |
| Mexico: tax residence | You are resident if your home is in Mexico. If you also have a home abroad, you stay resident if your centre of vital interests is in Mexico. Mexican nationals are presumed resident unless they prove otherwise. | Código Fiscal de la Federación, article 9 (Chamber of Deputies)Checked 26 October 2026 |
| Mexico: leaving | You must notify the tax authority no later than 15 days before your residence changes. Moving to a country where your income is under a preferential regime can keep you resident for that year and five more. This does not apply if that country has the required information-exchange and assistance treaties with Mexico. | Código Fiscal de la Federación, article 9Checked 26 October 2026 |
| Mexico: preferential regimes | Mexico’s income tax law has a chapter on income subject to preferential tax regimes (Title VI, Chapter I). The Federal Tax Code refers to it in its residence rules. Ask a Mexican tax adviser whether it reaches your UAE company. | Código Fiscal de la Federación, article 9Checked 26 October 2026 |
Whether these rules apply to you depends on your facts, so check with a Spanish or Mexican tax adviser before you commit. Aizaa works alongside your home-country adviser; we do not give home-country tax or legal advice.
Visas for you and your family
From a visa-free first trip to residence
Spanish and Mexican passport holders can enter without arranging a visa in advance, as the table above shows. Residence comes through the company once the licence is issued.
- Founder
Investor or partner residence
As an owner, you can apply for residence through your company. The Green visa covers investors and business partners for 5 years. See our investor visa page.
- Long term
Golden Visa
The Golden Visa lasts 5 or 10 years. The investor category lists a minimum capital of AED 2 million. See our Golden Visa page.
- Family
Spouse and children
Both visas let you sponsor your spouse and children. Spanish or Mexican marriage and birth certificates usually need the same legalisation chain, and often a certified translation.
How we set you up
Four steps, one named contact
- Step 1
Choose the right structure
Mainland, free zone or offshore, chosen for how you will trade. Start with our free setup assessment.
- Step 2
Form the company
Licence, documents and approvals, done for you. See company formation.
- Step 3
Visas and Emirates ID
Residence visas for you, your team and family. See PRO services.
- Step 4
Bank account and compliance
The bank file, then UBO records, licence renewals and visa dates kept on track. See business compliance.
A typical setup
A typical setup for a founder from Spain or Mexico
This is an illustrative example, not a client story. Your own case will differ.
- Illustrative
A software consultant moving from Madrid
In this illustrative example, a founder plans to move to Dubai and serve clients in Europe and Latin America. She sets up a free zone company for consulting services. Before leaving, her Spanish adviser checks her residence position and whether international tax transparency could apply. Her degree and marriage certificate are legalised in Madrid, then translated. She signs the licence documents on a short visa-free trip. She then applies for an investor residence visa and sponsors her husband. Her bank file includes Spanish bank statements, her CV and her first client contracts.
FAQs
Questions founders from Spain and Mexico ask us
Short answers based on the sources above. For your own case, book a call.
Will an apostille from Spain or Mexico be accepted in the UAE?
Not on its own. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention. Your documents go through a legalisation chain in Spain or Mexico and are then attested for use in the UAE. We confirm the exact steps with the UAE mission and the receiving UAE authority before you start.
Can I set up the company from Spain or Mexico?
Much of the work can start remotely. You send scanned documents, we prepare the application, and you approve each step. Plan for at least one trip to the UAE for your residence visa and bank meetings. We confirm what must be done in person for your chosen jurisdiction.
If I own a UAE company, will I still pay tax at home?
That depends on your residence and how the company operates. Spain can tax residents on income from a low-taxed foreign company in some cases, and Mexico has rules on preferential tax regimes. Mexican nationals are presumed resident unless they prove otherwise. Check with a Spanish or Mexican tax adviser before you commit. We do not give home-country tax advice.
How long does the whole process take?
It depends on the jurisdiction, your activity and how fast your documents are ready. Legalising Spanish or Mexican documents and translating them often takes the longest. Start that early. Once the licence is issued, the residence visa and Emirates ID follow. We give you a timeline after the setup assessment.
Can my family come with me?
Yes. The UAE government says investor (Green) visa and Golden Visa holders can sponsor their spouse and children. You will usually need legalised marriage and birth certificates from Spain or Mexico, often with certified translations. We prepare the family applications after your own residence visa is issued.
Talk to us before you pay for a licence
A free call to check the structure, the costs and the visas for your situation. No obligation.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Sources checked 21 October 2026.