For founders from Türkiye
Setting up a UAE company from Türkiye (Turkey)
What applies to founders and investors from Türkiye: the tax treaty and trade agreement, 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.
- Signed 1993Tax treaty with the UAE
- Visa requiredEntry 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 Türkiye
Rules change, so each line shows where it comes from and when we last checked it.
| Topic | Position | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Double taxation agreement | The UAE and Türkiye signed an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation of income and capital in Abu Dhabi on 29 January 1993. Türkiye approved its ratification by Law No. 4040 in 1994. | Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, Law No. 4040Checked 31 October 2026 |
| Trade agreement | The UAE–Türkiye Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed on 3 March 2023 and entered into force on 1 September 2023. | UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, UAE–Türkiye CEPAChecked 31 October 2026 |
| Entering the UAE | The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists Türkiye as “visa required”, so plan your entry visa before you travel. We confirm the right entry route for your passport and trip. | UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visa informationChecked 31 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 31 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 31 October 2026 |
| Personal income tax | The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals. | u.ae, other taxesChecked 31 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 Türkiye 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 Türkiye
Preparing Turkish documents for use in the UAE
The UAE is not listed as a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so a Turkish apostille is not enough. Turkish documents go through certification and legalisation instead, and the order of the steps matters.
- If you hold the shares yourselfA valid passport, proof of your address in Türkiye, a short CV or business profile, and a passport photo. The exact list depends on the licensing authority.
- If a Turkish company holds the sharesA current trade registry record and the articles of association (esas sözleşme). Add a resolution approving the UAE company and naming the signatory, plus a power of attorney if someone signs for you.
- For the ownership chainPassport and address details for each person who ultimately owns or controls the company, even through a Turkish holding.
| Topic | Position | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Apostille | Türkiye is a contracting party to the Apostille Convention. The United Arab Emirates does not appear in the status table. | HCCH, Apostille Convention status tableChecked 31 October 2026 |
| Turkish certification | For use in a country that is not party to the Apostille Convention, the document is certified by the governorate or district governorate (valilik or kaymakamlık) where it was issued, then by the Certification Unit (Tasdik Birimi) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, document certificationChecked 31 October 2026 |
| Ministry appointments | The Ministry’s Certification Unit works by appointment, booked online before you visit. | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, document certificationChecked 31 October 2026 |
| Translations | If the receiving country asks for it, the document is translated and the translation approved by a notary (noter). For attestation, UAE MOFA asks for documents in Arabic or English, or with a legally certified translation. | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, document certification and UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, documents attestationChecked 31 October 2026 |
| UAE attestation | UAE MOFA offers attestation of documents issued abroad through selected UAE missions. The original must be certified by the competent authorities where applicable. | UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, documents attestationChecked 31 October 2026 |
| UAE missions in Türkiye | The UAE has an embassy in Ankara and a consulate general in Istanbul. | UAE Embassy in Ankara and UAE Consulate General in IstanbulChecked 31 October 2026 |
In practice the chain runs: governorate or district governorate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Certification Unit, then attestation for the UAE through the UAE mission in Türkiye and UAE MOFA. Each office sets its own requirements and fees, so we confirm the route for each document before you start.
Choosing a structure
Match the structure to how you will earn
The right licence follows your customers and your activity, not the headline price. Start with our setup assessment, then use the cost calculator for a first budget.
- UAE customers
Selling into the UAE market
If you will invoice UAE companies, run a showroom or bid for local contracts, look first at the Dubai mainland.
- Services
- Holding
- Goods
Logistics and regional distribution
A Turkish manufacturer or exporter shipping goods across the region may want warehouse space in a logistics zone such as JAFZA.
- Check first
Turkish rules can shape the choice
If you stay tax resident in Türkiye, the Turkish controlled foreign company rules can affect a UAE structure. See the home-country section below and our full list of jurisdictions.
Banking
What UAE banks ask owners from Türkiye for
Banks decide on every account, and no adviser can promise one. We prepare a complete, consistent file. See bank account opening.
- Purpose
What the company will do
The Central Bank of the UAE’s due diligence guidance says banks should understand your business and the purpose of the relationship. Bring a short business plan, expected turnover and first contracts.
- Ownership
Who stands behind the company
The same guidance asks banks to identify anyone with an ownership interest of 25 percent or more. If a Turkish A.Ş. or Ltd. Şti. holds the shares, show the chain up to the people.
- Funds
Where the money comes from
Where a bank applies enhanced due diligence, the CBUAE guidance has it collect information on your source of funds or wealth. It then verifies this with evidence from you. Turkish bank statements, sale contracts or dividend records can show this.
- Residence
Where you live
The CBUAE guidance also has banks assess where a customer resides. If you remain resident in Türkiye, say so clearly and keep the file consistent with your Turkish tax position.
Home-country rules
Turkish rules to check before you invest
Turkish tax law can follow you abroad. These are the provisions your Turkish tax adviser will most likely raise. Check the treaty position in the fact table above with your adviser as well.
| Topic | Position | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Turkish tax residence | You count as settled in Türkiye if your domicile (ikametgah) is there, or if you stay in Türkiye continuously for more than six months in a calendar year (Article 4). | Income Tax Law No. 193, mevzuat.gov.trChecked 31 October 2026 |
| Worldwide income | Individuals settled in Türkiye are taxed on all their income earned inside and outside Türkiye (Article 3). | Income Tax Law No. 193, mevzuat.gov.trChecked 31 October 2026 |
| Controlling a foreign company | Turkish full taxpayers, individuals or companies, who control a foreign company by holding at least 50 percent of its capital, profit share or voting rights, directly or indirectly, can be taxed in Türkiye on its profits even if they are not distributed (Article 7). | Corporate Tax Law No. 5520, mevzuat.gov.trChecked 31 October 2026 |
| When the rule applies | All conditions must be met together: at least 25 percent of the company’s gross revenue is passive income such as interest, dividends, rent or licence fees; its tax burden is below 10 percent; and its gross revenue exceeds the threshold set in the law. UAE corporate tax is 0% or 9%, which is below 10 percent. | Corporate Tax Law No. 5520, mevzuat.gov.trChecked 31 October 2026 |
Which income counts as passive income, and how the rules apply to you, is a question for a Turkish tax adviser. Aizaa works alongside your home-country adviser; we do not give home-country tax or legal advice.
Visas
Residence for you and your family
Your company can be the basis for your UAE residence. On a Turkish passport you need a visa for entry, as the table above shows, so we plan your trips around it.
- Investor
Green visa for investors and partners
According to u.ae, the Green visa is for investors setting up or joining commercial activities. It is renewable and valid for five years. See our investor visa page.
- Long term
Golden visa
The Golden visa is valid for five or ten years. For investors, u.ae lists a minimum capital of AED 2 million among the requirements. See our Golden Visa page.
- Family
Bringing your spouse and children
Both the Green visa and the Golden visa let you sponsor a spouse and children. Turkish marriage and birth certificates follow the route above: governorate, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then UAE attestation.
- Travel
Planning your trips
We tell you which steps need you in the UAE and group them into as few trips as possible.
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.
An illustrative example
A typical setup for a founder from Türkiye
This is an illustrative example, not a client case. Your own route depends on your activity and your Turkish tax position.
- Before
Planning from Istanbul
An e-commerce founder in Istanbul wants to sell to Gulf customers through a free zone company. She speaks to her Turkish tax adviser first about residence and the controlled foreign company rules.
- Documents
Certification in Türkiye
Her marriage certificate and the children’s birth certificates are certified by the governorate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then attested through the UAE Consulate General in Istanbul. We prepare the licence application in parallel.
- In Dubai
One focused trip
She enters on a visa arranged in advance for the residence steps, then we submit her bank file. Her husband and children follow on her sponsorship once her visa is issued.
FAQs
Questions founders from Türkiye ask
Short answers based on the sources above. For your own case, book a free call.
What does a UAE company cost for a founder from Türkiye?
It depends on the jurisdiction, the activity, the office type and how many visas you need. Certifying and legalising your Turkish documents adds its own fees, set by each office. Use our cost calculator for a first estimate. We then confirm a written quote for your structure before you pay anything.
Can I set up the company while still living in Türkiye?
Yes. We can prepare and file much of the licence application while you are in Türkiye, once your documents are legalised. Governorate certification, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UAE attestation are separate steps, so start them early. Some residence and banking steps may need you in the UAE.
Do I need to travel to Dubai?
It depends on the licensing authority and on whether you want residence. Some residence visa steps may need you in the UAE, and banks may ask to meet you. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists Türkiye as visa required, so each trip needs a visa planned in advance. We group the steps into as few trips as possible.
Will I still pay tax in Türkiye?
If your domicile is in Türkiye, or you stay there continuously for more than six months in a calendar year, you count as settled in Türkiye and are taxed on your worldwide income. The controlled foreign company rules may also apply. The treaty position is in the fact table above. Please confirm your position with a Turkish tax adviser.
Can my spouse and children come with me?
Yes. Both the Green visa and the Golden visa allow you to sponsor a spouse and children, according to u.ae. Their Turkish marriage and birth certificates need the full certification and legalisation route. We prepare the family applications once 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 31 October 2026.