Company Incorporation in Dubai, UAE
Company incorporation in Dubai explained: LLC, free zone entity, branch and offshore. Real 2026 costs, documents, timelines and the exact registration sequence.
Business Setup AE editorial review Last reviewed 2026-09-09
Quick answer
Incorporating a company in Dubai means registering a legal entity with the DET (mainland), a free zone authority, or an offshore registry such as RAK ICC. Costs run from AED 8,000 offshore to AED 15,200+ mainland, and the full sequence from name reservation to trade licence takes 3 to 10 working days.
- Legal forms
- LLC, FZ-LLC, branch, offshore
- From
- AED 8,000 – 15,200+
- Registration time
- 3 – 10 working days
- Registries
- DET, 20+ free zones, RAK ICC
Incorporation is the legal act of creating the entity: choosing the form, filing the constitutional documents, and receiving the licence and registration certificate. In Dubai that happens in one of three registries — the DET for mainland companies, a free zone authority for zone entities, or an offshore registry for non-resident holding vehicles.
The legal form matters more than the marketing around it. An LLC caps liability at share capital and trades onshore. A free zone entity (FZ-LLC or FZE) is fast and 100% foreign-owned but structurally offshore from the UAE market. A branch extends a foreign parent without new share capital. Offshore companies hold assets and invoice internationally with no visa rights.
This page maps each form, the documents each registry actually asks for, and the 2026 cost and timeline picture — so the structure you incorporate matches the business you are building.
| Document | Mainland LLC | Free zone | Offshore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport copies | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Proof of address | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Notarised MOA | Yes | Zone template | Registry template |
| Ejari premises | Yes | Flexi-desk accepted | No |
| Attested parent documents | Branch only | Branch only | No |
| Business plan | Rarely | Some zones / activities | No |
The four incorporation routes in Dubai
| Form | Registry | Best for | From (AED) |
|---|---|---|---|
| LLC (mainland) | Dubai DET | UAE-market trading, retail, tenders | 15,200 |
| FZ-LLC / FZE | Free zone authority | International and online business, visas | 12,900 |
| Branch of foreign company | DET or free zone | Extending an existing overseas company | 20,000+ |
| Offshore (IBC) | RAK ICC / JAFZA Offshore | Holding assets, no UAE operations | 8,000 |
What incorporation actually produces
- Trade licence — the operating permit listing your activities
- Certificate of incorporation / registration — proof the entity exists
- Memorandum and Articles of Association — the constitutional documents
- Share certificates and register of shareholders
- Establishment card — the immigration file that unlocks visa sponsorship (not issued for offshore)
Foreign companies incorporating in Dubai
Overseas founders incorporate the same way as residents — a passport and remote signing are enough in most free zones, and the DET accepts e-notarisation. A branch of a foreign company needs the parent's constitutional documents legalised and attested, which adds one to three weeks and AED 3,000 to 6,000 in attestation fees.
What is a certificate of incorporation in the UAE?
A certificate of incorporation (or certificate of registration) is the document issued by the registering authority confirming that the company legally exists, with its name, registration number, legal form and date of incorporation. It is issued once, when the entity is created. The trade licence is different: it permits specific activities and is renewed every year.
Banks, auditors, landlords and overseas counterparties commonly ask for it alongside the trade licence and Memorandum of Association. Some mainland authorities issue a commercial registration rather than a separately titled certificate; ask the registry which document they issue.
What is a UAE establishment card?
An establishment card (immigration card) registers the company with the UAE immigration authority — ICP, or GDRFA in Dubai — and is required before the company can sponsor residence visas for owners or staff. It is applied for after the licence is issued, follows the licence validity and must be renewed with it. Companies that will not sponsor visas, such as offshore entities, do not receive one.
What is a Memorandum of Association in the UAE?
The Memorandum of Association (MOA) is the company's constitutional document. It records the shareholders and their shareholding, the share capital, who manages the company and their powers, the licensed activities and how profits, transfers and exit are handled. Mainland LLC MOAs are notarised; free zones use their own articles or MOA templates. Any later change of shareholders, capital or manager requires an amended MOA.
Who this option suits best
- Founders choosing between LLC, free zone and branch structures
- Foreign companies establishing a Dubai presence
- Holding-company planners comparing offshore registries
- Anyone who wants the incorporation sequence in one place
Step-by-step process
- 1
Choose the legal form and registry1 day
Match the form to where you sell and whether you need visas.
- 2
Reserve the name1 day
Three options per registry rules.
- 3
File the incorporation application1 – 3 days
Shareholders, activities, capital and manager details.
- 4
Sign constitutional documents1 – 2 days
MOA/AOA notarised on the mainland; zones use their own e-signing.
- 5
Pay and collect the licence and certificate1 – 4 days
The entity legally exists from this point.
- 6
Post-incorporation registrations2 – 4 weeks
Establishment card, corporate tax registration, bank account.
Documents required
- Passport copies (valid 6+ months) for every shareholder and manager
- Passport-size photo with white background for each applicant
- Proof of address or a recent utility bill / bank statement
- Three proposed trade names in order of preference
- Business activity list and a short business description
- Emirates ID and visa copy or entry stamp if you are already in the UAE
Realistic timeline
| Stage | Duration |
|---|---|
| Free zone incorporation | 3 – 7 working days |
| Mainland LLC | 5 – 10 working days |
| Branch (with attestation) | 3 – 6 weeks |
| Offshore IBC | 2 – 5 working days |
Registry fees are the 2026 published schedules; attestation, translation and provider fees are additional where applicable.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Incorporating offshore when you need UAE visas
Fix: Offshore companies cannot sponsor visas — choose free zone or mainland.
Copying a friend's structure
Fix: The right form follows your customers and funding plan, not a template.
Skipping corporate tax registration
Fix: Every entity must register with the FTA within the deadline, even at 0%.
Losing the constitutional documents
Fix: Banks and auditors ask for MOA, certificate and share register for years — keep certified copies.
Compliance after licensing
- Corporate tax registration with the FTA — 9% applies on taxable profit above AED 375,000; 0% below it. Small Business Relief may apply to revenue under AED 3m.
- VAT registration is mandatory once taxable turnover passes AED 375,000 in 12 months, and voluntary from AED 187,500.
- Economic Substance notifications and reports applied only to financial years ending on or before 31 December 2022 — no new ESR filings are due for later years (Ministry of Finance).
- Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) register kept with the licensing authority and updated within 15 days of any change.
- Anti-Money Laundering (AML) registration on the goAML portal for designated non-financial businesses and professions.
- Annual licence and establishment-card renewal, plus audited financials where the free zone or activity requires them.
Regulators referenced: Ministry of Economy (UAE) · Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) · Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) · Federal Tax Authority (FTA) · General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) · Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE)
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7 min read · Published Read guideFrequently asked questions
How much does company incorporation cost in Dubai in 2026?
How long does incorporation take?
Can I incorporate a Dubai company from abroad?
What is the difference between registration and licensing?
Do I need a lawyer to incorporate?
People also ask
How do I register a new business in the UAE?
Choose mainland, free zone or offshore, pick your activity, reserve a trade name, get initial approval, sign the legal documents and lease or workspace, then pay the licence fee. Visas, the establishment card and a bank account follow once the licence is issued.
Is company incorporation the same as company registration?
In everyday use, yes. Technically incorporation creates the entity and registration places it on the commercial register — Dubai does both in one filing.
Which Dubai registry is fastest?
SHAMS, IFZA and Meydan routinely incorporate in three to five working days; offshore RAK ICC can complete in two.
Can one person incorporate a company?
Yes — a single-shareholder FZE or mainland LLC with one shareholder is standard.
What taxes follow incorporation?
Corporate tax registration with the FTA (9% above AED 375,000 profit) and VAT registration once turnover passes AED 375,000.
Founder checklist
- Confirm the exact activity codes you need before paying any fee
- Compare at least three providers on total year-one cost, not licence cost alone
- Check the visa quota attached to your chosen facility (flexi-desk vs office)
- Ask what is excluded: establishment card, e-channel deposit, medical, Emirates ID, PRO fees
- Confirm bank-account support and which banks the provider actually opens with
- Register for corporate tax within the deadline after licence issuance
- Diarise your licence renewal date and UBO register updates
Why you can trust this guide
- Independent marketplace — Business Setup AE does not form companies and takes no commission on provider pricing
- Package prices are read from each provider's own published page or PDF and stored with that source URL and check date
- Government fee figures are cited to the published schedule of the relevant authority; where an authority does not publish a figure we say so instead of estimating
- We do not audit provider operations, licence standing or adviser credentials — see how we verify for exactly what a verification covers
Editorial ownership: Business Setup AE Editorial Team. See our editorial and corrections policy and package verification method.
Related guides and services
Official government sources
Fees, thresholds and licensing rules on this page are checked against these official UAE government and regulator sources.
- u.ae — starting a business in the UAEGovernment overview of incorporation routes
- Ministry of Economy — UAECompany law, trade names and commercial registration
- Federal Tax Authority — corporate tax and VATSource for the 9% corporate tax threshold and VAT registration limits
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