A Dubai licence, quoted before you start.
Mainland or free zone. Trade name, initial approval, memorandum, payment voucher, final submission — quoted in writing before any money moves, with the government charges separated from our fee rather than buried in one round number.
Mainland & free zone
The activity decides everything else.
Which licence, which approvals, which addresses are allowed and what the whole thing costs all follow from the activity you pick. Tell us what the business actually does and we will tell you the route before any money moves.
What a mainland licence actually involves.
- 01Activity and legal formThe activity code decides the licence type, the approvals and the minimum area. Getting this wrong is what makes people start again.
- 02Trade name and initial approvalName reserved, initial approval issued. An English trade name carries an extra government charge.
- 03MemorandumFor a single-owner LLC, DET issues it and it is e-signed in the portal. No notary — whatever anyone else charges you for one.
- 04Ejari and premisesRegistered tenancy for the address on the licence. We do this part ourselves, same day.
- 05Payment voucherThe main government cost. It moves with the premises and the rent, which is why it is quoted as approximate until the address is fixed.
- 06Final submissionLicence issued. Establishment card and immigration file follow.
Why there is no price on this page.
Because an honest one does not exist until we know the activity, the legal form, the premises and the number of visas. Any firm showing you a single headline figure for “a Dubai company” is showing you the cheapest possible case.
- Tell us the activity and roughly where the premises will be
- You get a written quotation the same day, government lines separated from our fee
- Approvals that depend on the site — municipality, civil defence, sector regulators — are listed, not hidden
Mainland or free zone.
| Mainland | Free zone | |
|---|---|---|
| Trade inside the UAE market | Direct, no agent needed | Through a distributor or a mainland branch |
| Government contracts | Yes | Generally not |
| Office requirement | Physical premises with registered Ejari | Flexi-desk upwards, inside the zone |
| Visa quota | Driven by office area | Set by the zone's package |
| Regulator | DET, plus sector authorities | The individual free zone authority |
| Best for | Serving UAE customers, retail, contracting, services | Export, consultancy, holding, regional trade |
The honest version: the right answer depends on who your customers are. If they are in the UAE, mainland is usually simpler than the workarounds. If they are abroad, a free zone is usually cheaper to run. We will say which one fits rather than which one pays us more.
One licence. Zero unnecessary delays.
General trading, e-commerce, professional services, real estate brokerage, IT, holding companies, technical services, transportation and media — among others. Tell us the activity and we will tell you the route.
The licence is the start, not the finish.
Most of what makes a company actually operational happens after the trade licence is printed. We do these too, so the file does not change hands halfway.
Corporate bank account
Prepared and submitted to banks that accept your activity and premises. Lease, licence and utility bill must read one identical address, and compliance will check.
Establishment card
The immigration file opened against the registered premises, so the company can sponsor its first visa.
Labour file and MOHRE
Work permits, contracts, quota and the labour side of hiring — registered and kept compliant.
Local service agent
For the activities that still require one, arranged on a written agency agreement rather than a handshake.
Branch and holding structures
A branch of an existing UAE or foreign company, and holding structures for people who already own more than one.
Renewals and amendments
Licence renewal, activity changes, partner additions and removals, address changes, trade name changes and cancellation — including files that have run past expiry.
Asked before every setup.
Can a foreigner own 100% of a mainland company?
For most activities, yes. A defined list of strategic activities still requires an Emirati partner or agent. The activity decides it, so the activity is the first thing we check.
How long does a trade licence take?
Days rather than weeks when the activity is straightforward and the premises are ready. What stretches it is external approvals — municipality, civil defence, a sector regulator — and those depend on what you are licensing and where.
Do I need an office, or will a desk do?
Mainland needs physical premises with a registered Ejari. The size feeds the visa quota. A desk in a business centre can work for some activities and not for others.
Do I need a notary for the memorandum?
For a single-owner LLC, no. DET issues it and it is e-signed in the portal. If someone has quoted you a notary fee on a one-person company, ask them what it is for.
What is the payment voucher?
The consolidated government charge raised before the licence is issued. It varies with the premises and the rent, which is why nobody can give you a fixed figure before the address is settled.
Can I set up without an office at all?
On the mainland, no — the licence is issued against physical premises with a registered tenancy, and the area feeds the visa quota. A free zone is the route for a business that genuinely does not need a Dubai address, with a desk inside the zone instead. Which one fits depends on where your customers are, not on which is cheaper to start.
Can you take over an existing licence?
Yes — renewals, activity changes, partner additions and removals, address changes and cancellations, including ones that have run past their expiry.
Send the details. We'll tell you the price and the timeline.
No call centre. You get a person who handles the file.