Mainland, free zone or offshore
The right jurisdiction depends on where your customers are. A mainland licence lets you trade freely within the UAE market and take government contracts. A free zone licence often costs less, offers full foreign ownership and suits businesses trading internationally or serving clients outside the local market, but trading directly onshore usually needs an additional arrangement. Offshore structures are holding vehicles and do not permit UAE operations.
We ask who your customers will be, whether you need an office or visas, and what your budget is — and we recommend accordingly. If a free zone is genuinely the better fit, we will say so even though a mainland setup is more work for us.
Licence type and activities
Your licence category — commercial, professional, industrial or tourism — and the specific activities listed on it determine what you may lawfully do, what approvals you need and what you can invoice for. Listing an activity you do not need adds cost; omitting one you do need means an amendment later, and in some cases an invoice you cannot legally issue.
Some activities require external approvals from a ministry or regulator before the licence issues. We identify those at the outset so they are not discovered halfway through.
- Jurisdiction and licence recommendation
- Activity selection and external approvals
- Trade name reservation and initial approval
- Memorandum of association drafting and notarisation
- Office, flexi-desk and Ejari arrangements
- Establishment card, visa quota and bank account support
From approval to operating
A licence is not a working company. You still need an establishment card, an immigration file, a visa quota, a corporate bank account, tax registration where applicable, and a registered address. We sequence all of it so each step unblocks the next rather than discovering a dependency at the end.
Bank account opening deserves particular attention — it is the step most likely to stall a new company, and banks assess the business plan, the activity and the shareholder profile. We will tell you candidly what to expect for your profile.
Existing companies
We also advise established businesses on licence renewals, activity additions, shareholder and manager changes, branch registration, moving between jurisdictions and, where it comes to it, orderly liquidation and licence cancellation.
How the process works
- 1
Consultation
We discuss your customers, activity, visa needs and budget, then recommend a jurisdiction and licence type.
- 2
Name and initial approval
We reserve the trade name, obtain initial approval and secure any external approvals the activity requires.
- 3
Documentation
We draft and notarise the memorandum, arrange the address or flexi-desk and submit the licence application.
- 4
Operational setup
Establishment card, immigration file, visa quota, tax registration and bank account introduction.
Questions about this service
It depends on where your customers are. Mainland suits trading within the UAE market and government work. Free zone often suits international trade and service businesses at lower cost. We recommend based on your actual customer base, not on what is easiest to set up.
Full foreign ownership is available in free zones and, for most activities, on the mainland as well. A small number of strategic activities still require local participation. We confirm for your specific activity.
A straightforward free zone licence can be issued within days. Mainland setups and activities needing external approval take longer. We give a realistic timeline for your specific case at the consultation.
We prepare the documentation and make introductions, but the account decision rests entirely with the bank and depends on your activity, shareholders and business plan. We will be candid about what to expect.
Yes, along with activity additions, shareholder changes, branch registration and cancellation.