Starting a business
Company registration
- We manage the whole process of establishing your professional firms in both mainland and freezone. we are the official channel partners with free zones in UAE.
- We assist in getting approvals and permissions from concerned departments
- We assist in identifying trusted and qualified local service agents, if required.
- We provide assistance in bank account opening
- We provide assistance in finding suitable office premises.
- We handle other documentation formalities
Mainland
Identify business activity
Business activity is the basis for selecting the legal form and type of licence, whether commercial, industrial or professional, etc. There are six types of licences. They are: industrial, commercial, professional, tourism, agricultural and occupational.
Select the legal form
The legal form depends mainly on the business requirements. Moreover, the legal form is the basis for identifying applicable laws and regulations. In the UAE, an investor can select one of these legal forms:
- General partnership
- Limited partnership
- Limited liability company (LLC)
- Public joint stock company (PJSC)
- Private joint stock company (PrJSC)
- Civil Company
- Local company branch
- GCC company branch
- Foreign company branch
- Free zone company branch
- Sole establishment
- Holding companies.
Register the trade name
A trade name distinguishes one business from another. It also reflects the nature and the form of the business. An investor can apply for the trade name through the economic department in each emirate, through its website or mobile application.
Initial approval
An initial approval means that the UAE Government has no objection for the business to be established in the country. It also allows the investor to proceed with the next steps in setting up a business. It does not, however, grant the authority to run or practice the business activity.
Memorandum of Association and Local Service Agent
Depending on the legal form of a business, a completed and signed Memorandum of association (MoA) or a local service agent agreement (LSA) of the business is required.
Select a business location
All businesses in the UAE must have a physical address to operate. The business premises and location must comply with the requirements defined by the respective emirate’s Department of Economic Development, as well as the land planning regulations of the local municipalities.
Get additional government approvals
The following documents are required for getting a licence for all legal forms:
- Initial approval receipt and all the previously-submitted documents
- Copy of the lease contract duly attested by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) in Dubai
- Duly attested memorandum of association (for all types of companies)
- Approvals from other government entities concerned, as may be required
- Duly attested service agent contract (for civil establishments and companies that are 100% owned by non-GCC nationals), the UAE involving a local service agent.
Collect the business licence
After completing the above steps, investors can collect the business licence from service centres of the economic departments or through their websites.
Documents required for getting a licence for all legal forms
In some cases, additional approvals from government entities governing certain business activities are required. The following are examples of such activities sorted by the ministry:
- Ministry of Interior: Ministry of Interior issues approvals for activities related to general transport – driving schools, fire equipment, alarm and safety systems, used-car dealers, used auto-parts, car rental.
- Ministry of Justice: Legal activities and legal consultancy
- Local municipal department: Architectural and engineering affairs
- Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA): Telecommunication activities
- Executive Council: Travel and tourism, general services, charter trading, ship and maritime agencies, car clubs, charter air transport and foreign company branches
- Ministry of Economy: Insurance activities and insurance consultancy
- Local health departments: Health-related activities
- Supreme Petroleum Council: Onshore and offshore gas and oil-field services and onshore and offshore oil drilling operations
We guide in choosing the most effective corporate structure for your company. We can help your company getting started as well as doing business in UAE along with providing support for visa applications, accounts and bookkeeping and VAT consultation.
Freezone
UAE Free Trade Zones (FTZ) are determined geographical areas where UAE mainland taxes, employment and import-export restrictions on business don’t apply, as well as bureaucratic requirements, are lowered what makes them the desired destination for foreign investments.
Starting a business entity in one of the UAE’s Free Trade Zones can be a very attractive option for foreign investors, but choosing the right Free Zone for your business requires deep knowledge of market.
More than 45 different Free Zones are located in the UAE, accordingly, we can recommend the right Free Zone, depending on business conditions, visa and office requirements, and, certainly, investment budget. We carefully consider all factors to recommend the best place to register your business in the UAE to enable its economic growth.
We are here to assist in each stage of business setup such as the development of business plans, registration of a tailor-made corporate structure, assistance in obtaining the residence visas and further administrative support in any UAE freezones