Dubai remains one of the easiest — and most rewarding — places on earth to start a company. With 100% foreign ownership, 0% personal income tax and a licence often issued within a week, founders from over 120 countries choose the UAE every year. Here is exactly how to do it in 2026.
Step 1: Define your business activity
Everything flows from your business activity. It determines which licence you need (commercial, professional or industrial), which jurisdictions can host you, your visa eligibility and even which banks will open your account. Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) maintains over 2,000 approved activities — choosing the right code matters more than most founders realise.
Step 2: Choose mainland or free zone
This is the biggest decision you will make:
- Mainland (DET licence) — trade anywhere in the UAE, take government contracts, unlimited visa eligibility. Ideal for retail, restaurants, contracting and local services.
- Free zone — 100% ownership, faster and cheaper setup, zero customs duties inside the zone. Ideal for consulting, e-commerce, trading and international services.
- Offshore — no UAE operations, used for holding assets and international structuring.
There is no universally "better" option — only the right one for your activity, market and budget. (Read our detailed Mainland vs Free Zone comparison.)
Step 3: Reserve your trade name and get initial approval
Your trade name must be unique, inoffensive and compliant with UAE naming rules — no religious references, no abbreviations of personal names in most cases. We reserve the name and secure initial approval, the authority's green light to proceed.
Step 4: Prepare your documents
For most setups you will need:
- Passport copies of all shareholders
- Passport-size photographs
- The signed Memorandum of Association (MOA) — for mainland companies
- A registered office address (flexi-desk packages satisfy this in free zones)
No attested degrees or business plans are required for most activities.
Step 5: Receive your trade licence
Once documents are submitted and fees paid, free zone licences are typically issued in 3–5 working days; mainland licences take a little longer if external approvals apply. You are now legally in business.
Step 6: Process your residence visa
Your licence unlocks an investor/partner residence visa: entry permit, medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics and visa stamping. Allow 5–10 working days. You can then sponsor your family.
Step 7: Open your corporate bank account
UAE bank compliance is strict in 2026. A clean KYC file — licence, MOA, business profile and source-of-funds narrative — plus an introduction to the right bank makes the difference between approval in two weeks and months of back-and-forth.
How much does it cost?
- Free zone package: from AED 5,750 including one visa allocation
- Mainland setup: from AED 18,900 including MOA and establishment card
- Premium free zone (multi-activity, more visas): from AED 12,900
Beware of quotes that exclude government fees — always ask for an all-inclusive, itemised figure.
Start with a free consultation
Smartgic Visa is a DET-licensed consultancy (licence No. 1394564) based in Deira, Dubai. We handle the entire journey — activity selection, licence, visas, bank account — end to end. Book a free consultation or explore our company registration service.