Business Setup · Free Zone Setup
Free Zone Company Formation in the UAE
We help you choose the free zone that fits your activity, visa needs and customers, then form your FZE, FZCO or branch — licence, lease or flexi-desk, establishment card and corporate tax registration included.
- 100% Foreign Ownership
- Flexi-Desk or Office
- QFZP Status Reviewed
Licensed by Dubai DET · Licence 1394564
At a glance
- Of free zones, each with its own authority
- Dozens
- Foreign ownership in every UAE free zone
- 100%
- QFZP rates on qualifying and other income
- 0% / 9%
- Required for QFZPs and by many zones at renewal
- Audit
The zone you pick decides more than the address
The UAE has dozens of free zones, each with its own authority, activity list, licence types and packages. All allow full foreign ownership, but they differ in what you can do, how many visas a flexi-desk or office carries, what the zone requires each year and how easily you can reach customers on the mainland. A free zone company also has corporate tax duties: it must register with the FTA, and it is taxed at 0% on qualifying income only if it meets the QFZP conditions.
We start with your activities, customers and hiring plans and shortlist zones using our free zone comparison, explaining the trade-offs rather than pushing a package. Once you have chosen, we prepare the application and KYC file, confirm the entity form, arrange the lease or flexi-desk agreement, and collect the licence and incorporation documents. We then set up the establishment card, register the company for corporate tax and plan the substance and audit that a QFZP position relies on.
Key facts
- Of free zones, each with its own authority
- Dozens
- Foreign ownership in every UAE free zone
- 100%
- QFZP rates on qualifying and other income
- 0% / 9%
- Required for QFZPs and by many zones at renewal
- Audit
Everything covered in Free Zone Company Formation
The concrete scope our team delivers, grouped the way we actually run your file.
Choosing the Zone
A shortlist built on your activities, team and customers.
- Activity availability check across zones
- Commercial, service or industrial licence choice
- Visa allocation and workspace comparison
- Mainland-access route planning
- Entity form recommendation (FZE, FZCO, FZ-LLC, branch)
Formation
From application to a licensed company with its documents in hand.
- Name reservation and application filing
- Shareholder KYC and due diligence file
- Constitutional documents and resolutions
- Flexi-desk or office agreement
- Licence and incorporation documents
- Establishment card with the zone
Tax & Annual Duties
What keeps the company compliant — and its 0% position defensible.
- Corporate tax registration on EmaraTax
- QFZP conditions review
- VAT registration assessment
- UBO register filing with the zone
- Audit and renewal calendar
What you gain with Free Zone Company Formation
The practical difference when the work is planned and filed properly the first time.
A Zone Chosen on Facts
We compare zones on permitted activities, visa allocation, location, renewal duties and bank familiarity, so the choice holds up after year one.
Correct Entity Form
FZE, FZCO or FZ-LLC, or a branch of your existing company — set up to match your shareholders and how the zone names each form.
Space That Fits Your Team
We size the flexi-desk or office to the visas you need, because the package you sign decides how many residence visas the company can sponsor.
A Plan for Mainland Sales
If UAE customers matter, we set out the distributor, mainland branch or separate-licence route before formation, not after your first mainland enquiry.
QFZP Conditions Planned
We map the conditions behind 0% on qualifying income — substance, audited accounts, qualifying activities and transfer pricing — and keep the evidence in order.
Renewal Duties Tracked
Licence and lease renewals, audited statements where the zone asks for them and UBO filings are scheduled so nothing blocks next year’s renewal.
A clear process, step by step
One adviser owns your file from first call to completion, and you always know which step you are on.
- 01
Shortlist the Zones
We review your activities, customers, team size and budget, then shortlist zones from our comparison and explain the trade-offs between them in plain terms.
- 02
Application & KYC
We prepare the application, activity selection and shareholder KYC file, reserve the company name and submit everything to the free zone authority for approval.
- 03
Documents & Workspace
Once approved, the constitutional documents are signed, fees are paid and the flexi-desk or office agreement is put in place in the company’s name.
- 04
Licence & Incorporation
The zone issues the licence and incorporation documents, such as the certificate of incorporation, share certificate and lease. We check each one before handover.
- 05
Visas, Tax & Banking
We open the establishment card, start residence visas through the zone, register the company for corporate tax and prepare the file for a bank account application.
Who it’s for and what you’ll need
Have these ready and we can move quickly. If something is missing, we will tell you what the authority accepts instead.
When a free zone is the right fit
- Most of your customers are outside the UAE or inside the same zone
- You want full foreign ownership with a packaged licence and workspace
- You need only a few visas and a flexi-desk is enough to start
- Your activity suits a specialist zone, such as commodities, media or technology
- You plan to provide services or trade internationally from a UAE base
Documents we’ll need
- Passport copies of every shareholder and director
- Proof of residential address for each shareholder
- A short business plan or activity description
- Proposed company names, in order of preference
- Shareholding split and authorised signatory details
- Attested parent-company documents (for corporate shareholders or branches)
- No-objection letter from a current UAE employer, where the zone requires it
- The number of visas you expect to need
Need documents attested or translated? Our document clearing team can help.
Free Zone Company Formation questions
Straight answers to what clients ask us most. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
It depends on your activity, where your customers are, how many visas you need and where you want to be based. Some zones specialise in sectors such as commodities, media or logistics; others offer broad multi-activity licences. Our free zone comparison sets out the options side by side, and we shortlist two or three for your case with the trade-offs explained.
Not directly in most cases. A free zone company trades freely within its zone and abroad; selling into the mainland generally needs a mainland distributor or agent, a mainland branch, or a separate mainland licence. Goods moving from a free zone into the mainland are treated as imported at that point, so customs duty generally applies. Some emirates also offer permits for certain activities — we check what applies to yours.
Each zone links the visa allocation to the package or workspace on your licence: a flexi-desk usually carries a small allocation, and more visas need a larger office or warehouse. The exact numbers, and whether you can add visas later, are set by each zone and change from time to time. We confirm the current allocation for the zone and package you are considering before you commit.
They must register with the FTA and file a return, whether or not they make a profit. A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on qualifying income and 9% on other income, provided it maintains adequate substance, prepares audited financial statements, carries out qualifying activities, follows transfer pricing rules and does not elect the standard rate. Otherwise the standard rates apply. Small Business Relief is not available to QFZPs.
A flexi-desk meets the licensing requirement in many zones and suits founders who need few visas and little physical space. You need a dedicated office or warehouse for a larger team, for holding stock, or where the zone only permits your activity with dedicated premises. If you plan to rely on QFZP status, remember that adequate substance is a condition, and a desk alone may not demonstrate it.
Renew the licence and the lease or flexi-desk agreement before expiry, keep the establishment card and visas current, and file whatever the zone asks for at renewal — many zones require audited financial statements. You also need to keep the UBO register up to date with the zone, file your corporate tax return within 9 months of the year end, and keep records for at least 7 years.
Free Zone Company Formation across every jurisdiction
Free zone, mainland or offshore — the jurisdiction changes the process, the fees and what you are allowed to do. These are the ones clients ask about most.
Related services
Most clients combine these. We run them as one engagement with a single point of contact.
Guides on Free Zone Company Formation
In-depth articles from our team on the questions clients most often ask about this service.
Let’s plan your next move
Tell us what you are planning. An adviser will come back with the route, the documents and an itemised quote — no obligation, no pressure to commit.
Visit our office
Office 44, Floor M2, BN Complex, Deira Al Muteena, Dubai, UAE
Mon – Sat, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (GST)
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