Service
Company formation
Mainland or free zone, chosen for your activity and your visas, filed and followed by one advisor. Typically 2 to 4 weeks.
What’s included
We start with your activity and work outwards: which licence covers it, which jurisdiction suits your customers, and how many visas the office will need to support. If you haven’t decided between the mainland and a free zone, our jurisdictions guide explains the difference, and your written plan compares two or three options for you.
Then we reserve the trade name, prepare the memorandum, collect approvals, sign the lease or flexi-desk agreement, and collect the licence and establishment card. You sign twice: once for the application and once for the memorandum, in our office or by video with a notarised signature.
When the licence is issued, it goes into your business pack with the company stamp, the share certificate, your corporate tax registration and the next steps for visas and banking.
From first call to licence
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Activity and jurisdiction
We match your activities to licence codes and shortlist two or three jurisdictions.
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Trade name and approval
We reserve the name and apply for initial approval, usually within three working days.
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Documents and lease
Memorandum, shareholder documents and an office or flexi-desk agreement.
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Licence issued
Trade licence, establishment card and company stamp, into your pack.
A rough first-year cost
Choose what sounds closest. The range includes government fees and our advisory fee; your written plan gives the exact figure.
Estimated first-year cost
AED 35,800 – 48,800
A guide, not a quote. Figures are typical for September 2026 and exclude VAT on our fee.
Book a consultationFees
Our advisory fee (fixed)
- Free zone companyLicence, establishment card, stamp and pack
- AED 9,500
- Mainland companyIncluding trade name, approvals and lease registration
- AED 14,500
- DIFC or ADGM holding companyIncluding the registered agent filings
- AED 18,000
- Branch of a foreign companyIncluding attestation of the parent’s documents
- AED 16,500
- Each additional shareholderIndividual or corporate
- AED 1,200
Government fees (at cost, typical)
- Free zone licence and registrationDepends on the zone and the package
- AED 12,000–35,000
- Mainland licence, trade name and approvalsDepends on the activity
- AED 15,000–30,000
- Flexi-desk or officeA year’s rent; offices vary widely
- From AED 8,000
Advisory fees are fixed and exclude 5% VAT. Government, free zone and bank fees are passed on at cost, with the official receipts. You pay half the advisory fee when you approve your plan and half when the work is done.
Book a consultationWhat to have ready
Tick them off as you gather them. Your advisor tells you which need attesting for your nationality.
0 of 7 ready
Formation questions
Can I own 100% of a mainland company?
For most commercial and professional activities, yes, since the 2021 change to the Commercial Companies Law. A few strategic activities still need an Emirati partner; we check yours before anything else.
Do I need an office?
On the mainland you need a registered lease. Most free zones accept a flexi-desk for a small company, which also sets how many visas you can hold.
How long does it take?
Our median time to trade licence is 11 days. The full setup, with establishment card and stamp, is typically 2 to 4 weeks.
Can I change jurisdiction later?
Yes, but it means a new company and new visas, so we would rather spend an extra hour on the choice now.
Ask about your activity
Tell us what you’ll sell and where; we’ll tell you which licence fits. The first consultation is free.