DUBAI BUSINESS SETUP
Choose the right Dubai company structure with clear guidance on Free Zone versus Mainland, trade licence requirements, visa options, first-year costs and what happens after incorporation.
Free Zone & Mainland comparisonItemised scopeOne accountable point of contact
START WITH THE RIGHT STRUCTURE
Company formation in Dubai is not simply a matter of buying the lowest-priced licence. Your activities, customers, ownership, visa needs, workspace and banking profile all affect the right route.
Fenich Gateway helps international founders compare suitable Dubai Mainland and Free Zone structures before they commit. We coordinate the chosen company formation route, explain the scope and dependencies, and remain available for the practical steps that follow licence issuance.
For a broader national overview, see our UAE company setup service.
FREE ZONE OR MAINLAND
The best structure depends on where and how you trade—not on a one-size-fits-all package.
ROUTE 01
A Free Zone can provide a defined setup route with its own permitted activities, facility choices, visa allocations and operating conditions. It may suit founders who value a streamlined authority process or a structure aligned to a specific sector or operating model.
Free Zones are not interchangeable. The suitable authority must be assessed against your actual activity, customer type, workspace, visa requirement, renewal costs and future plans.
ROUTE 02
A Mainland company may be appropriate where the business needs an onshore Dubai structure, particular commercial activities, direct local-market operations, premises or approvals connected to its operating model.
Ownership rules, activity approvals and facility requirements depend on the business. We clarify the relevant conditions before preparing the scope.
DECISION SUPPORT
We compare the material differences around operating permissions, customers, activity, visas, facilities, ownership, cost and renewal. The recommendation should serve the business you intend to build—not just the quickest application.
DUBAI COMPANY SETUP COST
The advertised licence fee is rarely the full cost of starting and operating a Dubai company.
Your total depends on the jurisdiction, licensed activities, legal form, visa requirement, establishment or immigration registration, workspace, external approvals and professional support. Renewal costs and future changes matter too.
Fenich Gateway does not publish invented headline prices. We prepare an itemised proposal around the selected route, showing assumptions, included work and optional components.
A useful comparison separates mandatory authority charges, Fenich Gateway’s professional scope and optional or third-party costs.
SCOPE
The exact scope is confirmed in your proposal. Services that depend on the selected package, authority or individual eligibility are shown separately.
Review of the intended business, shareholders, markets and operating needs, followed by a comparison of relevant structures and licensed activities.
Guidance on required information and documents, application coordination, authority follow-up and support through company record and trade licence issuance.
An itemised scope with assumptions, exclusions and known dependencies so you can compare the first-year route responsibly.
Coordination where the selected structure and package provide visa eligibility. Individual approval and timing remain subject to the relevant authorities.
Practical preparation for a corporate bank application. Bank account approval is always an independent compliance decision by the chosen bank.
Guidance on renewal and, where engaged, corporate tax, VAT, bookkeeping and business operations after the licence is issued.
THE DECISION
The right route is the one that supports the company’s real commercial activity, customers and future plans.
We compare where the company will operate, who it will sell to, its licensed activities, visa and office requirements, ownership structure, budget and likely renewal obligations. The cheapest licence can become expensive if it restricts the intended activity or omits essential establishment, workspace or visa costs.
THE PROCESS
We review the activities, customers, shareholders, location, visa needs, facility and banking expectations.
We narrow the relevant Free Zone or Mainland routes and explain the material trade-offs.
You see the agreed scope, assumptions, dependencies and optional services before proceeding.
We guide you through the required shareholder, activity, address and corporate documents. See the UAE formation document checklist.
We coordinate the application and authority requests. Timing depends on the route, complete documents, approvals and payment.
Where required, we support visa coordination, banking preparation and ongoing compliance or operational services.
COMPANY & RESIDENCY
A company licence does not automatically mean that a residence visa is included. The structure must provide suitable visa eligibility, and establishment or immigration registration and individual visa processing may be separate.
We explain which steps and costs form part of the proposed route. Medical testing, Emirates ID processing and approval remain subject to the applicable authorities and the individual’s eligibility.
LICENSING
The licence and activity selection must reflect what the company actually does. Professional, commercial, industrial and other activities can have different approval, facility and qualification requirements.
Choosing a broad-sounding or low-cost activity without checking the operating model can create problems later with contracts, payments, visas or banking. Fenich Gateway helps map the proposed business to the appropriate licence route.
Get support with a UAE trade licence application
Compare UAE trade licence types and activities
INTERNATIONAL FOUNDERS
International shareholders can access many UAE company formation routes without already holding UAE residency. The appropriate process still depends on the authority, ownership structure, documents, regulated activities and whether the founder plans to become resident.
Remote incorporation possibilities and physical-presence requirements vary. We confirm the practical route rather than assuming every step can be completed remotely.
AFTER FORMATION
Receiving a Dubai trade licence does not guarantee a corporate bank account. Banks independently assess the shareholders, business model, expected transactions, customer and supplier markets, source of funds, economic substance and supporting documents.
Fenich Gateway can help prepare a coherent application profile and explain realistic expectations. We never promise banking approval or present formation as automatic bank acceptance.
Explore UAE corporate banking guidance
Bank-account guidance for non-residents
WHY FENICH GATEWAY
Fenich Gateway is positioned as a UAE company setup service with high standards and personal support.
A clear contact throughout the agreed setup journey instead of fragmented hand-offs.
The jurisdiction and licence are compared around the actual business activity and operating needs.
Known inclusions, optional items, dependencies and exclusions are documented before commitment.
Decision-making includes the obligations that follow the initial licence, not only the entry price.
Separate authority and bank decisions are explained without guarantees.
Where engaged, we can help coordinate tax, VAT, bookkeeping and operational continuity.
DUBAI COMPANY FORMATION FAQ
There is no responsible single price without knowing the jurisdiction, activity, visa requirement, workspace and external approvals. Compare the complete first-year and renewal scope rather than an advertised licence fee alone. Our UAE company setup cost guide explains the main cost drivers.
Yes, many Mainland and Free Zone routes accept international shareholders. The suitable structure and any physical-presence, documentation or approval requirements depend on the company and activity.
That depends on where and how the company will operate, customer type, licensed activities, visa and office needs, budget and future plans. Fenich Gateway compares relevant routes around the intended business model.
Not necessarily. Many routes are available to non-resident shareholders, but remote setup possibilities and presence requirements vary. If you need UAE residency, that process should be scoped separately.
A suitable company structure may provide visa eligibility, but a licence does not automatically include a completed residence visa. Establishment registration, individual application steps and authority approval may be separate.
Timing depends on the route, activity, legal structure, external approvals, document completeness and payment. We provide a realistic expectation for the selected route, but final issuance remains subject to the licensing authority.
Individual shareholders normally start with passport, contact, address, ownership, proposed-name and activity information. Corporate ownership or regulated activities require additional documents. Requirements are confirmed for the chosen authority.
No. A bank account is a separate application and compliance decision. We can help prepare the profile and documents, but no consultant can responsibly guarantee approval.
The licence must match the company’s actual activities. The authority may require specific descriptions, qualifications, facilities or third-party approvals. We review this before the application is prepared.
Yes, depending on the agreed scope. Support can include visa coordination, banking preparation, licence renewal, corporate tax registration, VAT, bookkeeping and business operations services.
START YOUR DUBAI BUSINESS
Tell us what the company will do, who will own it and what you need from the setup. We will help compare suitable options before you select a licence.