Mainland, free zone, or offshore. Each route has a different price, a different ownership rule, and a different operational fit. We publish the full breakdown before the call so you can compare us with any other consultancy on a like-for-like basis. No headline pricing. No surprises after you pay.
A typical Dubai setup costs AED 14,500-22,000 in year 1 for a small company with one visa. The “from AED 5,750” headlines you see elsewhere are bare license fees with no visa, no establishment card, no e-channel, and no banking introduction added. Here is the full breakdown for the three routes.
| Item | Mainland (DED) | Free zone | Offshore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government and registration | |||
| Trade license, year 1 | 12,000 | 6,500 | 5,800 |
| Initial approval and trade name | 1,200 | Included | Included |
| MoA notarisation | 1,500 | Included | 1,500 |
| Establishment card | 1,800 | 1,200 | N/A |
| e-Channel / immigration registration | 2,000 | 2,000 | N/A |
| Visas (per person) | |||
| Employment visa, EID and medicalInvestor visa similar | 4,800 | 4,800 | No visa |
| Office | |||
| Flexi-desk / virtual office | Required, varies | Included | N/A |
| Shared office (entry) | From 18,000/yr | 4,800-12,000 | N/A |
| Our service | |||
| Setup and PRO support, year 1Bank intro, FTA registration included | 6,500 | 4,500 | 4,000 |
| Typical year 1, 1 visa, flexi-desk | 29,800 | 19,000 | 11,300 |
Figures in AED. Mainland numbers shown for Dubai DED. Free zone shown for IFZA mid-tier. Offshore shown for RAK ICC. Year-2 renewals run roughly 75% of these year-1 totals.
The right choice is not about price first, it is about where you sell. If your customers are inside the UAE, mainland is usually the answer even though it costs more. If your customers are international, a free zone gives you the same ownership protection at half the cost. Offshore only makes sense if you do not need a UAE residence visa. See our full mainland vs free zone comparison for a detailed breakdown.
Adjust the inputs to see a realistic estimate. The output is the full itemised year-1 figure, not a “starting from” headline.
The widget is a live estimate. Final quote is locked after a 30-minute scoping call where we confirm activity codes, free zone eligibility, and any visa-dependent requirements.
Most “all-inclusive” packages quietly exclude four or five steps that fall to you anyway. Here is the honest split.
If you import, distribute, or wholesale physical goods to UAE customers, you need a mainland DED general trading license. Free zones can hold inventory but cannot sell directly to UAE retailers without an appointed mainland distributor, which is the catch most founders miss until after they are licensed. For international traders with no UAE retail requirement, JAFZA and SAIF Zone give you port and airport access at a lower cost than a mainland setup. Read our full guide on how to start a trading company in Dubai as a foreign entrepreneur.
The cleanest route for management, IT, marketing, legal, and accounting consultants. Free zone is almost always the answer because no physical office is required and 100% foreign ownership is unconditional. IFZA, Meydan, and SHAMS are the cost-efficient picks; DMCC and DIFC are for clients who need the brand address on contracts. If a Dubai address is not a commercial requirement, UAQ FTZ and SHAMS save AED 8,000-12,000 per year on the same license structure.
The right structure depends on your last-mile model. If you fulfil from outside UAE and deliver via courier, IFZA’s e-commerce package or Dubai CommerCity work cleanly. If you fulfil from a UAE warehouse and deliver locally, you need a mainland trader license or a free zone with a dedicated logistics partner agreement. Amazon UAE and Noon UAE accept free zone e-commerce licenses; the bank account is the variable that most e-commerce founders underestimate.
For pure SaaS with no UAE customer fulfilment, DTEC at Dubai Silicon Oasis is the de facto choice. It accepts most software activities, has investor visa pathways, and is QFZP-friendly. in5 (TECOM) is the alternative for early-stage founders with mentorship value. DMCC works if you also do crypto, blockchain, or commodity-adjacent activities. For founders where a Dubai address is not commercially required, Meydan at AED 12,500 and UAQ FTZ at AED 5,500 are both QFZP-eligible at significantly lower cost.
F&B is mainland only because you need a physical kitchen, customer-facing premises, and Dubai Municipality food permits. The license itself is a small share of total cost; build-out, kitchen equipment, and DM compliance dominate. Set realistic expectations: a single-outlet quick-service restaurant runs AED 180,000-280,000 all-in to opening day, not including inventory and staff recruitment.
Real estate brokerage in Dubai requires both a DED commercial license and a RERA broker registration through the Dubai Land Department. The RERA exam and the AED 5,000 broker permit are mandatory for any signatory who will list properties. Free zones cannot issue real estate brokerage licenses for UAE properties. This is mainland-only territory with no workarounds.
Anonymised at the founder’s request. We can connect you with a reference in your industry on your scoping call.
Founder needed a UAE entity for invoicing US clients without Indian withholding tax on outbound revenue. DTEC software license, 2 visas, Mashreq business account, FTA corporate tax registration.
UK founder selling directly to UAE consumers needed a mainland license. DED single-activity license, 4 visas, RERA-approved retail premises, Emirates NBD account with credit card acquiring.
For the license and incorporation, yes. Most free zones now accept remote registration with a Power of Attorney issued from our Gurugram or Dubai office. Mainland DED also allows remote setup if your activity does not need a physical inspection.
For the employment visa and Emirates ID, you will need one short trip (3-5 working days) for biometrics and the medical fitness test. Visa entry permits can be issued before you fly, so you arrive on a residence pathway, not a tourist visa.
From signed quote to active license is 7-11 working days for free zone and 10-14 for mainland. Employment visa and Emirates ID add another 5-8 days. Bank account opening is the variable: Emirates NBD and Mashreq are typically 14-21 days, RAKBANK is faster at 7-12 days, and ADCB is the slowest at 21-30 days.
Free zone companies pay 0% on qualifying income if they meet the Qualifying Free Zone Person criteria: real economic substance in the free zone, qualifying activities, and no transactions with mainland UAE customers in non-qualifying categories.
If your customers are non-UAE or other free zones, you almost certainly qualify. If you have UAE mainland customers, your income from those customers becomes taxable at 9% even if the rest stays at 0%. We evaluate this before recommending a jurisdiction.
The cheapest license-only setup is offshore (RAK ICC) at around AED 11,300 in year 1, but you do not get a residence visa with it. The cheapest setup that includes residence is IFZA free zone with one visa and a flexi-desk, around AED 15,400 in year 1. If a non-Dubai address is acceptable, UAQ FTZ START at AED 12,500 all-in is even lower. Anything quoted below these figures is missing at least one line item.
Yes. Mainland and free zone setups both come with employment visa or investor visa eligibility. The standard route is one investor visa for the owner (3-year validity) plus employment visas for any staff or family. Visa quota depends on the office tier and license type.
No consultancy can guarantee bank approval. The bank decides based on its own KYC and compliance review. What we do is pre-screen your file against each bank’s actual criteria (industry, source of funds, expected turnover) before submission. Our approval rate is in the high 80s percent. If a tier-1 bank declines, we have introductions to tier-2 alternatives that almost always approve cleanly.
Drop your details and we’ll send a written quote within 4 working hours, itemised by jurisdiction and visa count. No call required first.
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