Free zone or mainland
IFZA, DMCC, Meydan, RAKEZ or a mainland licence, chosen for your activity and clients.
- Home
- United Arab Emirates
Dubai, local time
Company formation in Dubai
0% personal income tax and a 9% corporate tax that only starts above AED 375,000. The rate is the easy part. Making it hold up at home is the work.
0%personal income tax
9%corporate tax above AED 375,000
0%on qualifying free zone income
4 to 8 weeksto licence, visa and bank account
Our partners in the UAE
Built for you if
- You move to the UAE, with or without your family
- You run a service, trading, e-commerce or holding business
- You want residency through your own company
- Your clients are international, not local
Probably not, if
- You want to keep living in your home country
- Your business depends on customers you see in person at home
- You are not prepared to spend real time in the UAE
What we arrange in UAE
Everything you need to live and work there, arranged in one plan.
Six partsOne team.
One team.
One fixed fee.
On the ground, and in your tax position at home.
Book a strategy callResidence visa and Emirates ID
For you and your family, sponsored by your own company.
Corporate bank account
A UAE bank or licensed fintech, with a compliance file built to pass the first review and the annual one.
Corporate tax and VAT
Registration and returns with the Federal Tax Authority, plus the Qualifying Free Zone test.
Substance
Office, board decisions and records that place your company in the UAE.
Golden Visa
Ten years of residency through investment, property or company ownership.
How it holds up at home
If your company is effectively managed from your home country, it is usually taxed there, whatever the licence says. We set up board decisions, signatories and your own move so that management demonstrably sits in Dubai.
Timeline
Indicative. Your plan gives the dates for your situation.
- Structure plan and exit review
- Licence and establishment card
- Residence visa, medical and Emirates ID
- Corporate bank account live
Free ebook
The UAE for EU citizens
Everything you want to know before you move to the UAE. Written by our advisors, updated for 2026.
- How the tax system in the UAE works, in plain language
- What happens to your foreign income and your company
- How you move, register and become tax resident, step by step
Questions about UAE
Not listed? Ask it on your strategy call.
Do I pay any tax in Dubai?
No personal income tax. Your company pays 9% corporate tax on taxable profit above AED 375,000, and a Qualifying Free Zone Person can pay 0% on qualifying income. VAT is 5%. Dividends to you are not taxed in the UAE.
Free zone or mainland?
Free zone if your clients are outside the UAE and you want access to the 0% qualifying income regime. Mainland if you sell to UAE customers or the government. Most founders we work with start in a free zone.
How many days do I need to spend in the UAE?
For a UAE tax residency certificate you generally need 183 days in a 12 month period, or 90 days if you also have a permanent home and work or business in the UAE. What matters just as much is that your home country accepts that you left.
How do I get a UAE tax residency certificate?
The Federal Tax Authority issues it. As an individual you generally need 183 days in the UAE in a 12 month period, or 90 days if you also have a permanent home and a job or business there, plus your residence visa and Emirates ID. We prepare the application and the evidence.
Can I move my existing company to Dubai?
Usually you set up a new UAE company and move the business, the clients or the shares of your holding to it, rather than moving the company itself. Your home country may tax the value of your shares when you leave, and a company that stays managed from home stays taxed there. We plan the order: exit review, new structure, then the move.
What does setting up a company in Dubai cost?
It depends on the free zone or emirate, your activity and the number of visas. Licence, establishment card and visas are annual costs, the bank account and setup are one-off. You get a fixed quote before anything starts.
Can I open a bank account before I arrive?
Some banks and fintechs accept applications before your Emirates ID is issued, most do not. We sequence the steps so your account opens as soon as the bank will accept it.
Often combined with
Most structures use more than one country or company.
Know in one call which structure fits you
You speak directly with an advisor. You get an honest answer, including when that answer is to stay where you are.
- Free, with no obligation
- Pick a time that suits you, straight in the calendar
- A written structure plan with a fixed fee
Your first call
Roman Basaky
Relocation Consultant
Book a strategy call
Opens Roman's calendar. Pick a time that suits you.