Most business setup consultants in Dubai sell you a licence. We are chartered accountants who also form companies — which means the structure we recommend is tested against the tax, audit and banking consequences you will live with for years, not just the fee you pay this month.
Why the adviser you choose changes the outcome
Company formation is a five-day process with a five-year consequence. The cheapest licence can be the most expensive decision.
The clearest example: a free zone licence chosen to save AED 5,000 leaves you selling to mainland UAE customers. That revenue is generally not qualifying income, and crossing the de minimis threshold costs 0% corporate tax status on your entire income — for that year and potentially four more.
A consultant who does not ask where your customers are is not advising you. They are processing a transaction.
What we handle
- Jurisdiction advice — mainland or free zone, tested against your customer base and tax position
- Activity selection matched to what you will actually invoice for
- Licence application — commercial, professional, e-commerce, general trading or industrial
- Name reservation, initial approval and MOA
- Visas and establishment card — see PRO services
- Corporate bank account — file prepared properly, not left to chance
- Corporate tax and VAT registration
- Ongoing accounting and audit, in-house
The free zones we file in most
IFZA for cost-efficient consultancy and services. Meydan for a central Dubai address and e-commerce. DMCC where recognition and commodities infrastructure matter. SHAMS for media and creative at the lowest credible cost. RAKEZ where warehousing or light manufacturing dominates the budget.
We are not tied to any zone. That matters, because commission-driven advisers steer toward whoever pays them — and the zone that pays best is rarely the zone that suits you.
What setup actually costs
- Free zone, one visa — realistically AED 18,000 to 25,000 in year one
- Mainland — AED 18,500 to 40,000+ once premises and visas are included
- Premium jurisdictions — DMCC from around AED 46,780, DIFC from around AED 104,079
The advertised "from AED 12,500" packages are real, but they are zero-visa — which leaves you without an Emirates ID and makes corporate banking considerably harder. Full breakdown in our Dubai setup cost guide.
We prepare the bank file, not just the licence
Bank account opening is where setups stall, and it is the step most consultants treat as someone else’s problem.
Banks assess activity clarity, substance, source of funds and whether you have a resident signatory. A vague activity description and a flexi-desk with an overseas director is a weak file regardless of how good the business is. We build that file during formation, so the application is ready when the licence issues rather than started afterwards.
What happens after the licence
This is where most setup relationships end and most problems begin. Your first year brings corporate tax registration, VAT once you cross the threshold, monthly bookkeeping, and for most free zone companies an annual audit required both by your zone and by any 0% claim.
Because we are the accountants and auditors as well as the formation agent, none of that gets handed to a third party who has to learn your file from scratch.
How to judge any consultant
Four questions worth asking whoever you speak to, including us:
- "Where should my customers be for this structure to work?" If the answer does not involve qualifying income, they have not thought about your tax position.
- "What does year two cost?" Renewal, audit, bookkeeping and filings. A year-one quote alone is incomplete.
- "Are you tied to particular free zones?" Commission changes advice.
- "Who handles the audit and tax filing afterwards?" If the answer is "someone else", expect a handover gap.
Frequently asked questions
Fees vary widely and are often bundled into a package price. We quote fixed and itemised, with government fees shown separately from our fee so you can see what you are paying for.
Three to seven working days for a straightforward free zone licence. Mainland takes longer once tenancy, Ejari and activity approvals are included.
Not for every step, though banking generally requires the signatory to attend in person, and residence visa processing requires you to be in the UAE.
Yes. We take over accounting, audit and tax for existing companies, and reconcile the opening position rather than inheriting it.
Yes. It happens, and saying so is cheaper for you than a licence you do not need.
We prepare the application file as part of formation and make introductions. No consultant can guarantee approval - anyone who does is overpromising.
Start with a conversation, not a package
Tell us what you will sell, to whom, and where they are. That is enough for us to tell you which jurisdiction fits and what year one and year two will actually cost.