Compare SONSOTO
Most providers work one case at a time.
SONSOTO works from your account — documents stored once and reused across every service, government fees shown accurately before work begins, and renewal dependencies tracked across services, not per engagement.
The Year-2 problem
The price you see is not the price you pay.
UAE business setup pricing is built around Year-1 promotional rates. Renewal costs are structurally higher — and rarely disclosed before you commit.
One leading setup firm's own pricing page states: “Many free zones offer aggressive Year 1 discounts. Always check the standard renewal price.” Independent data from 100+ live files shows SHAMS renewal fees jumping from AED 4,888–6,500 to AED 18,500–22,000 at Year 2 (+278%). IFZA Year-2 renewal runs 86% above Year-1 sticker.
SONSOTO shows the renewal cost alongside the setup cost. Before work begins.
SHAMS
Year 1
AED 4,888–6,500
Year 2 renewal
AED 18,500–22,000
+278%
IFZA
Year 1
AED 11,900–14,500
Year 2 renewal
AED 22,500–27,000
+86%
How SONSOTO compares
Five dimensions that matter.
| Dimension | Traditional provider | SONSOTO |
|---|---|---|
| Year-2 renewal cost | Rarely shown upfront. Year-1 promotional pricing is the market norm. Renewal costs run 35–280% above Year-1 in documented cases. | Service fee and renewal cost shown before work begins. |
| Documents | Collected fresh at the start of each engagement. No persistence between services. | Stored once. Reused across every service — formation, visa, TRC, wills, renewals. |
| Government fees | Often bundled into quotes or stated incorrectly. One major accounting firm lists TRC government fees at 2× the actual FTA rate. | Shown separately and accurately. Verified from FTA, DLD, and DIFC Courts primary sources. |
| Renewal readiness | Separate engagement each time. Licence, visa, and Emirates ID renewals handled independently — missed dependencies not flagged. | Renewal chain modelled in your account. Licence renewal before visa renewal before Emirates ID — sequenced, not remembered. |
| Case visibility | WhatsApp and email updates from an account manager. | Online case tracking with defined stages. You see what is waiting on you, on SONSOTO, and on an authority. |
Government fees — fixed regardless of provider
What you pay the authority directly.
These fees are the same whether you use SONSOTO, a setup firm, or go direct. SONSOTO shows them separately and accurately — not bundled into a quote or left for you to discover.
AED 9,884.75
Golden Visa
DLD investor route
Medical AED 700 · Emirates ID AED 1,153 · Residency AED 2,856.75 · DLD AED 4,020 · Admin AED 1,155
Source: DLD e-services
AED 500 – 1,750
Tax Residency Certificate
FTA direct · 5-day SLA
AED 500 (corp tax registrant) · AED 1,000 (natural person) · AED 1,750 (juridical person) · plus AED 50 submission
Source: tax.gov.ae
AED 10,000
Will Registration
DIFC · VAT exempt
Single full will AED 10,000 · Mirror wills AED 15,000 · Plus AED 1,000–2,000 booking. Abu Dhabi ADJD: AED 950 single.
Source: DIFC Courts official fees
Free
Tax Registration
FTA · from 1 Jan 2026
FTA replaced paid certificates with free electronic certificates (QR code) under Cabinet Decision No. 174 of 2025.
Source: FTA official announcement
See the fees before work begins.
Choose a service. SONSOTO shows you the service fee, the government fees separately, and what renews — before you start.