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Estimate your UAE setup cost

Answer eight questions to see an indicative first-year cost range, based on your route, visa needs, workspace, and activity.

Step 1 of 8

What does the business actually do?

Where will your customers be?

Operating company or holding vehicle?

Any preference on emirate?

How many residency visas do you need?

What premises do you need?

Do you already have a route in mind?

When do you want to be trading?

Mainland licensingEconomic-department context
Free zonesZone-authority licensing
ICP / GDRFAEstablishment & visa capacity
BanksAccount-readiness context

What impacts cost

Setup costs can vary significantly based on licence and registration, workspace, visa count, approvals, and year-two renewals.

Licence and registration
Starting point
Sets the baseline for the setup you choose.
Relative impact: baseline
Workspace
Main variable
Often one of the biggest factors in the overall estimate, and in visa capacity.
Relative impact: high
Visa count
Per visa
Each visa adds its own government and processing cost.
Relative impact: variable, per visa
Activity approvals
Activity-based
Some activities require additional approvals, depending on what the business does.
Relative impact: moderate, activity-dependent
Year two
Ongoing costs
Renewals, visas, and tax admin follow their own timeline after setup.
Relative impact: ongoing, recurring

Cost estimator

Your estimate will appear here

Choose your setup on the left. We will show year-one cost, annual renewals, and anything that needs a manual review.

DIFC — Dubai International Financial Centre

Consulting · LTD · 2 visas · flexi-desk · with corporate tax

Want to speak to a specialist? A specialist can guide you through this setup.
Zero-visa package
from AED
Request your tailored estimate

We price this route in a proposal, after a short scoping call — not from a calculator.

What this usually covers

  • Entity formation and licence coordination
  • Authority and government processing
  • Workspace or registered-office arrangements where required
  • Documentation and compliance support
  • Dedicated setup coordination

Visa eligibility, immigration setup, workspace, government fees, activity choice, and package terms can change the final cost. We confirm the exact inclusions and price in your proposal before you proceed.

Turn this estimate into a fixed-scope quote

A dedicated specialist reviews your inputs, confirms the route, and puts it in writing before anything is filed.

  • Reply in under 5 minutes
  • Fixed scope in writing before any filing
  • No obligation. We say when it's the wrong route.

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Selected setups by business type

Selling in the UAE and beyond

Government buyers and mainland customers push the estimate toward a mainland setup.

Setup
Dubai mainland company with a free-zone holding company
Selling into the UAE
Direct contracting, including government buyers
Visas
Planned around the workspace you choose
Cost drivers
Licence, workspace, and visa count
Estimate
Confirmed after scope review
  1. Week 1Scope agreed in writing, initial approvals
  2. Week 2Trade licence issued
  3. Week 3Establishment card and first visa steps
  4. After licensingBanking referral and tax registration

Relocating for client work and residence

Desk-based work billed abroad usually keeps the estimate at the lower end.

Setup
Single-founder free-zone company on a desk workspace
Clients
Overseas clients and remote delivery
Visas
One founder visa
Cost drivers
Licence and a single visa
Estimate
Confirmed after scope review
  1. Week 1Activity confirmed, scope agreed, name approved
  2. Week 2Licence and establishment card issued
  3. Week 3Entry permit, medical, Emirates ID, residence
  4. After licensingBanking referral and tax registration

Building a regional base for enterprise sales

Institutional buyers and local hiring raise both the setup and the year-two estimate.

Setup
Foreign-owned mainland company with leased premises
Selling into the UAE
Enterprise sales and institutional procurement
Visas
Planned around the local team and office
Cost drivers
Office lease, visa count, and approvals
Estimate
Confirmed after scope review
  1. Week 1Scope agreed in writing, parent legalisations
  2. Week 2Initial approval, trade name, tenancy registered
  3. Week 3Commercial licence issued, immigration file opened
  4. After licensingVendor onboarding, banking referral, tax registration

Importing, storing, and selling into the UAE

Warehousing and customs usually move the estimate more than the licence itself.

Setup
Free-zone trading company with bonded warehousing
Operations
Import, storage, and UAE fulfilment
Premises
Warehouse sized around stock and fulfilment needs
Cost drivers
Warehouse, customs registration, and visa count
Estimate
Confirmed after scope review
  1. Week 1Warehouse requirements agreed
  2. Week 2Trade name, initial approval, warehouse agreement
  3. Week 3Licence, customs code, and import setup
  4. After licensingBanking referral and marketplace onboarding

Holding assets across jurisdictions

Structure and banking acceptance drive the estimate more than setup speed.

Setup
Two-tier holding structure across complementary registries
Ownership
Consolidated ownership and succession planning
Banking
Matched to the asset profile and expected activity
Cost drivers
Two entities, registers, and compliance setup
Estimate
Confirmed after scope review
  1. Week 1Structure design and scope agreed in writing
  2. Week 2Entity documents and ownership records prepared
  3. Week 3Company registration and corporate records issued
  4. After licensingBanking referral and ongoing compliance setup

Get your estimate confirmed.

Tell us the activity, visa count, and emirate you have in mind. A specialist will confirm what your setup actually costs, including renewals.

  • A dedicated specialist reviews your case.
  • Fixed scope in writing before any work begins.
  • Avg reply 3 minutes on WhatsApp, 24 × 7.

Request your cost estimate

A specialist will confirm the figures for your setup, including year two.

Talk to a UAE specialist

What clients say

Frequently asked

How accurate is the cost estimator?
It is designed to give an early planning range, not a binding quote. Actual cost depends on the selected authority, activity, ownership, visas, office or facility requirement, document readiness, insurance, immigration steps, and any specialist approvals. The written scope confirms the applicable route and cost assumptions.
Does the estimate include visas and office costs?
It depends on the options selected and assumptions shown in the estimate. Visa, office, insurance, immigration, document, tax, and professional-support costs can vary materially between routes. Check the estimate assumptions and included line items and use the result as a starting point for a written scope.
Can I set up a UAE company for the lowest displayed price?
Possibly, for a narrow set of circumstances. But the lowest licence price may not include the operating requirements the business actually needs. Banking preparation, visa capacity, suitable premises, regulated approvals, customs, insurance, tax registration, and renewal costs can change the overall picture.
Can you review my estimate with me?
Yes. We can review the assumptions, identify missing cost drivers, and compare viable routes before you proceed. The purpose is to turn the initial range into a practical setup plan.
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