What happens after I submit my details?
We review the activity, ownership, customer and supplier profile, visa needs, operating model, and the route you are considering. If the initial information is sufficient, we ask any practical follow-up questions and set out the likely options. No formation work begins until the scope is agreed.
Will I receive a written recommendation?
Yes. Where we recommend a route, we set out the proposed structure, main assumptions, expected requirements, likely costs, and next steps in writing. If material facts change before filing, we revisit the recommendation rather than proceeding on an outdated assumption.
Can you help if I already have a company?
Yes. We can review an existing UAE company where the issue is a renewal, ownership change, new activity, banking preparation, visas, accounting, corporate tax, governance, or a possible restructure. The work starts with the current entity and the actual problem to be solved.
Do I have to pay before receiving advice?
The initial route discussion is used to understand the business and determine whether a practical scope can be prepared. Any paid work, deliverables, fees, and assumptions are agreed in writing before that work begins.
Do I need to visit the UAE during company setup?
Not always. Some formation steps can be completed remotely, but biometrics, medical testing, original-document checks, residence-visa processing, and bank onboarding can require an in-person visit. The requirement depends on the authority, applicant profile, chosen route, and current bank policy.
What can delay a company setup?
Common causes include an activity that needs additional approval, incomplete or inconsistent owner documents, a corporate shareholder requiring legalisation, a premises or visa-quota issue, trade-name questions, or a change in the intended operating model. A clear route review at the start reduces avoidable delays, but some timing remains authority-led.
How do you decide which company structure fits?
We start with what the company will actually do: what it will sell, where customers are, where work happens, who owns it, whether it needs UAE presence, visas, banking, premises, or regulated approvals, and what it is building toward. We then compare the practical routes—mainland, free zone, offshore, branch, or holding structure—before recommending one in writing.
What is initial approval?
Initial approval is an early authority step in some formation routes that confirms the proposed activity, name, ownership, or other headline details can proceed to the next stage. It is not necessarily a final licence, a bank approval, or authority to begin operating. The precise meaning depends on the authority.
Can I start trading once I have initial approval?
No. Initial approval is not the same as a final licence or authority to operate. The company must complete the required incorporation, licensing, premises, registration, and any activity-specific steps before it begins contracting, invoicing, employing people, importing goods, or conducting regulated activity.