
Mainland company
A local (mainland) company is the ideal option for mature businesses with a long-term vision. Companies domiciled in the UAE mainland are under the direct jurisdiction of the Department of Economic Development of the host emirate. A mainland company is at liberty to bid for government contracts, seek local investors, and carry on full-fledged commerce or other business in any part of the UAE without restrictions. Mainland companies furthermore enjoy access to some exclusive lines of business, but the best part is that a mainland company can have a corporate bank account opened for it a lot sooner and easier than a freezone company domiciled in a free trade zone.
The service includes
- Incorporation of a legal entity
- Visas for the founding members
- Opening a corporate bank account
- Support and assistance every step of the way
Additional expenses
- $1,500 per each founding member in excess of one
- $500–1,000 to secure a staff quota
- $1,800–2,000 per employee hired
- $1,800 visa fee per family member
- $520 legalization fee per document for a family visa (when the original is in the UAE)
- $250 legalization fee per document for a family visa or an employee’s degree certificate (when the original is in Russia)

Freezone company
When you set up your company in a free trade zone, you are entitled to a simplified and more affordable registration process. The point to remember though is that going forward, it may cost you more to have your freezone license renewed than it would cost you to renew a mainland license, which is more expensive at the start. The UAE offers a large selection of free trade zones designed around different categories of business. Freezone licenses are typically taken out by IT companies and freelancers that have no intention of offering goods or services for sale in the UAE mainland. Freezone entities are authorized to do business exclusively within the respective free trade zone. However, there are ways for a freezone establishment to offer goods in the UAE mainland, such as by going through a distributor.
The service includes
- Opening a bank account
- Visa for the investor
- Securing a license
- Establishment Card

Stages of starting your business
Our Clients' FAQ
This is a wide ranging question, and the answer will be different case by case, being conditional on such key factors as the costs of hiring staff and renting an office, whether or not the company can do business in the mainland UAE, the cost of starting the company per se, and accessibility of the desired type of buisiness.
It is also important to keep in mind that a free trade zone is viewed as high risk territory by banks, which is why it is harder and takes longer to have an account opened for a freezone company.
You will only need scan copies of the founders’ international passports and their 3x4cm photos on a white background.
This is heavily dependent on your choice of jurisdiction. It takes an average of 1 to 3 weeks to open a legal entity.
Two to three weeks on average, but the process is generally speedier for the mainland, taking 1 to 1.5 weeks.
A month and a half to two months for a mainland company, and up to 4 months for a freezone company.
The founder’s presence is hardly ever required to open a company. You have to physically attend the visa process and you have to be there to sign the bank account paperwork. This takes 2 to 3 weeks. There will be a period of one to one and a half weeks during those 2 or 3 weeks when you cannot leave the UAE. After that you can be in and out to complete the remaining procedures.
To keep your visa valid, you only need to visit once every 180 days.
A residence visa is issued for two years.