FAQ

The basic documents required are the shareholder’s Passport, National ID (If applicable) and a Passport Photo, for both Free Zones and Mainlands. A Memorandum of Association (MoA) and tenancy contract, as well as some other government agencies’ approval, may also be required depending on the business activities. For the documents related to branch incorporation, please contact one of our experts at Choose UAE as documents for branch incorporation depend specifically on the business activity.

During the process of company formation in one of the UAE’s free zones, physical presence is not required. However, for the mainland company formation, it is required. 

In setting up your business, we provide end-to-end business setup solutions to our clients from documentation, Government liaison, external approvals assistance, local service agent requirement, office solutions, and more.

The types of legal company structures are as follows:

• Sole establishment
• GCC company branch
• Civil company
• Local company branch
• Limited liability company (LLC)
• Holding company
• Foreign company’s representative office
• Public joint-stock company
• Private joint-stock company

Get in touch with our company formation specialists to know which company structure will benefit your business the most. 

An offshore entity in the UAE is a full foreign-owned limited liability company. They do not require a trade license in the country nor a residence visa as they do not entitle the Shareholder to conduct business in the country. The offshore structures have the considerable advantage of property ownership in UAE. 

No. You don’t need to obtain a residence visa when opening a company in the UAE and you can

All licenses should be renewed every year in the UAE. The failure of renewal in time would follow penalties and even cancellation of all the residence visas issued for the company. 

There are no personal income or corporate taxes in the UAE. However, the operative companies in the UAE should pay a 5% import duty to get the clearance of their goods from the port into the country. 

As its title suggests, the Shareholder is one of the company owners, shares a certain percentage of its shares, and holds a share certificate. The director is the person appointed by the company’s shareholders and manages the company. The director’s responsibilities are to sign off the business contracts and official documents and account opening forms. Same as shareholders, a company can have one or multiple directors. 

Depending on various factors, such as the selected jurisdiction, a free zone company formation process can take from 2 to 5 business days, while it can take from 5 to 7 business days for Dubai Mainland excluding external approvals if there are any. The first stage is registering the trade name, then providing various documents based on the type of incorporation, and finally obtaining the required licenses from the issuing authorities. Choose UAE can handle and provide a hassle-free process for your company formation in Dubai and the UAE. 

In UAE Free Zones, physical presence is not required, whereas in a Dubai Mainland company formation, it is required. It will be necessary for them to sign formal incorporation documents in the UAE in person. 

Our experts at Choose UAE can give you detailed information regarding which free zones in the UAE do not require your physical presence for company incorporation. Also, by providing us with a power of attorney, certified and attested by a UAE embassy or consulate abroad, we can handle the whole company incorporation in the UAE without your presence.

Yes, the same person can be both a shareholder and a director in the same company.

This will be based on your requirements. Our experts at Choose UAE can guide you through choosing the best incorporation options for your business, taking into account your business aims and needs. You can discuss all your options with our consultants, who will consider the necessary factors for company incorporation.

Some of the documents for company incorporation are required to be officially acceptable. One example is the educational documents essential for issuing residence visas should be attested at the corresponding UAE embassy or consulate in the country of origin. These documents will then be attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dubai. 

In some cases, an educational certificate or supporting documents will be required based on business activity and jurisdiction.