How to open a company in Dubai yourself, step by step

Key Takeaways

Doing it yourself is realistic for one individual shareholder, a standard activity, no corporate shareholders and 0 to 2 visas.
Dubai's official route has three stages: initial approval, trade name, licence (dubai.ae, October 2026), and the licence can be instant under Resolution 5 of 2024.
Ejari registration costs AED 177.75 through the Dubai REST app or the Dubai Land Department website, as of October 2026.
A new company must register for Corporate Tax within 3 months of incorporation, free zone companies included (FTA Decision 3 of 2024).
Advisers commonly report three weak points: activity wording, a bank file written after the licence, and a missed tax registration.

You can open a company in Dubai without an agent, and every step has a public authority behind it. Seven steps to open a company in Dubai follow, each with the documents, and with the fee and time wherever an authority publishes them. After each step comes the one place where self-filed setups commonly go wrong, and what that costs.

How to open a company in Dubai, and when doing it yourself is realistic

It is realistic when your case is simple. The test is one natural-person shareholder, a standard activity that names no regulator, no corporate shareholder, no plan to trade on the Dubai mainland from a free zone, and 0 to 2 visas. You also should not need a bank beyond a digital account.

Even then three points are weak: the activity wording, the bank file and the Corporate Tax registration. The steps below show how to set up a company in Dubai on the mainland route, because it has the most stages, and say where a free zone differs; the guide to Dubai free zone companies compares the zones.

Outside that test, an adviser is worth consulting before you pay. The signs are corporate or foreign shareholders, a regulated activity (finance, crypto, health, education, real estate, food, media), a mainland and free zone combination, goods trading or more than three visas. A DIFC or ADGM structure or any sanctions-adjacent exposure counts too.

Step 1 Choose activity code and legal form

Choose the exact activity code before anything else, because every later fee, permit and bank question hangs on it. The authority is the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET, formerly DED), reached through the Invest in Dubai platform. This step is research, so no document or fee is due yet.

Read each candidate activity for three things: its exact wording, the approval it names, and any ownership condition. The Commercial Companies Law lets the licensing authority and the sector regulator set conditions under Article 10. For the form, an LLC takes 2 to 50 partners, and Article 71 lets one person incorporate and own it. Dubai's official guide also lists sole proprietorship, civil company and partnerships (dubai.ae, October 2026). Article numbers in this guide are as in the 2021 text; check the current wording after Federal Decree-Law 20 of 2025.

The usual mistake is an activity picked by its marketing name instead of the exact code. The licence then carries the wrong approvals and fees, and a later amendment costs a new fee and a notification to the bank. You can do this step alone; keep the wording you chose, because the bank will compare it with your website.

Step 2 Name, initial approval and shareholder documents

Reserve the trade name and request initial approval on the DET portal. The name must end with the legal form and cannot repeat or closely resemble a registered name, under Article 12 of the Commercial Companies Law. Ask DET for its list of restricted words before you pay for a name. A single-owner LLC carries the wording Limited Liability (Sole Proprietorship), and managers who omit the suffix are personally liable under Article 72.

Initial approval is a no-objection in principle and does not authorise you to operate. DET charges a fee for the name and another for the approval; ask for the current amounts when you apply, because DET sets them and they change.

Passport and Emirates ID of the licensee, with a residence visa copy where the owner is resident.
The articles of association, which dubai.ae lists as not applicable for a one-person LLC.
For a corporate shareholder, the attestation chain: UAE embassy in the home country, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an Arabic legal translation and the Ministry of Justice (dubai.ae).

This step goes wrong when a corporate shareholder's documents arrive without the full chain, which means weeks of delay or a rejection. Individual shareholders with a passport and Emirates ID can do this step alone.

Step 3 MOA, lease or desk, and the licence

Sign the memorandum, register the tenancy, pay the fees and collect the licence. The memorandum must be in Arabic and authenticated by the licensing authority, in person or by e-signature; if a bilingual text exists, the Arabic one prevails (Commercial Companies Law, Article 14). It must also say how disputes between partners and managers are settled (Article 73).

For capital, the law sets no minimum figure as of October 2026. Contributions are paid in full at incorporation, and cash sits in a UAE bank account that releases it to managers on proof of registration (Article 76).

Ejari registers the address, and registration is mandatory under Dubai Law 26 of 2007 as amended. The Dubai Land Department charges AED 177.75 through the Dubai REST app or its website and AED 220 through a trustee centre, as of October 2026; the Ejari service page carries the current list. No day count is stated, so ask the landlord or business centre to register it right after signing.

Commercial Ejari must be in the licensed company's name. For registering a business centre, the Dubai Land Department FAQ lists a commercial tenancy of not less than 5,000 sq ft, valid for 5 years (October 2026).

Government licence fees depend on the activity, so there is no single price. The Invest in Dubai cost calculator, as described by Gulf News in September 2026, adds about 5% of annual rent for premises-based licences. Dubai Chamber membership is a separate fee that depends on legal form and activity. Ask for an itemised government-fee quote before you commit.

Two things go wrong here. A generic memorandum with no dispute clause and no exit terms means re-authentication and re-registration for every amendment, and a dispute turns on the Arabic text. A virtual address assumed to be enough is the second. Whether a flexi-desk satisfies the licence, the visa quota or the bank depends on the activity and the business centre. Ask DET before you pay for the desk, and do not sign a lease before the approvals are known.

Executive Council Resolution 5 of 2024 allows DET to issue the licence instantly, with e-signature and no attendance. The permit work comes next, in a separate step.

Step 4 Permits after the licence

Permits come from the regulator for your activity, after the licence. When you collect an instant licence you sign an acknowledgement and undertaking that you know the requirements and will obtain every permit before starting (Executive Council Resolution 5 of 2024). Staff qualifications, bank guarantees and an on-site inspection are checked before you begin, and the inspection is carried out within a maximum of 3 working days of a complete application.

Which regulator you meet depends on the activity, and the Resolution names none, so check your own activity code. The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) covers e-trade, VARA covers virtual assets, the Dubai Health Authority covers clinics, and RERA with the Dubai Land Department covers real estate brokerage. Each sets its own fee and time. Documents are the licence, the undertaking and whatever the regulator lists.

Trading that starts because the licence arrived instantly is where this step fails. A sale made before the permit breaches the undertaking you signed, and you carry rent while the permit is pending. If your activity names no regulator, you can do this step alone by reading the licence conditions.

Step 5 Establishment card, visas, Emirates ID, medical

Start with the establishment card. GDRFA Dubai lists an issuance fee of AED 200 plus 5% VAT and AED 20 in dirham levies, with 48 hours expected, as of October 2026. MOHRE sets the work-permit quota after a Ta'qeem assessment, with no published office-size formula, and its establishment card page gives the current Ta'qeem fee and time.

Then each person needs an entry permit, a medical fitness test, biometrics and an Emirates ID. ICP states 2 days for the entry permit, with entry within 60 days, and 5 days for the Emirates ID. The test fee depends on the centre and the speed. Private-sector employers must buy health insurance in Dubai since 1 January 2025; u.ae lists a basic package at AED 320 a year (September 2026). The authorities state times per service, not for the whole route from application to visa in hand.

Free zones add a trap: a package listing five visas can give fewer, because zones tie the quota to the desk or leased area. DMCC, for one, charges AED 500 per additional visa quota plus an AED 250 application fee and publishes no visas-per-desk formula on its charges page (October 2026). Staff hired before the card is active then cannot be sponsored.

Step 6 Bank file and account opening

Write the bank file before you file for the licence, not after it. Banks answer to the Central Bank, whose due diligence guidance is listed as in force from 7 November 2025 (check the rulebook for the April 2026 update). It tells banks to verify customers and beneficial owners and says they should not establish or maintain a relationship when that cannot be completed.

Typical documents are the trade licence, the memorandum, a board resolution or power of attorney, and passport and Emirates ID copies of every partner and signatory. Some digital routes ask for at least one UAE-resident signatory. Banks advertise opening times from an hour to three working days for eligible customers. Those are marketing claims, not approval rates.

Assuming the account will follow the licence is the usual mistake. A file written afterwards is a common cause of a declined account. The activity description, the ownership chain, the source of funds and the expected customers then fail to match each other or the website.

Red flags in the guidance include nominee shareholders, opaque ownership, unclear source of funds and a new company funded with a large sum. On 25 December 2025 the Dubai Free Zones Council acknowledged bank-opening challenges for free zone companies (Dubai Media Office).

Step 7 Corporate Tax and VAT registration

Register on the Federal Tax Authority's EmaraTax portal with UAE Pass. A company incorporated on or after 1 March 2024, free zone companies included, must register for Corporate Tax within 3 months of incorporation (FTA Decision 3 of 2024). Late registration carries an AED 10,000 penalty (Cabinet Decision 75 of 2023 as amended), as of October 2026.

Return and payment are due 9 months after the end of the tax period. A late return costs AED 500 per month for the first 12 months and AED 1,000 per month after that. Small Business Relief covers revenue up to AED 3 million for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029 (Ministerial Decision 131 of 2026), but not a Qualifying Free Zone Person. VAT registration is mandatory once taxable supplies and imports pass AED 375,000 over 12 months, or are expected to within 30 days, with the application due within 30 days of becoming liable (Federal Tax Authority, as of October 2026). The English texts on tax.gov.ae are not an official translation.

Beside tax sit two company filings. The beneficial owner register goes to the registrar within 60 days of licensing and is updated within 15 days of a change (Cabinet Decision 109 of 2023). A first breach draws a written warning, and fines start at the second (Cabinet Resolution 132 of 2023).

The usual error is reading a free zone as 0% and skipping registration. A free zone company is a taxable person, and 0% applies only to a Qualifying Free Zone Person on qualifying income. The free zone company guide explains that test in more detail.

The steps side by side

Each row below sets the authority, the time it states and the checkpoint for one step. Times appear only where the authority states them; otherwise the cell says what to do.

Step	Authority or channel	Time the authority states	Commonly goes wrong
1 Activity and form	DET, Invest in Dubai	Research only	Marketing name instead of the exact code
2 Name and approval	DET	Ask DET	Corporate documents without the attestation chain
3 MOA, lease, licence	DET; Dubai Land Department	Licence can be instant	Generic memorandum; virtual address assumed enough
4 Permits	Regulator for the activity	Inspection carried out within a maximum of 3 working days	Trading before the permit
5 Card and visas	GDRFA Dubai, MOHRE, ICP	48 hours, 2 days, 5 days by service	Visa count assumed from the package
6 Bank	The bank	Marketing claims only	File written after the licence
7 Tax	Federal Tax Authority	Register within 3 months	Free zone read as 0%

Where an adviser helps, it is at two points: mapping the permits to your activity code and drafting the bank file, both before you pay for the licence. Ask for both in writing. If your case sits outside the simple test, the guide to choosing a business setup consultant sets out what to ask. The overview of starting a business in Dubai gives the same route in less detail.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I open a company in Dubai without an agent?

Yes. Every step has a public authority and a portal: DET for the licence, the Dubai Land Department for Ejari, GDRFA Dubai and MOHRE for the card and quota, and the Federal Tax Authority for Corporate Tax. A simple single-owner case with a standard activity is manageable alone.

How long does it take to open a company in Dubai?

The authorities state times per service, not for the whole route. The licence can be instant under Resolution 5 of 2024, and single services state 48 hours, 2 days or 5 days. The bank account, the permits and the visas are separate steps with their own waiting time.

What documents do I need to open a company in Dubai?

The licensee's passport and Emirates ID, a residence visa copy for residents, and the articles of association, which dubai.ae lists as not applicable for a one-person LLC. A corporate shareholder also needs documents attested through its home country, the UAE embassy, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice.

Do I need a physical office to open a company in Dubai?

In practice most mainland licences need a leased address registered in Ejari. Whether a flexi-desk or virtual address satisfies your licence depends on the activity and the business centre, so ask DET before paying for a desk.

Do free zone companies have to register for Corporate Tax?

Yes. A free zone company is a taxable person and must register within 3 months of incorporation (FTA Decision 3 of 2024), as of October 2026. The 0% rate applies only to a Qualifying Free Zone Person on qualifying income.

How much does it cost to open a company in Dubai?

There is no single price. The licence fee depends on the activity, legal form and premises, and the lines around it are separate: Ejari at AED 177.75 by app, the establishment card at AED 200 plus VAT and levies, and Ta'qeem at about AED 406 (October 2026). Ask DET for the fee sheet for your activity.