Business Setup in Dubai and the UAE: Company, Visas, Tax

We choose the jurisdiction, form the company and handle visas, the bank application and tax registrations, with euro prices agreed before work starts.

Prices as of October 2026, in euros, excluding UAE VAT 5%. The exact scope and official fees are fixed in a written estimate before payment. Services are delivered with a licensed partner in Dubai.

Services and prices

Company formation

Licence renewal

Residence visas

Banking, tax and bookkeeping

Documents and company closure

Business setup in Dubai in 2026 takes four decisions: free zone or mainland, the licence activity, how many visas the company must sponsor, and where the bank account goes. Online free zones issue the licence in hours or days; the residence visa and Emirates ID take several more weeks. With Parallax, company formation starts from €2,500.

Prices on this page are in euros, excluding 5% UAE VAT, as of October 2026. The exact scope and government fees are fixed in a written quote before you pay. We work through a licensed partner in Dubai, with staged payment.

Free zone company in the UAE: IFZA, Meydan, SHAMS, ANCFZ and mainland compared

Activities per licence: IFZA — 3 in our package, Meydan — up to 3 activity groups, SHAMS — up to 5, ANCFZ — up to 10 (zone websites, checked 17.10.2026). Each extra free zone activity is €350. Our current mainland offer is a holding company; an operating mainland company is quoted separately.

Official licence fees are only one layer of the budget. For a line-by-line first-year and renewal view, see UAE free zone vs mainland cost; for why a licence alone does not make you a resident, see Does a free zone licence guarantee a residence visa?

Free zone or mainland: how to choose

• Clients abroad, you need a visa and light compliance — a free zone company. It operates inside its zone and with clients outside the UAE.
• Clients in the UAE (retail, services to local companies, government buyers) — a Dubai mainland company. A Dubai free zone company needs a branch licence or a permit from DET to operate on the mainland under Executive Council Resolution No. (11) of 2025.
• Tax. The 0% rate for a free zone company applies only to qualifying income when the FTA conditions are met; other profit is taxed under the standard rules.
• Budget. SHAMS and ANCFZ — €2,500, IFZA — €6,100, Meydan — €6,500, mainland holding — €10,900.

Visas

A licence is not a residence permit. The company needs an establishment (immigration) card and a free slot in its visa allocation; each person then goes through an entry permit or change of status, a medical fitness test, biometrics and the Emirates ID. You must be in the UAE for the medical test and biometrics.

• UAE Golden Visa — €5,500 including Emirates ID. Eligible categories include investors, entrepreneurs, people with exceptional talent or rare specialisations and outstanding students (u.ae). For investors the threshold is AED 2 million in property, a bank deposit or company capital, or a partnership in a company paying at least AED 250,000 a year in tax; GDRFA Dubai states a validity of 10 years for this permit.
• Investor residence visa (2 years) — €2,400. The owner's visa sponsored by their own company.
• Family visa — spouse €3,200, child €3,000. The sponsor needs a salary of at least AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation; a resident can sponsor a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs (u.ae).
• Retirement visa (5 years) — €4,600. Applicants must be at least 55 with at least 15 years of work, and meet one of the financial criteria: property worth AED 1 million, savings of AED 1 million, or an annual income of at least AED 180,000 (AED 240,000 for a Dubai visa) (u.ae).
• Visa cancellation — €450. Needed when you leave the UAE for good, change sponsor or close the company.

All residence routes and package plans are on UAE residence visa: plans and prices.

Bank and tax

• Emirates NBD corporate account — €4,400 for preparing the file and supporting the application; the bank makes the decision. According to the Emirates NBD business account FAQ, a digital application needs at least one UAE-resident signatory, the trade licence, constitutional documents, passports and Emirates IDs of the shareholders and a tenancy contract; no initial deposit is required.
• Corporate tax registration UAE — €300. Corporate tax is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it (u.ae). A company incorporated on or after 1 March 2024, including a free zone company, must apply for registration within three months of incorporation (FTA). Small Business Relief is available where revenue is AED 3,000,000 or less in the current and all previous tax periods; a Qualifying Free Zone Person cannot elect it (FTA).
• VAT registration UAE — €750 including the TRN. VAT is 5% (u.ae). Registration is mandatory when taxable supplies and imports exceeded AED 375,000 over the past 12 months or will exceed it in the next 30 days; voluntary registration is possible from AED 187,500 (FTA).
• Bookkeeping — €450/month for up to 20 transactions a month.
• FTA deregistration — on request. Cancelling VAT or corporate tax registration in EmaraTax when the company stops trading or closes.

Documents

• MOFA attestation and legalisation — €450 per document. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention: it is not on the HCCH status table as of 17.10.2026. A document issued abroad is first certified by the foreign ministry of the issuing country, then attested by the UAE embassy or consulate in that country, then by MOFA in the UAE (MOFA; UAE Consulate General in New York).
• Power of attorney via Zoom — €450. Dubai notaries can verify identity and consent by video call and sign electronically under Dubai Courts Resolution No. (137) of 2022.
• Mainland company liquidation — €6,600. Visas sponsored by the company are cancelled, tax registrations closed and the licence cancelled.

How company formation in Dubai works with Parallax

1. Brief. Activity, where your clients are, how many visas you need now and next year, budget. We propose a zone.
2. Quote. Scope, government fees, timeline and payment stages are fixed before the first payment.
3. Documents. Passport, photo, application form with beneficial owner details; for UAE residents, Emirates ID and visa. We reserve the trade name.
4. Licence and immigration card. The zone issues the licence and registers the company with immigration.
5. Visa. Entry permit or change of status, medical test, biometrics, Emirates ID.
6. Bank and tax. Corporate tax registration within three months, bank application, VAT once the threshold is reached, bookkeeping.

Timeline as of October 2026. SHAMS and Meydan state online licence issue from 60 minutes and ANCFZ from 2 hours; IFZA does not publish a timeline. The visa and Emirates ID add several weeks, mostly driven by medical appointments and security review. Banks work to their own timelines. You get a schedule together with the quote.

Licence renewal and extra activities

The licence, office solution and immigration card renew every term; visas and Emirates IDs renew in the year they expire. IFZA renewal is €5,200, Meydan renewal €5,500. An extra free zone activity is €350. A visa cannot be renewed on an expired licence, so we start renewal ahead of the expiry date. Ready to compare options? Contact us.

Frequently asked questions

How much does business setup in Dubai cost with Parallax?

Free zone company formation starts from €2,500 (SHAMS or ANCFZ); IFZA is €6,100, Meydan €6,500 and a mainland holding company €10,900. Prices are in euros excluding 5% UAE VAT. The investor residence visa is separate at €2,400. The exact scope and government fees are fixed in the quote before payment.

What does an IFZA licence cost with Parallax?

€6,100 for the licence with a flexi desk, establishment card and 3 activities. Each extra activity is €350, and renewal is €5,200. The visa allocation for your package is confirmed in the quote.

How long does company formation in Dubai take?

Online free zones are fast: SHAMS and Meydan state licence issue from 60 minutes and ANCFZ from 2 hours (zone websites, checked 17.10.2026); IFZA does not publish a timeline. The residence visa and Emirates ID add several weeks for the immigration card, medical test and biometrics. We send a schedule with the quote.

Can I set up a UAE company remotely?

The licence, yes: Meydan, SHAMS and ANCFZ issue it online. For a residence visa you need to come to the UAE, because the medical test and Emirates ID biometrics are done in person. A power of attorney can be signed before a Dubai notary by video call if needed.

Do I need an office for a free zone company in the UAE?

Not a separate one: our IFZA package includes a flexi desk and our Meydan package a shared desk. A Dubai mainland company usually needs leased premises with an Ejari-registered contract. In some zones the office solution sets how many visas the company can sponsor.

Do UAE free zone companies pay corporate tax and VAT?

Corporate tax is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it; a free zone company can keep 0% on qualifying income if it meets the FTA conditions. VAT is 5%, with mandatory registration above AED 375,000 of taxable supplies in 12 months and voluntary registration from AED 187,500. A company incorporated on or after 1 March 2024 must register for corporate tax within three months.

Who qualifies for the UAE Golden Visa?

Investors, entrepreneurs, people with exceptional talent or rare specialisations, outstanding students and several other categories (u.ae). For investors the threshold is AED 2 million in property, a deposit or company capital, or a stake in a company paying at least AED 250,000 a year in tax; GDRFA Dubai lists a 10-year validity. Our Golden Visa service is €5,500 including Emirates ID.

How does MOFA attestation work for documents issued abroad?

The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not enough. The document is certified by the foreign ministry of the issuing country, attested by the UAE embassy or consulate there, then by MOFA in the UAE. Our legalisation service is €450 per document.

Official sources

• IFZA — Set up your business
• IFZA Dubai — home page (Dubai Silicon Oasis address)
• Meydan Free Zone — terms and FAQ
• Shams Free Zone — terms
• Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone (ANCFZ)
• Dubai Legislation Portal — Executive Council Resolution No. (11) of 2025
• u.ae — Corporate tax
• FTA — corporate tax registration timeframes (Decision No. 3 of 2024)
• FTA — Small Business Relief
• u.ae — Value Added Tax
• FTA — Registration for VAT
• u.ae — Golden visa
• GDRFA Dubai — Golden residence permit (investors)
• u.ae — Residence visa for the retired
• u.ae — Residence visa for family members
• Emirates NBD — Business Banking digital account FAQ
• MOFA UAE — Attestation
• MOFA UAE — UAE Consulate General New York, Attestation Information
• HCCH — Apostille Convention, status table
• Dubai Legislation Portal — Resolution No. (137) of 2022 (remote notary)

Contact

Message us on WhatsApp (+420 797 805 005) or Telegram (@parallax_manager), or use the consultation request form.

Parallax LLC is a consulting company licensed in the SHAMS Free Zone, UAE (license 2433370.01). Information on this page is for guidance and is not a public offer; requirements and fees are set by the authorities and can change.