Answers to popular questions

What legal forms of companies are exist in the UAE?
Companies can be divided into 3 groups, depending on the place of registration:
• The territory of one of the emirates
• UAE Free Economic Zone
• Offshore zone

Each group has its own specificity of company’s registration and operation.

Company registration in the UAE
Suitable for a businesses focused on work with retail customers: trade, restaurant business, and other different services. You can obtain licenses for such activities in almost all free economic zones, but the activity of the company will be limited to the territory of the FEZ. That means you will not be able to work outside the zone. There are also a number of business fields that can be licensed only in the UAE:

• Real estate agencies
• Public transport companies
• Banking
• Travel agencies etc

An important thing is to involve a local citizen in the company's activities (in one form or another). This is a mandatory requirement. If you need more information about the company registration details, you can find it in a special section of the site.

Company Registration in the UAE Free Economic Zone
Suitable for businesses that have no plans to provide services in the country independently. Free economic zones and other countries are available for doing business. It is possible by using local agent companies on the territory of the Emirates. The undoubted advantage of this form of company registration is the opportunity to get 100% ownership by a foreign citizen. Licensing, obtaining visas and other official procedures is relatively easier than in the UAE, but much more expensive.

Offshore registration in the UAE
Suitable for businesses that don’t plan to work in the United Arab Emirates in any form. There are lot of opportunities of using offshore companies. For example, it can be founders of other companies in the UAE, that is useful action to hide the real beneficiaries of the company. Also, offshore companies can buy real estate in the country and open accounts in local banks.

The reasons and advantages of opening the offshore in the UAE
There are many advantages and reasons for opening an offshore company in the UAE. We note eight major benefits below:

• No taxation in the UAE;
• Your company can be registered in just two days;
• Full foreign ownership;
• Corporate bank account in the country;
• No financial reports and audit;
• IBC / ICC Companies Registry is not publicly available;
• Clear and stable corporate law;
• Low cost ICC registration.

Do I need to visit the United Arab Emirates to register the offshore company there?
No, IBC registration in Dubai doesn’t require your visit to United Arab Emirates. However, you need to arrive in the country to get a bank account. Therefore, it will be easier to arrive in the United Arab Emirates for both company registration and account opening. You need just 1 day to complete all the tasks.
What are the requirements for opening a residential account in an UAE bank?
Documents to be submitted:

• Passport with UAE visa;
• ID card (Emirates ID);
• Invoice for the utility payments (water or electricity bill).

Minimum money balance requirements for a private personal resident bank account in Dubai are completely insignificant. A bank account can be used to both receive and send money transfers to corporate accounts in case that your bank is know the source of such transfers.
The general advantages of a residential bank account include the full range of online banking system services, the issuance of debit cards with the possibility of further receiving Premium class cards or platinum cards with higher limits for withdrawing cash and credit cards such as Visa or MasterCard, as well as issuing a checkbook. The last one is the preferred method of payment, because it simplifies payment procedure throughout the Emirates.

How to get residence permit and resident visa?
There are several ways to get a resident visa and UAE residence permit.

1. Buy a property
By purchasing residential property worth from 1 million dirham in Dubai or another Emirate, you get a residence permit in the UAE. The term of the residence visa in this case is 2 years.

2. Sign an employment contract
If you are planning to find an official job in Dubai or another Emirate, you will need a work visa. The employer prepares it yourself. On average, the process lasts 2-3 weeks.

3. Open your own company in the Emirates
This is the most convenient and profitable way to obtain a business visa in the UAE for most people. Its preparation takes only a few weeks and it is quite inexpensive. Moreover, it is not necessary for the company to conduct real activities. It’s a purely formal thing.

• Domestic market of the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf countries
• Doing business in the UAE without restrictions on activities
• The lowest tax burden on business in the world
• Lack of bureaucratic barriers and ease of doing business

910
LEGAL ENTITIES, BRANCHES AND REPRESENTATIVE OFFICES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED SINCE 2008
35
COURT DECISIONS IN THE COURTS OF ALL EMIRATES
133
COMPANIES ARE PROVIDED WITH EITHER FULL OR PARTIAL ACCOUNTING SERVICES
IN TOUCH WITH US
+971 4 360 5561
Office 1913, Al Manara Tower, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE
WORK SCHEDULE
SUNDAY - THURSDAY 9:00 – 18:00
FRIDAY DAY OFF
SATURDAY 10:00 – 16:00