Trade licence
The quoted figure. Varies by free zone and by the activities you register — adding a second activity often costs more than expected.
Most setup quotes price one thing: the trade licence. The rest of the first year arrives in pieces — visa quota, premises, medical tests, identity cards, bank minimums, and the renewal that lands twelve months later. Budget from the full list, not the headline.
The quoted figure. Varies by free zone and by the activities you register — adding a second activity often costs more than expected.
One-off charges from the authority, separate from the licence itself and rarely shown in the headline price.
A flexi-desk is the minimum, and it is what sets your visa quota. A real office costs more but raises the quota and satisfies substance requirements.
Each residence visa is priced separately: entry permit, status change, medical test, Emirates ID, stamping. Multiply by the number of people.
Account opening is usually free; the minimum balance is not. Falling below it triggers a monthly charge.
Corporate tax registration and annual filing are mandatory. A free zone company claiming the zero rate also needs audited statements.
Everything above repeats annually, licence and visas alike. The second year is rarely cheaper than the first.
Four decisions that change the total more than the choice of zone.
This is the single biggest variable. One shareholder visa and five staff visas are different budgets, and the quota depends on your premises.
Some activities require approvals from a sector regulator, which adds both cost and weeks. Check before you commit to a zone.
A shared desk keeps the licence cheap but caps the quota and may not satisfy substance tests. An office removes both problems at a price.
Free zone is usually cheaper to start. Mainland costs more but lets you invoice UAE clients directly — which, for many businesses, is the whole point.
Overruns in the first year are rarely caused by the licence. They come from the same handful of places.
Every additional person carries the full visa chain, and the quota may force you into larger premises to get there. This is the most common miscalculation.
Corporate tax registration is mandatory for everyone. The zero rate on qualifying income is conditional, and keeping it requires audited accounts — a recurring cost many budgets omit entirely.
Setup is priced as a project, but the licence and every visa renew annually. Treat the first year as recurring, not one-off.
Money parked to satisfy a minimum balance is capital you cannot use. It is not a fee, but it belongs in the plan.
Certain activities need clearance from a regulator before the licence is issued. That is time as well as money, and it is discovered late if nobody checked.
Because they price different scopes. One includes the licence only, another bundles visas, premises and the establishment card. Compare line items, never totals.
To start, usually yes. Over time it depends on who your customers are: selling to UAE mainland clients from a free zone brings tax and licensing consequences that erase the saving.
You can hold a licence without taking a residence visa, but banking becomes considerably harder, and you have no residency status yourself.
A small free zone with a flexi-desk and one visa. It is a real option — provided your customers are outside the UAE mainland and you accept the quota limits.
Almost never. Registration with the tax authority and annual filing are separate services, and they are mandatory regardless of whether tax is due.
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