Company Registration in UAE

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For most founders, the LLC — Limited Liability Company is the recommended default vehicle for general commercial licensing in the UAE, whether it is formed onshore (mainland, under the relevant Emirate's Department of Economic Development) or within a free zone as an FZE (single shareholder) / FZ-LLC (multiple shareholders). Other legal forms are also available — including branches of foreign companies, representative offices, civil companies, partnerships, sole establishments, offshore companies (e.g. JAFZA Offshore, RAK ICC), and joint stock companies for larger enterprises — see the Basic company reference table for the full list of options and their typical use cases.

UAE company registration is split structurally between: - Onshore (mainland) companies, registered with the Department of Economic Development (DED) of the relevant Emirate; - Free zone companies, registered with the relevant Free Zone Authority (e.g. JAFZA, DMCC, RAKEZ, DAFZA); - Financial free zones — the DIFC and ADGM, which operate their own company registrars under separate common-law-based frameworks.

Once incorporated, companies commonly bank with one of the UAE's major banks, including First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) (in operation since 1975), and Mashreq Bank (in operation since 1967, and described in its own materials as the oldest bank in the UAE/MENA region). All three are regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE.

The UAE is an attractive base for company formation because of its federal tax framework and its multiple specialised regulators for virtual-asset and financial business, which allow founders to choose a licensing pathway suited to their activity and location:

• The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) applies federal corporate tax of 9% on profits over AED 375,000, and has confirmed 0% VAT treatment for qualifying virtual-asset transactions, applied retroactively to January 2018.
• In Dubai, the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) is the dedicated regulator for virtual-asset business under its Virtual Assets and Related Activities Regulations (effective 7 February 2023), covering advisory, broker-dealer, custody, exchange, lending/borrowing, payment/remittance, virtual asset management and investment services, and tokenization on the Dubai mainland (excluding DIFC-based firms).
• Within the Dubai International Financial Centre, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) operates its own separate virtual-asset regulatory regime, distinct from VARA.
• Within the Abu Dhabi Global Market, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) oversees tokenization and virtual-asset activities, with potential 0% qualifying-income tax treatment subject to substance conditions.
• The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) licenses crypto-related business through its dedicated Crypto Centre, part of its Blockchain Strategy 2021.
• The International Free Zone Authority (IFZA) licenses crypto exchange and storage activity, requiring a business plan, financial guarantees, and AML/KYC compliance, without a share-capital requirement.
• At federal level, the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) oversees securities/commodities, including crypto-asset licensing outside VARA's Dubai-specific scope.

This page covers Basic company formation in the United Arab Emirates — the foundational step required before any UAE-regulated business activity, including virtual-asset and crypto-related business, can be carried out. The UAE offers a choice between onshore (mainland) registration and a wide range of free zone regimes, giving founders flexibility to match their company structure to their target activity and target regulator.

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• Basic — EUR 4,900.00: entry-level package for company formation in the UAE, suited to straightforward incorporation needs and clients seeking the most cost-efficient starting point.
• Standard — EUR 9,000.00: mid-tier package offering broader support than the Basic tier for clients with more involved requirements.
• Premium — EUR 15,400.00: the most comprehensive package, intended for clients seeking the highest level of support and attention available.

For all tiers, the specific emirate or free zone is confirmed with the client before quoting exact terms.

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Discover company formation and licensing opportunities across leading international jurisdictions.

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• Federal Tax Authority