Business setup in Dubai for Indians: the complete guide

What setup costs in 2026

On my list, a first-year setup costs between AED 5,488 and AED 42,500. The low end is an Ajman free zone licence with no visa. The high end is a Dubai mainland licence for a restricted activity.

Two choices decide most of your bill. The first is where you set up: mainland or a free zone. The second is how many visas you need. Office size, activity and extras come after that.

Look at the government fee column first. That money goes directly to the authority, at their rate. The service fee is the part that changes from one agent to another. Mine is shown next to it, so you can compare any quote line by line.

For the full cost breakdown, read my post on Dubai business setup cost in 2026.

What is not in these numbers?

These are licence and setup numbers. A few things sit outside them. Ask about each one before you pay:

• Office rent, if you need more than the desk or lease in your package.
• Attestation of documents issued in India, if your zone asks for it.
• Visa costs for each extra person, and the medical test and Emirates ID.
• Any minimum balance your bank asks for.
• Your yearly renewal.

Mainland or free zone?

A standard Dubai mainland licence typically costs about AED 25,000 in government fees. The free zones on my list start at AED 4,888. Pay for mainland only when your customers are inside the UAE.

The question I ask first is simple: who will buy from you? Your answer decides the structure. Price comes second.

What does a free zone allow?

A free zone company can be fully foreign owned. But to sell directly in the UAE market, it must work through a licensed mainland distributor or open a mainland branch or company. Each free zone has its own rules and its own authority.

So a free zone fits well when your customers are outside the UAE. Think of an Indian IT firm billing clients abroad, or a trader working with suppliers in other countries. It also fits when you mainly need a UAE company and a visa.

In Dubai, an eligible free zone company can apply for a Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit. It costs AED 5,000 for six months. It is for eligible companies holding a Dubai Unified Licence, so check the conditions first.

What does mainland allow?

Dubai mainland companies are licensed by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). A mainland company can sell directly to customers anywhere in the UAE.

Dubai Economy started applying the new rule on 1 June 2021. Since then, the law has allowed 100 per cent foreign ownership of most mainland companies. So an Indian owner no longer needs a local partner for most activities. A short list of "strategic impact" activities can still have ownership limits.

Some mainland activities are "restricted". They need extra approvals from other government bodies. On my list, the government fee for these is AED 35,000 to 40,000. My fee stays AED 2,500.

Which option on my list fits what?

• Want to test an idea, no visa

  Look at first

  Ajman (ANCFZ) free zone

  Government fee from (AED)

  4,888

• Need your own visa on a small budget

  Look at first

  Ajman (ANCFZ) with 1 visa

  Government fee from (AED)

  10,800

• Want a Dubai free zone address

  Look at first

  Meydan or IFZA

  Government fee from (AED)

  12,520

• Sell directly to UAE customers

  Look at first

  Dubai mainland

  Government fee from (AED)

  25,000

This is a starting point, not a rule. Your exact activity decides it. For a deeper comparison, read mainland or free zone and my cheapest free zone comparison. You can also compare jurisdictions side by side.

The documents you need

For an individual owner, the core document is your passport. Meydan Free Zone asks for a valid passport copy for each shareholder. The copy should be clear and match the details on your application.

Other zones ask for a little more. IFZA lists a licence application form with owner (UBO) details, a passport copy and a digital passport photo. UBO means ultimate beneficial owner: the real person who owns the company. If you already live in the UAE, IFZA also asks for your Emirates ID and visa copy.

Keep these ready before you start:

• A colour copy of your passport, valid and easy to read.
• A recent passport-size photo, in digital form.
• Your UAE visa and Emirates ID copy, if you already live here.
• A short note on what the company will do, and the activity names you want.
• Three name ideas for the company, in case the first is taken.

What if my Indian company will own the shares?

Then the zone asks about the company too. Meydan lists passport copies of owners and managers, plus the parent company's incorporation documents and a board resolution. A board resolution is a signed decision by the directors to set up the UAE company.

Do documents from India need attestation?

Sometimes. If your zone asks for an attested document issued in India, there is a set order. MOFA says the original must first be attested by the foreign ministry of the issuing country. Then it is attested by the UAE Embassy or Consulate in that country. Last, it is attested by MOFA in the UAE, online or through its app.

If an Indian company owns the shares, ask which of its papers need attestation. Ask your zone for its list before you start. Attestation takes time, so begin early.

Can you set up from India?

For the licence, often you can start from India. Meydan says on its page for Indian founders that you can apply remotely from India without travelling to Dubai. IFZA says Dubai offers 100% remote company formations for free zone setups.

That is the licence. A residence visa is a different step. Applicants aged 18 and over need a medical test, and applicants also need an Emirates ID. Meydan, for example, says it schedules the medical test and biometrics through its own service.

Not every zone works the same way. Ask your zone which steps need you in the UAE. My advice is to plan for at least one trip, for the visa steps and to meet your bank.

How Indian passport holders enter the UAE

It depends on what other documents you hold. Dubai's GDRFA says Indian citizens with an ordinary passport can get a 14-day visa on arrival. They must hold one of these:

• A US green card, or a US visa (GDRFA's terms list both).
• A UK residence visa.
• An EU residence visa.

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months. The US, UK or EU document must also be valid for at least 6 months. If you don't hold one of these, check the visit visa options on the official portal before you book. Entry rules change, so check again close to your travel date.

How owner visas work

In Ajman (ANCFZ), one visa moves the government fee from AED 4,888 to AED 10,800. My fee moves from AED 600 to AED 1,500. Your total becomes AED 12,300.

As the owner, you usually get an investor or partner visa through your own company. Each licence has a visa quota: how many visas it allows. Check the quota before you choose a package.

Meydan, for example, says you are eligible for an investor or partner visa if you have invested AED 50,000 share capital or more. Share capital is the money you put into the company as its owner. Rules like this differ by zone, so ask before you pick.

What do Meydan visas add?

Meydan lists its visa costs as separate items. These are the costs Meydan publishes per visa:

• Immigration card

  Government fee (AED)

  2,000

• Quota

  Government fee (AED)

  1,850

• Visa, investor or partner

  Government fee (AED)

  4,000

• Visa, employee

  Government fee (AED)

  3,500

• Status change (only if inside the UAE)

  Government fee (AED)

  1,500

• Medical and Emirates ID

  Government fee (AED)

  2,250

Ask me which items apply to you. For a Meydan visa, ask me for the exact service fee and the total for your case on WhatsApp. For a full Meydan bill, see Meydan free zone cost.

Can my family join me?

Often, yes. Meydan says an investor visa lets you live, work, and sponsor your family in the UAE. Family visas have their own conditions and costs. Ask me before you plan the move.

What if I keep living in India?

This rule matters if you stay in India. A UAE residence visa is nullified if you live outside the UAE for more than 180 days continuously. A sponsored visa can be issued for 1, 2 or 3 years. The same page lists exceptions, including "investors holding valid residence visas in the UAE". Ask me whether yours counts before you rely on it.

So if you plan to run the company from India, think about whether you need a visa at all on day one. A licence with no visa costs less. You can add a visa later, if your quota allows it.

What about the Golden Visa?

The Golden Visa is a long-term residence visa for people who meet set conditions. On my list, the government fee is about AED 12,000 and my fee is AED 2,000. Not everyone qualifies, so check first. See my Golden Visa service.

Opening a UAE bank account

You can apply, but the bank decides. Not me, not the free zone. My bank account service starts from AED 2,000. That fee is for preparing your file and dealing with the bank, not for approval.

I can't promise you an account, and neither can anyone else. If someone promises one, ask them what happens if the bank says no.

Expect the bank to ask what your company does and where your customers are. It will also ask where the money comes from. Have clear answers and papers ready.

Have these ready:

• Your trade licence and company documents.
• Your passport, and your visa and Emirates ID if you have them.
• A short business plan with expected customers and suppliers.
• Contracts or invoices, if you already trade.
• Bank statements that show where your money comes from.

Ask the bank what minimum balance it needs. I don't control it. For more, read my guide to a corporate bank account in UAE or see my bank account service.

What you pay and file yearly

In year two you pay the renewal. A UAE trade licence typically remains valid for one year. The government renewal fee is set by your authority. My renewal fee is AED 1,000.

Don't let it lapse. RAKEZ says a licence that is not renewed in time expires, and business activities are suspended. Put the renewal date in your calendar the day you get your licence.

What about UAE corporate tax?

UAE corporate tax is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000, and 9% above that. It covers businesses working under a commercial licence in the UAE, free zones included.

You also need to register. The Federal Tax Authority covers companies set up on or after 1 March 2024. They must apply to register within three months from the date of incorporation. That includes free zone companies. Free zone companies can have special rules on top of this. Speak to a registered tax advisor in the UAE about your case.

What about Indian tax and rules?

I only work on the UAE side. Your position in India is a separate question for your own advisor in India. I don't advise on Indian tax or Indian rules.

Three topics are worth raising with your chartered accountant:

• Sending money out. Indian residents invest abroad under the RBI's overseas investment directions. These include reporting through your bank.
• The yearly limit. The Liberalised Remittance Scheme lets a resident individual send up to USD 250,000 per financial year.
• Where the company is run from. Indian tax law can treat a foreign company as resident in India. That happens if its place of effective management is in India. Ask your accountant if this applies to you.

Before you send money or sign anything, check Indian rules with your chartered accountant. Do it before you set up, not after. Then bring their answer to me, and I'll match the UAE side to it.

Visa and bank checks can also be stricter for some nationalities. The bank and the immigration authority decide this, not me. Allow extra time and keep your papers consistent.

Which mistakes cost Indian owners the most?

Most of these are small decisions made too early. Each one is easy to avoid if you know about it before you pay.

Picking the zone before the activity

Your activity decides which zones and which licence types work for you. Write down everything you plan to sell in the next 12 months. Then pick the cheapest structure that covers all of it. Adding an activity later can mean extra fees and paperwork.

Paying for visas you don't use

A visa you don't need yet is money spent early. If you will stay in India for most of the year, remember the 180-day rule and its exceptions above. Start with the visas you need now. Add more when the business needs them, if your quota allows it.

Signing a quote that doesn't split the fees

Ask every agent to split the quote into government fee and service fee. If two quotes show a different government fee for the same licence, ask why. One may include extras, or one may be out of date. Big firm or small, ask for the same split. The government fee line is set by the authority, so the service fee is the part you are comparing.

Forgetting the dates after setup

Three dates matter in year one: the corporate tax registration deadline, the licence renewal date and each visa expiry. Put all three in your calendar on the day you get your licence.

The setup order, step by step

Most setups follow the same order. Times differ by zone, so I don't promise a date.

1. Pick the structure. Decide mainland or free zone, based on where your customers are.
2. Pick the activities. Choose the exact activity names your licence will carry.
3. Reserve a name. Give the zone three options.
4. Send documents. Passport copy, photo, and company papers if a company owns the shares.
5. Pay the government fee. It goes directly to the authority.
6. Get the licence. You receive the licence and company documents.
7. Apply for visas. Medical test, Emirates ID, and any other steps your zone needs.
8. Apply for the bank account. The bank reviews your file and decides.
9. Register for corporate tax. Within three months, on the Federal Tax Authority system.

If you live in the UAE on an employer visa, read starting a business while employed first. If you plan to stay in India, see my post on how to set up a UAE company from India. For help with any step, see my business setup service.

Still not sure

Send me your activity and visa count on WhatsApp. I will split your quote into the government fee and my fee. You can also check the numbers first in my cost calculator.

This is general information, not tax or legal advice. For your personal case, speak to a registered tax advisor.