A company in Dubai costs from AED 11,000 to AED 55,000 and more for the basic package alone — roughly $3,000 to $15,000 — before a residence visa or a bank account. The range is that wide because a licence on paper and a company you can actually operate, with a visa and a bank account, are two different budgets. The final figure depends on the jurisdiction, the business activity, the number of residence visas and the running costs around them.
The first consultation is free. In it we give you a budget for your case, not a market average.
⚠️ These prices are indicative and reflect LaWEra's figures as of September 2026. Free zones revise their fees almost every year, and government fees are charged separately. We quote an exact figure once we know the activity, the number of visas and the zone — those three move it the most.
Jurisdictions and what they cost
We register companies in every free zone in the UAE and on the mainland, so the zone is chosen for your business and your bank rather than from a short list of habits.
| Option | Suits | Licence and registration, AED |
|---|---|---|
| Budget Dubai free zones (e.g. Meydan, IFZA) | IT, consulting, services, e-commerce; 100% foreign ownership | from 10,500–15,000 |
| Premium free zones (DMCC, DIFC) | Commodity trading, finance, larger structures | from 35,000–50,000 and up |
| Mainland (Department of Economy and Tourism licence, formerly DED) | Services and trade directly on the UAE domestic market | 15,000–30,000 plus office lease of 10,000–30,000 a year |
| Offshore company | Holding company with no operations inside the UAE | 10,000–25,000 |
Budget free zones. The usual choice for services and IT. The base licence price often already includes a virtual office (flexi-desk) and processing for one visa — worth checking package by package.
Premium free zones. Higher licence fees and stricter requirements for premises and infrastructure. They pay off when the zone's standing matters to counterparties or to a regulator.
Mainland. A mainland company needs a real lease on a physical office registered with Ejari. That adds AED 10,000 to 30,000 a year, and it is the line most often left out when mainland is compared with a free zone.
Offshore. The company does not trade in the UAE and serves as a holding vehicle. Opening a corporate account for it with a local bank is currently very difficult, and for some nationalities close to impossible. We recommend offshore only when a UAE account is not needed or the banking solution has been worked out in advance.
How to choose between mainland and a free zone: mainland or free zone and choosing a free zone.
A turnkey budget for the first year
When an advert says "a company for AED 12,500", that is usually the licence alone. The real first-year budget for a single founder in a free zone with one visa looks like this:
| Cost item | Indicative, AED |
|---|---|
| Free zone licence (basic) | 12,500–16,000 |
| Registered address or co-working desk, if not in the package | 3,000–6,000 |
| Founder's residence visa for 2 years, with medical test and Emirates ID | 4,000–7,000 |
| Support with opening the bank account | 4,000–11,000 |
| Bookkeeping and corporate tax preparation | from 11,000 a year (or from 900–1,500 a month) |
| Total, first year, turnkey | ~35,000–55,000 (≈ $9,500–15,000) |
More visas — for family or staff — add a visa per person and, in some zones, larger premises, because the visa quota is tied to the office. See office or flexi-desk.
Costs people forget
- Minimum balance at the bank. Traditional UAE banks (Emirates NBD, RAKBANK and others) often require an average monthly balance of AED 25,000 to 50,000, or charge a monthly fee. Digital banks (for example Wio or Mashreq Neo) usually ask for less. We check the specific bank's terms at the time of opening.
- Corporate tax. Every company must register with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), even with no profit; missing the deadline carries a AED 10,000 penalty. An ordinary taxpayer pays 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it. A Qualifying Free Zone Person has no such threshold: 0% applies only to qualifying income, and everything else is taxed at 9% from the first dirham. More in UAE corporate tax and QFZP status.
- Renewal in year two. In our experience, renewing the licence and visa costs about 80–90% of the first year's outlay, excluding one-off services such as opening the bank account.
- Government fees are paid separately from our fees.
A bank account without a mandatory deposit
We open corporate accounts with no mandatory deposit, no hidden charges and no insurance or investment products bundled in. If a bank has its own minimum-balance rule, we tell you before the application goes in. The decision to open an account is the bank's, and nobody can guarantee it. How we prepare the file: UAE bank account.
Property and disputes
Fees for property transactions and disputes are set case by case: they depend on how complex the matter is and how many of our lawyers it needs. We quote once we have seen the documents. How we work: real estate, developer disputes and legal support.
Frequently asked questions
Can I set up a company for AED 12,500?
A licence, yes, in a budget zone. A company you can live and work through — with a visa, a bank account and bookkeeping — usually costs AED 35,000–55,000 in the first year.
Are government fees included?
No. Government fees and charges are paid separately, and we tell you the amounts before work starts.
Why are the prices "indicative"?
Zones change their fees almost every year, and the total depends on the activity and the number of visas. So this page gives ranges as of September 2026; the exact budget follows a review of your case.
How to start
The first consultation is free. Message us on WhatsApp or Telegram at +971 58 600 98 87, or call our Dubai office on +971 4 585 7471. Five answers are enough for a budget: who pays you and from which countries, what you sell, how many people are relocating, whether you need an office, and whether you plan to work with government clients. How we handle registration step by step: company setup; who we are: about us.