Register a company in Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone

Largely. You do not need to be a UAE resident, and a power-of-attorney holder can submit the original application; documents are uploaded to ADAFZ's online portal. Travel still comes into it. ADAFZ's FAQ says 'the shareholder / Director / Manager' should have visited the UAE at least once by the time of registration. The same FAQ notes that the Commercial Companies Law does not require a manager to live in the UAE, yet names the manager as the one person who must move his or her visa to ADAFZ, so we confirm what the zone expects for your manager. Residence visas then need a medical test and an Emirates ID application in the UAE.

Our registration work starts from $2,900; with a UAE bank account set up, from $5,400. Zone fees come on top: ADAFZ's packages run from 6,000 a year (Starter: two service activities, a Smart Desk, no visa) to 16,000 a year (Enterprise), with registration and licence fees included, and the price lines show no currency or VAT note while the zone's other fees are in AED. The package pages also list the establishment card (AED 1,000, valid three years), the online system activation (AED 2,500, then AED 1,500 a year) and, per employee visa, AED 1,500 for two years plus a refundable AED 2,500 deposit, with the medical test, Emirates ID and health insurance excluded.

No. The zone's FAQ says entities operating solely within the free zone 'will enjoy tax holidays', but federal corporate tax applies: 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above. A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on qualifying income (from free zone customers, or from qualifying activities such as logistics services, manufacturing or aircraft financing and leasing) and 9% on the rest. It keeps the status only with adequate substance, audited accounts and non-qualifying revenue within 5% of the total or AED 5,000,000, whichever is lower. VAT is 5%, withholding tax is 0%, and there is no personal income tax.

It depends on which ADAFZ page you read. The home page shows four steps ending with the licence on day 3-4, the startup page says 'as little as 7 days', and the FAQ says 14-21 business days from enquiry to licence, subject to complete legal documents. We plan on 14-21 business days. Visas and the bank account run on their own timelines, and corporate tax registration is due within three months of incorporation.

ADAFZ ties visas to space: one visa per 8 m² of office and one per 16 m² of warehouse. Among the packages, Starter has no visa, Startup Pro includes one visa with stamping and Emirates ID, and Entrepreneur and Enterprise carry a quota of two. The FAQ also says a company must lease a facility to obtain a licence, while Starter and Startup Pro are sold with a Smart Desk and 'No Lease', so we ask the zone how it applies to your package before you pay.

Not on the free zone licence alone. According to the zone's FAQ, an ADAFZ LLC can obtain a dual licence from ADDED, Abu Dhabi's Department of Economic Development, without a local sponsor, or open a representative office in Abu Dhabi with an ADDED licence; otherwise, selling directly in the local market generally needs a mainland licence or a local distributor. ADDED's terms and fees for these routes are not published on the pages we rely on, so we confirm them for your activity. For a Qualifying Free Zone Person, income of a mainland branch is taxed at 9%.

You can, by applying to a bank directly, and the bank decides. ADAFZ's FAQ lets you choose any bank branch operating in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and confirms accounts in US dollars and other major currencies. It also says the authorities impose no restrictions on moving capital or profits, and the application form asks for your proposed banker in Abu Dhabi. Each bank sets its own criteria and timeline; our Company + Bank Account package covers the shortlist and the KYC file, and we prepare you for the bank meeting.

Share capital starts at AED 25,000 according to the zone's FAQ, while the application form says the minimum is to be checked with the ADAFZ registration team. Neither says whether the capital must be paid up, deposited in a bank or proved, so we confirm those rules before you sign. One person or one company may own all the shares.

Packages are priced per year with registration and licence fees included, and ADAFZ's FAQ separately puts the licence fee at AED 4,000 a year for most activities. The online system renews at AED 1,500 a year, the establishment card is valid for three years and employee visas for two, and changes to the company's details go to ADAFZ in writing within 15 days. Federal rules add the UBO register, corporate tax registration and a return within nine months of year-end, which may be a nil return. ADAFZ publishes no renewal deadline, late fees or audit rule, so we confirm them; a company claiming the QFZP 0% needs audited financial statements in any case.

Starter is the 6,000-a-year headline: two service activities, a Smart Desk with 'No Lease' and no visa. ADAFZ's FAQ says a company must lease a facility to obtain a licence, and that the manager must move his or her visa to ADAFZ; neither sits easily with Starter. If your manager needs an ADAFZ visa, we price Startup Pro, which includes one visa, next to Starter and ask the zone how both rules apply before you pay.