Register a company in DMCC

Yes, for the company itself. DMCC runs pre-approval, registration and licensing online: a video call checks each signatory against the passport, and the documents are signed through DocuSign. A corporate shareholder's documents are notarised at home and at least one is attested by a UAE embassy; the UAE is not party to the Apostille Convention. The trip comes with the residence visa: the medical test and Emirates ID need you in the UAE.

Our registration work starts from $4,900; with a UAE bank account set up, from $7,400. Zone fees come on top: DMCC's Basic Biz package is AED 35,484 for the first year with a one-visa special flexi desk (individual shareholders only), and standard set-up fees are AED 34,185 before any desk. From the second year a trading or service licence renews at AED 20,265 and the establishment card at AED 1,805, plus rent for the desk or office.

Corporate tax is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it. A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on qualifying income and 9% on the rest. To keep that status it needs adequate substance in the zone, audited accounts and transfer pricing compliance, and its non-qualifying revenue must stay within 5% of total revenue or AED 5,000,000, whichever is lower. VAT is 5%, withholding tax 0%, and there is no personal income tax. The return and any tax are due within nine months of year-end.

Only for a Qualifying Free Zone Person, and only when the goods and the deals pass the federal test. A qualifying commodity needs a quoted price from a recognised exchange or price reporting agency: metals, minerals, industrial chemicals, energy and agricultural goods, and environmental commodities such as carbon credits. Products packaged for retail sale do not count, and sales to individuals are excluded. A trader that earns 51% or more of its revenue from distribution, warehousing, logistics or inventory management falls outside the activity. DMCC publishes no rule of its own here; the federal test decides.

DMCC's formation guideline gives 5-7 working days for pre-approval, then 2-3 for registration and 2-3 for licensing; its setup page says around 10 working days in total. We confirm the timing for your file in the quote. Employee visas take up to 20 working days, and the FTA processes a corporate tax registration within 20 business days of a complete application.

An operating company needs a valid lease or freehold inside DMCC; SPVs and holding companies need only a registered office address. Visas follow the space: one on a special flexi desk, three on a standard flexi desk, and offices by size, since DMCC publishes no formula. Extra visas go only to companies in a physical unit, not on a flexi desk or in a business centre. Investor visas are for sole-shareholder companies, and a partner visa needs AED 50,000 of share value.

DMCC offers banking support through its member portal, names Mashreq, mBank, ADIB and Wio Business as partner banks, and issues the NOC to open a bank account for AED 265. The decision stays with the bank, which accepts or declines at its sole discretion. We match banks or EMIs to your profile and build the source-of-funds file before the meeting.

Not on the free zone licence alone. DMCC's rules require the Registrar's acknowledgement letter for any business outside the zone, plus the approvals of the other authorities concerned, and DMCC's fee list prices an NOC to operate onshore at AED 265. In Dubai, Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025 offers a branch licence or a temporary permit valid for up to six months at AED 5,000; across the UAE, the other routes are a licensed mainland distributor or a mainland branch or company. For a Qualifying Free Zone Person, mainland branch income is taxed at 9%. We confirm the route with DMCC for your activity before you apply.

Renew the licence on or before expiry - AED 20,265 for a trading or service licence, plus AED 2,500 if you are 31-60 days late - and the establishment card at AED 1,805. Renewal also needs an operational fitness certificate and workmen's compensation insurance for active employees. Accounts are audited by a firm on DMCC's approved list and uploaded within six months of year-end; a company dormant for the whole year is exempt. The AGM falls within 18 months of registration and every 12 months after. The beneficial-owner register stays current, and the corporate tax return is due within nine months of year-end.

Often not for a solo consultant. Meydan's licence with a flexi desk starts at AED 12,500, with visas and the immigration card extra, against AED 35,484 for DMCC's Basic Biz, and DMCC requires a yearly audit by a firm on its approved list. DMCC earns its fees when you trade commodities, gold or diamonds, need a crypto licence, or will hire enough people to need a real office. We tell you which case you are in before you pay anything.