Register a company in Dubai Media City

The company part, largely yes. DDA takes applications online through TECOM's portal or a relationship manager, and a power of attorney signed abroad is notarised and attested up to the UAE Embassy, as is a corporate shareholder's resolution, because the UAE is not in the Apostille Convention. Visas are the in-person part: once the entry permit is issued you fly in for the medical test and Emirates ID, and DDA's rules want the entry permit, passport and contract filed within 48 hours of an employee's arrival. We time that trip with you.

Our registration work starts from $2,900; with a UAE bank account set up, from $5,400. Zone fees come on top: DDA charges AED 3,500 to register and AED 15,000 a year for most DMC licence segments (AED 20,000 for Advertising & Communication), plus AED 10 + AED 10 in Knowledge and Innovation Dirham fees per transaction. The licence fee recurs at every yearly renewal, and the establishment card (AED 2,000) comes before the first visa. Desk or office rent is extra.

Corporate tax is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above, for financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023. VAT is 5%; registration is compulsory once taxable supplies and imports pass AED 375,000 a year and optional from AED 187,500. Withholding tax is 0% and there is no personal income tax. Small business relief (revenue up to AED 3 million, tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029) lets a small company elect to be treated as having no taxable income, but a Qualifying Free Zone Person cannot claim it. Law No. (15) of 2014 promises DDA establishments a 50-year tax exemption; in our reading that emirate law does not displace the federal Corporate Tax Law.

Only on qualifying income, and only while it is a Qualifying Free Zone Person: adequate substance in the zone, audited accounts, transfer-pricing compliance, no election into the standard rates, and non-qualifying revenue within 5% of total revenue or AED 5 million, whichever is lower. Media, advertising and event services are not on the federal list of Qualifying Activities. In our reading of the 2023 and 2025 decisions, that leaves mainly fees from other free zone companies at 0%; work for mainland or foreign clients and sales to individuals count as non-qualifying. Breach a condition and the status is lost for that tax period and the next four. Work this out before you choose the zone, not after the first return.

DMC says about 7 working days once all documents and payments are in: 4 for initial approval and 3 to issue the licence. DDA's own service page allows 10 working days for provisional approval and 2 for registration, so expect 7-12 working days for the licence itself. Notarising and attesting documents abroad comes before that clock starts; the establishment card, visas and bank account come after it. Corporate tax registration with the FTA is due within three months of incorporation.

That is the Company + Bank Account package: we pick UAE banks or EMIs that fit your profile, build the KYC file - source of funds, contracts, business plan - and prepare you for the meeting, in person or by video where the bank allows. Each bank sets its own criteria and timeline, and we tell you where your application stands. The AED 10,000 share capital must be fully paid when the shares are issued, and DDA may ask for evidence of payment.

Visas follow the space you lease: one employee per 80 sq ft, per DMC's FAQ. In D/Quarters, the coworking space in DMC's Building 5, a shared desk carries one work permit, a dedicated desk two and a private office two or more. The establishment card (AED 2,000, issued by GDRFA) comes first, and DDA sponsors the employees. TECOM's own pages publish different visa prices for different products, so we quote the current cost for your case.

Not on the DMC licence alone: DMC's own answer is that you can operate only within the free zone, and DDA fines activity outside it without meeting the requirements AED 20,000. Dubai's Executive Council Resolution No. (11) of 2025 opens routes with the zone's approval: a branch licence (one year; AED 10,000 a year for a branch run out of the free zone) or a temporary permit (up to six months, AED 5,000). The permit covers non-regulated activities, so we check whether yours fits. That mainland revenue is subject to 9% corporate tax and needs separate records; a licensed mainland distributor is the other route.

Not always. DDA's licence decision requires publishing, broadcasting and some social media and e-services licensees to register with the media regulator, and DDA Circular 630 (August 2025) says media activities under Federal Decree-Law No. (55) of 2023 need a licence from the competent authority or the UAE Media Council and must match the activity on the licence. Event ticketing follows DTCM rules, and a non-profit media association needs the Community Development Authority's prior approval. We confirm the Media Council's requirements and fees for your activity before you file.

If you work alone under your own name, DMC's GoFreelance permit is the lighter route: the package costs AED 7,520 without a visa, covers up to three media activities and is issued in your passport name - no company name, no staff. The DDA permit fee itself is AED 7,500 a year, and the optional visa and establishment card are extra. Freelancers skip the annual audit, though DMC advises keeping accurate records. Once you need a brand, employees or partners, it has to be an FZ-LLC or a branch, which is what our packages register.