Register a company in Dubai Outsource City

Mostly. The DDA takes applications online through axs, and someone can file for you under a power of attorney notarised in your country and attested by the UAE embassy - the UAE is not part of the Apostille Convention. Corporate shareholders send their resolution through the same chain. The residence visa is the step that needs you in the UAE: after the entry permit is issued, you come for the medical test and Emirates ID. Banks may also want to meet you.

Our registration work starts from $2,900; with a UAE bank account set up, from $5,400. Zone fees come on top: AED 3,500 to register and AED 15,000 a year for the Outsource licence, plus AED 10 + AED 10 in Knowledge and Innovation Dirham fees per transaction and a lease that DOC prices on enquiry. The licence renews every year at the tariff. Visas need the establishment card (AED 2,000 on TECOM's pages) and visa fees that TECOM's own pages quote differently, so we confirm them in your quote. The AED 300,000 capital is the company's own money, paid up, not a fee.

DOC states AED 300,000 of paid-up capital for FZ-LLCs incorporated there, and the DDA's licence decision sets the same figure for the Outsource segment, against a default of AED 10,000. Shares are paid in full when issued. A branch of an existing company has no minimum, so a group with a parent company can consider a branch instead. The DDA's table names the Outsource segment, so for a company licensed only under the Data Centre or a General segment we confirm the figure with the DDA. The Registrar sets what evidence of payment it accepts, and we confirm that before you transfer.

DOC says it usually takes 7 working days once all documents and payments are in: about 4 for initial approval and 3 for the licence. The DDA's own service page allows 10 working days for provisional approval and 2 for registration, so the official range is 7 to 12 working days. The establishment card and visas follow the licence. Corporate tax registration with the FTA is due within three months of incorporation, and the FTA's processing time is 20 business days.

Only on qualifying income, and only as a QFZP that keeps substance in the zone, audited accounts and transfer-pricing records. As we read the Ministry of Finance's list, customer care, transaction processing, document management and similar services are not Qualifying Activities. Income from other free zone companies can still qualify when they are the beneficial recipients, and a group's own shared-service centre may fall under headquarter services to related parties - we check the definitions before you rely on it. Income from mainland or foreign clients is non-qualifying, and once it passes 5% of revenue or AED 5,000,000, whichever is lower, QFZP status goes for five tax periods. The company then pays 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above.

The Outsource segment has eight: customer care, transaction processing, third-party administration, IT management, document management, disaster recovery centres, operations support and manpower supply, one per licence unless the DDA allows more. Data centres take their own segment with consultancy, design and operations. DOC also lists General-segment licences such as consultancy and regional headquarters, at AED 15,000 a year each. There is no DOC freelancer segment: the GoFreelance package shown on DOC's site names Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Design District and Dubai Knowledge Park as its host communities. A licensee without a customs code may not import goods.

DOC allows one sponsored employee for every 80 sq ft of leased space, so the lease decides the number. The DDA sponsors employees under an agreement with the company, can cap how many it sponsors and sets a bank guarantee per non-UAE employee; we confirm the amount for your case. DOC's government services team can arrange visas for partner companies, and families can be sponsored through axs. Each employment contract is filed with the DDA, and the employer provides medical insurance.

Not on the DOC licence alone: it is valid only for business inside the free zone, and the DDA fines activity outside the zone without meeting its requirements AED 20,000. DOC says products can reach other emirates through distributors. In Dubai, Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025 adds a branch licence or a temporary permit: a branch operating out of the free zone costs AED 10,000 a year and the permit AED 5,000 for up to six months. The DDA runs an e-service for the NOC to the Department of Economy and Tourism. A branch or permit needs separate financial records, and that mainland income is taxed at 9% even for a QFZP.

Each bank applies its own criteria and timetable. Expect questions on the source of funds, your contracts and the business plan, and possibly a meeting. The AED 300,000 capital has to be paid up in full, and the Registrar sets what evidence of payment it accepts. Our Company + Bank Account package shortlists UAE banks and EMIs for your profile, builds the KYC file and prepares you for the meeting, in person or by video where the bank allows.

The licence renews online each year at the tariff, and the DDA can revoke a licence over unpaid late-renewal fees or if business has not started within 90 days of issue. Audited accounts go to the DDA through axs within six months of the year-end, with a summary sheet; a missed filing costs AED 10,000, doubled if repeated within a year. The company holds a members' meeting every calendar year, keeps its UBO declaration current in the DDA system and files the corporate tax return within nine months of the end of the tax period. Operations-support licensees also keep client contracts ready for inspection.