Register a company in Expo City Dubai

Yes, for the company itself. On ECDA's Business Hub packages every stage runs on the ECDA Portal, and paper applications are not accepted. Legal documents and the lease can be signed on a video call, with the shareholder or legal representative showing an original passport. If we file for you, ECDA asks for an attested power of attorney. Visas need a trip: the holder enters the UAE on the entry permit, then takes the medical test and applies for the Emirates ID.

Our registration work starts from $2,900; with a UAE bank account set up, from $5,400. Zone fees come on top: ECDA's Business Hub package 1 is AED 12,520 for a year with VAT, package 2 with four visas is AED 17,570, and the standard licence is shown at AED 18,080 a year without a list of what it includes, so we itemise it for you. Each visa adds ECDA's fee of AED 2,700 to 4,500, plus insurance, the medical test and Emirates ID.

No. Law No. (14) of 2022 promises a 0% tax rate for 50 years, but that is a Dubai guarantee, and federal corporate tax applies to free zone companies. A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on qualifying income and 9% on other taxable income, provided it meets the conditions, among them substance in the zone, audited accounts and non-qualifying revenue within 5% of total revenue or AED 5,000,000, whichever is lower. Consulting fees from mainland or foreign clients count as non-qualifying revenue. A company that is not a QFZP pays 0% up to AED 375,000 and 9% above. VAT is 5%, withholding tax is 0% and there is no personal income tax.

Initial Approval takes 3 working days in ECDA's setup guide, subject to any third-party approvals. You then have 30 days to submit the legal documents (the Licensing Regulations allow three months, but we work to the guide), 7 days to pay the invoice, and one working day each for final review and lease signing. Visas, the bank account and corporate tax registration come after the licence; we confirm their timing in the quote.

Business Hub package 1 (AED 12,520) has a visa quota of zero and is not sold to companies that want one. Package 2 (AED 17,570) includes four visas, six activities from one group and the Company Card; visa fees, insurance, medical tests and Emirates ID are paid on top, and the visas must be issued before the package end date. Beyond four, you move to leased space: ECDA's guide allocates one employee per 9 sqm of office, and companies leasing 250 sqm or more can take the 3-year Expo Multi licence at AED 38,020. Plan for the manager too: the Companies Regulations expect the Company Manager to hold an ECDA visa unless the Registrar approves otherwise.

Not on the free zone licence alone. The federal government's guidance routes mainland sales through a licensed distributor or a mainland branch or company. Dubai's Executive Council Resolution No. (11) of 2025 adds a branch licence (AED 10,000 a year for a branch operating out of the free zone) or a permit for specific activities valid for up to six months (AED 5,000), each with ECDA's approval. Revenue from that mainland work is taxed at 9% and kept in separate records.

Yes, but the bank decides. ECDA lists its own Bank Account Setup Assistance at AED 2,000. In our Company + Bank Account package we shortlist UAE banks and EMIs for your profile, build the KYC file (source of funds, contracts, business plan) and prepare you for the bank meeting, in person or by video where the bank allows it. Each bank sets its own criteria and timeline, and we tell you where the application stands.

Yes. Under ECDA's Companies Regulations every FZ-LLC appoints an ECDA-approved auditor and keeps IFRS accounts. The audited accounts go before the general meeting within six months of year-end and are filed with the Registrar within five business days of that meeting. ECDA can waive or modify the accounts rules, but we plan for the audit, and a Qualifying Free Zone Person needs audited statements for corporate tax anyway.

Yes. A Free Zone Branch can belong to a UAE or a foreign company and has no legal personality separate from its parent. It needs a Branch Manager, a natural person sponsored for a visa by ECDA unless the Registrar approves otherwise, plus the parent's licence valid for at least six months and a resolution opening the branch. Branches file the parent's audited accounts instead of their own. ECDA's guide does not state attestation rules for foreign corporate papers, so we confirm them for your country.

The package prices are for new companies only. Renewal is charged at the licence fee again under ECDA's fee list (AED 10,000 for a service or one-group commercial licence, up to AED 30,000 for holding or e-commerce), plus AED 2,500 for the Company Card if you hold one, plus your workspace. Late renewal adds AED 1,500 from day 31, AED 3,000 from day 60 and AED 6,000 from day 90. Budget for the audit and visa renewals too (AED 2,500 for one year, AED 3,100 for two).