Register a company in SAIF Zone

Largely, yes. New investors can register on SAIF's investor portal, and we confirm with SAIF which steps of your file it takes online. The UAE is not party to the Apostille Convention, so corporate owners' papers are notarised, attested by the home Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE Embassy there, then by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The residence visa is the part that needs you here: the medical test and the Emirates ID are done 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: SAIF publishes no price list, so we quote its fees for your case. The facility lease is paid yearly, and the AED 150,000 capital for an FZE or FZC is separate from any fee.

It is in SAIF's own FAQ: AED 150,000 for an FZE or FZC, and no minimum for a branch of a UAE or foreign company. What SAIF does not publish is whether the money must be paid up, deposited or certified, and how. We get that answer from SAIF before you sign. If the figure does not suit a small service business, a branch of your existing company or another Sharjah zone may fit better, and we will say so.

No. Corporate tax is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above. The free zone 0% rate applies only to qualifying income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person that meets the conditions - among them adequate substance, audited accounts, transfer pricing compliance and non-qualifying revenue within 5% of total revenue or AED 5,000,000, whichever is lower. Transactions with individuals are, with narrow exceptions, an excluded activity. Beyond the de minimis allowance, income from mainland customers qualifies only for listed activities such as manufacturing, processing, logistics services or distribution in or from a Designated Zone, and SAIF's Designated Zone status we confirm per case. An old SAIF FAQ answer saying no corporate tax applies is out of date.

SAIF issues licences the same day once the file is complete - its FAQ describes a one-hour window. The time goes before that: corporate documents notarised and attested abroad and in the UAE, then SAIF's initial approval and registration contract, which we time in your quote. Visas follow the licence. Corporate tax registration is due within three months of incorporation under FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024; the FTA published a newer decision on registration timelines in August 2026, so we recheck the deadline before filing. The FTA's stated processing time is 20 business days.

Through a route, not directly. The SAIF licence is valid for operating inside the zone. SAIF's FAQ says goods can be sold into the UAE market once the relevant customs duties are paid, and the federal rule is that a free zone company reaches the mainland through a licensed mainland distributor or its own mainland branch or company. The same FAQ allows branches outside the zone "with exception to FZE and FZC" and does not say why, so we settle the route with SAIF before you pick a legal form. A QFZP's mainland branch is taxed at 9%.

SAIF's set-up includes choosing a facility, leased long-term, renewable and paid yearly. SAIF Office, a furnished dedicated desk, carries a quota of 3 visas; the unfurnished Executive Office, utilities covered, carries 5; the furnished SAIF Suite carries 8. Pre-built warehouses come in 125, 250, 400 and 600 sqm and plots start at 2,500 sqm, but SAIF publishes no visa quota for them, so we confirm it. No flexi desk or virtual office is listed. The maximum headcount, in SAIF's words, depends on the nature and size of your business.

Import, export, distribution, consolidation, storage and warehousing of the items on it, up to three similar product lines. A service licence allows only the service it names - business consultancy, freight forwarding and e-commerce are SAIF's own examples. Industrial licences cover manufacturing, processing, assembly and packaging with clearance from SAIF's Health & Environment Department. For a broad catalogue, ask before you apply: a general trade licence appears on SAIF's Arabic set-up page, not the English one, and we confirm what SAIF will issue.

The Company + Bank Account package covers it. We shortlist UAE banks or EMIs that fit your profile, prepare the KYC file - source of funds, contracts, business plan - and support the bank meeting, in person or by video where the bank allows. Each bank sets its own criteria and timeline. SAIF's FAQ confirms accounts can be held in US dollars and other major currencies; neither SAIF nor the government funds projects.

The lease is paid yearly and the licence is renewed; SAIF publishes no renewal deadline or late fee, so the dates come from your own lease and licence. Your UBO register goes on SAIF's e-Portal within 60 days of incorporation, and changes within 15 days. Corporate tax return and payment follow within nine months of the year end. Audited accounts are required for QFZP status or above AED 50,000,000 of revenue, and SAIF keeps a directory of its official auditing partners.