Business setup consultants in Dubai
Company setup in the UAE: mainland, free zone and offshore
There are three legal routes to a company in the UAE. A mainland company trades anywhere in the country, a free zone company is licensed by its zone and suits international and service businesses, and an offshore company holds assets and trades outside the UAE. Caliph helps you pick the route and handles the setup.
Overview
The route you choose decides where you can sell, whether the company can sponsor residence visas, what kind of office you need and which authority you deal with each year. It is the first decision in every setup, and changing it later means a new company.
Most founders already know what they want to sell. Fewer know that the same business can be licensed in several ways, each with different rules. A trading company that sells to shops in Dubai needs something different from a consultant with clients abroad, even if both ask for a general trading licence at first.
Caliph has formed more than 3,000 companies since 2020. In a free consultation your consultant asks about your customers, your team and your plans, then recommends the route and the emirate or zone that fit.
Pages in this section
Mainland company4 pages
A company licensed by an emirate's economic department that can trade anywhere in the UAE.
Free zone company15 pages
What a free zone company can do, who it suits and how to pick the right zone.
Offshore company3 pages
A UAE-registered company for holding assets and international business, with no local trading or visas.
How to choose your route
Start with your customers
If you sell to people and businesses inside the UAE, a mainland licence lets you do that directly. If your customers are abroad or online, a free zone is often enough.
Count the visas you need
Mainland and free zone companies can sponsor residence visas for owners and staff. Offshore companies cannot, so they suit holding and international structures.
Think about the office
Mainland companies usually need a registered tenancy. Free zones offer desks, offices and warehouses inside the zone. Offshore companies use a registered agent's address.
Check your activity
Some activities are only licensed in certain zones, and some need approval from a second authority. Your consultant checks this before you apply.
Look a year ahead
Renewal rules, audit requirements and the option to open a branch differ between routes. It is easier to choose well now than to restructure later.
How setup works with Caliph
Free consultation
You explain the business. Your consultant recommends the route, the emirate or zone and the licence type, and lists the paperwork.
Activity and name
We match your business to licensed activities, flag any extra approval and reserve the trade name.
Documents and signatures
Caliph prepares the application, the Memorandum of Association and the tenancy or lease documents for you to sign.
Licence issued
Once the authority approves the file, the licence is issued and the company exists.
Visas and bank account
We open the establishment card, process residence visas and prepare the file your bank asks for.
Ongoing support
Renewals, amendments, new visas and government work stay with the same team.
Questions people ask
Which is better, mainland or free zone?
Neither is better in general. A mainland company can trade anywhere in the UAE and take government contracts. A free zone company is simpler for international trade, online business and consulting. The right choice depends on where your customers are and how many visas and how much office space you need.
Can a foreigner own 100% of a UAE company?
Yes in most cases. Free zone and offshore companies allow full foreign ownership, and mainland companies can be fully foreign-owned for most commercial and industrial activities. A small number of activities still have ownership conditions, which your consultant checks first.
Do I need to be in the UAE to set up a company?
Much of the process can be done remotely, including many free zone and offshore setups. Some steps, such as the medical test and Emirates ID biometrics for a residence visa, need you in the country. Your consultant tells you which steps apply to your route.
Can a free zone company do business on the mainland?
A free zone company trades inside its zone and internationally. To sell to mainland customers it usually works through a local distributor or opens a mainland branch. If mainland sales are a large part of your plan, a mainland licence is normally the cleaner choice.
What does an offshore company do?
An offshore company is registered in the UAE but does not trade in the local market and does not sponsor visas. It is used to hold shares, property and other assets, or to run international business from a UAE-registered entity.
How do I start?
Book a free consultation. Bring your passport copy, a rough description of the business and two or three name ideas. You leave with a recommended route, a document list and a clear explanation of the cost.
Reviewed by Caliph Business Solutions on . Rules differ by activity and by authority. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.
Ready to establish your company in the UAE?
Book a free consultation. Tell us what you want to open and we come back with the route, the documents and the cost.
- VisitHapag-Lloyd Building, Port Saeed, Deira, Dubai. P.O. Box 8070
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