- Private advisory firm in Dubai
- 4.8 on Google, 26 reviews
- 500+ clients advised
Your business in the UAE:
mainland, free zone or offshore
Legarithm advises founders on the route, zone and structure that fit their business, so they know what each authority will ask for before they commit. The authority of the route you choose issues the license.
30 minutes, free, no obligation.
Legarithm is a private corporate advisory firm. We are not a government entity and are not affiliated with the FTA, DIEZ, DIFC, ADGM, any free zone authority or any government body. Licences, registrations and tax numbers are issued only by the relevant authority.
Everything is well coordinated and clear. Half an hour of the first meeting was more useful than two weeks of trying to work it out myself.
Why the UAE: 0% or 9% tax and a route to a residence visa
Foreign ownership
In free zones and for most mainland activities, with no local sponsor.
Corporate tax
0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and on qualifying free-zone income, 9% above.
For owners, staff and families
Mainland and free-zone companies can sponsor residence visas for owners, staff and their families. The authorities decide each application.
Personal tax, VAT and registration
The UAE does not tax personal income. VAT is 5%, and a business registers for it with the Federal Tax Authority once its taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 a year. Every company registers for corporate tax, even when it pays 0%.
Which UAE free zone fits which business
The zone decides which activities you can hold, how many visas you can apply for and what the yearly fees are.
Freelancers and consultants
A media or service license at Shams in Sharjah lets you apply for a residence visa and a company bank account.
E-commerce and digital
RAKEZ in Ras Al Khaimah offers an e-commerce license with a flexi-desk, and the company can apply for visas.
Trading and commodities
DMCC in Dubai suits trading companies, which can apply for more visas as they hire.
Finance and fintech
DIFC in Dubai and ADGM in Abu Dhabi are financial free zones with their own regulator and common-law courts.
Legal forms in the UAE and who each suits
Four forms cover almost every business. Your advisor explains which one fits yours.
FZCO or FZ-LLC, a free-zone company
- Owners
- From 1 shareholder, a person or a company
- Who it suits
- A founder who invoices clients abroad and wants a residence visa
- What the authority issues
- A zone license: FZCO in IFZA or DAFZA, FZ-LLC in RAKEZ
LLC, a mainland company
- Owners
- From 1 owner
- Who it suits
- Shops, restaurants, clinics, contractors and importers
- What the authority issues
- A license from the emirate's economic department
Branch
- Owners
- The parent company
- Who it suits
- A foreign company that operates under its own name
- What the authority issues
- A branch license from a free zone or the mainland authority
Offshore company
- Owners
- From 1 shareholder with 1 director
- Who it suits
- A group or a family that holds shares, property, trademarks or patents
- What the authority issues
- A certificate of incorporation from an offshore registry, RAK ICC or JAFZA: no license, no visas
How our advice works
From your first message to a clear decision, usually within a few days.
- 1
Tell us about the business
TodayYour activity, the owners, where your clients are and whether you need residence visas.
- 2
A 30-minute call
Within one working dayWe compare mainland, free zone and offshore for your case, and the zones that fit your activity, budget and visas.
- 3
A written summary
After the callYour options in writing: the routes, the authority fees each one charges, what each authority asks for and the usual timelines.
- 4
You decide
In your own timeYou choose the route and apply to its authority. We stay on hand for questions on structure, tax and what comes next.
Foreign owners in the UAE: ownership, visas, office, travel
100% foreign ownership
A foreigner can hold every share in any free zone or offshore registry and, since 2021, in more than 1,000 mainland activities. Banking, telecommunications and defence follow their own rules.
Visas on one license
A free zone sells visa places by package: up to 6 at Meydan, up to 50 at Shams. On the mainland the floor space sets the number. With AED 2,000,000 in property or a deposit an owner can apply for the 10-year golden visa.
Office or flexi-desk
A free-zone license needs a flexi-desk, a shared desk the zone rents out. A mainland company in Dubai leases at least 100 square feet and records the lease in Ejari, the tenancy register, for AED 220.
What you do in person
Free-zone and offshore companies can be set up with no trip to the UAE. A mainland license in Dubai asks the foreign applicant for an entry permit or visa. A residence visa takes one trip: a medical test and fingerprints.
Bank account for a UAE company
A bank asks for the license, the establishment card, a business profile and the ownership documents. We explain what each bank looks for and how to present your business. An account usually opens in 2 to 4 weeks.
Ask about a bank account
Banks we advise on
After the company is open: what it renews and files
Five duties follow the license. Your advisor walks you through each one.
With revenue up to AED 3 million a company can elect Small Business Relief and pay no corporate tax, for tax periods ending by 31 December 2029.
Legarithm in 74 seconds
The film shows your first months with Legarithm. The short videos open on YouTube.
The Legarithm team
Lawyers, a compliance officer and accountants who advise you on structure, documents and tax.
Legal
Christina AgapiouCorporate Lawyer
Vasiliki ChatzigeorgiouCompliance Officer
Iryna HrabovetskaAssociate
Anastasiia KolomiietsAssociate
Ivanna PlieshivtsevaJunior Associate
Vladyslav KhamenushkoParalegal
Alisia NavrotskaParalegal
Vladyslav SyliavaParalegal
Finance and accounting
Ioannis AkritidisAccountant
Elizaveta PytkinaAccountant
Nataliia DobryninaAccountant
Anna KyrylovaFinance specialist
Questions about a company in the UAE
Ask your own questionAre you a government body or a free zone authority?
No. Legarithm is a private corporate advisory firm. We are not affiliated with any government body or free zone authority. Licences, registrations and tax numbers are issued only by the relevant authority.
Do I have to travel to the UAE?
No. A free zone issues its license remotely. For a residence visa you come once, for the medical test and the Emirates ID.
Which UAE free zone is the cheapest?
Of the zones we compare, Fujairah Creative City has the lowest license fee: AED 3,999 a year without a visa. Ajman NuVentures starts at AED 4,888, Ajman Media City at AED 4,999 and Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone at AED 5,500. These fees are paid to the zone.
Is there a minimum share capital in the UAE?
For most activities, no. DMCC asks for AED 50,000 and DAFZA for AED 1, and a mainland memorandum states the amount the owners choose.
How much does a UAE company cost?
The license is paid to the zone, DET or the registry. Zone licenses start at AED 3,999 a year, DET's mainland license costs AED 12,000 to 15,000 and RAK ICC charges AED 3,250 for an offshore company. After your call we send the full picture for your case in writing.
What steps does an authority take to issue a UAE license?
On the mainland the economic department of the emirate takes five steps in order: the trade name, the initial approval, the memorandum, the office lease and the license. A free zone issues its license once you sign the memorandum and the desk lease online. Then come the visas, the tax registration and the business bank account.
Does a UAE company need an audit?
A mainland company has its yearly statements audited, and the zones DMCC, JAFZA and DAFZA ask for audited accounts every year. The tax law adds two cases: revenue above AED 50 million, and a free-zone company that claims the 0% rate.
Does a UAE company make me a UAE tax resident?
Not on its own. You become resident after 183 days in the UAE within 12 months, or after 90 days when you hold a residence permit and have a home, a job or a business there. The proof is the tax residency certificate, which the Federal Tax Authority issues.
