Corporate Services in Dubai: Guide & Questions Answered
This page answers the questions people actually ask about corporate services and company formation in Dubai — how you set up a company, which trade licence and legal form apply, how foreign ownership works, what documents you need, when translation or attestation is required, and how a licence is later amended. Each answer opens with the short, direct answer and then explains the rule behind it. The framework is the mainland regime: the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) is the competent local authority that registers the trade name and issues, renews and amends mainland trade licences, while the Ministry of Economy & Tourism oversees the Commercial Companies Law and trademark registration at federal level. Free zones have their own authorities and entity types and are noted only as an alternative — their rules are not merged with the mainland here. Where an official source does not publish a specific fee, total or fixed timeline, this guide says so instead of inventing one. MANJAZ is a corporate-services and document-support provider that helps you prepare, coordinate and follow up these requirements with the relevant authorities; it does not issue licences and does not approve activities.
- The competent authority issues the licence — DET for mainland Dubai; MANJAZ prepares and follows up
- Six licence types and 2,000+ activities; the activity drives the licence type and legal form
- Up to 100% foreign ownership for many activities — but it depends on the activity, not on every business
- Requirements, documents and timelines vary by activity, legal form and jurisdiction — confirm your case
- Dubai-based, UAE-wide service
- Arabic & English
- Clear guidance on every document
- Direct request, no middlemen
How to set up a company in Dubai, in one line
To set up a mainland company in Dubai you determine the business activity, choose a legal form, register the trade name, obtain initial approval, secure premises with an Ejari-registered lease, notarise the Memorandum of Association, get any external approvals, then pay and collect the trade licence — with the payment due within 30 days of the voucher; the licence is issued by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), not by any service provider.
The answers on this page are deliberately practical: enough to tell you the rule and whether it applies to your situation, without pretending to settle your specific case. Where a question needs the full detail — the exact documents for one licence type, the step-by-step formation journey, the mechanics of a particular amendment, or which government transactions attach to your setup — the answer points you to the fuller page: company formation, trade-licence amendments, corporate documents and resolutions, government transaction support, and company changes and business updates.
One caution runs through everything here. These answers describe general rules and the role of each authority; they are not legal advice on your specific matter, and the exact requirements always depend on the activity, the legal form and the jurisdiction you choose. The mainland is licensed by DET; free zones are licensed by their own authorities; the two are not interchangeable. Fees, total costs and overall timelines are not fixed figures — they vary case by case — so this guide never states a single number where the official sources do not publish one.
Getting started: the basics of setting up
On the mainland you follow an official sequence: determine the business activity, select the legal form, register the trade name, apply for initial approval, secure premises with an Ejari lease, notarise the Memorandum of Association, obtain any external approvals, then pay and collect the licence. The activity you choose drives the licence type and the legal form, so it is the first decision, not an afterthought. Requirements vary by activity and form, and the licence itself is issued by DET.
Determining the business activity. There are over 2,000 activities to choose from, and your choice sets the applicable licence type, the legal form and any special approvals your business will need. Because everything downstream depends on it, defining the activity precisely at the start prevents rework later — for example, discovering after registration that your activity needed an external approval you did not plan for.
Yes — a Dubai business is set up in one jurisdiction: mainland, free zone or offshore. The mainland is licensed by DET and lets you trade directly within the local market; each free zone is licensed by its own authority with its own entity types (FZE, FZCO, branch) and rules. They are not interchangeable, and their ownership, premises and licensing requirements differ. This guide focuses on the mainland; confirm the free-zone rules with the specific zone if you go that route.
The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) — the Emirate's economic department. It registers the trade name and issues, renews and amends mainland trade licences. At the federal level, the Ministry of Economy & Tourism oversees the Commercial Companies Law and registers trademarks. Knowing which body does what saves time: the trade name is a DET matter, while a trademark is a federal ministry matter.
No. The trade licence is issued by the competent authority — DET for mainland Dubai — which also approves activities and grants the necessary permits. MANJAZ provides preparation and process support: it helps you assemble and check documents, coordinate wording and translation, submit and follow up with the authorities, and keep the file complete. It does not issue the licence, does not approve activities and does not hold governmental status.
It prepares, coordinates and follows up your requirements with the relevant authorities. In practice that means helping you define the activity and form correctly, preparing and reviewing documents such as the MOA and resolutions, arranging legal translation and attestation where needed, submitting applications, tracking approvals and renewals, and keeping you informed at each stage. It does not bypass any requirement and cannot promise an approval — the decisions remain with the authorities.
Trade licence types and business activities
Six: commercial, professional, industrial, tourism, agricultural and crafts. Most Dubai businesses fall under the first four. The licence type is determined by the nature of your activity — a trading business is commercial, a service or knowledge-based practice is professional, manufacturing is industrial, and so on — so you do not pick the licence type freely; the activity dictates it.
Yes. A single trade licence may cover more than one activity, drawn from the list of over 2,000 activities, provided the activities are compatible and permitted to be grouped under one licence. Grouping related activities can be efficient, but some activities require their own approvals or cannot be combined, so the practical scope of a single licence depends on the specific activities you select.
Adding or changing an activity is a licence amendment handled by DET after the licence is issued. You apply to update the activities on the licence; depending on the new activity, the amendment may require external approvals, and if it affects the Memorandum of Association it generally needs a notarised MOA amendment. Because the requirements depend on which activity you are adding or removing, confirm the specific documents for your change rather than assuming a single checklist.
Largely, yes — together with the number and type of owners. The activity narrows which legal forms are available, and the ownership structure (single owner, several partners, a corporate shareholder) then points to the specific form. For example, a professional activity and a commercial trading activity often lead to different structures. Choosing the activity and the form together, up front, keeps the rest of the process consistent.
Initial approval is a government no-objection that lets you proceed with the setup steps. It does not, by itself, grant you the authority to run or practise the activity. In other words, it clears you to continue the formation process — securing premises, notarising the MOA, obtaining approvals — but you may only operate once the licence is issued. Treating initial approval as permission to trade is a common and costly mistake.
No — only some do. Certain activities require external or special approvals from other government entities before the licence can be issued, because the activity is regulated (for example, activities touching health, education, financial services or safety). Many activities need none beyond the standard steps. Which approvals apply depends entirely on the activity, so this is checked against your specific activity rather than assumed.
Legal forms and foreign ownership
Officially named forms include the Limited Liability Company (LLC), sole establishment, civil company, partnership, limited partnership, public joint stock company (PJSC), private joint stock company (PrJSC), and branch of a foreign or UAE company. Each form has its own rules on ownership, liability and governance, and the right one depends on your activity and owners. Free zones offer their own separate forms (FZE, FZCO, branch), which are not the same as these.
Often yes, but it depends on the activity. Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020 (amending the Commercial Companies Law) permits up to 100% foreign ownership across most economic sectors and legal forms, except for activities of strategic impact, which are treated differently. So full foreign ownership is available for many mainland activities — but it is not automatic for every business, and some professional or civil setups still involve a local service agent. Check your specific activity.
Activities of strategic impact are excluded, but the official sources state the exception without publishing a single fixed public list, and the determination is made by the authorities against the activity list. Because of that, the safe course is to verify whether your particular activity qualifies for full foreign ownership rather than assuming it does or relying on an unofficial list. We do not reproduce a list that the authorities have not published.
A local service agent is a UAE national engaged for certain civil establishments and companies fully owned by non-GCC nationals, typically under a duly attested service-agent contract. The agent does not take a share in the business or its profits by virtue of that role; the arrangement supports specific setups where the rules require it. Whether you need one depends on your legal form and activity, so it is confirmed case by case, not assumed for everyone.
No. Ownership and activity are two separate questions. Even where full foreign ownership is available, you may still only carry out the activities on your licence, and regulated activities still need their approvals. Full ownership changes who may hold the shares; it does not widen what the business is licensed to do. Treat the ownership rule and the activity/approval rules as independent.
Yes — converting the legal form is one of the post-formation changes handled through DET, and because it affects the Memorandum of Association it generally requires an amended, notarised MOA and the relevant shareholder or board resolutions. Converting a form can also change ownership and governance requirements. Since the exact steps depend on the forms involved, confirm the specific documents for your conversion rather than treating all changes alike.
Have a question about your case?
Mainland and free zone are different systems — do not mix them
One distinction removes much of the confusion around setting up in Dubai. A mainland company is licensed by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) under the federal Commercial Companies Law and can trade directly within the local market. A free-zone company is licensed by that zone's own authority, uses its own entity types (FZE, FZCO, branch), and follows that zone's ownership, premises and activity rules. Because the two systems differ, requirements you read for one do not automatically apply to the other. This guide describes the mainland; if you are considering a free zone, confirm that zone's rules directly with its authority.
Required documents and the Memorandum of Association
Officially listed items include the initial-approval receipt, a copy of the lease contract (registered through Ejari in Dubai), a duly attested Memorandum of Association, approvals from other government entities where the activity requires them, and — for civil establishments and companies fully owned by non-GCC nationals — a duly attested service-agent contract. The exact set depends on the activity and legal form, so treat this as the common core rather than a fixed universal list.
The Memorandum of Association (MOA) is the founding contract of the company — it sets out the partners, their shares, the company's objects, the management arrangements and how key decisions are taken. For most company forms it must be notarised, and it is one of the documents required to obtain the licence. Any later change that touches these matters usually means amending and re-notarising the MOA.
The MOA and its amendments are notarised, and so are many resolutions and powers of attorney, typically before the Dubai Notary Public. A service-agent contract, where required, is also duly attested. Not every document needs notarisation — it depends on the document and its purpose — but the constitutional documents of the company and the decisions that change them generally do. Confirm which of your documents require it for your specific transaction.
Beyond the MOA and Articles of Association, common documents include board resolutions, shareholder or general-assembly resolutions, powers of attorney, service-agent agreements, declarations, and authorisation or company letters. These recur whenever the company acts formally — appointing a manager, transferring shares, opening a file with another authority. Preparing them accurately, and in the right form, is central to keeping transactions moving without rejections.
The corporate documents and resolutions page goes deeper into each document — what an MOA, a board resolution, a power of attorney or a service-agent agreement contains, when each is notarised, and how translation and attestation attach to them. This FAQ gives you the direct answer; that page gives you the full working detail for preparing a specific document correctly.
Translation and attestation of corporate documents
Where a document is not in Arabic, it generally needs legal translation into Arabic for official use, because Arabic is the language of the authorities and the courts. That applies to foreign resolutions, powers of attorney, corporate certificates and similar papers submitted in a Dubai transaction. Not every document is affected — an Arabic original does not need translating — but any non-Arabic document you rely on officially usually does. MANJAZ provides legal translation as a core service.
Generally yes. Foreign corporate documents used in the UAE usually need attestation (legalisation) before they are accepted, because the UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention — so an apostille alone is not enough and the document goes through the consular/legalisation chain. This commonly applies to documents such as a parent company's certificate of incorporation, board resolutions or powers of attorney issued abroad. Whether attestation is required depends on the document's origin and use.
No. It depends on the document, its language and its origin. A locally issued Arabic document may need neither; a foreign-language document may need translation; a foreign-issued document may need attestation; and some documents need both. The safe approach is to map each document to what it actually requires rather than applying one rule to everything. Getting this right the first time avoids rejected submissions and repeated trips.
It depends on the document and the receiving authority's requirement, and the two steps are distinct. Attestation authenticates a foreign document through the legalisation chain; legal translation renders it accurately into Arabic. For some documents the original is attested and then translated; for others the requirement differs. Because the correct sequence turns on the specific document and where it will be used, confirm the order for your case before you start, so no step has to be redone.
Yes for the parts within its lane. Legal translation is one of MANJAZ's core services, and it also supports the document preparation and coordination that attestation involves — assembling the papers, checking requirements and following up. The attestation and legalisation steps themselves are performed by the competent official bodies; MANJAZ prepares, translates and coordinates so your documents meet what those bodies require, without claiming to be the attesting authority.
Trade licence amendments and company changes
Yes. After a licence is issued, DET handles amendments — including a change of trade name, adding or changing an activity, changing the legal form, changing the manager, changing partners or ownership, and updating licence or establishment data. The requirements, documents and approvals differ by the type of amendment; they are not all the same steps or the same paperwork. Changes that affect the MOA generally require a notarised MOA amendment.
A trade-name change is a DET amendment: you apply to register the new name, which must follow the legal-form acronym and not breach public order or duplicate an existing name. Depending on your structure, the change may need supporting resolutions and, if the name appears in the MOA, an MOA amendment. The exact requirements depend on your company, so confirm them for your case rather than assuming a single procedure.
A share transfer, or adding or removing a partner, changes ownership and therefore usually affects the MOA — so it typically needs an amended, notarised MOA together with the relevant shareholder resolutions, and sometimes external approvals. Where a corporate shareholder is involved, board resolutions and possibly attested foreign documents come into play. Because each ownership change carries its own requirements, the documents are confirmed by the change type rather than assumed to be identical.
A change of manager is a company change processed through DET, usually supported by a resolution appointing or replacing the manager and updating the licence and establishment records; where the manager is named in the MOA, an MOA amendment may be needed. The precise documents depend on your legal form and whether the change touches signing authority. Confirm the requirements for your structure so nothing is missed at submission.
No — that is a common misconception. While DET handles licence amendments, the documents, approvals and whether the MOA must be re-notarised all differ by the type of change. A simple data update is not the same as a change of legal form or a change of partners. Assuming one universal procedure leads to missing documents and rejected applications, so each amendment type should be checked on its own terms.
Mainland licences are renewed periodically, and renewal is tied to holding a valid lease registered through Ejari. Keeping the tenancy and the licence details current avoids lapses that can complicate transactions or other government files. The exact renewal window and any fees are set by DET and depend on your licence, so confirm your renewal date and requirements with the authority rather than relying on a general figure.
Government transactions and life after the licence
The licence lets you operate, and then several government files typically follow depending on your plans — an establishment (immigration) card and staff visas through the identity and immigration authorities, a labour establishment file and work permits through MOHRE, chamber of commerce membership, and tax registration with the Federal Tax Authority where applicable. Not all apply to every business; which you need depends on whether you hire staff, import and export, or meet a tax threshold.
An establishment (immigration) card opens the company's file with the identity and immigration authorities and is the basis for sponsoring residence visas for owners and staff. It is a post-licence step for companies that will employ people or sponsor visas. The requirements and validity are set by the competent immigration authority; a corporate-services provider can prepare the paperwork and follow up, but the card is issued by the authority.
It depends on your business and its figures. VAT and corporate-tax registration are handled by the Federal Tax Authority, and whether and when you must register turns on thresholds and rules the FTA sets — not on the trade licence itself. Because these are tax matters with their own criteria, confirm your position with the FTA or a qualified tax adviser rather than assuming registration is automatic or unnecessary.
MANJAZ can prepare documents, check requirements, submit and follow up across the transactions that surround a company — notarisation of the MOA and resolutions, chamber of commerce and immigration files, labour files, and the document side of tax registration — always with the competent authority making the decision. It does not bypass any authority's requirements; it makes sure your file is complete and correctly presented so the authority can process it.
No. No provider can guarantee that an authority will approve an activity, a licence or any application. MANJAZ improves the quality and completeness of your submission and follows the process carefully, which reduces avoidable delays and rejections — but the decision rests entirely with the competent authority. Any promise that a licence is assured, that a company can be formed the same day, or that approval is certain should be treated with caution.
The company changes and business updates page covers post-formation changes — share transfers, adding or removing partners, capital changes, manager changes and converting the legal form — and the trade-licence amendments page covers licence-level amendments. The government transaction support page covers the surrounding authorities. This FAQ gives the short answer; those pages give the detailed process for each.
Timelines, cost and where MANJAZ fits
There is no single fixed timeline, so treat any one guaranteed figure with caution. The duration depends on the activity, the legal form, whether external approvals are needed, how quickly documents are prepared and notarised, and the authority's own processing. A straightforward activity with complete documents moves faster than one needing several external approvals. Plan around the real requirements of your case rather than a promised number of days.
There is no single fixed total, and the official sources do not publish one, so be wary of any flat all-in figure. The cost depends on the activity, the legal form, the premises, the number of activities and visas, and the specific approvals your business needs. Rather than quoting a number here, the honest answer is that the total is built up from your particular choices — confirm the current official fees for your setup with the authority.
Because the trade licence must be paid within 30 days of receiving the payment voucher. This is an officially stated window at the pay-and-collect stage: once the voucher is issued, settling it inside that period keeps your file moving so the licence is issued without the application lapsing. Missing the window can mean redoing steps, so it is one of the few fixed timeframes worth marking clearly in your plan.
No. MANJAZ is an independent private corporate-services provider, entirely separate from any government department. The competent authority — DET for mainland Dubai — registers trade names, approves activities and issues, renews and amends licences. MANJAZ prepares documents, coordinates translation and attestation, and follows up applications on your behalf. It holds no governmental status and never presents itself as the authority or the issuer.
MANJAZ will not issue the trade licence, will not approve or refuse an activity, will not act as a government body, and will not promise an assured approval, a same-day company, or a fixed total cost. Those belong to the competent authorities and depend on your specific case. Being clear about this boundary protects you: it tells you exactly which decisions are the authority's and which parts of the work a provider can genuinely take off your hands.
Start by telling MANJAZ your intended activity, who the owners will be and whether you are considering mainland or a free zone. From there, MANJAZ helps map the likely licence type and legal form, the documents you will need, and where translation or attestation applies, then prepares and coordinates the steps with the authorities. You keep full visibility, and the authority makes the licensing decisions.
Official sources
- UAE Government Portal (u.ae) — Business / Starting a business
- UAE Government Portal (u.ae) — Steps to start a business on the mainland
- Ministry of Economy & Tourism — Establishing a business in the UAE
- Ministry of Economy & Tourism — Full ownership in all economic sectors (Federal Decree-Law 26 of 2020)
- Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) — Licences & permits / business licensing
This content is for general awareness and is based on the official sources available at the time of the last update. Company-formation and corporate-service requirements, fees, approvals and steps differ by the business activity, the legal form and the jurisdiction, and are set and updated by the competent authorities. It is not legal or financial advice. MANJAZ is a corporate-services provider that helps prepare, coordinate and follow up requirements with the relevant authorities — it is not the Department of Economy and Tourism or any government body, it does not issue trade licences, it cannot approve a business activity, and it does not guarantee any approval.
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