How to Set Up a Company in Dubai: The Ordered Steps
Setting up a company in Dubai is less a single application than an ordered sequence, and getting the order right is what keeps it smooth. On the mainland the process runs through the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), and each step builds on the one before: the business activity decides the legal form and licence, the legal form decides the documents, and the documents cannot be finalised until earlier approvals are in hand. This guide walks the mainland setup journey step by step, in the sequence the authorities use, so you can see what each stage is for and what it depends on. It is general orientation, not a quotation — activities, fees and timelines vary, so confirm the specifics for your case with DET (or, for a free-zone route, with the free zone). MANJAZ coordinates the steps and prepares the paperwork, including any translation and attestation of foreign documents; it does not issue the licence.
- The business activity is the first decision — it drives the legal form and the licence type
- Mainland companies are licensed by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)
- Initial approval is a no-objection to proceed — not the licence itself
- Foreign shareholder documents usually need translation and attestation first
- Dubai-based, UAE-wide service
- Arabic & English
- Clear guidance on every document
- Direct request, no middlemen
The setup journey, in one paragraph
Choose your business activity, then the legal form that fits it, then reserve a trade name; get initial approval to proceed; sign the memorandum of association and secure premises with a registered Ejari tenancy; clear any activity-specific external approvals; submit the documents and pay to collect the trade licence.
Each of those stages exists for a reason, and skipping ahead usually means coming back. The activity is first because it is the key that everything else turns on — it determines which legal forms are allowed, which licence type applies, and whether any special approval is needed. The trade name and initial approval clear the way to proceed. The memorandum and premises give the company its legal and physical existence. External approvals handle regulated activities. Only then are the final documents assembled and the licence issued. The steps below follow that logic in order.
The mainland setup steps, in sequence
1. Identify the business activity
This is the foundation. The activity you choose is the basis for selecting the legal form and the licence type, and it determines whether any special approval will be needed. Match the activity to what you actually intend to do, from the authority's classified activity list.
2. Choose the legal form and licence type
Select the legal form aligned to the activity — for example an LLC, a sole establishment, a civil company or a branch. The licence falls into one of six categories the authorities recognise: industrial, commercial, professional, tourism, agricultural or crafts/occupational.
3. Reserve the trade name
Register a trade name through the economic department (DET) — via its website or app — that complies with the UAE naming rules. The name identifies the company and must be cleared before the file moves on.
4. Get initial approval
Initial approval means the government has no objection to you establishing the business. It is a green light to proceed with the remaining steps — it does not, by itself, grant authority to start operating.
5. Sign the MoA and secure premises
Depending on the legal form, a signed memorandum of association (MoA) — or a local service agent (LSA) agreement — is prepared, and in Dubai the premises are secured with a registered Ejari tenancy. This gives the company its constitution and a registered address.
6. Clear any external approvals
Some activities need an additional approval from a competent authority beyond DET — for example legal affairs, security affairs, or financial securities and commodities activities. Where your activity requires it, this approval is obtained before the licence issues.
7. Submit documents and collect the licence
The documents required to get the licence — for all legal forms — include the initial-approval receipt together with the previously-submitted documents. Once these are in and the fees are paid, the trade licence is issued. The post-licence steps (establishment card, immigration file, tax registration, bank account) follow.
If a shareholder is foreign, plan translation and attestation early
When a shareholder is a foreign individual or company, their documents — a passport, or a corporate shareholder's incorporation papers, board resolution and power of attorney — usually need legal Arabic translation and attestation before a UAE authority will accept them. This runs alongside the early steps, not at the end, so start it as soon as the structure is decided. Our guide on translating company documents covers it, and the free-zone route is set out on the free-zone page.
Ready to start, or want the steps handled end to end? Tell us your activity and structure, and we will coordinate the process and prepare the documents — including translation and attestation of anything from abroad.
Start your company setupSetup-sequence mistakes to avoid
The mistakeChoosing premises or a name before settling the activity.
The fixThe activity comes first — it decides the legal form, the licence type and any special approval. Fix it before anything downstream.
The mistakeTreating initial approval as permission to start trading.
The fixInitial approval is a no-objection to proceed with setup, not authority to operate. Trading begins after the licence is issued.
The mistakeLeaving foreign document translation and attestation to the end.
The fixThese take their own time and gate the file. Start them as soon as the shareholders and structure are known.
Setting up a company in Dubai — FAQ
Identifying the business activity. The activity is the basis for choosing the legal form and the licence type, and it determines whether any special external approval is needed. Everything downstream — name, documents, approvals — follows from it, so settle the activity first.
The Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). It handles the trade-name registration, the initial approval and the trade licence. A free-zone company, by contrast, is licensed by its own free-zone authority — see the free-zone setup page for that route.
A mainland company generally needs a registered address secured with an Ejari tenancy as part of the setup. Free zones offer their own premises options (including flexi-desk arrangements in some zones). Confirm the current premises requirement with DET or the free zone for your activity.
Official sources
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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Whether it is a new company, a licence change, a document or a government transaction, send the details and MANJAZ will help identify and coordinate the right corporate-service steps.