International company formation in Cyprus, the UAE and Bulgaria
Legarithm opens your company in Cyprus, the UAE or Bulgaria in 1 to 12 working days, from €280, and then keeps its books. You sign online, and we file.
Where do you want the company?
Cyprus
15% corporate tax
For holding companies and EU headquarters.
- Working days to register 8–12
- Registration, before VAT from €1,699
UAE
0% / 9% corporate tax
For business outside the EU and founders who want a residence visa.
- Working days, free zone 1–5
- Free zone, before VAT from $7,000
Bulgaria
10% corporate tax
For service companies and online sellers with EU clients.
- Working days to register 5–10
- Registration, before VAT €280
Not sure which country?
Question 1 of 3
Where are most of your customers?
International company formation in Cyprus, the UAE and Bulgaria, side by side
Our international company formation services cover registration and the books in these countries and in the five that follow. Prices are before VAT.
| Compared | Cyprus | UAE | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company type | Private limited company, the Ltd | Free-zone company, mainland LLC or offshore company | EOOD with one owner, OOD with two or more |
| Registered in | 8–12 working days | 1–5 working days, free zone | 5–10 working days |
| Our price | from €1,699 | from $7,000, free zone | €280 |
| State fees | Inside the price | License inside, its renewal billed by the authority | Inside the price, Bulgarian notary too |
| Corporate tax | 15% | 0% on profit up to AED 375,000, then 9% | 10% |
| Share capital | No legal minimum | No fixed minimum for most activities | from €1 |
| Travel | No | No, one trip for a visa | No, one notary visit at home |
Company formation in Cyprus Company formation in the UAE Company formation in Bulgaria
Other jurisdictions side by side: Estonia, Malta, Hong Kong, Singapore and the USA
In these five countries we register the company and then keep its books. The first year and the cost of a year in each: business in Estonia, business in Malta, business in Hong Kong, business in Singapore and business in the USA. Our fee is in your quote.
| Compared | Estonia | Malta | Hong Kong | Singapore | USA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company type | OÜ, a private limited company | Private limited liability company, the Ltd | Private company limited by shares | Private limited company, the Pte. Ltd. | LLC or C corporation |
| Registered in | The next working day online | From 24 hours with a complete file | 1 hour online, 4 working days on paper | Soon after the fee is paid, in most cases | At once online in Wyoming, the next business day in Delaware for $50 more |
| Local roles the law asks for | A legal address in Estonia, or a contact person there | A company secretary and a registered office in Malta | A company secretary and a registered office in Hong Kong | A resident director, a secretary and a registered office | A registered agent in the state |
| Corporate tax | 0% on profit kept, 22% on profit paid out | 35%, which falls to 5% on trading profit after the shareholder's refund | 8.25% on the first HK$2 million, 16.5% above | 17%, with exemptions for a new company | 21% federal for a C corporation, state tax on top |
| VAT or sales tax | VAT 24%, from €40,000 of sales a year | VAT 18%, from the first taxable sale | None | GST 9%, from S$1 million a year | By state: 4% in Wyoming, none in Delaware |
Company formation in Estonia Company formation in Malta Hong Kong company formation Company formation in Singapore Company formation in the USA
Cyprus, the UAE or Bulgaria: which country suits which business
Cyprus
For a holding company, a group's EU base or a software business. Gains on a subsidiary's shares go untaxed, profit from own software bears about 3%, and a founder who settles on the island receives dividends free of the defence contribution. Cyprus company services lists them in full.
UAE
For a business whose customers are outside the EU, and for an owner who wants a residence visa. A free zone, the mainland and an offshore registry give three different companies, and UAE business setup starts with the choice between them.
Bulgaria
For a services business or an online seller whose clients are in the EU and whose profit goes out as dividends. Corporate tax is 10%, dividend tax 5%, and €1 of share capital is enough. All four services: Bulgaria company services.
The same in Cyprus, the UAE and Bulgaria when you open a company abroad: your documents, one account, who signs
3 monthsThe oldest a proof of address may be
Every owner and director sends a passport copy. Cyprus and the UAE add a proof of address no older than 3 months. A company that will hold the shares adds its own papers, apostilled or attested: certificate of incorporation, articles, board resolution.
1 accountWhere you upload, sign and follow
You upload the documents to 1 account, sign there and watch each step with the date we expect it. Once the company exists, that account carries its books, its deadlines and your messages to whoever handles it: the platform.
1 quoteIn writing, and it fixes the price first
Our lawyers draft the papers, and the compliance officer reads every document ahead of filing. You sign where you live: digitally for Cyprus, online for a UAE free zone, at a notary near you for Bulgaria. We fix the price first in 1 written quote, and the published prices are on the pricing page.
After registration: tax number, bank account, VAT, the books and the first return
We do each of these for the company we registered, and for one registered elsewhere.
| Next | Cyprus | UAE | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax number | In the package, within 60 days | Registration by month 3 | The register code itself |
| Bank account | 4–12 weeks | 2–4 weeks | A week to two months |
| VAT, from a turnover of | €15,600 | AED 375,000 | €51,130 |
| Accounting, a month | from €290 | from $350 | from €150 |
| Return for tax year 2026 | 31 January 2028 | 30 September 2027 | 30 June 2027 |
How it works and how long it takes
Send your documents and registration is expected 1 to 12 working days after they reach us, depending on the country.
- Today
You tell us what you need
We reply by the end of the next working day with the cost and the dates for your case.
- 1–12 working days
We open the company
We draft the documents. You sign, and we file.
- Then
Bank application and tax numbers
We prepare the bank application and register the company for tax and VAT.
- Every month
Books, taxes and filings
We close the books, file the returns and prepare the yearly filings. Changes to the company go through us too.
Company formation in other jurisdictions
Estonia
0% Tax on profit the company keeps
An EU company registered and run online, with or without e-Residency.
Company formation in EstoniaMalta
€1,164.69 Minimum share capital, 20% paid at signing
An EU company whose shareholders claim tax refunds.
Company formation in MaltaHong Kong
8.25% Profits tax on the first HK$2 million
Tax on profit made in Hong Kong, and no VAT.
Hong Kong company formationSingapore
17% Corporate income tax rate
Tax exemptions on the first S$200,000 of profit of a new company.
Singapore company formationUSA
21% Federal income tax of a C corporation
An LLC or a corporation for a founder who lives abroad.
Company formation in the USAWhat clients write about Legarithm
4.8 on Google from 26 reviews.
…they handled my Cyprus company setup while I was still in London. Smooth remote process and great communication.
We had long been looking for someone to register a company in the UAE and help with the account. With Legarithm it went as it should: a clear process, help with the documents, no red tape.
We set up a company in Cyprus. Nobody pushed extra services, everything was to the point. They explain things clearly, give a real timeline and help with the tax details.
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.
A platform where you open
and run the company online
Your whole company is in your pocket. Sign documents, check the books and write to your accountant from your phone.
Your Company Ltd
- Registration expected 8–12 days
- Next deadline prepared
- Last month closed on time
- Passport copy Uploaded
- Proof of address Checked
- Memorandum and articles Sign
- Source of funds declaration Upload
You upload scans and sign the forms in the account. We keep the certificates and registers here afterwards, ready for a bank or an auditor.
Questions about international company formation
What is international company formation?
Registering a company in a country where you do not live, so that it can trade, hold assets or hire there. We do it in Cyprus, the UAE and Bulgaria, and in five more countries, and keep the company's books afterwards.
What does the first year cost in Cyprus, the UAE and Bulgaria?
With twelve months of accounting and before VAT: from €2,080 in Bulgaria, from €5,179 in Cyprus, from $11,200 for a UAE free-zone company. Each UAE residence visa adds from AED 3,000.
Does the company give its owner a residence permit?
In the UAE, yes: a licensed company sponsors its owner's residence visa for 2 years. A Bulgarian company brings none. In Cyprus a company that received €200,000 from abroad may employ its non-EU owners, who then hold work and residence permits.
Do Cyprus, the UAE or Bulgaria ask for a local director, partner or secretary?
Cyprus asks for a company secretary, whom every package of ours includes for a year. A UAE free zone and most mainland activities need no local partner. Bulgaria asks for a registered address alone, which we provide.
Can I open companies in two of the countries at once?
Yes. Each is registered under its own country's rules, and one login covers them all. We keep their books side by side; accounting for foreign-owned companies shows how.
Where does profit bear the least tax: Bulgaria, Cyprus or the UAE?
On ordinary profit the UAE: 0% until taxable income reaches AED 375,000, and 9% beyond it. Bulgaria takes 10%, then 5% of the dividend, which makes 14.5%. Cyprus takes 15%, and about 3% where the profit comes from software or patents it developed. Cyprus and the UAE are set side by side in our guide Cyprus or the UAE for a company.
Tell us what you need
Book a 30-minute call about your company
Your consultant Vladyslav Babaiev Opens in a new tab Business Setup Specialist
- We email you the Google Meet link.
- 30 minutes, free, no obligation to order.
- After the call we email you the checklist of documents for your country.
We reply by the end of the next working day with the cost and the dates for your case. The first call is free and confidential.
Guides
Guides to a company in Cyprus Guides to a company in the UAE Guides to a company in Bulgaria
Updated 21 October 2026. Reviewed by Vladyslav Drapii, Founder.
