Business setup in Abu Dhabi: mainland license from AED 1,200
Business setup on the Abu Dhabi mainland needs a license from ADDED: from AED 1,200 with 6 activities, in 1 to 2 weeks. We form the company from $8,000, that license included.
Abu Dhabi Mainland
- from AED 1,200 ADDED license with 6 activities
- 1–2 Weeks for ADDED to issue the license
- 100% Foreign ownership for most activities
Business setup in Abu Dhabi in short
3 routesADDED, ADGM or Masdar City
Abu Dhabi gives a founder 3 routes. The mainland license comes from ADDED, the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, through its registration arm, the Abu Dhabi Registration Authority. The financial free zone is ADGM. The technology free zone is Masdar City. Four more zones serve industry, air cargo and media.
2021A mainland company, owned outright
A mainland company sells to customers in every emirate and bids for the public contracts of the capital. Since 2021 a foreigner owns it outright for most activities, with no local sponsor. The company needs a leased office, and for some activities the lease may wait until the second year.
from $8,000A mainland company and its license, with us
ADDED charges from AED 1,200 for a standard license with six activities and issues it in 1 to 2 weeks once the office is ready. The lease is registered in Tawtheeq, the tenancy register of Abu Dhabi. With us a mainland company and its license cost from $8,000 before VAT.
Abu Dhabi mainland, ADGM or Masdar City
| Compared | Mainland | ADGM | Masdar City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who issues the license | ADDED | ADGM Registration Authority | Masdar City Free Zone |
| License from | AED 1,200 | $5,500, and $1,900 for an SPV | AED 7,000 |
| Customers | Anyone in the UAE, and government tenders | Clients served from its office, in the UAE and abroad | Free-zone and foreign clients, and the mainland with a dual license |
| Law | UAE law | English common law, own courts | UAE law |
| Office | Leased office registered in Tawtheeq | Desk or office on Al Maryah or Al Reem | Desk from AED 2,000 a year |
| Time to the license | 1 to 2 weeks | 10 business days from filing | Up to 10 working days |
What clients write about Legarithm
4.8 on Google from 26 reviews.
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.
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.
The licenses ADDED issues, and what each costs
The license of most companies: AED 1,200 with six activities out of more than 1,100, and AED 100 for each further one. It needs a leased office, which for some activities may wait until the second year.
ADDED issues it before the supporting documents, which follow within one month. The list has 940 activities, the fee runs from AED 790 to 5,500, and a lease is required.
A trader's license with no office lease for the first three years and 1,200 activities to choose from. It costs from AED 790 and is open to UAE residents and nationals.
For a resident who works alone, also beside a full-time job: AED 1,200 with six activities, run from home as a sole proprietorship, with residency for the holder and the family.
For a founder who lives outside the UAE. The business is registered remotely, from AED 790, as a sole proprietorship or an LLC, and is ready when you arrive.
For a company already registered in an Abu Dhabi free zone: AED 1,200 with six activities, and the company works on the mainland and takes part in tenders.
Who a mainland company in Abu Dhabi suits
- Traders and retailers
- Shops, distributors and importers sell to buyers across the UAE on a commercial activity and open branches in other emirates.
- Contractors and suppliers to the state
- Construction, maintenance and supply firms bid for the public contracts of Abu Dhabi in their own name.
- Consultancies and agencies
- Advisers, agencies and IT firms serve UAE clients directly on a professional activity.
- Restaurants, clinics and salons
- A business with premises and walk-in customers takes the license for the address it trades from, together with the approval of the municipality or the health department.
- Finance and technology
- A fund, a fintech firm or a holding SPV belongs in ADGM. A software or clean-energy company that wants a desk and a package price fits Masdar City. A factory, a warehouse or a re-export business by Khalifa Port takes KEZAD free zone, where a start-up package costs from AED 9,450 a year.
How much it costs to set up a business in Abu Dhabi
Our price is before VAT and covers the company and its license. The license lines are ADDED's published fees.
Mainland company and license with us
from $8,000Get a quote- Standard license with 6 activities, ADDED's fee
- from AED 1,200
- Each further activity
- AED 100
- Instant, Tajer or virtual license, ADDED's fee
- AED 790–5,500
- Freelancer or dual license, ADDED's fee
- AED 1,200
- Residence visa, each
- from AED 3,000
- Office lease
- in your quote
- Accounting, a month
- from $350
A first year in Abu Dhabi, line by line
For a consulting company with one owner who needs a residence visa, the first-year bill has four lines.
Company and license with us, before VAT
- Amount
- from $8,000
The owner's residence visa
- Amount
- from AED 3,000
Accounting and tax filings, 12 months
- Amount
- from $4,200
Office lease, by the size you take
- Amount
- in your quote
AED 1,200ADDED's own part, and the second year
ADDED's own part of that bill is AED 1,200, the standard license with six activities. In the second year the company pays the license renewal, the lease and the accounting. A resident who works alone starts for less: a freelancer license costs AED 1,200 and needs no office. Our accounting in the UAE page shows what the monthly fee covers.
Abu Dhabi mainland company formation, step by step
- 1–3 days1
Activity and legal form
You describe the business. We pick the activities from ADDED's list and the legal form, an LLC for most founders.
- 3–5 days2
Trade name and initial approval
We register the trade name and obtain the initial approval, which lets the next steps start.
- then3
Memorandum of association
We draft the memorandum, or the agreement with a local service agent where the activity asks for one, and you sign it.
- in the same days4
Office and Tawtheeq
We find the office, and its lease is registered in Tawtheeq, the tenancy register of Abu Dhabi.
- 1–2 weeks in all5
Further approvals and the license
Where the activity needs it, we file for the approval of the municipality or the health department. ADDED then issues the license.
- 2 to 4 weeks6
Visas, tax registration and bank
We open the establishment card, file the visas, register the company with the Federal Tax Authority and send the application for a business bank account in the UAE.
Office, Tawtheeq and residence visas
A standard license asks for an office lease registered in Tawtheeq. For some activities ADDED lets the lease wait until the second year, and we check whether yours is one of them.
The larger the office, the more residence visas the company holds. Each visa costs from AED 3,000: see residence visa.
The owner takes an investor visa and employees take work visas. Each of them sponsors a spouse and children.
A resident on a Tajer license works for three years with no lease, and a freelancer works from home.
Documents for a company in Abu Dhabi
Documents
Each owner and director
- Passport copy
- Photo on a white background
- Proof of home address, issued within 3 months
- Residents: UAE visa and Emirates ID
- Employees in the UAE: a no-objection letter from the employer
A company as shareholder
- Certificates of incorporation and of good standing
- Memorandum and articles of association
- Register of directors and shareholders
- Board resolution to open the Abu Dhabi company
- Passports of the beneficial owners (UBO)
- Notarised and legalised at a UAE embassy
You send them in your account. We check each document the day it arrives and tell you what is missing.
See the platformQuestions about business setup in Abu Dhabi
How do I start a small business in Abu Dhabi?
On one of three licenses. Tajer Abu Dhabi suits a resident trader: from AED 790, with no office lease for three years. The freelancer license, AED 1,200, suits a person who works alone. The virtual license, from AED 790, is for a founder who lives abroad.
Can a foreigner own 100% of a company in Abu Dhabi?
Yes, for most activities. A few keep a UAE partner or a local service agent, and we check yours before anything is filed.
Abu Dhabi mainland or free zone: which to choose?
The mainland to sell across the UAE and to the government. ADGM for finance and holding under English common law, Masdar City for technology with a desk and a package price. Our guide free zone vs mainland in the UAE goes through the two kinds of company rule by rule.
Can an Abu Dhabi company work in Dubai?
Yes. A mainland license covers trade in every emirate, and the company opens a branch in Dubai when it needs premises there. Our page on a mainland company in the UAE covers the Dubai license.
How long does it take to set up a company in Abu Dhabi?
1 to 2 weeks to the mainland license once the office is ready, then 1 to 3 weeks for the visas and usually 2 to 4 weeks for the bank account.
What tax does an Abu Dhabi company pay?
9% corporate tax on taxable income above AED 375,000 and 0% below it: the rules are in corporate tax in the UAE. A business with revenue up to AED 3 million can elect Small Business Relief for tax periods ending by 31 December 2029. VAT is 5%, and VAT registration in the UAE is compulsory from AED 375,000 of turnover and optional from AED 187,500.
Get a quote for your UAE company
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.
Other free zones and emirates
Dubai
from $7,000 Company formation in Dubai
ADGM company formation
$1,900 ADGM's fees to register a holding SPV
Ajman Media City
AED 4,999 Business Club license for a year
Ajman NuVentures
AED 4,888 Zero-visa package for a year
Ajman Free Zone
from AED 5,555 E-commerce license package a year
Dubai CommerCity
In your quote Company with its license
Fujairah Creative City
AED 3,999 Media package for a year, no visa
Dubai Airport Free Zone
from AED 15,000 Trade or service license a year
DIFC company setup
$12,000 Commercial license a year, non-retail
DMCC Free Zone
AED 35,484 Basic Biz package: license and flexi-desk
Dubai South Free Zone
AED 12,500 License with a flexi-desk, a year
DWTC Free Zone
from AED 12,000 DWTC license, valid one year
Fujairah Free Zone
from $7,000 Company with its license, through us
Hamriyah Free Zone
AED 11,000 Basic cost of a license, as the zone states
IFZA Free Zone
about AED 12,500 License a year with a flexi-desk
JAFZA offshore company
AED 10,000 JAFZA fee to register, paid once
JAFZA Free Zone
from AED 5,000 JAFZA license fee a year
KEZAD Free Zone
from AED 9,450 Start-up package a year, VAT included
Masdar City Free Zone
AED 7,000 Startup package: license, 2 activities
Meydan Free Zone
AED 12,500 Meydan's license fee a year, desk included
RAK ICC offshore company
AED 3,250 Registry fee to incorporate, first year
RAKEZ Free Zone
AED 6,000 Basic license a year: 1 activity, no visa
SAIF Zone
In your quote Company with its license
Shams Free Zone
AED 5,760 Media license a year, VAT included
Sharjah free zones
from AED 5,750 Free-zone license a year
SPC Free Zone
from AED 5,750 SPC license fee a year
Umm Al Quwain Free Zone
AED 5,500 UAQ LYTE: license a year, no visa
Compare the free zones
Cost, visas and office, side by sideAlso for a company in the UAE
Mainland company in the UAE
The mainland license in Dubai and the other emirates, from $8,000
OpenInvestor visa in Dubai and the UAE
A 2-year residence visa through your company, from AED 3,000, 1 to 3 weeks after the license
OpenBusiness bank account in the UAE
Six accounts compared by balance and fee, 2 to 4 weeks from a complete application
OpenCompany formation in the UAE
Free zone from $7,000, mainland from $8,000, offshore from $3,000
OpenGuides to a company in the UAE
All guides to a company in the UAE
Updated 13 October 2026. Reviewed by Vladyslav Drapii, Founder.
