Guides to a company in the UAE
26 guides on opening and running a company in the UAE, written by the founders of Legarithm and checked against the official sources.
Company formation in the UAE: guides
Company liquidation in Dubai: steps, clearances and cost
An unrenewed license closes nothing: liquidation does, for AED 4,060 in DET fees.
Vladyslav Drapii10 min read
Dubai free zone license cost in 2026: fees by zone, visas, renewal
One visa lifts the first year at Meydan from AED 12,500 to AED 22,600.
Vladyslav Drapii10 min read
E-commerce license in Dubai: eTrader, mainland or a free zone
Selling from home in Dubai takes the eTrader license, AED 1,370 in all.
Vladyslav Drapii10 min read
Ejari in Dubai: registration, cost and renewal for a company
A mainland license needs a lease in Ejari, registered online for AED 177.75.
Vladyslav Drapii10 min read
Freelance visa in Dubai: permit vs LLC, cost, rules and which to choose
A permit for AED 7,500 a year covers one person, who hires nobody and bears the debts.
Vladyslav Drapii9 min read
IFZA license types and activity list in 2026: how to choose yours
Three activities from IFZA's list of 826 fit on one license, of either type or both.
Vladyslav Drapii9 min read
RAKEZ visa cost and quota in 2026: RAK free zone fees and setup cost
The All-Inclusive package at AED 14,000 a year takes up to four visas, the first included.
Vladyslav Drapii11 min read
Accounting in the UAE: guides
Audit requirements in the UAE: which companies must be audited, and by when
Four cases call for an audit, and skipping it costs a free-zone company its 0% rate.
Stanislav Skliarov9 min read
E-invoicing in the UAE: dates, who is in scope and how to prepare
Large businesses start on 1 January 2027 and name a provider by 30 October 2026.
Vladyslav Drapii9 min read
Tax in the UAE: guides
Corporate tax in the UAE: the rate, who pays and how to calculate it
The worked example turns AED 1,200,000 of profit into AED 68,850 of tax.
Vladyslav Drapii9 min read
Economic Substance Regulations (ESR) in the UAE: what applies in 2026
ESR ended with the financial year 2022, and the fines for 2019 to 2022 still stand.
Vladyslav Drapii10 min read
Input VAT recovery in the UAE: supplier checks from 1 October 2026
Unchecked suppliers can cost the deduction, except on purchases below AED 10,000.
Vladyslav Drapii11 min read
Personal income tax in the UAE: 0% on salary and what you still pay
A salary needs no return, while business turnover past AED 1 million brings corporate tax.
Stanislav Skliarov9 min read
Qualifying Free Zone Person: who pays 0% corporate tax in the UAE
Sales to other free-zone companies and 13 listed activities earn the 0% rate.
Vladyslav Drapii10 min read
Small Business Relief in the UAE: the AED 3 million test, to 2029
Electing the relief saves AED 56,250 on a profit of AED 1,000,000.
Vladyslav Drapii9 min read
TRN verification in the UAE: how to check a tax registration number
The check returns the name behind the 15 digits, to set against the invoice.
Stanislav Skliarov9 min read
Tax invoice format in the UAE: mandatory fields, full and simplified
Each invoice not issued within 14 days costs the supplier AED 2,500.
Stanislav Skliarov10 min read
UAE VAT calculator: add 5% VAT or take it out of a total
Multiply by 0.05 to add the tax, or take 5/105 of a total to find the VAT inside it.
Stanislav Skliarov10 min read
UAE double tax treaties: list of countries, rates, how to claim
The UK and French treaties cut tax at source to 0%, and the United States has none.
Vladyslav Drapii10 min read
The UAE compared
UAE free zone comparison: the best and the cheapest of 22 zones
A consultant, a trader and a finance firm each fit another zone, from AED 3,999 a year.
Vladyslav Drapii10 min read
Cyprus vs UAE (Dubai) for a company: tax, cost, residence
Sell into the EU from Cyprus at 15% tax, or outside it from the UAE at 0% to 9%.
Vladyslav Drapii10 min read
Cyprus vs UAE holding company: dividends, tax and cost in 2026
Cyprus suits subsidiaries and investors in the EU, the UAE a group based in the Gulf.
Vladyslav Drapii10 min read
DIFC vs ADGM in 2026: fees, law, regulators and how to choose
ADGM is $14,950 cheaper in the first year for a company with no financial license.
Vladyslav Drapii10 min read
Free zone vs mainland in the UAE: market access, tax and cost
Selling inside the UAE takes a mainland company, and sales abroad fit a free zone.
Vladyslav Drapii10 min read
UBO register in Cyprus, the UAE and the BVI: who files, terms, fines
No register of the three is public, and fines reach €5,000, AED 100,000 and $75,000.
Vladyslav Drapii10 min read
We do this for you
PRO services in Dubai and the UAE
PRO services are a company's paperwork with the authorities of Dubai and the other emirates: we file visas, license renewals and labour forms. A residence visa is from AED 3,000.
See the pageFree zone company setup in Dubai and the UAE
A free-zone company in Dubai or another emirate is 100% yours, costs from $7,000 with its license and is licensed in 1 to 5 working days: we pick the zone with you and register it.
See the pageTrade license in Dubai and the UAE
A trade license in Dubai comes from DET or from a free zone and costs from AED 12,000 a year in fees. We file the application and renew the license every year.
See the pageBusiness setup in Dubai mainland
We register your mainland LLC with its DET license in 1 to 2 weeks, from $8,000, and your business sells to any customer in Dubai and across the UAE.
See the pageIFZA free zone company setup
IFZA licenses a Dubai free-zone company with 3 activities for about AED 12,500 a year, in 5 to 7 working days. We open the company with its license from $7,000.
See the pageRAKEZ free zone company setup
RAKEZ, the economic zone of Ras Al Khaimah, licenses a company from AED 6,000 a year and one with a visa from AED 12,000. We arrange it remotely, from $7,000 with the license.
See the pageGet 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.
