UAE Business Setup Cost Calculator

Four choices drive most of the cost: the licence route, the activity, the office and the number of visas. Change any one and the list of components changes. A consultant working from home on a free zone flexi-desk has a very different list from a trading company with a mainland office and several staff.

The planner above lets you pick each choice. For a free zone or an offshore registry it shows the authority's published starting price, checked on 22 October 2026, with what the figure covers and what it leaves out. For the mainland it shows no number, because the licence fee depends on the activity and a share of the office rent. Ofin's UAE desk confirms the full amount in a written quote.

If you have not chosen a route yet, read mainland vs free zone first, then come back and compare.

Use this table as a checklist. It shows which components usually appear for each route. Individual free zones and emirates differ, so treat it as a guide.

Read about each route in Dubai mainland company setup, the free zones guide and the offshore company guide.

Compare quotes line by line, not by the headline total. Two quotes can look similar and cover very different things. Ask each provider to list the same components in the same order, then check what is included, what is optional and what is excluded.

• Is the licence for the exact activity you need, or a general one?
• How many visas are included, and does the quote cover medical, Emirates ID and stamping?
• Is the office a real tenancy, a flexi-desk or a virtual address, and does it meet your bank's expectations?
• Does the quote cover the first renewal, or only year one?
• Who pays government fees if they change before filing?
• Is bank account support included, and is any outcome promised?

Beware of any provider that promises a bank account or visa outcome. Banks and authorities decide on their own review.

Most surprises come from items that sit outside the first quote. Ask about each of these before you pay anything.

• Renewals in later years, including office and visa renewals.
• Changes of activity, shareholder, manager or office after incorporation.
• Visa cancellation, change of status and dependants' visas.
• Document attestation for Indian papers; see our attestation guide.
• Corporate tax and VAT registration and returns; see UAE corporate tax and VAT registration.
• Accounting and audit, where required.
• Bank minimum balance or account maintenance conditions.
• Indian-side filings such as ODI filing if you invest from India.

1. Define your activity and who you will sell to, so the right licence route is clear.
2. Choose the office type that your bank, customers and activity will accept.
3. Decide how many visas you need now and how many in year two.
4. List the components in the table above, add the recurring ones, and note what is optional.
5. Request a fixed written quote, compare it line by line, and keep a reserve for items that change.

Make your selection in the planner and submit the quote request. Our UAE desk replies with a fixed written quote and tells you which route we think fits. You can also message the desk on WhatsApp at +971 50 523 5779. If you are also planning an Indian company, see the company registration cost calculator.

Talk to the UAE desk

Tell us your activity, where you live and how many visas you need. We reply with the right structure, the documents required and a fixed written quote, usually within 24 hours.

+971 50 523 5779 on call or WhatsApp