Eight parts of the same file.
Formation, licence, office, bank account support and corporate upkeep, plus visas and tax through licensed partners. Each step in the order it has to happen. Scroll sideways.
Mainland
Trade directly inside the UAE market, invoice local clients, take government contracts.
Compare the two
Free Zone
Holding, consultancy, trading and regional HQ. Often quick to set up, with a defined visa quota.
Compare the twoHome·Company · Business Setup
Set up once. Set up right.
Three questions, one direction
Mainland or Free Zone is not a question of taste. It depends on where your customers are, how you invoice, how many visas you need and what you must file later.
Where are your customers?
Do you need a physical office?
How many visas?
Answer the three questions.
Orientation only, not advice. Rules, activity lists and bank requirements differ and can change. We confirm the requirements for your case before anything is filed.
Typical differences — exact requirements depend on activity, emirate and free zone.
Mainland or Free Zone:the two are not interchangeable.
Mainland
- Trade directly in the UAE market
- Invoice local clients without a local distributor
- Can bid for government and semi-government contracts
- Visa quota usually linked to office space
- Wider activity list, including most professional services
Free Zone
- Suited to holding, consultancy, trading and regional HQ
- Flexi-desk options with a defined visa quota
- Often faster to set up
- Trade inside the UAE usually needs a local sales channel
- Zone choice can affect how banks assess the company
A general orientation, not advice. Rules can change. We confirm the requirements for your case before any application is filed.
UAE Mainland Company Formation
A mainland licence lets you trade directly in the UAE market, invoice local customers without a distributor and bid for government contracts. We support you with activity selection, name reservation, initial approval, the Memorandum of Association, premises and licence issue.
Free Zone Company Formation
Free zone structures suit holding, consultancy, trading and regional headquarters. We compare zones on what really differs: permitted activities, visa quota, office requirements, renewal cost and bank requirements.
Business Licensing
The right activity codes from the start. Incorrect activity selection can create avoidable banking and licensing problems later.
Office & Business Address Solutions
Flexi-desk, serviced office or full premises, matched to the visa quota you need and the substance requirements of your licence.
Corporate Bank Account Assistance
Preparation and support for corporate account opening: substance documents, source-of-funds file, business plan and introductions to banks. The bank makes the decision. We prepare a complete, clear file.
Visa & Immigration Support
Investor, partner and employee residence visas, Emirates ID, medical test and establishment card, processed through licensed partners. Family members and domestic staff are included in the same application round, not handled as a separate project.
Corporate Services
Licence renewals, amendments, shareholder and activity changes, PRO services and document attestation. The part that is easy to forget until a deadline arrives.
Accounting & Tax Coordination
Bookkeeping, corporate tax registration and VAT through licensed accounting and tax partners. MARNAL coordinates; the licensed firm makes the filings.
Indicative timeline only.
Rushing the licence and fixing itlater is the expensive route.
Week 1–2 · Before filing
Structure and licence
Based on what you really plan to do, not on what is quickest to sell. Activity and structure are agreed together with the banking plan, before anything is filed.
Week 3–4 · One run
Visas and arrival
Through licensed partners: residence visas for investors, partners, employees and family members, plus Emirates ID. Licence, establishment card, visas and Emirates ID run as one process, not three projects.
Week 5–6 · Month one
Operations
Bank account opening support, plus accounting and corporate tax set up with licensed partners from month one.
Sequence for a standard file. Actual timing depends on zone, activity and bank.
Property and company,decided together.
If a UAE property is part of the plan, the holding structure should be settled before the purchase, not after. Changing it later can mean a second transfer and a second set of fees, which is an avoidable cost. Tax and legal aspects are reviewed with licensed partners.
Tell us what the companyis meant to do.
Planned activity, target customers, number of visas and whether property or financing is part of the picture. We come back with a structure recommendation and a cost breakdown.