迪拜自贸区公司注册-初禾源咨询

GLOBAL REGISTRATION

Dubai Free Zones

Advantages of Registering a Company in Dubai Free Zones

1. 100% foreign ownership (outside free zones, local majority shareholding is required);

2. Zero corporate tax for 50 years, and this concession may be renewed;

3. No restrictions on repatriation of capital and profits;

4. Zero import‑export customs duties and zero personal‑income tax;

5. No currency restrictions;

6. No restrictions on hiring foreign employees.

REQUIREMENTS

COMPANY TYPE

MATERIALS

Serial

Name

Details

Determine the Company Type

Select the appropriate legal form for the company.

Business Activities

Select and confirm the business activities intended to be carried out by the company, and ensure compliance with free‑zone regulations.

Company Name

Provide a minimum of three proposed company names and complete name reservation to verify name availability.

Office Premises

Select suitable office premises or facilities according to the company type and business requirements.

Registered Capital

There is no minimum‑capital requirement; AED 100,000 is generally recommended, and paid‑up capital is not required.

Shareholders and Directors

Minimum 1 shareholder, minimum 1 director, 1 general manager and 1 company secretary; no nationality restrictions. The shareholder, general manager, director and company secretary may be the same individual.

Notes

If the shareholding is held by a Hong‑Kong‑based company, its corporate documents shall go through notarisation, High‑Court attestation and consular authentication. The director of the Hong‑Kong company must attend in‑person witnessing at the Dubai Consulate General in Hong Kong. Each document requires a separate set of certification procedures, with certification costs reaching HKD 60,000‑70,000.

(Solution: Costs can be substantially reduced by adopting natural‑person shareholding.)

Serial

Name

Details

Dubai Mainland

Companies suffixed with LLC refer to ordinary Limited Liability Companies registered in Dubai. Traditionally, such entities are locally‑owned. Even for foreign‑invested companies, a local sponsor is mandatory. Legally, the company belongs to the local sponsor, who shall hold at least 51% of the company’s shares.

Dubai Free Zones

Entities suffixed with FZCO and FZE are joint‑venture and wholly‑owned companies registered within Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), including its China Enterprise Park. Such companies do not require a local sponsor. Investors may hold full ownership of the company and enjoy all preferential policies of zero taxation applicable within the free‑zone.

Free‑Zone Company(FZCO)

FZCO (Free Zone Company) is a joint‑venture company incorporated within Jebel Ali Free Zone. It generally consists of 2‑5 shareholders, who may be either natural persons or corporate entities. Each shareholder shall contribute a minimum of AED 100,000, and the total share capital is AED 500,000.

Free‑Zone Establishment(FZE)

FZE (Free Zone Establishment) refers to a wholly‑owned company type within Jebel Ali Free Zone. It has only one shareholder, who may be either a natural person or a corporate entity, with a share capital of AED 1,000,000.

Serial

Name

Details

Documents

Information‑collection Form & KYC Power of Attorney

Individual Shareholder

Full‑set clear colour scan copies of passports (from cover‑to‑cover) for shareholders, Dubai‑company directors, general manager and company secretary;

Proof of address (utility bills or credit‑card / bank‑card statements showing the individual’s name and address, issued within the past three months);

Educational certificate of the company’s general manager.

Corporate Shareholder

Clear scanned copies of the Business License and Memorandum & Articles of Association;

Scanned copy of Certificate of Good Standing;

Complete shareholding structure diagram;

Share‑ownership documentary evidence;

Board resolution for establishing the Dubai‑based company and appointing its representative;

Clear colour‑scanned passport and proof of address of the ultimate beneficial owner (utility bills, credit‑card or bank‑card statements showing the holder’s name and address issued within the past three months);

(Non‑natural‑person shareholders holding more than 5% shares shall trace down to the ultimate beneficial owners, except for listed‑company shareholders.)

Notes

All the above‑mentioned documents require notarisation, dual‑authentication by the Embassy of the UAE and MOFA stamp attestation in Dubai (Arabic‑language version is required).

REGISTRATION PROCESS

1

Prepare Registration Documents

Provide the completed Application Form together with all required documents.
2

Document Notarisation

Document Notarisation and Apostille Certification.
3

Submit Registration Application

Submit Preliminary Approval and Name Reservation Documents.
4

Approval & Notarisation of Memorandum and Articles of Association

Submit documents for Municipal‑Authority approval, draft the Memorandum of Association (MOA), and assist with its notarisation at the notary‑public office.
5

Approval

Submit the documents, settle the applicable fees and obtain the licence from the Mainland authority.
6

Handover of Registration Documents

Registration is completed and the registered documents are handed over.
7

Labour and Immigration

Prepare and submit documents to the Ministry of Labour and Immigration.
8

Open a corporate bank account

Open a corporate bank account
9

Submit the Visa Application

Visa Application (as required)