Our 5 Easy Steps to Company Setup in UAE

Select your Company Type

The United Arab Emirates offers several incorporation options operating within the various jurisdictions. Each jurisdiction requires decisions on the type of entity and the different types of offices/warehouses/showrooms.

Once complete, there are visa formalities and medical examinations: This may sound overwhelming, but SFM will guide you every step of the way. You will not need to make unnecessary visits to submit or sign documents. SFM carries out most of this work and will only ask you to attend when mandatory.

SFM will advise you on the most suitable package for your needs and ensure your success and continuity. Whether a General trading license, a specialized trading license, industrial license, professional service licenses or any other incorporation type, we aim to provide the most relevant information.

The Free Zones offer similar incorporation, but which is most suitable for your specific needs?

Which Free Zone is most suitable geographically to the areas of business most relevant to your needs?

How many employees will you accommodate in your offices, and is this possible with the incorporation package you are considering?

These questions and more will arise once you begin to look at incorporating in UAE. We are here to provide information relevant to you.

Get a License Notification

Once the necessary documents are obtained and formalized, the initial application process will begin at the relevant issuing authority along with registering the company’s formal name. This crucial stage paves the way for clarification of the final fees and the final acceptance of the company’s proposed activities.

Once you have received the initial approval, SFM can settle the final fees and expect issue of the incorporation certificate. A dedicated SFM Corporate Service Officer will guide you through this entire process. The summary of different companies available for you to incorporate are as follows:

Limited Liability Company

• A versatile company
• A sponsor is needed
• The foreigner may own no more than 49% of the shares
• Office space is required (we can arrange virtual offices also)
• Residence Visa is provided depending upon the license
• Able to open UAE accounts and accounts worldwide
• Has access to other GCC markets through UAE incorporation
• Permitted to register at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce

Professional License company (no limited liability)

• Only able to conduct business in the specific area of expertise of the license owner/manager
• Needs a local service agent
• The foreigner may own 100% of the shares
• Office space is required (we can arrange virtual offices)
• Residence visa is provided
• Able to open UAE accounts and accounts worldwide
• Has access to other GCC markets through UAE incorporation
• Permitted to register at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce

Free Zone Company

• May trade only within the specified free zone and elsewhere in the world
• A 5% customs duty applies to any goods exiting the Free Zone destined for elsewhere in UAE
• No sponsor is needed
• Foreigners can own 100% of shares
• Residence visas are issued
• Office space is required within the free zone; this is strictly enforced
• Able to open UAE bank accounts and accounts worldwide
• May join the Chamber of Commerce through the relevant office in the specific Free Zone

Offshore company

• Only able to trade outside of the UAE
• No residence visa is issued
• No local sponsor needed
• Foreigner can own 100% of shares
• may hold UAE bank accounts
• May hold bank accounts elsewhere in the world

Rapid Bank Account Opening

At SFM we consider a company impractical unless it holds a corporate bank account. The exceptions are holding companies created with the sole purpose of holding shares in other companies. Thus, we have developed a banking network and expertise enabling us to open accounts for all companies we register. However, the final decision to open an account depends on the bank. So far, our account opening success rate in the UAE is 100%.

Our professional status as «International Corporate Service Provider» and presence of a signed good conduct charter demonstrates our status as «eligible introducer» in the eyes of the financial industry. Because of this, opening an account and managing the dossier is simple. We send the banking file directly to our clients. We open bank accounts by correspondence for most international banks with whom we work. However, in the UAE the law requires that the client visit the bank in person. We arrange meeting between banks and our clients at our own offices to ease the process. You are permitted to open personal bank accounts for you and any relatives and/or employees at this stage too. The account becomes active around 5 working days later. You will then be given online access. Requested cards will be dispatched to the address you specified or delivered in person.

Typically, the following facilities are available from the financial establishments with whom we work:

• Multi-currency accounts
• E-banking
• Trading in currency, shares and other titles
• Interest-bearing accounts
• Credit and debit cards
• Letter of Credit
• Structured products
• Capital Guaranteed products

With fifteen years of experience in the field, we select banks that are secure, provide excellent services, and offer a range of banking facilities.

How do we choose our banks?

Before selecting a bank, we look at other important characteristics too:

• Bank confidentiality to preserve customer privacy
• Financial guarantees to avoid the risk of bankruptcy
• Excellent reputation of the institution
• Wide range of financial products

The SFM customer profile is varied and includes, among others: entrepreneurs, pensioners, shareholders, import & export businessmen, heirs, consultants, patent owners and many more. Our banking network allows the opening of accounts for any type of activity and to suit our diverse clientele. We arrange all the relevant paperwork to open the bank account, allowing our clients to simply focus on the development of their business strategy whilst they rest assured that we are dealing with the administrative processes.