100%
Foreign ownership on most mainland activities, no local partner required
Mainland Document Checklist
Documents Required for Company Registration in Dubai
Every document DET asks for, including the ones that quietly stall a file: NOCs, attested degrees, a clean trade name.
- Reviewed by senior DET mainland advisors.DMCS Mainland Desk, Dubai.
Start here
Most rejections are paperwork, not eligibility
Setup rarely fails on eligibility. It fails on an expiring passport, an unattested degree, a missing NOC.
At a glance
3 core docs
Passport, trade name and initial approval start every file
From 3-7 days
Standard activities, once your documents are complete and clean
9%
Corporate tax above AED 375,000 profit, 0% below
Why this matters
A clean document file is the difference between days and weeks
DET runs your details against a fixed set of checks, and every check maps to a document.
#1
Cause of delay is incomplete or mismatched documents, not eligibility
Ready to claim these advantages for your own company?
Talk to a specialistPassport is the anchor
Every shareholder, manager, and general manager needs a passport valid for at least 6 months. An expiry mid-application forces a re-file. Check the dates before you start, not after.
NOCs catch UAE residents
If a shareholder already holds a UAE residence visa under another sponsor, DET often expects a No Objection Certificate. Skipping it is the most common silent rejection at initial approval.
Attestation is non-negotiable for some
Professional licences such as consultancy or engineering can need an attested degree. The MOFA and UAE embassy chain runs 2 to 4 weeks, so it is the bottleneck nobody schedules. Start it on day one.
Trade name has rules
DET rejects names with religious terms, abbreviations of personal names, or anything mirroring a government body. A foreign or non-Arabic name also carries an extra fee. A clean reservation avoids restarting the file.
MOA must match reality
The Memorandum of Association sets shareholding percentages and activity scope. If it does not match your initial approval, notarisation stalls. Get it drafted once, correctly, against a single source of truth.
Tenancy proves your address
A registered Ejari tenancy contract is required to finalise the licence. No physical or flexi-desk address, no licence. This is where free-zone-minded founders get caught off guard.
The process
Where each document is actually used
Documents are not requested all at once. They surface stage by stage, and knowing the order lets you prepare the slow items, attestation and NOCs, while the fast items move in parallel.
6 document stagesFrom 3-7 days
- 1
Trade name reservation
Day 1Submit two to three name options to DET. Names cannot contain religious or government terms, and you provide passport copies of shareholders. Foreign-language names carry a higher fee.
Trade name certificatePassport copies on file - 2
Initial approval
Day 1 to 2DET confirms it has no objection to you owning the business. Shareholder passports, the chosen activity, and any NOCs for shareholders on a UAE residence visa are reviewed here.
Initial approval certificateNOC clearance if applicable - 3
External approvals
Day 2 to 10Only for regulated activities. DHA, KHDA, Dubai Municipality, RTA, RERA or others may require attested degrees, lease plans, or specialised qualifications before they sign off.
Authority approval lettersAttested certificates accepted - 4
MOA drafting and notarisation
Day 3 to 7The Memorandum of Association is drafted to reflect shareholding and activity, then notarised. For an LLC, all shareholders sign in person or grant a power of attorney.
Notarised MOAPower of attorney if remote - 5
Tenancy and Ejari
Day 3 to 7Secure a physical office or flexi-desk and register the contract through Ejari. The tenancy must match the licensed activity and the visa quota you need.
Ejari registration certificateTenancy contract - 6
Licence issuance
Day 5 to 7DET issues the trade licence once payment clears and every document is validated. You receive the licence, MOA, and establishment card to begin visa processing.
Trade licenceEstablishment card
What to prepare
The full document checklist by category
Below is the complete set for a standard mainland LLC or professional licence. Regulated activities add authority-specific items, which we flag at consultation. Bring the personal documents first, they gate everything else.
From every individual
Shareholder and manager documents
Passport copy
Clear colour copy, valid 6 months or more, for every shareholder, manager, and general manager.
Passport-size photo
Recent photo with a white background, used for the establishment card and visa file.
UAE visa or entry stamp copy
If inside the UAE, the visa page or entry stamp, plus Emirates ID if resident.
No Objection Certificate
Required when a shareholder holds a UAE residence visa under another employer or sponsor.
About the company
Company formation documents
Trade name options
Two to three preferred names that comply with DET naming rules, no religious or government references.
Business activity selection
Chosen DET activity codes. Some activities trigger external approvals you must plan for.
Memorandum of Association
Drafted by DMCS to reflect shareholding and activity, then notarised in Dubai.
Ejari tenancy contract
Registered lease for a physical office or flexi-desk that matches your activity and visa quota.
For regulated or professional licences
Supporting and approval documents
Attested degree certificate
For professional activities such as consultancy or engineering, attested through the home country and MOFA.
External authority approval
DHA, KHDA, Dubai Municipality, RTA or others, depending on whether your activity is regulated.
Power of attorney
Notarised POA if you cannot sign the MOA in person, letting DMCS or a representative sign for you.
Corporate shareholder documents
If a company is a shareholder: attested trade licence, MOA, and board resolution from the home country.
When attestation is actually required
Not needed for everything. Passports never require it. It is mandatory only for documents issued abroad that DET must rely on: degree certificates for professional licences, and the full corporate set when a foreign company is a shareholder. The chain runs home-country notary, home foreign ministry, UAE embassy, then MOFA.
Start attestation early MOFA plus embassy attestation can take 2 to 4 weeks. Run it in parallel with name reservation by starting on day one.
Check passport validity DET wants at least 6 months. An expiry mid-application forces a fresh submission and lost days.
Confirm NOC need first If any shareholder is on a UAE visa, get the NOC confirmed in writing before filing initial approval.
The real number
What the documents themselves cost
Document-linked line items for a standard single-shareholder mainland LLC. Trade licence, Chamber and visa costs sit on top of this.
All-in · year one
AED 7,875
Document-linked fees, year one · Standard mainland LLC, one shareholder, non-regulated activity
Annual renewal
AED 12,000
Liability
Limited
Document fees are a small fraction of total mainland setup, typically AED 15,500 to 35,000. We itemise your exact file before you pay anything.
Itemized breakdownAmount
Trade name reservation
DET fee to reserve and certify your company name, more for a foreign-language name
Initial approval
DET no-objection to proceed with formation
MOA drafting and notarisation
Drafting plus notary public fees for the Memorandum of Association
Ejari registration
Tenancy registration fee, excluding the rent itself
Document attestation
Per degree or corporate document, embassy and MOFA, if applicable
Power of attorney
Notarised POA for remote signing, if applicable
Translation and typing
Legal Arabic translation and typing centre fees
Estimated totalAED 7,875
Government fee · at costDMCS service · fixed
No hidden document fees
Every government and notary fee is shown to you before submission, with the official receipt.
You only pay what applies
Attestation and POA lines only appear if your situation genuinely needs them.
Re-file at no extra cost
If a document we prepared is rejected for our error, we correct and refile it free.
Avoid these
Document mistakes that send files back
These are the recurring reasons a Dubai mainland application bounces. None are about eligibility. All are avoidable with the right document, prepared in the right order.
Passport
Submitting a passport with under 6 months validity
DET will not anchor a licence to a passport about to expire, and renewing mid-file resets parts of the application.
Do this instead: Renew the passport before you start, or use a shareholder whose passport is clearly valid for the next year.
NOC
Ignoring the NOC for a shareholder on a UAE visa
A shareholder already sponsored by another employer needs that sponsor's no objection, or DET stalls at initial approval.
Do this instead: Confirm every shareholder's current visa status first, then obtain the NOC in writing before filing.
Attestation
Starting degree or corporate attestation too late
Professional licences and corporate shareholders need fully attested documents, and the embassy chain takes weeks.
Do this instead: Begin embassy and MOFA attestation on day one, in parallel with trade name reservation.
Trade name
Choosing a name DET will reject
Religious terms, government-sounding names, or personal-name abbreviations are refused, forcing a fresh reservation.
Do this instead: Submit two to three compliant options and let us check them against DET rules before reserving.
Address
Assuming no physical address is needed
Mainland licences require a registered Ejari tenancy. Without it the licence cannot be issued, no matter how complete the rest is.
Do this instead: Secure an office or flexi-desk and register Ejari early, sized to the visa quota you actually need.
MOA
Letting the MOA contradict the initial approval
If shareholding percentages or activity scope differ between documents, the notary and DET reject the file.
Do this instead: Draft the MOA only after activity and shareholding are locked, and keep one source of truth.
Why DMCS
We assemble the file so DET approves it once
We know, by activity and nationality, which documents DET and the external authorities will demand, and which ones cause rejections.
Document file audited before filing
We review every passport date, NOC, and attestation against your specific activity before anything reaches DET, so you do not lose days to a re-file.
Attestation handled end to end
We manage the embassy and MOFA attestation chain for degrees and corporate documents, and start it on day one so it never becomes the bottleneck.
Trade name and activity checked first
We screen your name options against DET naming rules and confirm your activity codes, removing the two most common reasons a file restarts.
MOA drafted to match, not to template
Your Memorandum of Association is drafted to mirror your initial approval and shareholding exactly, so notarisation passes the first time.
10K+
Companies formed
15 yrs
Since 2009
4.8
163 Google reviews
We tell you which documents you do not need, not just which you do.Every government and notary fee is shown with its official receipt.If a document we prepared is rejected for our error, we refile it free.
Real results from our clients
What our clients say about working with us
Real Google reviews from founders we have set up and kept compliant on the Dubai mainland.
A
Abdul Sami3 months ago
Thank you to the team for supporting us with our company setup. Our case was not straightforward, especially the bank account opening, but they stayed committed and got it done.
P
Paolo Chua8 months ago
I had a great experience opening a corporate bank account. The process was smooth and efficient. The staff were friendly, professional, and explained everything clearly.
A
Amy Elliott Dunne4 months ago
The accounting and bookkeeping service has been exceptional. Attention to detail is impressive, and communication is always clear. Tasks are handled promptly.
R
Rashed Al Falasi5 months ago
They confirmed our activity grouping before filing and flagged an issue the bank would have raised. Licensed in under two weeks with no surprises on the invoice.
M
Marwa Khalil2 months ago
We came for a mainland LLC and stayed for renewals and PRO work. The same team answers the phone after the license is issued, which is rare here.
FAQ
The questions every founder asks
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