Myth
100% foreign ownership applies to every activity.
Reality
It applies to most, not all. A short strategic list, including defence and certain banking work, still needs Emirati participation.
LLC Company Formation
LLC Company Formation in Dubai
Dubai's most popular mainland structure: 100% foreign ownership on commercial activities and capped liability.
DMC Setup Trust:100% Approval RateOfficial DED Channel Support
What it is
What an LLC is, and why it sits apart
In plain terms
A mainland legal entity licensed by DET under the UAE Commercial Companies Law, with limited liability.
UAE-wideTrade across the mainland market
AnnualRenewed each year with DET
Activity-ledLists the exact activities you can trade
Versus
How an LLC compares
The four structures investors usually weigh against an LLC.
If you areOne owner, unlimited personal liabilityRecommendedSole establishmentIf you areLicensed professionals in partnershipRecommendedCivil companyIf you areAn extension of a parent companyRecommendedBranch officeIf you areZone-registered, restricted from mainland tradeRecommendedFree zone company
The nuance
Ownership, agents and capital
Six points that catch first-time LLC applicants.
Myth
A Local Service Agent is a shareholder in disguise.
Reality
No. A Local Service Agent handles government administration for the licence without taking equity. It is not a shareholding partner.
Myth
There is a set minimum share capital to deposit.
Reality
There is no federally mandated minimum for most Dubai LLCs. Some regulated activities carry an expectation set by the regulator.
Myth
The mainland visa quota follows a fixed formula.
Reality
It does not. Quota is tied to office size but assessed case by case by MOHRE and GDRFA, factoring in the activity type.
Myth
A company shareholder joins like a person does.
Reality
It carries a heavier file: the parent's trade licence, its Memorandum and Articles, a board resolution and a Power of Attorney.
Myth
Ownership is settled once the MOA is signed.
Reality
One more disclosure follows. Every shareholder files an Ultimate Beneficial Owner declaration, and foreign documents need attesting.
The process
Step-by-step LLC formation
A fairly fixed sequence with DET, even though paperwork varies by activity and shareholder type.
- Critical stage
Choose your business activity
Drives extra approvals, the ownership position and your office requirement.
Reserve your trade name
Submitted to DET, confirming it meets naming rules and is not in use.
Apply for initial approval
DET confirms no objection to you carrying out the chosen activity.
Draft and notarise the MOA
Sets shareholding, management structure and profit-sharing, then is notarised.
- Critical stage
Secure office and register Ejari
A physical, DET-compliant office before the licence can be issued.
Submit documents and pay fees
DET issues the final trade licence and the company is registered.
Documents
Documents required
Individual shareholders9 items
- Passport copies of all shareholders and managers
- UAE entry stamp or residence visa copy
- Passport-size photographs
- Signed initial approval and application forms
- NOC from a current UAE sponsor, where applicable
- Corporate: parent trade licence and incorporation certificate
- Corporate: Memorandum and Articles of the parent
- Corporate: board resolution naming a signatory
- Corporate: Power of Attorney for the representative
All foreign documents typically need attestation and, where required, legal translation into Arabic before submission. Every shareholder also goes through an Ultimate Beneficial Owner declaration as part of registration compliance.
Full document checklist
The cost
LLC formation cost in Dubai for 2026
Three scenarios based on what you are actually setting up. Indicative for 2026.
Entry
Base LLC formation
No office lease beyond the minimum, and no visas.
Trade name and approval
MOA notarisation
DET licence fee
AED 18,000 to 25,000+
Most common
Standard, one visa
The base package plus one investor visa and its costs.
Base package
One investor visa
Emirates ID and medical
AED 25,000 to 35,000+
With a team
LLC with office and staff
A real office lease plus multiple employee visas.
Office AED 15,000-50,000+
Multiple employee visas
Any extra approvals
AED 35,000 to 60,000+
Want the figure for your exact license?
Tell us your activities, office, and visa count and we return an itemized quote, not a headline number.
Treat these as planning ranges rather than fixed quotes. Regulated activities needing extra approvals sit toward the higher end or beyond.
What sits inside a base LLC package
The licence fee is the largest single line.
Base LLC, no visasAED 18,000-25,000+Before an office lease beyond the minimum, and before any visas.
Trade name and initial approvalFrom AED 1,550+Reservation plus DET's no-objection.
MOA / AOA drafting and notarisationAED 500-2,000Required where there is more than one shareholder.
DET licence feeActivity-dependentTypically the largest single line item, making up most of the balance.
Ejari and market feeRent-linkedThe market fee is calculated as a percentage of annual rent.
Establishment cardFixed feeIssued so the company can sponsor visas.
Investor or employee visaAED 3,000-6,000Per visa, including Emirates ID and medical fitness test.
Office leaseAED 15,000-50,000+Annually, by size, building grade and location. Flexi-desk sits at the low end.
The three realistic scenarios
- Base LLC, minimum office, no visas: AED 18,000 to 25,000+
- Standard LLC with one investor visa: AED 25,000 to 35,000+
- LLC with a real office and a small team: AED 35,000 to 60,000+
Possible additional costs
- External Authority Approvals
- Additional Visas
- Larger Office Space
- Activity Amendments
Side by side
LLC vs free zone company
Ownership is less of a differentiator than before 2021. Where you sell is the real question.
Route comparison
Mainland LLCDET licence
Free zoneZone authority
Market accessWhere you can sell
Anywhere in the UAE
Zone plus international
OwnershipWho can hold shares
100% most activities
100%
Visa quotaHow visas scale
Case by case, office size
Clearer published formulas
Office costWhat you must lease
Market-rate lease, Ejari
Often bundled flexi-desk
Selling to UAE clientsDirect or via agent
No distributor needed
Distributor or dual licence
Government tendersPublic contracts
Eligible
Generally not eligible
Setup costIndicative year one
AED 18,000 to 60,000+
Often starts lower
Best for reach
Selling inside the UAE
Export-led operations
Our take
If you sell to UAE customers or bid for government work, the LLC is the structure that removes the restriction. A free zone suits export-led businesses.
Timelines
From application to licence, and beyond
Banking is the step that most often catches new owners off guard, and it depends on who the shareholders are.
StageIndicative time
Standard, non-regulated activities
1-3 weeks
Activities needing extra approvals
Longer, per regulator
Visa processing after the card
1-2 weeks
In-person biometric step
3-5 working days
Bank account, resident shareholders
2-4 weeks
Bank account, non-resident
6-12 weeks
You cannot pay salaries or settle AED invoices until the bank account is live, so build that into cash flow planning.
Where it fits
Activities suited to an LLC
Almost any business wanting a genuine mainland trading presence rather than a free zone workaround.
Unrestricted UAE trading
No distributor, dual licence or branch to sell across the country.
The headline advantage02
Trading and retail
General trading, retail and e-commerce, where selling directly is the model.
03
Consultancy and professional
Where you serve UAE clients directly and hold a real office presence.
04
Construction, F&B, industrial
Including real estate brokerage, restaurants and manufacturing.
05
Multiple shareholders and staff
On a licence not confined to a single free zone's boundaries.
Worth the cost?
See a full mainland cost breakdown in two minutes.
Run the numbersWhat an LLC owes after the licence is issued
Getting licensed is the start, not the finish. Keeping these on one calendar from day one is the simplest way to avoid fines.
- 01
Corporate tax registration
Within 3 months of incorporation under FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024, regardless of expected tax due. Commonly missed.
- 02
Corporate tax filing
Annually once your first tax period closes. 0% to AED 375,000 and 9% above, or a Small Business Relief election under AED 3,000,000 revenue.
- 03
VAT registration and filing
Mandatory once taxable turnover passes AED 375,000, voluntary from AED 187,500, then filing on the periodic schedule the FTA assigns.
- 04
Licence and visa renewals
Annually at an indicative AED 8,000 to 16,000, alongside your Ejari. Investor and staff visas renew before expiry, with Emirates ID.
Common mistakes
What catches first-time applicants
Six mistakes that come up repeatedly, and how we prevent each one.
A pre-submission review, every time
We screen your file against each trigger before it reaches DED, so issues are fixed at the desk, not at the counter.
How we prevent it
We check your specific activity against the strategic-activity exceptions early, so the ownership position is confirmed before you commit to a structure.
How we prevent it
We treat the compliant, registered office as the hard prerequisite it is, and size it against your visa plan before you sign anything.
How we prevent it
The 3-month window from incorporation sits on its own clock. We put FTA registration on your first-90-days list the moment the licence issues.
How we prevent it
There is no guaranteed mainland ratio. We get your allocation confirmed against your actual office rather than an assumed number, before the lease is signed.
How we prevent it
Formation is one-off. Renewal, VAT and corporate tax filing are recurring, so we give you the annual figure alongside the setup figure from the start.
How we prevent it
Adding activities later means DET amendment procedures. We map your full intended scope before the activity selection is locked.
We check all of these before filing, not after a rejection.
Why DMCS
LLC formation is what we do most
We specialise in mainland setup, and LLC formation is the structure we handle most often for foreign investors wanting a genuine UAE trading presence.
Where setups fail most
Banking-aware structure
We set up your company with the bank's review in mind. Activity wording, office type, structure, all chosen to open accounts, not block them.
01
Activity selection first
It drives your licence class, your approvals, your office specification and your ownership position. We confirm it before anything is filed.
02
MOA drafted around your shareholding
Including corporate shareholders, Power of Attorney and UBO declarations, with attestation and Arabic translation handled.
03
Office and Ejari arranged to fit
Sized against the visa count your plan actually needs, checked before you sign a lease.
04
The steps new owners miss
Establishment card, visas, and the corporate tax and VAT registrations that sit on their own deadlines after licensing.
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.
Common questions
LLC formation, answered
Get a fixed, itemised quote for your LLC
Priced against your activity, shareholder structure and office plan.
You see exactly what is and is not included before committingOwnership position confirmed against your specific activity