Mainland structure · 2026
A separate UAE company owned by a foreign parent, with the parent's assets shielded from UAE liabilities.
Foreign expansion
A separate UAE company, usually an LLC, owned by a foreign parent. Parent assets stay shielded and profit repatriates with no withholding tax.
Is it right for you
A subsidiary suits a parent that wants protection and its own UAE operations. Here is who it fits and who should look at a branch or rep office instead.
A subsidiary is formed on the parent's documents, and those must be attested before DET will accept them. Attestation is the parent-specific step that sets the timeline.
Every parent document, the certificate of incorporation, the memorandum, the board resolution, and the power of attorney, must be attested in the parent's home country and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then legally translated into Arabic. This runs several weeks and depends on the home country, so it is usually the longest single part of a subsidiary setup.
Who signs off
The process
Six stages from parent decision to a licensed subsidiary. Plan for about two to four weeks once the attested parent documents are ready.
Attest and translate the parent's incorporation, memorandum, board resolution, and power of attorney. This is the critical path.
Reserve the subsidiary's trade name and confirm its activities with DET.
DET and the Ministry of Economy clear the foreign-owned structure.
Notarise the subsidiary's Memorandum and register its Ejari office lease.
DET issues the subsidiary's trade license on approval.
Register for corporate tax, file the UBO register, and process manager and staff visas.
Real 2026 cost
Single activity, small office. The leanest way to place a subsidiary on the mainland.
Broader activity, an office, and a few visas, with parent attestation included.
A bigger office, sector approvals, several visas, and an audit retainer.
Capital and visas
Most activities carry no fixed minimum share capital; you state a reasonable figure in the memorandum. Some regulated activities do set a minimum.
The subsidiary's visa quota is tied to its Ejari office size, like any mainland company. A bigger office supports more of the team.
The subsidiary appoints a UAE manager, whose visa is part of the setup. Investor and staff visas follow the standard mainland process.
Banks look at both the subsidiary and the parent behind it. A clear group structure, attested parent documents, and evidence of the parent's standing are what move the file.
A clear structure from the parent down to the UAE subsidiary, with attested documents.
The parent's standing and source of funds, documented alongside the subsidiary's plan.
We match the group to a bank comfortable with foreign-owned subsidiaries and manage the KYC.
Banks DMCS opens subsidiary accounts with
A mainland subsidiary is a normal UAE taxable company, and it carries ongoing filing duties the parent should plan for. Profits repatriate to the parent with no UAE withholding tax.
| Authority | What they do | When you meet them | Key output |
|---|---|---|---|
| No withholding | A clean route to move earnings back to the parent company. | On profit distribution | Free repatriation |
| 9% rate | The subsidiary registers with the FTA regardless of profit. | On annual profit | Corporate tax & VAT |
| UBO filing | Keep the ultimate beneficial owners of the parent chain current. | On any ownership change | UBO register |
| IFRS & audit | Maintain records that support the accounts and any consolidation. | Each year | Audited accounts |
Why DMCS
The slow, easy-to-mishandle part is the parent's paperwork. We manage attestation, DET and the Ministry of Economy registration.
Attesting the parent's documents is the longest part. We sequence it against the UAE steps so formation does not wait.
The country-specific document attestation is the critical path. We run it in parallel with the UAE steps so the setup does not stall waiting on a foreign ministry.
A subsidiary only protects the parent if it is set up as a genuinely separate entity. We structure it so the shield holds, not just on paper.
Attestation, DET, the Ministry of Economy, tax, and UBO, coordinated from one office, so the parent deals with one point of contact, not several.
Real results from our clients
Real Google reviews from founders we have set up and kept compliant on the Dubai mainland.
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.
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.
The accounting and bookkeeping service has been exceptional. Attention to detail is impressive, and communication is always clear. Tasks are handled promptly.
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.
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
Tell us the parent company and what the subsidiary will do, and we return the right structure, the attestation plan, and an itemized quote with the parent-specific costs shown.
