Does the figure shown include visas and office rent?

No. The figure covers your trade licence, company registration and standard government fees. Residence visas, dependent visas, office costs and add-on services are priced separately because they vary widely between applicants.

Business Setup Cost in UAE | Free Calculator

UAE Business Setup Cost Calculator | AB Capital

AB Capital Services FZC

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Free Instant Estimate

UAE Business Setup Cost Calculator

Answer a few questions about your company plans and see the trade licence and government fees for your setup, with a tailored breakdown from our team.

1Takes less than 2 minutes

2Covers all 5 emirates, mainland, free zone and offshore

3Instant licence and government fee estimate

Where do you want to set up the company?

Select the emirate you want your trade licence issued in.

Choose your jurisdiction

This has the biggest impact on your final cost, and depends on your activity and whether you need to trade inside the UAE market.

Select your legal structure

Your structure affects how much tax you pay, your ability to raise capital, the paperwork required, and your personal liability.

Choose your business category

Your category determines which jurisdiction, trade licence and business activity will apply to you.

Choose your business activity

Describe what your company will actually do. For example general trading, IT consultancy, food stuff trading, e-commerce, or building contracting.

Main business activity

What is the primary purpose for establishing a company in the UAE?

This helps us decide what kind of company structure you would require.

How many owners or shareholders will your company have?

The number of shareholders helps decide the best legal structure and how many resident visas you will need.

How many dependent visas will you need?

You can apply for dependent visas for family members in addition to residence visas for your shareholders.

What type of office space do you need?

Whether you need a flexi desk, a co-working area, or a full office is a major factor in your overall setup cost.

Where do you want to provide your services?

What type of customers do you serve?

Annual turnover

What is your current or projected yearly revenue for the next 12 months? This affects VAT and corporate tax registration requirements.

Do you require help with any other services?

Select all that apply. You can also skip this step if you only need the company formation.

Your estimate is ready

Enter your details to see your licence and government fees. We will also send you a copy of the estimate.

From AED 00,000

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Your Name Email Phone Proposed Company Name

Please enter your name, a valid email and your phone number.

Your Licence and Government Fees

AED 0

This covers your trade licence, company registration and standard government fees. Everything else is tailored to you.

Included in this figure

Tailored to your setup

Your visa quota, workspace and add-on services are priced around your exact plan. Send us a message and we will put together your full breakdown, usually within the hour.

Get My Full Breakdown on WhatsApp

Licence and government fees are indicative and based on current published rates. They vary by activity, free zone authority and visa quota, and are confirmed in writing before you commit to anything.

Transparent Pricing

No hidden charges, ever

100% Price Match

Beat any written quote

FTA Approved

Registered tax agency

Prices are indicative and subject to change. Always consult our team before making any business decision.

AB CAPITAL SERVICES FZC • ABCAPITAL.AE

How Much Does Business Setup Cost in UAE?

The business setup cost in UAE starts from roughly AED 10,500 for a low cost free zone licence and rises from there depending on your emirate, jurisdiction and visa requirements. A Dubai mainland trade licence, by contrast, usually begins around AED 31,000 before visas and office space are added. The calculator above gives you the licence and government fee portion of your company formation cost in UAE instantly, so you have a realistic starting point before speaking to anyone.

Most published figures online quote only the cheapest possible package and leave out the government charges that every company pays. We have built this tool to do the opposite. It shows what the licence and mandatory fees genuinely cost for your exact combination of emirate, jurisdiction and business activity, and then our team prices the variable parts, such as visas and workspace, around your actual plan.

Typical Business Setup Cost in UAE by Jurisdiction

Setup Type	Licence and Government Fees	Best Suited To
Free zone company	From AED 10,500	Consultants, e-commerce, service exporters
Offshore company	From AED 17,000	Holding companies and asset protection
Mainland company	From AED 22,000	Trading inside the UAE market, government contracts

These figures cover the trade licence, company registration and standard government charges only. Residence visas, office space and add-on services such as bank account opening are quoted separately, because the cost of company formation in UAE changes significantly depending on how many visas you need and where your workspace is located.

What Changes Your Business Setup Cost in the UAE

Mainland, free zone or offshore

This single choice has the biggest effect on your UAE business setup cost. Free zones offer 100% foreign ownership, lower fees and fast incorporation, but restrict you from trading directly in the local market without a distributor. Mainland licences cost more and carry additional government charges, yet allow you to trade anywhere in the UAE and bid for government work. Offshore structures are the cheapest to maintain but cannot sponsor residence visas or lease premises.

Which emirate you choose

Company formation cost in UAE varies noticeably between emirates. Ajman, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah free zones are consistently the most affordable routes to a UAE trade licence, while Dubai and Abu Dhabi carry a premium that buys you stronger banking access, reputation and proximity to clients.

Visas and office space

Visas are usually the largest variable in any UAE business setup cost. Each investor or partner visa, along with every dependent visa, carries its own medical, Emirates ID and stamping charges. Your workspace decision matters just as much, since a flexi desk in a business centre and a full warehouse sit at opposite ends of the scale.

Business activity and legal structure

Trading licences require import and export registration, and manufacturing activities need an industrial licence, both of which raise the cost of business setup in the UAE compared with a straightforward professional services licence. Your legal structure, whether a sole establishment, LLC, branch or subsidiary, adds its own registration requirements.

Transparent Pricing and Our 100% Price Match Guarantee

We quote every UAE business setup cost in full and in writing. No hidden charges appear halfway through your application, and no mandatory fee is left out of your proposal to make the headline number look smaller.

If you receive a written quote for the same scope of work at a lower price, bring it to us and we will match it. Our 100% price match guarantee means you never have to choose between transparent pricing and a competitive rate.

Get Your Exact Company Formation Cost

Use the calculator above for your licence and government fees, then message our team on WhatsApp for a full written breakdown including visas, workspace and any additional services. Most detailed quotes are returned within the hour. You can also explore our wider advisory services at AB Capital Services FZC, or compare jurisdictions beyond the UAE with AB Capital Global.

Business Setup Cost in UAE, Frequently Asked Questions

Licence and government fees typically start from around AED 10,500 for an affordable free zone company and around AED 22,000 for a mainland trade licence. Your final UAE business setup cost depends on the emirate, your business activity, how many visas you need and the type of office space you choose. The calculator above gives you the licence and government fee portion instantly.

Ajman, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah free zones generally offer the lowest company formation cost in UAE, often several thousand dirhams below an equivalent Dubai licence. The right choice still depends on where your clients are, whether you need local market access and how important banking reputation is to your business.

No. The figure covers your trade licence, company registration and standard government fees. Residence visas, dependent visas, office or warehouse costs and add-on services are priced separately because they vary widely between applicants. Our team prepares that part of your business setup cost as a written breakdown.

It reflects current published licence and government rates for each emirate and jurisdiction, so it is a reliable guide for budgeting. Exact figures still vary by free zone authority, business activity and visa quota, which is why every quote we issue is confirmed in writing before you commit to anything.

Yes. Most free zones allow a virtual office or flexi desk package, which keeps your cost of setting up a business in the UAE to a minimum. Offshore companies operate from a registered agent address entirely. Mainland licences and larger visa quotas usually require a physical tenancy contract.

Yes. Send us a written quote for the same scope of work and we will match the price. We would rather earn your business on service and transparency than lose it over a few hundred dirhams.