What we quote is what you pay.
Most of this market hides its figures behind an enquiry form, and the headline you do see rarely includes what you pay. We do the opposite: indicative bands you can plan around, a clear account of what sets your number, and a written figure that does not move after you commit.
Get your number, in writing
Two kinds of number, behaving differently. One is public. One is a decision.
Government fees, fixed
Set by DET, GDRFA, ICP and the FTA. Published, and the same for everyone whoever you set up through.
Your structure, a decision
Mainland, free zone, or offshore. The biggest lever on what you pay, and on what your company can do.
Activity and visas
What you do, and how many people you need resident. Both move the figure more than the licence headline, and every visa recurs yearly.
Then, in writing
Government fees and our work, separated and shown in full, in one figure that does not move after you commit.
If three quotes all read differently, you are not imagining it.
A headline licence fee with the visas, the medical test, the Emirates ID and the insurance quietly left out is not a price. It is the start of a surprise. Here is what that surprise costs.
A UAE setup cost is two figures that behave differently. Government fees are fixed, published, and identical for everyone. Everything else follows from decisions:
- Your structure.
- Your activity.
- How many people you need resident.
- Whether a bank will ask for a real office.
A single banner number only stays true by hiding one of those. We show you the whole shape and let you decide on facts.
The headline-price trap
The lowest advertised licence is genuine. So is the spend it takes to make that company bankable, visa-ready and compliant. Chasing the smallest number on the page is the most common way founders pay the most.
The add-on after you commit
A figure agreed, then a separate charge appears, then another mid-process nobody mentioned. When the parts are not shown up front, the total is never the total. That is the gap our written scope closes.
The structure you outgrow
A free zone licence taken to invoice mainland clients. An offshore vehicle expected to hire. Changing structure later costs more than choosing correctly on day one. The saving on the cheap licence becomes the smallest number in the story.
The five-year number
Year one is the wrong horizon. Renewals, visa quota and compliance compound. The cheapest zone today is often the expensive decision by year three. We price the structure over its life, not the setup invoice.
One written scope. One figure. No surprises.
Transparency is a habit here, not a slogan. Four things you can hold us to, every time, before you commit a dirham.
What you get is the judgment that keeps the cheap version from becoming the expensive one: the right structure, a file a bank will open, a number that does not move after you commit. You deal with the principal who scopes the work, not a processor passing you down a queue.
Enough to plan around. Not enough to mislead you.
The realistic all-in ranges most clients land in, including government fees and the items a headline price leaves out. Where you fall inside a band is a decision, not a sticker price. Your exact figure is scoped privately and confirmed in writing before you commit.
A lean, fully owned company
Year one, all-in: AED 20,000 to 35,000. What moves you inside the band: one visa versus several, which zone approves your activity, and a flexi-desk versus a bank-ready office. Floors sit lower for a zero-visa licence; the figure rises with each visa and the items every setup needs.
To trade across the UAE market
Year one, all-in: AED 25,000 to 50,000 and up. What moves you inside the band: your activity and its chamber fees, an office or Ejari requirement, and visa quota with any external approvals. The commercial licence fee is activity-driven, so a single professional activity sits far below general trading.
The ten-year route, done right
Eligibility first, then government and processing. The category you qualify under, dependants on the same application, and the medical, Emirates ID and stamping all shape it. Property and investor routes require AED 2,000,000; a salaried route turns on AED 30,000 a month. Eligibility decides the cost before the fees do.
Keeping the company compliant
Scoped to your books, by engagement. Transaction volume and complexity, VAT registration once turnover crosses AED 375,000, and Corporate Tax filing and audit needs all set it. The 9% Corporate Tax rate applies above AED 375,000 of taxable profit. We price the ongoing work to your actual books.
Indicative, not a quote. These bands are the honest shape of a real first year, including government fees, not a single banner number. The right number is built for your activity, your market and your visa count, in writing, before you commit. See the full setup picture.
Four decisions, not forty line items.
Skip the fee-by-fee spreadsheet. Four decisions set most of what you will pay, and they are decisions, not prices. Settle these well and the rest is arithmetic we do for you.
Structure moves your figure the most, then activity and visas, then jurisdiction. Workspace and banking come next: a bank that wants a real address can lift your number, and a clean first application is always cheaper than a second.
The number people expect on a pricing page
UAE company setup is AED [a single flat figure].
The advisor's note: there is no single flat figure, and any site that prints one is rounding off your real cost to win your click. The licence fee alone is set by your activity, your structure and the relevant authority, so a single professional activity sits far below general trading. We scope your number on the call rather than guess at one you would have to unlearn.
A package figure is the licence and a desk.
The rest of your first-year cost is government fees and the things every setup needs but few quotes show. None are optional. They become surprises only when a quote pretends they are not there.
A headline number is usually the licence plus a desk. Government fees are charged per visa once the company exists. The items every setup needs sit alongside them:
- Mandatory health insurance.
- Document attestation where needed.
- Any office upgrade a bank asks for before opening an account.
Plan for the whole shape now and none of it surprises you. That is the cheapest decision you will make on cost.
When transparent pricing is worth it, and when it is not.
We are not the cheapest desk in the market, and we will not pretend to be. Read both sides. If the value is not there for your case, we will say so.
The decision is bigger than the licence
Your business is regulated, cross-border, or otherwise easy to get wrong, where a mistake costs more than the setup. A bank account that opens cleanly matters, so the file has to be right the first time. You want one figure in writing and a senior advisor accountable for it, not a headline that grows on the invoice. And you are choosing between structures and want to be told plainly which one fits, not sold the priciest.
Price is the only axis that matters
You only want the single lowest licence number, with no concern for what follows. Or your activity is simple, well-trodden, and you are comfortable handling banking and compliance yourself. Or you want a setup processed in a day with no conversation about structure, fit, or the year-three picture. We will tell you when that is the right call for you.
We will say so plainlyWhy founders trust the firm with the number.
Everything was perfect, very fast, easy and super professional. You helped me and my family get our Golden Visas without any stress.
From the initial assessment to final implementation, the team demonstrated strong expertise, structured methodology, and clear communication.
They delivered what they promised without any hidden agenda and informed me of better and less costly ways to achieve what I need.
Thanks to Manish Kumar, we were finally able to speed up the process of getting our visa after months of struggling with other agents.
He was super quick to reply, very efficient and honestly the best I have worked with. He made the whole process so much easier.
Manish demonstrated deep expertise, professionalism, and a thorough understanding of the incorporation process. Proactive, responsive, and efficient.
They've assisted me and my family obtain golden residency in the UAE. All timelines were clearly defined and all processes transparent.
Communication was clear from the start, everything managed end to end with full transparency on costs.
Manish was instrumental in setting up our company in Dubai. Always responsive, readily available to answer our questions.
A trusted advisor, a skilled navigator of complex regulatory landscapes, with unshakeable integrity.
Great and professional support from Manish. I recommend working with him on any project.
What founders actually ask about cost.
Why won't you just publish a fixed price for UAE company setup?
How do you make sure there are no surprise charges?
Are government fees included in your pricing?
Is the cheapest setup option the right one for me?
Do you charge for the first conversation?
How long does a UAE company setup take?
How do I get my exact number?
Do you offer payment plans or staged payments?
What happens if a government fee changes after you quote me?
Are there ongoing yearly costs after the first year?
Still weighing the structure before the number? Start with the setup overview, or book a 30-minute call and we will scope your figure.
A note on these bands. The ranges here are indicative planning figures for a typical first year, including government fees; they are not a quote, and your figure is scoped to your activity and visa count in writing. Regulatory thresholds, such as the AED 375,000 VAT and Corporate Tax point and the AED 2,000,000 Golden Visa investment, are eligibility facts. This page is general information, not tax or legal advice.
The Decision Path
Next: clarify the all-in figure for your exact activity and visa count, in writing. Book a 30-minute call.
Want a realistic read on your setup cost?
Answer a few questions and a senior advisor gives you the realistic shape of your number and what drives it, before you commit. No obligation.
These are the bands. The right number between them is the work.
Thirty minutes with Manish turns these ranges into a real plan: the right route for your activity, the all-in figure in writing, and a straight answer on whether the leanest option is the right one for you. If the firm fits your case, we proceed. If it does not, you leave with sharper direction than you arrived with.