The company is the first step. This page covers the rest: what you must sort out next, what each thing asks of a founder who lives abroad, and what it costs. Every figure has its source. These are the options a founder would look at. No seller pays to be on this page.
1 Form the company
Start here. We compare 12 free zones and what each one charges.
A company with a trade licence still needs a bank account before it can take payments and pay costs. The main trap is residency: several banks ask for an Emirates ID, or for at least one signatory who lives in the UAE. A regulated digital account can be easier to open from abroad than a bank account.
What to know
Mashreq's key facts statement for NEO BIZ says at least one partner or power-of-attorney holder on the account must be a UAE resident. It also says the business must be owned 100% by individuals, with no layered structures. mashreq.com/-/jssmedia/pdfs/neobiz/kfs/neobi…
Emirates NBD's online route asks for valid passports and Emirates IDs of all partners and authorised signatories. It accepts only sole proprietors or single-layer companies where the final owners are individuals. A company with a company as its owner must use a different application link. emiratesnbd.com/en/business-banking/open-busines…
Hubpay is licensed in the ADGM as an electronic money institution, not as a bank. Its own page says it onboards free zone companies where all principals are non-resident, fully digitally. hubpay.io/pricing
Mashreq's key facts statement says it may charge fees 30 days after the trade licence expires, stop the cheque book after 90 days and freeze debit after 180 days. Keep the licence renewed. mashreq.com/-/jssmedia/pdfs/neobiz/kfs/neobi…
Hubpay's FAQ says it onboards free zone and offshore-structured entities where all principals are non-resident, subject to standard KYC. It asks for the trade licence, passport copies of all directors and shareholders, and proof of business address. It says no minimum balance.
Third parties say Wio runs a video-check route for non-resident directors with some passports, and that other sources say an Emirates ID is needed. Wio's own pages do not state a residency rule. They say onboarding is digital: you scan an ID and verify with a recording.
The key facts statement says at least one partner or power-of-attorney holder must be a UAE resident. The page asks for the trade licence, memorandum of association, address proof and identity documents of the partners.
The online route asks for passports and Emirates IDs of all partners and authorised signatories, and a six-month bank statement of the company or of the partner for a new company.
The application page lists the trade licence, passports and Emirates IDs of signatories, and proof of address. It says the applicant needs to be in the UAE.
FAB's accounts page says the Business Call Account is available to both UAE residents and non-residents. It does not list the documents a non-resident owner must show.
The AED 250,000 minimum is high for a new company.
Read 5 Oct 2026
We could not find: Wio's own pages do not state whether an owner abroad can open an account, or the minimum balance. Zand does not state its non-resident rule on its own pages. Emirates NBD, Mashreq and RAKBANK pages do not say if a branch or video route exists for owners abroad. We did not find the age limit for RAKstarter on RAKBANK's page. Wio's Swift transfer fee: the currency symbol was missing in the text we read, so we left it out.
3 Take payments from customers
A UAE company can take card payments through a local gateway or through Stripe. Most gateways ask for the trade licence and a UAE bank account for payouts. Fees differ by plan, so compare the monthly fee and the per-payment rate together.
What to know
Telr's pricing page says a valid trade licence is mandatory. All Telr fees are plus 5% VAT. telr.com/pricing
Mamo says it is available to businesses and freelancers registered and operating in the UAE. It asks for a UAE bank account for payouts, and runs ID checks on all owners, including minority owners. help.mamopay.com/en/articles/7200023-getting-star…
Ziina's fee page, last updated 6 January 2026, shows card payments to a Ziina Business account as free for the business. Ziina says cash-outs cost AED 1 from 1 November 2026. ziina.com/fees
Mamo says it is for businesses registered and operating in the UAE, and asks for a UAE bank account and the trade licence. It lists Emirates ID among documents that can be missing in failed checks.
The merchant agreement we read does not state a rule on owners abroad.
No published price.
Network's merchant agreement says a minimum volume fee applies when monthly volume is AED 20,000 or less. The amount is set in your application, not published.
Read 5 Oct 2026
We could not find: Stripe: no page we read states who may open a UAE account, or the international card rate. Telr: set-up fee not published on the pricing page. PayTabs: set-up fee amount not published; the SMB figures come from a migration notice, not a general price page. Network International: no set-up, monthly or per-payment price published. Ziina, Nomod, Telr, PayTabs: sign-up rules for owners abroad not stated on pages we read.
4 Register for tax and file on time
Every UAE company must register for corporate tax, even a free zone company that expects to pay 0%. The 0% rate for free zone companies has conditions, and an audit is one of them. Register on time: the late penalty is fixed and the deadline is short.
What to know
A company set up in the UAE, including a free zone company, must apply for corporate tax registration within three months of its incorporation. Registration is through the FTA's EmaraTax portal. tax.gov.ae/en/media.centre/news/federal.tax…
The late registration penalty is AED 10,000. The first tax return is due nine months after the end of the first tax period. The FTA waives the penalty if the company files that return within seven months. tax.gov.ae/Datafolder/Files/Pdf/2025/CTP006…
Standard corporate tax is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it. A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on qualifying income and 9% on other income, and does not get the AED 375,000 band. tax.gov.ae/DataFolder/Files/Pdf/2024/Determ…
To be a Qualifying Free Zone Person, a company must meet all of these: adequate substance in a free zone, qualifying income, no election for standard rates, arm's length dealings with related parties plus transfer pricing papers, audited financial statements, and non-qualifying revenue under the lower of AED 5 million or 5% of revenue. tax.gov.ae/Datafolder/Files/Pdf/2024/CT%20B…
VAT registration is mandatory when taxable supplies and imports pass AED 375,000 in 12 months, or are expected to in the next 30 days. It is voluntary from AED 187,500. The application is due within 30 days of the duty to register. tax.gov.ae/en/taxes/vat/vat.topics/registra…
Economic substance reports are no longer needed for financial years ending after 31 December 2022. Beneficial-owner registers are still required: Cabinet Decision 109 of 2023 covers licensed companies, including commercial free zones. Ask your free zone how it collects them. mof.gov.ae/en/news/ministry-of-finance-anno…
The FTA pages we read do not state a rule on owners abroad. They say registration is available through EmaraTax, a registered tax agent, or a government service centre.
No published price.
The FTA says registration takes about four steps and 30 minutes. It did not list a government fee on the pages we read.
The page offers the service to companies in Meydan Free Zone. It asks for the business licence, office Ejari, manager and shareholder passports and the memorandum of association.
The page shows a monthly and yearly billing switch with a 25% saving, so we could not tell which billing the figures show.
Read 5 Oct 2026
We could not find: We did not find a government fee for corporate tax registration on the FTA pages we read. We did not find a published price for an independent audit of a free zone company. TaxReady says audit fees are extra. We did not confirm which free zones ask for audited accounts at licence renewal. We did not read a government page that states the UBO register process for each free zone. Accounting firms: none stated a rule for owners abroad.
5 Get a registered address
The licence needs a registered office address. In many free zones the office is part of the licence package. A separate lease and Ejari matter more on the mainland, and in Dubai when a bank or authority asks for proof of address.
What to know
In Dubai, the Dubai Land Department says registering a tenancy contract through Ejari is mandatory. Its fee page lists AED 100 for registration, AED 10 knowledge fee and AED 10 innovation fee, plus a service partner fee. dubailand.gov.ae/en/frequently-asked-questions
Meydan Free Zone says it has no virtual office option. A flexi-desk comes with the licence and meets the office and Ejari requirement. Other free zones set their own rules. meydanfz.ae/blog/flexi-desk-vs-virtual-office
RAKBANK asks for proof of the current business address, and gives Ejari or a utility bill as examples. Mamo says the address must not be a PO box and must not be older than six months. quickapply.rakbank.ae/digitalbank/business/accounts/cu…
Meydan lists its larger options: dedicated desk AED 3,500 a month, shared office AED 15,000 a year and dedicated office AED 30,000 a year. meydanfz.ae/blog/meydan-free-zone-flexi-desk…
The page says it is in Bur Dubai and supports bank and labour inspections.
Read 5 Oct 2026
We could not find: We did not find an official page that says which free zones need a separate Ejari. Meydan and Oh My Desk say different things about free-zone use. Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and other emirates' lease registration rules were not checked. Prices for flexi-desks in free zones other than Meydan were not verified on official pages.
6 Buy the health insurance the law requires
A residence visa needs health insurance in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and since 1 January 2025 in the other emirates too. The employer pays for employees. An owner who sponsors themselves must buy their own cover. The cheapest plans are basic and have limits.
What to know
Dubai's Health Insurance Law (No. 11 of 2013) applies across the emirate, including free zones such as DIFC. An employer must enrol employees and pay the cost. A sponsor must enrol the people it sponsors who have no employer. dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law…
In Abu Dhabi, an employer must cover employees and their families, and a sponsor must cover those it sponsors. The law says a non-UAE national may not get or renew a residence permit without enrolling in the scheme. doh.gov.ae/-/media/0BE585B5E6814D81913697DD…
Since 1 January 2025, employers in Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain must buy health insurance before a residence permit is issued or renewed. This is the same rule that already applied in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. mohre.gov.ae/en/guidance-and-awareness-portal…
MoHRE's basic scheme costs AED 320 a year and runs for two years. Inpatient care has a 20% co-payment and outpatient care 25%. Pregnancy, childbirth and dental care are not covered. mohre.gov.ae/en/guidance-and-awareness-portal…
The page is for private-sector employees and domestic workers in the five northern emirates, bought by the employer when a residence permit is issued or renewed.
The page says issuance depends on applicant details and insurer approval. It does not say the fee is yearly, so we do not give a period.
Read 5 Oct 2026
We could not find: We did not find a published price for a plan above the basic level for a founder who earns more than AED 4,000 a month. Daman's page did not show a basic plan price. We did not find prices for business cover such as professional indemnity or public liability, and we did not find a rule that free zones require it. Meydan's page does not state the policy period for its fees.
7 Pay yourself and your first hire
Employees need a work permit and a residence visa. The company must pay their wages through the Wage Protection System in most cases. A founder who owns the company holds an investor or partner visa, which is a different type from an employment visa.
What to know
MoHRE says private-sector establishments must pay wages monthly, in the agreed amount and on time, through the Wage Protection System (WPS) with approved banks, financial institutions or exchange houses. mohre.gov.ae/en/guidance-and-awareness-portal…
Free zones apply this their own way. DMCC's guide says its companies must register every employee with an active or expired employment visa for salary transfer. It says shareholders are not obliged to register. Check your own zone's rule. dmcc.ae/hubfs/website%20support%20docume…
DMCC says free zone visas are issued by the zone authority, not through MoHRE. Employment visas and partner or investor visas are separate types. Partner and investor eligibility follows the shareholding. dmcc.ae/blog/the-4-types-of-dubai-free-z…
Teamed passes employer costs through at cost, itemised on each invoice.
Read 5 Oct 2026
We could not find: We did not find a government page that states whether an owner on an investor visa must be paid through WPS. DMCC says shareholders are not obliged at DMCC. We did not find the WPS rule for each free zone, only DMCC. We did not find a published payroll price from Deel, Remote or Oyster for the UAE. Government visa fees for an employment visa versus an investor visa were not compared here.
Setup Costs