UAE Company Formations

Setting up a company in Dubai can unlock low taxes and access to Gulf markets — but the rules are very different from the UK. With a group HQ in Dubai, we guide UK founders through business registration in Dubai and the wider UAE: choosing between mainland and free-zone, trade licensing, residency visas, and corporate bank accounts.

Crucially, we advise on how the UAE structure interacts with your UK tax position — because if you remain UK tax resident, a Dubai company does not automatically remove UK tax. We help you do it properly.

Mainland, free zone or offshore?

The right jurisdiction depends on what you do:

• Free zone — 100% foreign ownership, simple setup, and a 0% corporate tax rate on qualifying income; ideal for international trading, consulting and holding structures.
• Mainland — lets you trade directly in the UAE local market and bid for government work, now with 100% foreign ownership of most activities.
• Offshore — for holding assets and international business, but no UAE trading or residency visas.

Residency visas and bank accounts

Forming a company is the most common route to a UAE residency visa — typically two years, with 10-year Golden Visa options for larger investments. Residency also underpins opening personal and corporate bank accounts, which we help arrange. A 9% corporate tax applies to profits above AED 375,000, and 5% VAT to most goods and services.

The UK tax angle UK founders miss

This is where many founders go wrong. If you remain UK tax resident, profits from a UAE company are generally still taxable in the UK, and anti-avoidance rules can apply. A Dubai company is powerful for genuine relocation or regional operations — not a way to sidestep UK tax while living in Britain. Our guide on setting up a company in Dubai explains the full picture, and our UK tax planning team advises on both sides.