Business Setup Cost in Dubai

How much does it cost to set up a company in Dubai?

The route you pick sets the range before anything else does. These are first-year totals at the time of writing, with a license, a basic office solution and the visas shown. They're ranges, not quotes. The same route can sit at either end depending on your activity.

Ranges at the time of writing, October 2026. We confirm the live figure before we quote.

What changes the price of a company setup

Four things move the number more than anything else. Get these clear and most of the guessing goes away.

• Your activity. A consulting license costs less than general trading, and regulated activities such as food, healthcare, real estate or gold need extra approvals with their own fees.
• Your office. On the mainland, rent is often the biggest single line. A flexi desk cuts it sharply where the activity allows one. A shop or warehouse can multiply it.
• Your visas. Each residence visa costs roughly AED 3,500 to 8,000 for two years, and your visa quota depends on your office size or free zone package.
• Your zone or authority. Free zones price differently from each other. Compare what a package includes, not only the headline number.

Which fees go to the government, and which are Startex's?

On the mainland, Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET, the former DED) and a few other bodies charge fixed fees. This is the usual list at the time of writing.

For the license line on its own, read our guide to the trade license cost in Dubai.

Hidden costs: which costs do most quotes leave out?

A very low quote usually hides some of these. Ask for each one in writing before you pay a deposit.

• Bank balance. Banks often ask for a minimum balance on a business account, commonly from AED 20,000, and some ask for a deposit to open it.
• Market fee. Dubai Municipality charges a market fee on mainland licenses at renewal, worked out from your annual rent.
• Health insurance. Every visa holder needs cover. Basic plans start at a few hundred dirhams a year per person, and family cover costs more.
• Accounting and tax. Corporate tax registration applies to nearly every company, and VAT registration is required above AED 375,000 of taxable supplies. Budget for bookkeeping too.
• PRO and typing charges. Small service fees on each government transaction. Each one is low, but they add up over a year.
• Renewals. A license renewal costs less than year one, because the trade name and initial approval aren't charged again, but it's still a yearly bill, and so are visas and Ejari.

How can you keep the cost down without cutting corners?

Start with the activity, not the zone. Write down exactly what you'll sell and to whom, because that decides whether a free zone is even allowed to serve your customers.

Then size the office to the visas you need this year. You can add visas later. You can't get back rent you shouldn't have signed.

Finally, ask every consultant for an itemised quote that lists government fees apart from service charges. If two quotes are AED 10,000 apart, the difference is almost always in what's left out. Our cost calculator gives you a first estimate in a minute, and our packages show what a fixed price includes.

How long does it take?

Most of the wait is documents and approvals, not the authority. These are typical times once your papers are complete, at the time of writing.