RAKEZ free zone
Ras Al Khaimah free zone license
AED11,000
- Flexible packages
- Offices and warehouses available
- Access to seaports and airports
What is not included
- Office space
- Visa cost
- Market fees
- Municipality fees
- Foreign trade name
- SEWA deposit
Ranked among the UAE's top 10 advisory firmsKT Network, Khaleej Times, 18 February 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Business setup in Dubai,by one of the UAE'stop 10 advisory firms.
Links sets up mainland, free zone and offshore companies for founders moving to the UAE, then handles the visa and prepares the bank application. Packages start at AED 11,000, and you see the full cost before you commit.
5.0out of 5, 18 reviews on Google (opens in a new tab)100%
Foreign ownership
In free zones, and on the mainland outside a short list of strategic activities
0%
Personal income tax
The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals
9%
Corporate tax
On taxable income above AED 375,000
5%
VAT
The standard rate on most goods and services
Sources: UAE Government portal, Ministry of Finance, Federal Tax Authority, Ministry of Economy and Tourism. Checked September 2026.
Mainland, free zone or offshore
What do you want your company to do?
There are three ways to set up in the UAE. Pick the one that sounds like you to see who licenses it, where you can trade, what it means for visas and how it is taxed.
Who issues it
The economic department of the emirate. In Dubai, the Department of Economy and Tourism.
Where you can trade
Anywhere in the UAE, and internationally.
Foreign ownership
Up to 100%, except a short list of strategic activities such as banking, telecoms and defence.
Residence visas
Yes. In Dubai there is no fixed cap. The number follows the size of your premises and your activity.
Office
A leased physical address. In Dubai the lease is registered with Ejari.
Corporate tax
9% on taxable income above AED 375,000.
Who issues it
The free zone's own authority, for example IFZA or DMCC.
Where you can trade
Inside the free zone and internationally. Selling on the mainland needs a distributor, a branch or a permit.
Foreign ownership
100%.
Residence visas
Yes. The number depends on your package and office.
Office
From a flexi desk to a full office or warehouse.
Corporate tax
0% on qualifying income if the company meets the conditions. 9% on everything else.
Who issues it
An offshore registry: JAFZA, RAK ICC or Ajman Free Zone. JAFZA issues a certificate of incorporation, not a license.
Where you can trade
Outside the UAE only.
Foreign ownership
100%.
Residence visas
Not as a rule. The exception: a JAFZA offshore company that owns freehold property can apply for its members.
Office
A registered office, usually at the registered agent's address.
Corporate tax
The corporate tax law applies to any company incorporated in the UAE. There is no automatic exemption.
Packages and prices
What each package costs, and what is in it.
Prices are published, with what each one covers and what it does not. If your company needs something different, we quote it line by line.
Ajman free zone
Ajman free zone license
AED12,121
- 100% foreign ownership
- Office and warehouse leasing
- Business license issuance
What is not included
- Foreign trade name
- Accommodation fees
- SEWA deposit
- Visa cost
- Municipality fees
UAE business setup
One investor visa
AED12,500
- Company license
- Flexi desk
- 2 year residency
- Bank account opening
- Accounting consultation
- Corporate tax registration
DWTC free zone
Dubai World Trade Centre
AED12,500
- Business license
- Co-working space
- Bank account setup
- Corporate tax registration
IFZA free zone
Dubai free zone license
AED14,900
- Flexible license categories
- 100% ownership and repatriation
- No paid up capital required
- Digital setup process
- Located in Dubai
Cayman Islands offshore
Offshore company
AED16,500
- Certificate of incorporation
- Registered office address, 1 year
- Registered agent service, 1 year
- KYC and compliance assistance
Dubai mainland
Mainland license
AED19,500
- 100% business ownership
- Investor visa options
- Bank account opening
- VAT consultation
- Dedicated account manager
What is not included
- Immigration card and visa charges
- Foreign trade name
- Medical insurance
- E-channel registration deposit
Dubai free zone
One visa package
AED19,900
- LLC license
- 100% business ownership
- One visa allocation
- Co-working space
- Bank account opening
- VAT consultation
- Dedicated account manager
What is not included
- Foreign trade name
- Accommodation fees
- SEWA deposit
- Visa cost
- Municipality fees
Terms and conditions apply. Prices are indicative. The license fee differs by business activity, and the final cost varies with the number of visas and government fees.
For founders outside the UAE
Moving from the UK, the US or Europe.
A UAE company changes your position in the UAE. It does not change the rules at home. We set up the company and the visa. These are the points to raise with your own tax adviser first.
Links is a business setup consultancy. This is general information, not tax or legal advice for your circumstances.
- Holding a UAE visa does not by itself end UK tax residence. HMRC applies the Statutory Residence Test.
- A UAE company can still be UK tax resident if it is managed and controlled from the UK.
- The UK and the UAE have a double taxation convention, in force since 25 December 2016.
- US citizens and resident aliens are taxed by the US on worldwide income, wherever they live.
- Owners and directors of a foreign company may have to report it to the IRS on Form 5471.
- The US has no income tax treaty with the UAE.
- There are no EU wide rules on how you are taxed once you live abroad. National law and tax treaties decide.
- Germany has had no double taxation agreement with the UAE since 31 December 2021. France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Ireland are on the UAE treaty list.
- UAE banks share account information with partner countries under the Common Reporting Standard.
What we do
Every step of a UAE company, in one place.
Formation is the start. Licenses, visas, banking and tax registration follow, and the same team handles each one.
Dubai mainland
Licensed by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism.
UAE mainland overview
How mainland companies work, who licenses them and what they can do.
Abu Dhabi mainland
Licensed by ADRA through the TAMM platform.
Sharjah mainland
Licensed by the Sharjah Economic Development Department.
Ajman mainland
Licensed by the Ajman Department of Economic Development.
UAE free zones overview
What a free zone company can do, and how the 0% rate really works.
Dubai free zones
DMCC, JAFZA, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Meydan and more, compared.
IFZA
A Dubai free zone based in Dubai Silicon Oasis.
Abu Dhabi free zones
ADGM, KEZAD, Masdar City and twofour54.
Ras Al Khaimah free zones
RAKEZ and Innovation City.
Sharjah free zones
SAIF Zone, Hamriyah, SHAMS, SPC and SRTIP.
Ajman free zones
Ajman Free Zone and Ajman Media City.
UAE offshore overview
Holding companies registered in the UAE, and what they cannot do.
Dubai offshore
In Dubai, offshore companies are registered by JAFZA.
Jebel Ali offshore
Set up under the JAFZA Offshore Companies Regulations 2023.
Ras Al Khaimah offshore
International business companies registered with RAK ICC.
Ajman offshore
Offshore companies registered with Ajman Free Zone.
Business licenses
The license types, and which one your activity needs.
Commercial license
For trading: buying, selling, importing and exporting goods.
Professional license
For services, consulting and skilled professions.
Industrial license
For manufacturing and production.
PRO services
Government paperwork, approvals and renewals handled for you.
Golden Visa
Long term residence for investors, founders and specialists.
Investor visa
Residence through owning or part owning a UAE company.
Bank account opening
We prepare the file and make the introduction. The bank decides.
Local service agent
When one is still required, and how the agreement works.
VAT registration
Mandatory above AED 375,000 of taxable supplies a year.
Corporate tax registration
Every company registers, free zone companies included.
Company auditing
Audited financial statements, where your authority or the tax law requires them.
Bank guarantee
Help arranging a guarantee when an authority or contract asks for one.
How it works
Six steps, in this order.
Each step depends on the one before it. The license comes first, because the visa application and the bank both ask for it.
Start with a consultation- 01
Consultation
You tell us what the business does, where its customers are and how many visas you need.
- 02
Route and written quote
We recommend mainland, free zone or offshore, name the authority, and send the full cost in writing before you commit.
- 03
Documents
We give you one list of what the authority needs, then prepare and submit the application for you.
- 04
License issued
The authority issues your license and company documents, and we pass them to you.
- 05
Visa and Emirates ID
Entry permit, medical test, biometrics and visa. We book the appointments and tell you what to bring to each one.
- 06
Bank account
We prepare the file the bank will ask for and make the introduction. The bank runs its own checks and makes the decision.
About Links
We would rather tell you a free zone will not work for your business than sell you one.
Links has helped hundreds of businesses get started in the UAE. One team takes you from the first conversation to a licensed company, a residence visa and a bank application, and tells you the cost before you commit.
- Top 10UAE advisory firms, KT Network 2026
- 5.0on Google, from 18 reviews
- Freefirst consultation, no obligation
- Recognition
- Ranked among the UAE's top 10 advisory firms for service excellence. KT Network, Khaleej Times, 18 February 2026.
- Office
- Dubai National Insurance Building, 1st Floor, Office 15, Port Saeed, Deira, Dubai. Monday to Saturday, 8:00 to 17:00 GST.
- After setup
- VAT, corporate tax, accounting and audit are handled by our sister firm, LINKS Tax Consultant.
Reviewed by
Usman Baig
Chief Executive Officer, Links Business Setup
More than 13 years of experience in the UAE market, as reported by Khaleej Times (opens in a new tab). The guidance on this site is reviewed by Usman before it is published, and each guide lists the official sources it relies on.
About the firmCommon questions
Setting up in the UAE, answered.
The questions founders ask us first. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
How much does it cost to set up a company in Dubai?
Links packages start at AED 11,000 for a RAKEZ free zone license. A UAE company with a license, a flexi desk and one investor visa is AED 12,500, and a Dubai mainland company is AED 19,500. The final cost depends on your business activity, the jurisdiction, the number of visas and the office you need. We send the full cost in writing before you commit.
What is the difference between mainland, free zone and offshore?
A mainland company is licensed by the emirate's economic department and can trade anywhere in the UAE. A free zone company is licensed by a free zone authority and trades inside the zone and internationally. An offshore company is registered with JAFZA, RAK ICC or Ajman Free Zone. It is used to hold shares or property, cannot do business with customers inside the UAE, and does not normally lead to a residence visa.
Can I get a UAE residence visa through my company?
Yes, with a mainland or free zone company. The number of visas depends on your office and package. An offshore company does not normally lead to a residence visa.
Does the UAE have corporate tax or personal income tax?
The UAE charges corporate tax at 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000, and VAT at 5%. It does not levy income tax on individuals. A free zone company pays 0% only on qualifying income and only if it meets the conditions in the corporate tax law.
Will Links open my company bank account?
We prepare the documents the bank asks for and introduce you to the bank. Every UAE bank runs its own compliance checks and makes its own decision, so no consultant can guarantee an account.
Get a quote
Tell us about the business. We will send the cost in writing.
Send a few details and an advisor will reply with the route we recommend and what it costs. There is no charge and no obligation to proceed.
- +971 55 944 5867Monday to Saturday, 8:00 to 17:00 GST
- WhatsApp +971 55 621 3808Message us from any country
- contact@linksbusiness.aeFor documents and detailed questions
- Dubai National Insurance Building1st Floor, Office 15, Port Saeed, Deira, Dubai