{"id":14,"date":"2026-09-17T05:38:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T05:38:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vivosgroup.com\/ae\/home\/"},"modified":"2026-09-17T05:38:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T05:38:58","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vivosgroup.com\/ae\/","title":{"rendered":"UAE Company Setup & Residence Visas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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VIVOS UAE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Company setup and residence visas in the UAE.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

VIVOS Corporate Services L.L.C. sets up mainland and free-zone companies in Dubai and across the Emirates, and handles the residence visas, corporate tax registration and substance requirements that follow. We are part of the VIVOS Group, so a UAE entity can sit inside a Singapore, Malaysian or Hong Kong structure administered by one team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Get a fixed-fee quote<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Our UAE services<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Mainland or free zone?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is the first and most consequential decision in a UAE setup. It determines where you can trade, what your licence costs, how many visas you get and how your tax position works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/th>Mainland (onshore) LLC<\/th>Free zone company<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Licensing authority<\/td>The emirate’s economic department (for Dubai, DET)<\/td>The relevant free zone authority<\/td><\/tr>
Where you can trade<\/td>Anywhere in the UAE, including direct sales to the local market<\/td>Within the free zone and internationally; local-market trade generally requires a distributor or a mainland branch<\/td><\/tr>
Foreign ownership<\/td>100% permitted for most activities following the 2021 reforms<\/td>100% permitted<\/td><\/tr>
Office requirement<\/td>Physical premises, typically with Ejari tenancy registration<\/td>Flexi-desk or office package, usually bundled with the licence<\/td><\/tr>
Visa allocation<\/td>Linked to office space and activity<\/td>Set by the package purchased<\/td><\/tr>
Government tendering<\/td>Generally accessible<\/td>Often restricted<\/td><\/tr>
Typical setup time<\/td>2–4 weeks<\/td>1–3 weeks<\/td><\/tr>
Usually chosen for<\/td>Serving the UAE domestic market, retail, contracting, professional services with local clients<\/td>Holding, trading, consultancy, technology and regional headquarters<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Licence categories, visa quotas and free-zone packages vary by emirate, zone and activity, and change regularly. We confirm the current position for your activity before you commit to a zone.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What we do in the UAE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Company setup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Activity and zone selection, trade name reservation, initial approvals, licensing, memorandum of association and Ejari where required.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Residence visas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Investor and employment visas, establishment cards, Emirates ID and medical coordination, plus dependant visas for family.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Corporate tax and VAT<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Corporate tax and VAT registration, filing, and advice on whether a free-zone entity meets the qualifying-income conditions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Accounting and audit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bookkeeping to UAE requirements, management reporting, and audited accounts where the zone or the group requires them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Banking support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

UAE corporate account opening support, which is document-intensive and where most first-time applicants struggle without help.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Substance and structuring<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Genuine substance planning for UAE entities, and integration with Singapore, Hong Kong or Malaysian holding structures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The honest version of the UAE pitch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The UAE is genuinely attractive: no personal income tax, a low corporate tax rate with a zero rate available on qualifying free-zone income, excellent connectivity and a residence visa that comes with the company. It is also the jurisdiction where we most often see clients sold the wrong thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The common failures are a free-zone licence bought for a business that actually needs to sell into the local market; an activity code that does not match what the company does, which then blocks the visa or the bank account; a zone chosen on price that turns out not to be recognised by the client’s bank; and a structure with no real substance, which is precisely what the corporate tax rules now test. We would rather spend an hour getting the zone and activity right than unwind it later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compare the UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia →<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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UAE company questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Do I need a local Emirati partner?<\/summary>\n

For most mainland activities, no. The 2021 reforms to the Commercial Companies Law removed the general 51% local ownership requirement for the great majority of activities, and free zones have always permitted full foreign ownership. A limited set of strategic activities still carries local participation requirements, and some professional licence forms require a local service agent, which is an administrative role rather than an ownership stake.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Is a UAE company really tax-free?<\/summary>\n

No, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling something. The UAE has had a federal corporate tax regime since June 2023, with a 0% rate available to qualifying free-zone persons on qualifying income and a standard rate applying above a de minimis threshold of taxable income. VAT applies to most domestic supplies. What the UAE does offer is no personal income tax and, for a properly structured free-zone business, a very low effective corporate rate. We will tell you where your business is likely to land before you set up.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Does the company get me a residence visa?<\/summary>\n

Usually yes. Company formation normally comes with an allocation of residence visas, the number depending on the zone, package and office space. An investor or partner visa is typical for owners, with employment visas for staff and dependant visas for family. Each requires medical screening and Emirates ID processing, which generally means being in the UAE for part of the process.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Can I set the company up without travelling?<\/summary>\n

The company itself often can be formed remotely, depending on the zone. The residence visa generally cannot: medical screening and Emirates ID biometrics require your presence. Bank account opening also frequently requires an in-person meeting. We sequence the process so that a single trip covers everything that genuinely needs you there.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

How hard is UAE bank account opening?<\/summary>\n

It is the most document-intensive part of the process and the most common point of delay. Banks want the licence, the ownership chain, proof of business activity, a rationale for expected flows and often proof of the owner’s source of wealth. Applications from newly formed companies with no operating history and no local substance are routinely declined. We prepare the file with that in mind and set expectations honestly.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Do you handle Singapore, Hong Kong or Malaysia too?<\/summary>\n

Yes. VIVOS holds its own licensed entities in all four markets, so a UAE company inside a wider group is a single engagement. See VIVOS Group<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Set up in the UAE properly.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tell us what the business will do, who will own it and who needs a visa. We will recommend a zone and quote a fixed fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Contact VIVOS UAE<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

VIVOS UAE Company setup and residence visas in the UAE. VIVOS Corporate Services L.L.C. sets up mainland and free-zone companies in Dubai and across the Emirates, and handles the residence visas, corporate tax registration and substance requirements that follow. We are part of the VIVOS Group, so a UAE entity can sit inside a Singapore, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-14","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vivosgroup.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vivosgroup.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vivosgroup.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vivosgroup.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vivosgroup.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vivosgroup.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vivosgroup.com\/ae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}