How to Set Up an LLC in Dubai: Step by Step

Here’s how to set up an LLC in Dubai. A limited liability company is the usual choice on the Dubai mainland. It can trade anywhere in the UAE and bid for government contracts.

The registration follows a fixed order. We run it for clients every week, from the trade name to a Dubai mainland license. The nine steps below follow the government’s own published order.

Step 1: Choose Your Business Activity

Everything else follows from your activity. It decides your licence category. It decides if a second authority must approve you. For a few activities, it also affects how much of the company you can own.

The Ministry of Economy and Tourism lists six licence categories. They’re commercial, professional, industrial, crafts, tourism and agricultural.

Pick the exact activity code, not a plain description. Two activities can sound the same and sit in different categories.

Search the DET activity list for the right code. List every activity you plan to run now. Adding one later means amending the licence and paying again.

Step 2: Choose Your Legal Form

An LLC is one of several legal forms. The Ministry also lists partnerships, limited partnerships, public and private joint stock companies, and foreign company branches. Sole establishments and civil companies suit some professional activities.

Most trading and service businesses pick the LLC. It limits your personal liability. It also allows more than one shareholder.

The 2021 reform changed the ownership rules. Most activities now allow full foreign ownership. A few still carry conditions. Check your activity against the rules on 100% foreign ownership on the UAE mainland before you draft anything.

Step 3: Reserve the Trade Name

DET has strict name rules. A family name alone fails. So “Khan Trading LLC” fails, and “Ahmed Khan Trading LLC” passes.

Our guide to reserving a trade name in Dubai covers every rule. The reservation lasts six months, so move on to the next step quickly.

Step 4: Apply for Initial Approval

Initial approval means the government has no objection to your activity. It isn’t the licence. It lets you carry on with the remaining steps.

Foreign shareholders give passport copies at this stage. A company shareholder gives its company papers. Those papers usually need attestation in the home country first. Attestation is slow, so start it early.

Step 5: Sign the Memorandum of Association

The MOA names the shareholders and their shares. It sets out who manages the company and how you make decisions. For an LLC, it decides who controls what.

Get the profit split and the manager right now. Changing them later means amending the MOA before a notary again. The notary wants it in Arabic or in both languages.

Step 6: Register Your Premises

A mainland company needs a real address with a registered lease. The Ministry lists the lease registration certificate among the licensing documents.

Your premises affect two things. The rent feeds into DET’s yearly market fee. The size of the unit usually affects your visa quota.

Don’t pick a space on rent alone. Check the visa quota it supports first.

Step 7: Get Any Outside Approvals

Some activities need a second authority’s sign-off before the licence issues. The Ministry names the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice and health authorities among them.

Transport, legal, medical, education, food and financial activities often need one. Each approval has its own papers and timeline. This step decides whether your setup takes days or months.

Step 8: Receive Your Trade License

DET issues the licence once you have the approvals and pay the fees. This document makes the company real. The licence type matches your category from step one.

Your choices in steps one, two and six set the price. We break down every line of the Dubai LLC setup cost.

Step 9: Register With the Chamber of Commerce

The last official step is Chamber of Commerce registration. Most DET-licensed companies join the Dubai Chambers automatically. Membership runs for the same period as your licence.

Some small businesses are exempt, under Dubai Chambers Resolution No. (4) of 2023.

After You Set Up an LLC in Dubai: What Comes Next

Three things follow straight after registration.

Establishment card and visas. You apply for the immigration establishment card first. Then each visa runs through entry permit, medical test and Emirates ID.

Bank account. Banks run their own checks on the company, the activity and the shareholders. In our work, this often takes longer than the licence. Many banks also ask for a minimum balance.

Tax registration. UAE companies register for corporate tax. VAT registration becomes mandatory once your turnover crosses the threshold. You can register voluntarily from AED 187,500.

Visas, banking and approvals all add time. See our guide to the UAE trade licence for timelines.

Conclusion

A Dubai LLC follows nine fixed steps. Get the activity, the legal form and the premises right, and the rest moves fast.

Pick your activity code with care. Talk to our team about mainland business setup in Dubai before you sign a lease.

This guide sets out the general registration order for a Dubai mainland LLC. Requirements differ by activity, and outside approval bodies apply their own rules. Check current requirements with the relevant authority or a setup consultant for your own case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a foreigner own 100% of a Dubai LLC?

For most activities, yes, since the 2021 ownership reform. A few strategic activities still carry conditions, so check your exact activity code.

Do I need an office to register a mainland LLC?

Yes. A registered lease is part of the licensing file. The rent also feeds into DET’s yearly market fee.

What is the difference between an LLC and a sole establishment?

An LLC is a separate legal entity with limited liability and can have several shareholders. A sole establishment has one owner, who carries personal liability for the business.