Company Registration in Mainland

"Offshore companies do not disclose the list of their founders (with the exception of offshore holding companies, which can be opened in the DIFC or ADGM) and are a cheaper option than opening a regular company in the Free Zone or Mainland. The downside is that offshore companies cannot issue visas for their employees or founders." Ivan Egorov, юрист

​

​

stage 1

Selection of activities

Mainland companies have access to up to 10 types of activities within one group (if different groups, additional approval is required). If you decide to contact us for the Mainland company registration service, we will select suitable types of activities according to the nomenclature adopted in the UAE, and also warn you that additional permits may be required for certain types of activities.

​

stage 2

Determination of the legal form and structure of the company

When opening a new company, it is necessary to choose the organizational and legal form. The most common option is a Limited Lability Company - an analogue of a limited liability company in Russia. In addition to the organizational and legal form, it is necessary to determine the structure of the company - who will be the founder and manager of the company (analogue of the CEO)

​

stage 3

Applying for initial approval

This is the first formal stage, during which the state body confirms the possibility of registering the company. In particular, it conducts a shareholder survey. To apply for initial approval, shareholders and the director must have a UID number. It is usually assigned when a person visits the UAE (crosses the border). If the shareholder is a company, then legalized constituent documents are required.

​

stage 4

Reservation of a company name

Next, you need to reserve the company name. We recommend choosing 2-3 backup options in case the main one is already taken by a previously registered company.

​

stage 5

Office for rent (Ejari design)

The company must rent an office and register the lease in a special system, receiving Ejari (in Dubai: other emirates have an equivalent). As a general rule, this is a mandatory requirement. There is a certain list of activities for which renting an office in the first year of operation is not mandatory (e.g. software development).

​

stage 6

Obtaining additional permissions (optional)

The term depends on the type of permits and their number. Some types of activities require additional permits from industry authorities (for example, to provide medical services). Obtaining such permits is a mandatory condition for registering a company. The conditions for obtaining depend on the specific type of activity (for example, passing an exam, meeting the requirements for office premises, etc.). Permits must be obtained before or after registering the company (depending on the type of activity).

​

stage 7

Preparation and signing of the Company's Charter

After completing all the previous steps, the following documents must be submitted to the registration authority:

• preliminary approval for company registration (finitial approval);
• document confirming the office lease (Ejari);
• permits from industry bodies to carry out certain types of activities (if necessary).

The charter defines the procedure for conducting the company's affairs and managing it, the size of the authorized capital, the powers of the director and the general meeting of shareholders, etc.

The founder can sign the charter personally or by a notarized power of attorney issued by a UAE notary.

​

stage 8

Obtaining a business license and completing registration

After signing the Charter, the registering country issues a business license, as well as other corporate documents.

Usually takes 1-2 weeks unless additional permits are required.