UAE setup cost

What type of business are you setting up?

Pick the closest match — it points to the right jurisdiction and licence.

The calculator returns an indicative first-year range for a UAE company — licence, residence visas and workspace — built from published 2026 pricing and your own answers. It is an estimate, not a quote: a licensed TRUVIS consultant confirms the exact, all-inclusive figure with no obligation.

What the calculator asks

  • Activity — What type of business are you setting up? Pick the closest match — it points to the right jurisdiction and licence.
  • Location — Where do you want to base it? Emirate and licence type are the biggest price lever — Sharjah/RAK free zones are the most economical, Dubai and Abu Dhabi sit higher, and DIFC/ADGM are premium financial centres.
  • Visas — How many residence visas will you need? Include yourself and anyone you plan to sponsor (staff or family).
  • Office — What kind of workspace do you need? Many free-zone packages bundle a flexi-desk; a dedicated office or warehouse adds to the cost. Mainland licences require a real tenancy (Ejari).

Common questions

How much does it cost to set up a business in the UAE?

Indicative 2026 figures put free-zone licences from roughly AED 5,750 (Sharjah/RAK) to about AED 12,900 (Dubai) for the licence only, and mainland (DED) professional licences around AED 10,000–18,000. Residence visas add roughly AED 3,000–5,000 each, and a dedicated office or warehouse adds more. Premium and financial centres (DMCC, JAFZA, DIFC, ADGM) cost materially more, and mainland figures exclude the leased office (Ejari). A licensed TRUVIS consultant confirms your exact, all-inclusive quote.

Is this estimate a binding quote?

No. The calculator returns an indicative range based on published UAE pricing and your answers, not a binding quote. A licensed TRUVIS consultant reviews your activity and confirms the exact, all-inclusive figure with no obligation.

What's the difference between free zone and mainland cost?

Free zones offer 100% foreign ownership and fast setup, with packages from about AED 5,750/year; mainland (DED) licences let you trade across the whole UAE and bid for government work, typically from around AED 10,000–18,000. Mainland also requires a leased office (Ejari) and, for some foreign-owned professional firms, a Local Service Agent, so its all-in first-year cost is higher. The right choice depends on your activity and where you need to trade.

How much does a UAE residence visa cost?

A UAE residence visa is usually priced separately from the base licence and typically costs around AED 3,000–5,000 per person, depending on the authority. Free-zone visa quotas are tied to your package and office type.