Key takeaways
- A UAE company registration needs, at minimum, a passport or Emirates ID copy for each licensee, the articles of association (the memorandum of association) for any company except a one-person LLC, and a lease or other proof of business premises, according to Dubai's government portal and the Ministry of Economy and Tourism.
- Dubai mainland initial approval asks for the licensee's passport or Emirates ID copy and the applicant's residence permit or visa copy; a feasibility study applies only to joint stock companies, so a typical LLC doesn't need one.
- A foreign company that owns shares in a UAE company, or opens a UAE branch, must supply its own corporate papers (licence, board resolution, memorandum of association and similar), and every foreign document needs embassy attestation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs counter-attestation, Arabic translation and Ministry of Justice attestation before Dubai accepts it.
- Free zones run their own checklists: not every free zone registers every company type, so the SHAMS list and a Dubai mainland list differ in detail even where the core passport-and-memorandum set is the same.
- Once the paperwork is complete, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism says mainland establishment takes about 4 days through traditional channels, or about 15 minutes through the Basher platform for eligible activities.
What documents do you need to register a company in the UAE?
You need identity documents for the owners and manager, proof of where the business will operate, and the company's founding document, and the authority you apply to decides the exact list. The table below shows the core set for a mainland LLC in Dubai, based on the government's own pages, and the free zone equivalents follow the same logic.
| Document | Who has to supply it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Passport or Emirates ID copy | Each licensee (shareholder) | Required for Dubai mainland initial approval |
| Residence permit or visa copy | The applicant, if resident in the UAE | Required for Dubai mainland initial approval |
| Articles of association (memorandum of association) | Every company except a one-person LLC | Sole establishments use a local service agent agreement instead, per the Ministry of Economy and Tourism |
| Lease or tenancy contract | Every business | Ministry of Economy and Tourism says the lease must be attested; some emirates require registration instead |
| Feasibility study | Joint stock companies only | Not needed for a standard LLC |
| Extra approvals from other authorities | Regulated activities (legal, security, financial, media, food and beverage) | Must usually be obtained before the licence is issued |
Fees are not listed here because the government pages don't publish one all-in figure; check the authority's fee calculator for your activity.
Which documents change if a company owns the shares, or you open a branch?
If a corporate shareholder is involved or you are opening a branch, you add the parent company's papers to the personal documents. For a Dubai mainland branch, the government portal lists the parent company's licence copy, a board resolution to open the Dubai branch, an authorisation letter for the managing director, the parent's commercial registration certificate and the parent's memorandum of association.
| Entity type | Extra documents on top of the core set |
|---|---|
| Branch of a foreign company (Dubai mainland) | Parent licence, board resolution, managing director authorisation, commercial registration certificate, parent memorandum of association |
| Branch in SHAMS | Licensing department approval, authenticated memorandum of association, board resolution authorising the branch, last financial year balance sheet (as listed by SHAMS) |
| Sole establishment | Local service agent agreement in place of a memorandum of association |
| Public or private joint stock company | Feasibility study |
Do foreign documents need attestation before the UAE accepts them?
Yes, any document issued outside the UAE, such as a parent company's licence or board resolution, has to go through four steps before Dubai mainland accepts it. The Dubai government portal lists them as UAE Embassy attestation in the country of issue, counter-attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Arabic translation, and Ministry of Justice attestation.
Start this early. It happens outside the UAE and outside the licensing authority's control, so it's the step most likely to hold up a corporate-owned company. Individual passport copies don't go through this chain on the Dubai portal's list.
What does SHAMS ask for, as one free zone example?
SHAMS publishes a licence checklist that starts with a signed licensing form and passport photocopies, and adds a memorandum of association and a bank letter confirming the capital deposit for an LLC. As of the SHAMS blog page we checked on 4 October 2026, the new-licence list includes:
- A licensing form signed by the authorised person.
- Special approvals, if the business type needs them.
- Passport photocopies of the shareholders.
- A No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the current sponsor, with residence permit and visa copies, where the applicant holds a visa through another employer.
- A memorandum of association and a bank letter confirming the deposit amount.
- A signed and certified lease contract copy.
The same page also lists items such as a technical evaluation report and property documents; which of these apply depends on the activity and premises, so confirm with SHAMS before collecting them.
How do you submit the documents, step by step?
You submit them in the order the authority's process dictates: activity and legal form first, then name, approval, premises and licence. The government portals describe the mainland sequence as follows, and free zones run a shorter version online.
- Choose your business activity; it fixes the licence type and the legal form.
- Choose the legal form (LLC, sole establishment, civil company or branch).
- Reserve a trade name with the economic department or free zone authority; for a company the name must carry the legal-form suffix, such as LLC.
- Apply for initial approval with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, uploading the passport or Emirates ID and residence copies.
- Secure premises that meet zoning rules, and get the lease attested or registered as the emirate requires.
- Complete and sign the memorandum of association, or the local service agent agreement for a sole establishment.
- Obtain any activity-specific approvals from the other authorities involved.
- Submit the initial approval receipt and memorandum of association, then collect the licence.
For a free zone, the UAE government portal says you apply online through the free zone authority's website, and notes that not every free zone registers every type of company, so confirm the entity type first. If you'd rather not track the dates that start once the licence is issued, the free UAE compliance calendar lists them for your company.
About 4 days: the Ministry of Economy and Tourism's stated timeline to establish a mainland company through traditional channels, against about 15 minutes through the Basher platform. Source: Ministry of Economy and Tourism, Steps to Establish a Company, checked 4 October 2026.
What most guides don't tell you
- The checklist is the authority's, not the agent's. A formation package quoting "five documents" is describing one typical case. Dubai's portal and each free zone publish their own lists, so ask for the written checklist from the authority that will issue your licence.
- Attestation order is the usual delay for corporate shareholders. The four-step chain (embassy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Arabic translation, Ministry of Justice) runs before submission, so a parent company that signs its board resolution late holds up the whole application, and a document attested in the wrong sequence can be rejected and redone.
- The lease is a licence document, not an afterthought. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism says every business needs a physical address that meets zoning rules, and an attested lease is on its submission list. Confirm that your premises type allows your activity before you sign, because a lease that doesn't fit the activity can block the licence.
- Sole establishments don't use a memorandum of association. If a consultant tells you a sole establishment needs a memorandum, ask which authority requires it: the Ministry of Economy and Tourism lists a local service agent agreement instead.
Which deadlines apply to your company once it is licensed?
A new licence starts several dates at once: licence renewal, corporate tax registration, VAT registration if your turnover reaches the threshold, and visa renewals if you hire. The free UAE compliance calendar is a free calendar of your company's UAE tax and compliance deadlines, personalised from a few questions, as a PDF and calendar file.
Frequently asked questions
Can a free zone company do business with mainland clients? Not automatically. A free zone licence is issued by the free zone authority, so selling directly to mainland customers usually needs a dual licence, a mainland branch or a distributor; confirm the route with your free zone before signing contracts.
Can I trade across the GCC with a UAE free zone license? A UAE free zone licence doesn't by itself give you the right to operate inside another GCC country, because each country licenses its own market. Check the licensing rules of the country you plan to sell into, and the customs and tax treatment, before you commit.
Do I need to be in the UAE to set up a company, or can I do it remotely? Many authorities now let you apply online through their portals, and the UAE government portal says free zone applications are made online through the free zone authority's website. Whether you must appear in person at any point depends on the authority and on whether you are also applying for a residence visa, so ask for that in writing.
What is a trade name and how do I reserve one in Dubai? A trade name is the registered name your business operates under, and in Dubai you register it together with your business activity and company structure. It must carry the legal-form suffix, such as LLC, and Dubai applies specific naming rules, so check the Department of Economy and Tourism's rules before you apply.
How do I choose the right business activities for my trade license? Start from what you will actually invoice for, because the activity decides the licence type, the legal form and whether other authorities must approve it. Check the activity against the authority's published list, since regulated activities such as legal, security, financial, media and food and beverage need extra approvals.
About Qawi · Qawi is a corporate services firm licensed in the Sharjah Media City (SHAMS) free zone, handling company formation, visas and PRO, bookkeeping, VAT and corporate tax for UAE businesses. Guides are researched from FTA, Ministry of Finance and free zone sources. Qawi on LinkedIn
Sources
- Starting a Business, Dubai Government Portal (dubai.ae)
- Establishing Businesses, Ministry of Economy and Tourism
- Steps to start a business on the mainland, The Official Portal of the UAE Government
- Starting a business in a free zone, The Official Portal of the UAE Government
- Documents Required To Get A Business License In Sharjah, SHAMS
Last checked: 04 October 2026
This is general information, not tax or legal advice for your specific situation.