Investors shouldn’t have borders. Neither should expansion.

Less rides on the licence than most people expect — the real drivers are which jurisdiction you pick and how many visas you need. Free zone packages begin in the low five figures in dirhams; mainland runs higher because of premises and approval costs. We split government charges from our own fee so you can see exactly what goes where.

An uncomplicated free zone licence can land within a few working days of your paperwork being complete. Mainland runs longer wherever an external authority has to sign off. Visas and the bank account follow the licence, and those are the stages that stretch — we give you a realistic window at the first meeting rather than a best case.

Everything between your decision and your licence: reserving the trade name, securing initial approval, drafting the memorandum, registering the tenancy, then collecting the licence, establishment card and immigration file. You sign; we queue.

Work backwards from your activity and headcount, then take the least expensive jurisdiction that permits both. For most first-time founders that means a flexi desk in a free zone — enough for a licence and an investor visa without committing to premises.

In every free zone, yes. On the mainland it is now true of most activities too, following the changes to the Commercial Companies Law. A short list of strategically sensitive activities still calls for an Emirati partner, so we verify where your specific activity falls before you commit money.

It falls due each year and needs a live tenancy contract plus any activity permissions still in force. We diarise the date and file it for you, which is how a missed renewal turns into a non-event rather than a penalty.

Evidence of what the business actually does, a realistic view of turnover, where the money originates, and background on the shareholders. Nobody can promise you an approval — that decision belongs to the bank’s compliance team. What we can do is build the file to the standard they expect and point you at the institution most likely to say yes to your profile.

Owners take an investor or partner visa; anyone you employ needs an employment visa. Your allocation is tied to the space you hold, so premises and headcount are one decision, not two. Each visa runs through entry permit, medical, Emirates ID and stamping.

It runs ten years instead of two or three, renews, and is not attached to an employer. You can spend long stretches outside the country without forfeiting residency, and it covers your spouse, children and domestic staff. Eligibility is narrower than most agents admit, so we assess yours before taking the case.

Often a desk is enough. Plenty of free zones accept a flexi desk, which supports a licence and a small visa allocation. Mainland companies need a registered tenancy, and the visa count scales with floor area — so we size the space to the headcount you genuinely need.

Licence and visa renewals, your books, VAT returns if you are registered, corporate tax registration and filing, and records that would survive an audit. This is where companies most often slip, which is why we stay on afterwards and carry the deadlines ourselves.

Because we are still here after the licence prints. Most firms finish at that point and leave you to assemble visas, banking and accounting from three more vendors. We carry all of it with one team, and we will talk you out of a jurisdiction that does not suit you even when it would pay us better.