Mainland Company Setup in Dubai (DET Licence)

When mainland is the right answer

Choose mainland when your customers are in the UAE. A mainland licence lets you invoice UAE businesses and consumers directly, open branches across the emirates, bid for government contracts, and take on activities that free zones do not cover — retail premises, certain professional services, contracting and more.

100% foreign ownership for most activities following the 2020 reforms — no local sponsor required. A limited list of strategic activities still carries restrictions.
No trade restrictions inside the UAE market.
Visa quota linked to the size of your leased premises.

The cost reality

Mainland government fees are commonly quoted in the region of AED 16,500, but the number that decides your budget is the office tenancy: a mainland licence requires real premises with a registered Ejari tenancy contract, and that lease is usually the largest first-year line item by far.

On costs: figures on this page are indicative market ranges for 2026 and change by activity, visa count and authority. We give you an itemised quote before you commit, with government fees shown separately from our fee.

Process

1. Activity and legal form

LLC, sole establishment, civil company or branch of a foreign company — each has different ownership, liability and documentation consequences.

2. Trade name and initial approval

Name reservation and initial approval from the DET, plus any external approvals your activity triggers (for example health, education or transport regulators).

3. MOA and tenancy

Memorandum of Association where the legal form requires it, then the tenancy contract and Ejari registration for the licence address.

4. Licence issue, establishment card, visas

Licence issuance, immigration establishment card, then entry permits, medicals, Emirates ID and stamping.

Tax position

A mainland company pays 0% Corporate Tax on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above that. Small businesses may be able to elect Small Business Relief while it remains available, and VAT registration becomes mandatory once turnover crosses the threshold — see VAT registration.

Frequently asked questions

For most activities, no. The 2020 reforms allow 100% foreign ownership across the majority of commercial and professional activities. A limited number of strategic activities still require Emirati participation, which we check against your specific activity code before you commit.

Generally no. Mainland licensing requires physical premises with a registered Ejari tenancy contract, and your visa quota is linked to that space. Free zones are the route if you want a flexi-desk arrangement.

If you invoice UAE-based clients directly and regularly, mainland avoids the distributor and market-access complications. If your clients are international, a free zone is usually cheaper and faster. We work through this against your actual client list.

Mainland Company Setup in Dubai