Dubai mainland
Mainland company setup: trade anywhere in the UAE
A Department of Economy and Tourism licence puts no fence around your customers. Sell onshore, open branches, take government work and sponsor as many visas as your office supports.
Get a Mainland QuoteWhen mainland is the right call
The decision is about your customers. If they walk through a door in Dubai, hold UAE trade licences themselves, or sit inside government, a mainland company serves them without workarounds. Restaurants, salons, clinics, retail, contracting, logistics inside the country and B2B services sold to onshore firms all point this way.
Free zone companies can reach the onshore market too, but through a registered distributor, a dual licence where the zone offers one, or duty at the border for goods. Those layers cost margin and complexity. Mainland removes them, and since the 2021 ownership reforms you keep 100% of the equity for nearly every activity that matters.
What a mainland setup involves
- Trade name reservation. We check and reserve your name with DET, applying the same naming rules our checker runs.
- Initial approval. DET clears the shareholders and the activity. Some activities add an external approval, for example RERA for property brokerage or the municipality for food.
- Memorandum and office. We draft and notarise the MOA, then register your office lease through Ejari. Shared sustainable offices satisfy this from around AED 8,000 a year.
- Licence issue. Pay the licence fee and DET issues the licence, typically inside two weeks end to end.
- After the licence. Establishment card, visa quota, medicals, Emirates IDs and the corporate bank account. We run all of it in parallel where the sequencing allows.
Mainland costs, honestly
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| DET licence and registration | AED 10,000 to 15,000 |
| Trade name, initial approval, notarisation | AED 2,000 to 4,000 |
| Ejari-registered office (shared, annual) | AED 8,000 to 15,000 |
| Establishment card and immigration file | AED 2,000 to 3,000 |
| Per residence visa (permit, medical, EID) | AED 4,500 to 6,500 |
External approvals, higher-grade offices and activity-specific fees move these figures, which is why we quote in writing before you spend a dirham. The full cost guide covers every scenario side by side with free zones.
Mainland and the 9% corporate tax
Mainland profits above AED 375,000 are taxed at 9%, one of the lowest headline rates anywhere. Below that threshold the rate is 0%, and small business relief can extend the effective zero further for qualifying revenue. Salaries you pay yourself remain untaxed. We register you for corporate tax and VAT at the right moments so no deadline lands unannounced.
Questions
Dubai mainland, asked and answered
Do I still need a local sponsor for a Dubai mainland company?
For most activities, no. Since June 2021, commercial and industrial activities on the mainland allow 100% foreign ownership. A short list of strategic-impact activities, such as security and defence, still requires Emirati participation, and certain professional activities use a local service agent who holds no equity.
What is the difference between DET and a free zone authority?
The Department of Economy and Tourism licenses mainland businesses to trade across the whole UAE without restriction. Free zone authorities license companies within their own jurisdiction, with international trade unrestricted but onshore UAE sales routed through distributors or dual licences. DET companies can also bid for government contracts.
How much does a mainland licence cost?
A practical budget starts around AED 18,500 for a professional or commercial licence including standard approvals, and rises with activity type, external approvals and office rent. The Ejari-registered office is the main cost difference against free zones, though shared sustainable offices now satisfy the requirement from around AED 8,000 a year.
How many visas can a mainland company sponsor?
There is no fixed cap. Visa capacity scales with your office space, roughly one visa per 80 to 100 square feet, and with your activity. Labour-intensive businesses like contracting and hospitality routinely run large workforces under mainland licences.
Can a mainland company be converted from my free zone company?
You cannot convert a free zone entity directly, but you can open a mainland branch of your free zone company, hold both licences in parallel, or incorporate a fresh mainland entity and migrate contracts. We map the cleanest route based on where your revenue actually comes from.
Weighing mainland against a free zone?
Run your details through the wizard and see both routes priced side by side, with our plain recommendation attached.
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