Corporate Services in Dubai
Indigo Group works in tandem with business owners to navigate their jurisdiction efficiently during the entire business lifecycle.
Core Capabilities
Company formation in the UAE, from set-up to exit
Indigo Group helps business owners choose, set up and run the right UAE structure, and plan an exit when the time comes. Foreign investors can now own 100% of a UAE mainland company in most sectors, so the choice of structure depends mainly on where you will trade and what the company is for.
Who are Indigo Group's corporate services for?
SMEs and multinationals, from first market entry through the whole business lifecycle to exit.
It suits, for example:
- founders setting up a first company in Dubai or another emirate
- overseas businesses opening a branch office or representative office
- investors and families who want a holding company or special purpose vehicle (SPV) to hold shares or property
- owners and staff who need residence visas, including the UAE Golden Visa
- owners restructuring, selling or closing a company in the UAE
Should you set up a mainland, free zone or offshore company?
Choose by where you will trade: mainland companies can trade across the UAE, free zone companies trade within their zone and internationally, and offshore companies are mainly holding vehicles.
| Mainland | Free zone | Offshore | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main use | Trading anywhere in the UAE | Trading within the zone and internationally | Holding shares, property and international structures |
| Selling to the mainland market | Yes | Through a licensed mainland distributor, or a mainland branch or company, unless it holds mainland licences or approvals | Not with persons in the UAE, in JAFZA's case |
| Corporate Tax | 0% up to the threshold and 9% above it | 0% on qualifying income for a Qualifying Free Zone Person, 9% on other income | 0% or 9%, depending on taxable income |
Our guide to setting up a company in the UAE compares the options in full, and the glossary defines a mainland company, a free zone company and an offshore company.
When does a holding company or SPV make sense in the UAE?
When the company's job is to hold shares, property or other assets rather than to trade.
We structure special purpose vehicles, protected cell companies (PCCs) and holding companies to ring-fence assets and manage liability. Offshore registries, such as JAFZA Offshore and RAK ICC, are used mainly for holding shares, property and international structures.
Offshore companies are not outside the tax system: they remain subject to UAE Corporate Tax at 0% or 9% depending on taxable income. For family assets and succession, a DIFC or ADGM foundation is another option, which our trust and estate planning team covers.
How do you set up a company on the UAE mainland?
Through the economic department of your emirate, in a standard order that the UAE Government portal sets out.
- Choose the business activity. It decides the legal form and the type of licence.
- Choose the legal form, such as a limited liability company (LLC), and register a trade name with the economic department of your emirate.
- Get initial approval. Foreign investors first need approval from the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs.
- Sign the Memorandum of Association and rent premises. In Dubai the tenancy contract must be registered with Ejari.
- Collect the business licence, then open a corporate bank account.
- Apply for Corporate Tax registration within three months of incorporation, and submit the register of beneficial owners within 60 days of licensing.
- Apply for residence visas for owners and staff.
Our part runs alongside: we assess your business model to determine the correct structure before you enter the market, then handle the government liaison, from visa processing and licence renewals to corporate banking introductions and VAT registration.
What must a new UAE company do after licensing?
Register for Corporate Tax, keep and file a beneficial owner register, and register for VAT once over the threshold.
- Corporate Tax: apply for registration within three months of incorporation, even if no tax is expected. Late registration carries a penalty of AED 10,000.
- Beneficial ownership: record anyone who owns or controls 25% or more, submit the register to the registrar within 60 days of licensing, and record changes within 15 days. The DIFC and ADGM have their own rules, set out in our UAE beneficial owner (UBO) guide.
- VAT: register once taxable supplies and imports exceed AED 375,000 over 12 months.
- Audited accounts: required for Corporate Tax where revenue exceeds AED 50 million, and from every Qualifying Free Zone Person and Tax Group.
Our accounting and audit team covers bookkeeping and VAT, so the compliance work follows on from the licence.
What should you prepare before setting up a UAE company?
A clear picture of the business, who owns it and where it will trade.
- the business activities you plan to carry on, and whether your customers are on the mainland, in a free zone or abroad
- the shareholding: who owns what, directly or through other companies
- for each beneficial owner, usually anyone who owns or controls 25% or more: full name, nationality, date and place of birth, address and identity document details
- how many residence visas you need, for owners and for staff
- where the business will be based, as every business needs a physical address
How do you close a company in the UAE?
By cancelling it formally: letting the trade licence expire does not close it.
The usual order is a shareholder or board resolution, a liquidator where the company's legal form requires one, settling debts and staff dues, cancelling work permits and visas, and then the licence cancellation or liquidation application. A company must apply to deregister from Corporate Tax within 3 months of ceasing business, dissolution or liquidation.
Indigo Group's Corporate Services team can help you plan a company's exit and coordinate the steps, working alongside a registered liquidator, auditor and tax agent where one is needed. Our guide to closing a company in the UAE sets out each step.
Questions about corporate services
Who can help me set up a company or a holding company in Dubai?
Indigo Group's in-house Corporate Services team can help. Indigo Group is an independent, privately owned financial consultancy headquartered in Dubai, established in 2013, and its regulated entity, Indigo Financial Analysis and Consultancy LLC, is licensed by the UAE Capital Market Authority (CMA) under licence number 706042. The team provides full set-up services for branch offices, representative offices and registered companies across all UAE emirates, and structures special purpose vehicles, protected cell companies and holding companies to ring-fence assets and manage liability. It coordinates the set-up, working alongside a registered tax agent and, in the DIFC or ADGM, a licensed company service provider where one is needed.
Can Indigo Group set up a company in the UAE?
Yes. Indigo Group provides full set-up services for branch offices, representative offices and registered companies across all UAE emirates, starting with an assessment of your business model to choose the correct structure.
Does Indigo Group handle UAE visas, including Golden Visas?
Yes. It processes all UAE visa types, including Golden Visas, investor visas and staff residency visas, and handles the government liaison involved.
What support is there after the company is formed?
Indigo Group manages ongoing operations: visa processing, licence renewals, corporate banking introductions and VAT registration, alongside in-house bookkeeping, VAT filing, corporate tax filing and statutory audits.
Can Indigo Group structure holding companies and SPVs?
Yes. It structures special purpose vehicles, protected cell companies and holding companies to ring-fence assets and manage liability.
Can Indigo Group help close or restructure a UAE company?
Yes. Exit planning is part of the service. Whether through liquidation, bankruptcy services or financial restructuring, Indigo Group works to help you exit the market in a tax-efficient way.
Can a foreigner own 100% of a UAE mainland company?
Yes, in most sectors. Activities classed as having a strategic impact, such as banking, insurance, telecommunications, and security and defence, cannot be wholly foreign-owned and need additional approvals.
Can a free zone company trade in mainland UAE?
Not directly in most cases. It must use a licensed mainland distributor or set up a mainland branch or company, unless it holds the required mainland licences or approvals.
When must a new company register for Corporate Tax?
A UAE company incorporated on or after 1 March 2024 must apply within three months of incorporation. Late registration carries a penalty of AED 10,000, so registration should follow promptly after licensing.
I own 100% of my company. Do I still need a beneficial owner register?
Yes. You are its beneficial owner, so the register must be kept, filed within 60 days of licensing and updated within 15 days of any change. There is no exemption for small businesses. Our UBO guide covers the registers and fines.
Can I just let my trade licence expire instead of closing the company?
No. The UAE Government portal says a business must cancel its licence and permits when it closes, to avoid fines for not renewing. The company also stays registered for Corporate Tax, and for VAT if registered, until the FTA deregisters it, and late deregistration costs AED 1,000 a month, up to AED 10,000, for each tax.