How To Register A Company In Dubai As A Foreigner 

How to register a company in Dubai as a foreigner! Dubai is a mega city of global standard in the United Arab Emirates. It is a beautiful emirate city with the state of the art facilities that catalyzes business dealings, and friendliness, hence making it a global business destination. As a foreigner in Dubai seeking to own a company, there are certain steps you have to follow to ensure a smooth sail in your effort to float a company. Lucky you! Here we have availed you steps on how t o open a company in Dubai as a foreigner, such that you will be free from Dubai Government business regulatory agencies  and their attendant hassels.

In dubai, if you are a foreigner, and  you are seeking to register a company, the Dubai Company Act requires that you as a foreign investor must have a local partner who will own the major interest or stake in your company on the basis of 51% for the local partner – who must be a first class Dubai citizen- and 49% that is goes for your. This might be shocking to you as a foreigner. Be that as it may, do not feel preempted for there is still hope. The Dubai Government has reasons behind whatever actions they take, and I believe they are doing it with the interests of their locals (citizens at heart).

The Good news is that, as a foreigner in Dubai, and you want to open a company that incorporates your full ownership, there are places called the Dubai free trade zones where you and other investors can go and register your companies for full ownerships. These free trade zones incorporate fully foreign owned companies. So stop asking questions bordering on how to register a company in Dubai as a foreigner for full ownerships, you now know what to do. Rush to the Dubai free trade zones and open up your company now.

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Requirements And Steps On How To Open A Company In Dubai

There are certain requirements that must be met before one can register a company in Dubai. This company registration requirements may differ from one company to another because of the type of company one chooses to open in Dubai. However, according to the Dubai Company Law, foreign investors may set up the following types of companies in Dubai:

• limited liability companies
• private and public joint stock companies
• partnerships
• branch offices
• subsidiaries
• free zone limited liability companies
• free zone establishments

From the above company types, the Limited Liability Company is often the most commonly adopted structure for small business set-ups in the region. Because of the fact that most foreigners in Dubai are some how economic migrants, they tend to merge resources together to float Limited liability companies (LLCs). In commerce, we were taught that Limited Liability Companies can be formed between as few as two or as many as fifty persons whose liability in the company is limited to their share investment in the company.

As pointed above, if the foreigners in want to float a Limited Liability Companies outside of the free trade zones, then a local sponsor with a controlling 51% interest is required and foreign equity in the company is limited to 49%. Floating a company in Dubai requires huge capital for, a minimum capital investment of AED 300,000 (USD 82,000) is required to launch of an LLC.

On how to register a company in dubai, follow these steps below to set up the company.

• Select a name for your company that reflects the type of business you want to start and have it approved by the Licensing Department of the Economic Development Department.
• Draw up a Memorandum of Association which is a document that governs the external activities of the prospective company. In addition, the MoA needs to be notarized by a Notary Public in a Dubai court.
• Apply for entry into the Commercial register at the EDD (Economic Development Department).
• When approval is granted, the Economic Development Department will issue a license and the company’s name will be entered into the Commercial Register. The Memorandum of Association (MoA) will be published in the Ministry of Economy and Commerce’s Bulletin.
• The final step is to register the company with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and you are good to go.

Dubai Visa Requirements for Doing Business as a Foreigner In Dubai

First thing first! Whether it is in the free zones, or in the greater Dubai, you’ll need a residence visa to be able to set up your company in the country. You should know that you will be allotted a certain and unique number of visas by the square footage of office space you buy.

The implication of this is that setting up your company automatically makes you eligible for a visa. Yes..visa must be involved. In addition, in order to maintain your visa, if you’ve set up your business within the DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre), you’ll pay a fee of AED 3335 every three years, plus put down a refundable deposit of AED 3000 for its servicing.

On the contrary, there is a caveat for businesses that are formed outside of the DMCC: Your local sponsor, or the 51% local shareholder, must apply for your visa for you. Your sponsor then must allow you to apply for visas on behalf of your employees, or apply for visas for new employees directly.

On How To Open A Company In Dubai, Below Are The Requirements

If you want to register a company in one of Dubai’s free zones, you have to submit the following items to the Dubai Government authorities:

A detailed and comprehensive business plan. The business plan should cover;

• Description of the proposed business activity
• Quantity and composition of the employees
• Amount of investment
• Suppliers information and What customers can expect.
• A lease agreement and
• A receipt of the deposit of the share capital.

Before incorporation, a Dubai company’s corporate bank account should be opened to deposit the required paid-up capital.

Afterwhich, the Government authorities will review your company registration application. If you application is approved, you will now be required to apply for the necessary licenses and permits. Like we pointed out above, the type of licenses required will vary according to the type of business you intend to start. Once you have  your licenses, the company registration is then complete.

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