A clear route from business idea to company registration.Compare your setup options, prepare the registration file and plan the visas, banking and PRO services your business needs.
Explore setup optionsSpeak to a business setup adviser.
Start with what the business will sell, where it will operate, who will own it and the people it needs. Compare suitable mainland, free-zone or offshore routes against that brief before choosing a setup package.
Compare the same activities, owners, premises and staffing assumptions. Separate authority charges, professional services, document work and recurring commitments, and identify any banking or residence tasks still needed after incorporation.
Bring your activity, ownership and operating plans into one practical setup brief.
Compare mainland registration and free zone options against what you sell, where you work and the space you need.
Organise owner records, company name choices and activity details using the company registration preparation guide.
Discuss PRO services, renewal coordination and the financial records your company needs after incorporation.
Compare the operating purpose of each route before choosing an authority or package. Our company structure guide explains the decisions behind the shortlist.
Mainland Company Registration
Set up a UAE operating company with a licence and premises suited to your business activity.
Explore mainlandFree Zone Business Setup
Choose a free zone with the licence, workspace and visa options your company needs.
Explore free zoneOffshore Company Formation
Explore a structure for asset holding and international business interests.
Explore offshoreA business needs support beyond its initial registration.
Explore PRO and renewal coordination, business bank account preparation and accounting and tax support. Firswood Consultancy delivers these services directly. Agree the deliverables, professional responsibilities and separate authority charges in your proposal.
Plan registration, any required licence, eligible residency applications and banking as separate stages.
Describe your customers, activity and operating location. Compare Dubai free zones with the Dubai mainland setup route where those locations fit your plans.
Confirm the name, ownership and application documents. Complete incorporation and any operating licence required by your selected structure.
Assess the relevant residence visa application and its separate immigration requirements. Offshore incorporation does not itself provide UAE residency.
Build the company and ownership evidence a bank may request. The bank determines account approval and any additional due diligence.
CompanyFormation.ae is a trading name of Firswood Consultancy. The business supports entrepreneurs and owners planning company formation, residency, banking preparation and ongoing corporate administration.
Start with your activity, customers and ownership plans. Then connect the setup planning conversation with the documents, applications and providers involved.
An agreed scope should identify what is included, which charges are separate and where a qualified specialist is required. Read about our approach before planning your next step.
Explore the organisations you may encounter when comparing UAE free zones and preparing a business banking application.
Institution names and logos are shown for reference and do not indicate a partnership or endorsement.
Prepare for company registration, compare structures and understand your setup quotation.
STARTING OUTA practical way to compare free zone, mainland and offshore options.
Read guideGET PREPAREDThe company details, documents and questions to prepare before your registration enquiry.
Read guide
PLAN WITH CONFIDENCEBuild a clearer picture of inclusions, renewals and the questions worth asking.
Read guideAuthorities involved in licensing, residency and business administration.
Answers to common questions about business setup in Dubai and the UAE.
Start with what you will sell, who will buy it and where the work will happen. Those answers shape the jurisdiction, activity and workspace choices. Our registration preparation guide helps turn them into an application brief.
A useful first conversation needs only your activity, preferred location and the size of your team.
Ask about your businessCompare your operating needs using the mainland, free zone and offshore guide. The place where work happens, permitted activity, premises and purpose of the entity matter more than a broad label.
The right starting point is your business model, rather than the lowest advertised package.
Ask about your businessUse the business setup cost guide to compare registration, licence, premises, immigration and service fees. Request separate first-year and renewal figures, with exclusions and payment stages shown.
Confirm the total first-year cost and annual renewal fees before choosing your package.
Ask about your businessBegin by collecting the owners’ identification details, proposed company names and a short description of the business. The precise checklist depends on the jurisdiction, activity and whether the shareholders are individuals or companies.
Request a tailored checklist before arranging attestations or paying for document services.
Ask about your businessTiming depends on the jurisdiction, activity, approvals and completeness of your application. Your licence, residency and bank account are separate milestones and may follow different timelines.
Ask for a milestone-based schedule for your particular application.
Ask about your businessWorkspace requirements vary by jurisdiction, business activity and package. Compare any flexi-desk or office arrangement against how you will actually operate and the team you plan to build.
Confirm the workspace conditions and associated costs before choosing a package.
Ask about your businessOur PRO services support government paperwork and application coordination, including trade licence renewals, residency visa applications and document attestation. We help you prepare the relevant paperwork and understand the next steps.
Tell us whether you need support for a new company, an existing business or an individual application.
Ask about PRO servicesOur bank account preparation guide explains the company profile, ownership records and transaction evidence a bank may request. Each institution applies its own onboarding and risk assessment.
Account approval and timelines are determined by the bank.
Ask about your business