Live, do business and invest in Dubai in your own language.

Any foreign national with a valid UAE residence visa receives an Emirates ID, the identity card that unlocks a bank account, a lease, health insurance and school places. The usual routes are a visa sponsored by your own company, an employment visa, the Green Visa and the Golden Visa. In the first consultation we work out which one fits you and your family.

The usual route is a visa sponsored by your own company, typically valid for 2 years and renewable: once the entry permit is issued you complete the status change, medical test and biometrics, and receive the Emirates ID — the document that unlocks a personal bank account, a lease, health insurance and school enrolment. Spouse and children follow as dependants once your own visa is issued. There are also long-term routes: the 5-year Green visa for investors holding a share from AED 1 million, and the Golden visa of 5 or 10 years, which includes property investors from AED 2 million (5 years, renewable). How many visas your company can issue depends on the structure and the space it holds.

There is no single number, and you should be wary of anyone advertising one. The cost depends on the jurisdiction (Mainland, Free Zone or Offshore), the licensed activity, how many visas you need and whether the structure requires physical space. A large share of it is government fees, which never pass through us. In the initial consultation we map those variables and send a fixed written quote that separates our fees from official charges.

Yes. Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020, which amended the UAE commercial companies law, removed the requirement for a majority Emirati shareholder or a local agent across most economic activities — including on the mainland, where the 51% rule previously applied. Free zone companies already allowed full foreign ownership. A narrow set of activities with strategic impact still requires approval from the sector regulator for full foreign ownership; we check your activity before recommending a structure.

In most free zones, yes: incorporation is done remotely with digital documents and either remote signing or a power of attorney. Travel becomes necessary when you want the residency visa, because the medical test, biometrics and Emirates ID issuance are in person, and when your chosen bank requires an interview with the signatory. We sequence the process so all of it fits into a single trip to Dubai.

The company pays corporate tax at a headline 9% on taxable profit above AED 375,000 per year. Free zone companies meeting the Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions pay 0% on qualifying income — but note a detail few people explain: a QFZP does not get the AED 375,000 nil-rate band, and anything that is not qualifying income is taxed at 9% from the first dirham. There is also Small Business Relief for revenue up to AED 3 million, available for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2026 and not available to a QFZP. VAT registration becomes mandatory above AED 375,000 of taxable turnover. Individuals pay no income tax on salaries in the UAE.

General information, not tax advice. Rules in force as of August 2026 — confirm your own position with a UAE tax adviser.

You do, if the company is actually going to receive and pay. It is not hard when the file arrives organised: banks want to understand the source of funds, who your clients are, where revenue comes from and what substance the operation has. The usual window is 2 to 6 weeks, and it is the stage that depends most on third parties. We prepare that documentation before introducing you to the bank that best fits your profile, and stay with you through every compliance question until the account opens.

No. Normative Instruction RFB No. 2,265, published on 13 May 2025, removed the United Arab Emirates from Brazil’s list of jurisdictions with favoured taxation, under article 24-C of Law 9,430/1996 as introduced by Law 15,079/2024. In practice, consequences such as the increased 25% withholding tax on certain payments and the stricter thin-capitalisation and deductibility rules no longer apply. It does not remove Brazilian obligations: anyone remaining a Brazilian tax resident is still subject to Law 14,754/2023, which taxes profits of controlled foreign entities annually at 15% in defined cases — including significant passive income — alongside foreign asset reporting. And these lists are dynamic: they change, and a structure has to be reviewed when they do.

General information, not tax advice. Take this point to your accountant or tax lawyer in Brazil before settling on a structure.