Insights & guides

A lean free zone company runs roughly AED 15,000-25,000 in year one. The number that catches people out is year two.

One question still settles most setups: are your customers inside the UAE or outside it? Getting this wrong usually means a new incorporation.

Once free zone is the right structure, shortlist by activity, visas, office and cost shape — not by brand fame or the cheapest licence headline.

Default path: licence, investor/partner residence, Emirates ID, banking in parallel — Golden Visa is a fork. Service fees AED 4,999/5,999/9,999; authority fees at cost.

It is a renewable residence permit, not citizenship, not a tax status, and not something a company registration hands you automatically.

Company-tied investor/partner residence is not an automatic Golden Visa. Choose the path by goals and eligibility — service fees AED 4,999/5,999/9,999 only; no visa guarantee.

Prepare a consistent substance file, match a bank, interview, then activate — assistance only, no approval guarantee. Pair with the rejection guide.

The licence arrives in days. The bank account can take two months - and the reasons it fails are usually set at incorporation.

Licence in 4 to 10 working days. Fully operational - residence, Emirates ID, bank account - in roughly 4 to 6 weeks.

Licence formation can finish abroad in about 4–10 working days after documents; medical, Emirates ID, and most bank openings still need UAE presence — often one 3–5 day trip.

He thought the hard part would be whether his employer agreed. By the time the proposal was finished, that had become the least important of six questions.

Verify UAE trade licence, insist on an itemised service-vs-authority fee split, and pay only to a corporate account — then screen the five red flags.

Individual shareholders usually start with a passport scan and photo; corporate shareholding adds attestation (~2–3 weeks). Activity selection is the hard part.

Licence renewal, premises, visas, books, VAT and CT — lean single-person often ~AED 20,000–35,000 from year two (indicative).

Not zero-tax by default — CT 0%/9% bands, QFZP conditions for free-zone 0%, VAT separate. Service fees AED 4,999/5,999/9,999 only; not tax advice.

All-in stickers often blend service and government fees. Use this checklist to compare Lexoford’s AED 4,999 / 5,999 / 9,999 service-only packages against itemised quotes.

Licence ≠ done — CT/VAT awareness, books, banking kickoff, and visa/medical/EID sequencing. Service fees AED 4,999/5,999/9,999 only; not tax advice.

Match residence capacity to people who need it now — Lexoford AED 4,999 / 5,999 / 9,999 map to 0–1 / 2–3 / 4+ (or Golden path coordination); gov fees separate; no visa guarantee.

Same activity, different emirates — decide on fit, mainland need, office, banking practicality, visas, and cost shape. Service fees AED 4,999/5,999/9,999 only; no best-emirate crown.