“All-in” Dubai setup quotes usually blend an agent’s service work with free-zone or government fees—and often bury visas, medical, Emirates ID, premises, and year-two renewals. Lexoford’s AED 4,999 / 5,999 / 9,999 packages are service fees only; authority fees pass through at cost. Compare line items in writing—not stickers.
This page is a buyer checklist, not a rival price list. We do not invent competitor AED stickers. Use it to re-map any WhatsApp, WeChat, or email “全包 / all-in” number onto the same lines as Lexoford’s service-only framing — then decide with eyes open.
Related: Dubai company setup cost · cost calculator · choosing an agent.
This article is general information for founders comparing Dubai / UAE company-setup quotes (2026 reading). It is not legal, tax, immigration, or banking advice. Free-zone and government fees, visa medical / Emirates ID rates, and bank product terms change. Lexoford does not invent competitor prices, crown a “best free zone,” or guarantee bank or visa outcomes. Confirm every amount and scope in writing before you deposit.
What does “all-in” usually mean in agent marketing?
Short answer: a marketing blend — not a comparable total.
In practice, “all-in,” “package,” or “全包” often means one or more of:
- Agent service / consultancy work plus some free-zone or government licence fees in one sticker
- A year-one number that soft-includes a desk or “visa,” then adds medical, Emirates ID, stamping, PRO, or attestation after deposit
- Silence on year-two renewals, books, VAT, and corporate tax filings
A true comparable total is itemised: every line has an amount (or “authority rate — confirm”), a payer, and a note on whether it repeats. Stickers without that map are theatre.
What does Lexoford’s service fee include — and deliberately exclude?
Lexoford publishes three service-fee bands (not all-in company setup prices):
| Band (AED) | Typical service scope (confirm in writing) |
|---|---|
| 4,999 | Formation coordination for lean scope — commonly 0–1 visa path in scope |
| 5,999 | Broader coordination — commonly 2–3 visa paths |
| 9,999 | Heavier scope — commonly 4+ visas or Golden path coordination (eligibility is separate; immigration decides) |
What the service fee is for: name / structure coordination, licence process liaison, document sequencing, visa process coordination where scoped, bank introduction / document prep where scoped, and post-licence orientation (tax registration conversations, not tax advice).
What it deliberately excludes (charged separately, at cost where Lexoford collects):
- Free-zone / mainland authority and government fees (licence, cards, immigration filings as applicable)
- Premises (flexi-desk, shared desk, physical office / Ejari)
- Medical fitness, Emirates ID, visa stamping / residence issuance fees
- Attestation / notarisation of overseas shareholder docs; regulated activity approvals
- Licensed legal work (via partner practice when needed)
- Bookkeeping, audit, VAT / corporate tax advisor fees
- Bank minimum balances (set by banks, not Lexoford)
Hard line: AED 4,999 / 5,999 / 9,999 = Lexoford service fee only. Authority / free-zone / visa government fees are at cost, separate, no markup in Lexoford’s fee-honesty model. Confirm the written quote before you pay.
Year-one shape and indicative planning ranges live on Dubai company setup cost; build a planning figure in the cost calculator.
Decision checklist: every line that must appear before you compare quotes
Paste this into WhatsApp / WeChat / email. For each line ask: In writing? Amount? Who pays? Year 1 only or repeats?
A. Formation / licence stack
- Trade licence / free-zone registration (authority fee)
- Trade name reservation / initial approval (if billed separately)
- MOA / notarisation / attestation of overseas shareholder docs
- Establishment card / immigration file (where applicable)
- Activity count / extra activities / regulated approvals
B. Premises / office
- Flexi-desk / shared desk / virtual office (free zone)
- Physical office + Ejari (mainland — typically mandatory)
- Whether “office included” is year-1 only
Structure without crowning a winner: Mainland vs free zone · How to choose a Dubai free zone.
C. Visa path (per person — never assume “included”)
- Visa quota / allocation on the licence (capacity ≠ stamped residence)
- Entry permit / change of status (inside-UAE applicants)
- Medical fitness test
- Emirates ID
- Visa stamping / residence issuance
- Dependent visas (if any) — separate
D. Agent / consultancy
- Service / consultancy fee (Lexoford: 4,999 / 5,999 / 9,999 by band)
- Typing / PRO / government liaison fees (if billed outside package)
- Written scope: name → licence → visa coordination → bank intro → tax registration assist
E. Banking (assistance ≠ outcome)
- Bank account introduction / document prep — in scope?
- Bank minimum balance / deposit (bank-set — not an agent fee)
- Explicit: no bank approval guarantee
F. Year-two / ongoing (demand in writing before deposit)
- Licence renewal
- Premises renewal
- Visa renewals (often every 2 years — confirm your path)
- Bookkeeping / audit (zone-dependent)
- VAT filings (if registered)
- Corporate tax registration / filing (even when tax due may be 0)
- Ongoing PRO / retainer (if any)
Depth: annual maintenance cost · tax orientation: UAE corporate tax & VAT · ops: accounting & tax.
G. Honesty tests (close the checklist)
- Is the service fee separated from authority fees?
- Are gov / free-zone fees at cost with receipts, or marked up inside a sticker?
- Is payment to a corporate invoice / company account?
- Are bank or visa “guarantees” present? → walk away
- Can a year-two estimate sit in the agreement now?
Trust filter: choosing an agent · Mandarin twin: 如何选择靠谱代理.
Comparison table: how to read any quote
Do not treat this as a rival price list. Fill the third column with your quote — never invent another firm’s AED stickers.
| Line item | Often buried in “all-in” marketing | Lexoford framing | Your quote (AED / ?) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agent / consultancy work | Blended into one sticker | Service fee AED 4,999 (0–1 visa) / 5,999 (2–3) / 9,999 (4+ or Golden path coordination) | |
| Free-zone / government licence fees | “Included” until deposit, then “gov extra” | At cost, separate, no markup | |
| Premises / flexi-desk / Ejari | Soft-included or year-1 only | Itemised; mainland office typically mandatory | |
| Visa quota on licence | Sold as “visa included” | Quota ≠ stamped residence; confirm count | |
| Medical + Emirates ID + stamping | Added after sign | Separate gov path; Lexoford coordinates; immigration decides | |
| PRO / typing / cards | Admin surcharge later | Ask for written line or confirm inside scope | |
| Bank account | “Package includes bank” | Assistance only; banks decide; minimums are bank-set | |
| Year-two renewals | Omitted | Demand estimate in writing; see annual maintenance | |
| Books / VAT / CT filings | “Zero tax = nothing to do” | Separate compliance; see corporate tax · accounting & tax | |
| Attestation / regulated approvals | Surprise extras | Flag early; activity-dependent |
Visa path unpack: quota vs medical / Emirates ID / stamping / change-of-status
“Visa included” is the most common ambiguous phrase in Dubai setup quotes.
Break it before you compare:
- Quota / allocation — how many residence slots the licence can support. This is capacity, not a stamped visa in someone’s passport.
- Entry permit or change of status — different paths for applicants outside vs already inside the UAE; often separate fees.
- Medical fitness test — government / clinic fee; usually not the same line as “quota.”
- Emirates ID — application and biometrics; separate from licence sticker.
- Visa stamping / residence issuance — immigration decides; agent coordinates paperwork.
- Dependents — never assume they ride free on a founder “package.”
If a quote says “visa included” without naming medical, Emirates ID, stamping, and change-of-status, treat the sticker as incomplete until those lines appear in writing. Lexoford does not guarantee visa outcomes.
Process expectation: setup timeline.
Year-one vs year-two: what marketing packages omit
Year-one packages sell the licence moment. Year-two is where many founders feel blindsided.
| Horizon | What buyers should demand in writing |
|---|---|
| Year one | Licence + premises + first visa path lines + service fee + attestation if needed |
| Year two+ | Licence renewal, premises renewal, visa renewals, books / audit, VAT returns (if registered), corporate tax filing duties, any PRO retainer |
Ask for a year-two estimate before deposit — even if numbers are ranges that must be confirmed against current authority rates. Full maintenance lens: annual maintenance cost.
Indicative lean planning ranges Lexoford already publishes on cost / annual pages (reuse only as planning context, not as a locked quote): lean free-zone year-one and year-two totals vary widely by zone, desk, and visa count — always re-confirm on consult and with the calculator.
Banking intro vs bank minimums — and why “guaranteed account” is a red flag
| Claim in a quote | What it usually means | Healthy framing |
|---|---|---|
| “Package includes bank” | Document prep + introduction | Assistance only |
| “Guaranteed account” | Sales theatre | Walk away — banks decide KYC independently |
| “No minimum” | Often false or product-specific | Minimums / deposits are bank-set |
Lexoford can help with introduction and document preparation where scoped. Lexoford does not guarantee corporate account opening. Bank minimum balances are not Lexoford service fees.
After the licence: PRO, books, VAT / corporate tax filings
A licence is not the end of cost or compliance:
- PRO / typing / liaison — ask whether year-one admin is inside the service fee or billed per filing.
- Books — free zones and mainland expectations differ; audit rules are jurisdiction- and activity-dependent.
- VAT — separate from corporate tax; registration thresholds and returns are FTA-led.
- Corporate tax — registration and filing duties can exist even when tax due is 0% on taxable income under the standard framing; free-zone 0% on qualifying income needs QFZP conditions — not automatic with a plaque.
Orientation (not tax advice): UAE corporate tax & VAT · Chinese twin: 阿联酋企业所得税与 VAT · coordination: accounting & tax.
Lexoford is not a law firm and not a tax firm. Licensed advice goes through appropriate partners when needed.
How Chinese-friendly / international founders should re-quote WeChat “全包” stickers
When a WeChat or WhatsApp message shows one low “全包” number:
- Reply with the checklist (sections A–G above) — ask for each line in writing.
- Force two columns: 服务费 (service / consultancy) vs 规费 (authority / government).
- Unpack “工签 / 签证包含” into quota vs medical vs Emirates ID vs stamping.
- Ask for year-two renewal lines before any deposit.
- Pay only to a corporate invoice — personal wallets and “friend discount all-in” are trust red flags (choosing an agent).
- Refuse bank/visa guarantee language — immigration and banks decide.
Do not invent what a rival “should” charge in AED. Your job as buyer is to make their quote comparable, not to guess their markup.
How Lexoford holds the same standard + next step
- Publishes service-only bands: AED 4,999 / 5,999 / 9,999
- Passes free-zone / government / immigration fees at cost, separate, no markup
- Coordinates formation and scoped visa / bank-intro work; does not guarantee bank or visa outcomes
- Not a law firm; legal via partner licensed practice when needed
- Trade Licence 2651822.01 · Office 607, RAG Tower, Al Barsha 1, Dubai · reply within 1 working day · EN / ZH / AR / Hindi · WeChat Lexoford
Next step — what to send for an itemised compare (no promise of a locked all-in forever):
- Planned activity and mainland vs free-zone preference (if any)
- How many residence visas you need in year one (real people)
- Any WeChat / WhatsApp “all-in” quote you want re-mapped onto the checklist
- Whether books / VAT / CT help should be sequenced after licence
Company formation · Cost calculator · Contact
FAQ
Is AED 4,999 / 5,999 / 9,999 an all-in Dubai company setup price?
No. Those amounts are Lexoford service fees by visa-band / scope. Free-zone and government fees are separate, at cost, no markup. Use the cost calculator, then confirm every line on consult before you pay.
What must an “all-in” quote itemise before I compare?
At minimum: service fee; licence / authority fees; premises; each visa path line (medical, Emirates ID, stamping, change-of-status if relevant); PRO / admin if separate; attestation; year-two renewal estimate; and whether bank help is introduction-only. If any of those are missing, the sticker is not comparable yet.
Does “visa included” mean medical and Emirates ID are paid?
Often no. Many packages price licence quota only. Ask explicitly whether medical, Emirates ID, stamping, and change-of-status are inside the number — per person — before you treat “visa included” as a complete line.
Why separate the service fee from government fees?
Authority fees are set by the free zone or government and should be comparable across agents when disclosed. The service fee is what you pay the firm for coordination. Blending them hides markup and scope gaps. Lexoford keeps service and authority lines apart on purpose.
Can an agent guarantee the all-in sticker won’t rise after deposit — or guarantee bank / visa?
Treat “locked all-in forever” and “guaranteed bank / visa” as red flags unless scope and change rules are crystal clear in a written agreement. Lexoford does not guarantee bank or visa outcomes; immigration and banks decide independently. Authority rates can also change — confirm current fees before payment.
Is Lexoford a law firm, and does the service fee cover legal disputes?
No. Lexoford Services L.L.C-FZ is a professional services firm (Trade Licence 2651822.01). Legal representation, when needed, goes through a partner licensed practice. Formation service fees are not litigation retainers.