For most individual shareholders, Dubai / UAE company formation starts with a colour passport scan (recommend at least six months remaining validity) and a recent white-background photo, plus address proof and/or an entry-stamp or visa page where the jurisdiction asks. Expensive surprises: corporate-shareholder attestation (often about two to three extra weeks), regulated-activity approvals after you pick a zone, and activity lists so broad banks treat the file as high risk. Twin of Lexoford’s Chinese checklist (读中文版). For international English search; China outbound corporate shareholding is a first-class example, not exclusive.
Q1: What documents do I need to set up a Dubai / UAE company as an individual shareholder? For most ordinary personal-shareholder setups, start with a clear colour passport scan (recommend at least six months’ validity) and a recent white-background photograph. Some jurisdictions also ask for proof of residential address (utility bill or bank statement) and, if you are already in the UAE, an entry stamp or existing visa page. You usually do not need education certificates, police clearance, or proof of funds at registration for standard non-regulated free-zone paths — though visa, banking, or regulated activities can require more later.
Individual shareholder (most common path)
If natural persons own the company, the registration pack is short:
- Colour passport scan — clear; recommend at least six months remaining validity for every shareholder and director on the file.
- Recent white-background photograph — passport-photo standard.
- Proof of current residential address — utility bill or bank statement; some jurisdictions require it, not all.
- Entry stamp or existing UAE visa page — only if the person is already in the UAE.
Confirm the jurisdiction-specific list before deposits (choosing an agent).
Usually not required at registration (ordinary personal-shareholder, non-regulated): education certificates; police clearance; proof of funds.
Visa, bank KYC, and regulated tracks can ask for more later. Formation paperwork is not the investor / partner visa journey. Do not treat mainland-only items as universal free-zone requirements.
Corporate shareholder (home-country / China company holding)
When a company — for example a China mainland entity, or a UK/EU/India/SEA holding company — owns the UAE company, expect a longer pack and a longer clock.
| Document | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Parent company trade licence / certificate of incorporation + articles (or equivalent) | Prove the shareholder exists |
| Notarisation + consular / embassy attestation chain as required for UAE acceptance | Raw overseas scans are not final |
| Board resolution approving overseas subsidiary setup + naming authorised representative | Decision authority |
| Authorised representative passport + photo | Identity of the person who signs or appears |
| Ownership / shareholder structure chart | Banks almost always ask at KYC |
Timing: notarisation plus attestation is usually the slowest step. Plan roughly two to three extra weeks (indicative; country and embassy queues vary). Do not invent attestation AED fee tables; legalisation is typically a separate third-party / client-side cost, not part of the Lexoford service fee.
Trade-off: if time is tight, some founders register with an individual shareholder first, then transfer equity later. Equity change has authority fees and process cost — weigh speed vs clean corporate ownership from day one. Lexoford can map both paths on consult. Lexoford is not a law firm; complex cross-border shareholding may need a partner licensed practice and home-country counsel.
Q2: What if a China or other home-country company will be the shareholder? Expect parent-company incorporation documents and articles, a board resolution authorising the overseas subsidiary and a representative, the representative’s passport and photo, and an ownership structure chart (banks almost always request this). Overseas corporate documents typically need notarisation plus consular/embassy attestation. That chain often adds about two to three weeks. If speed matters, some founders form with an individual shareholder first and transfer equity later — the transfer itself has cost and process, so weigh both paths on consult.
Activities that need extra approvals
Ordinary trade, consulting, IT, and many e-commerce activities often run on the trade licence alone (confirm per jurisdiction). These sectors typically need extra regulator approvals — confirm the path before locking a free zone or mainland route:
- Education and training
- Medical and health services
- Finance, insurance, and payments
- Food production and F&B / catering
- Tourism and travel agencies
- Legal services
- Real-estate brokerage
Some free zones will not accept certain regulated activities — discovering that after you paid is expensive. Framework, not ranking: how to choose a Dubai free zone and mainland vs free zone.
The hard part is not the passport scan: activity selection
Materials are simple. Business activity / activity codes deserve real care because they affect three things at once:
- What you may legally do — operating outside licensed activities is non-compliant.
- How banks score the file — overly broad or mismatched activities often look high-risk and slow or block account opening (bank opening, bank rejection).
- Amendment cost later — adding activities usually means licence amendment plus extra fees.
Choose activities for the next one to two years of real work; avoid stacking unrelated codes “just in case.” Describe the business model; Lexoford helps match activity codes before you lock a jurisdiction. Lexoford assists with bank documentation; it does not invent bank approval rates or guarantee outcomes.
Q3: Why do Lexoford and serious agents care so much about activity codes? Activity selection controls what you may legally operate, how banks assess risk (overly broad lists often look high-risk), and what you will pay later to amend the licence. Collecting passports is easy; matching activities to a one-to-two-year real business plan is the step that prevents rework. Describe your model and Lexoford can help map codes before you lock a jurisdiction.
How this connects to remote setup, timeline, banking, and agent choice
- Still overseas: individual pack (passport + photo) usually submits remotely; corporate attestation happens in the home country (remote company setup).
- Clock starts after a complete pack: typical formation 4 to 10 working days after documents (setup timeline).
- Banking: ownership chart + tight activity list feed KYC. Assistance is not approval.
- Agent choice: ask for a jurisdiction-specific document list and itemised service-vs-authority fees (choosing an agent).
- Fee honesty: Lexoford packages AED 4,999 (0–1 visa) / AED 5,999 (2–3 visas) / AED 9,999 (4+ visas or golden-visa path) = service fee only. Free-zone and government fees at cost, no markup. Attestation/legalisation is a separate third-party cost — never blend into the service fee as “all-in.” See Dubai company setup cost and the cost calculator.
Q4: What does Lexoford charge, and is AED 4,999 all-in? No. Packages are AED 4,999 (0–1 visa), AED 5,999 (2–3 visas), and AED 9,999 (4+ visas or a golden-visa path) = Lexoford’s service fee only. Free-zone and government fees are itemised separately and passed through at cost, no markup. Notarisation and attestation for corporate shareholders are typically separate third-party costs. After a complete pack, typical formation is about 4 to 10 working days. Lexoford Services L.L.C-FZ holds Trade Licence 2651822.01 (Office 607, RAG Tower Business Center, Al Barsha 1, Dubai); EN/ZH/AR/Hindi (WeChat Lexoford). Lexoford is not a law firm; legal work is via a partner licensed practice when needed.
International and China outbound founders
- Individual founder still abroad — passport scan + white-background photo tonight; confirm address-proof need per jurisdiction.
- China or other home-country HoldCo must own the UAE Co — start attestation early; budget about two to three weeks; or discuss personal-first path and later equity-change cost.
- Regulated sector (edtech, health, fintech, F&B, travel, legal, brokerage) — map approvals before jurisdiction choice.
- Told you need degree + police certificate + proof of funds to “start any Dubai licence” — ask which authority requires it; often oversold for ordinary free-zone personal setups.
- Want Mandarin depth — Chinese twin, WeChat Lexoford, soft annual maintenance cost until an EN twin ships.
Support: reply within 1 working day; EN/ZH/AR/Hindi. Company formation · visa services.
FAQ
What documents do I need for Dubai company formation as an individual?
Colour passport scan (recommend 6+ months’ validity) and recent white-background photo; address proof and/or UAE entry stamp or visa page where asked (see Q1).
Do I need education proof, police clearance, or proof of funds at registration?
Usually no for ordinary personal-shareholder, non-regulated free-zone paths. Visa, bank, or regulated tracks can ask for more later.
What if my China or home-country company is the shareholder?
Notarised and consular-attested parent docs, board resolution, authorised rep passport and photo, ownership chart; plan about 2–3 extra weeks (see Q2).
Can I register as an individual first and change equity later?
Yes, some founders do for speed. Equity change has fees and process — weigh both paths. Lexoford is not a law firm.
Which industries need extra approvals?
Education/training, medical/health, finance/insurance/payments, food/F&B, tourism/travel, legal services, real-estate brokerage — confirm before locking a zone.
Why do activity codes matter for banking?
Overly broad or mismatched activities often look high-risk and can slow or block account opening (see Q3; bank pages above).
Does AED 4,999 include government and free-zone fees?
No. Lexoford service fee only; FZ/gov at cost; attestation separate (see Q4; cost calculator).
How long after documents until the licence?
Typical formation 4–10 working days after a complete pack (setup timeline).
Is Lexoford a law firm?
No. Legal work goes through a partner licensed practice when needed.
Next step
Share shareholder type (individual vs corporate), home country, draft activities for the next 1–2 years, and whether you need residence in year one. Lexoford returns a jurisdiction-specific document checklist, activity-code match, attestation timeline if corporate, and an itemised service vs authority fee estimate (cost calculator) plus a free consult.
Lexoford Services L.L.C-FZ · Trade Licence 2651822.01 · Office 607, RAG Tower Business Center, Al Barsha 1, Dubai · EN / ZH / AR / Hindi · WeChat Lexoford · info@lexofordservices.com · +971 58 500 2191 (phone / WhatsApp) · reply within 1 working day.