The Real Cost of Setting Up a Business in Dubai, Itemised for 2026

Ask three consultants what it costs to set up a company in Dubai and you will get three different numbers. Each one may be true, but none of them is complete. This is almost never because someone is lying. It is because "setup" means different things to different people, and the cheapest quote usually leaves out the most.

Here is the full picture, item by item, with nothing hidden for later.

There are two options, and the difference is what is included

At Almas there are two ways to set up. The main question is whether you want the residence visa included in the price or handled separately.

Option one: free zone setup, from AED 4,888. Visa, Emirates ID and medical not included

This covers setting up the company itself: the licence and the company registration. It is the cheapest way to start. It is the right choice if you already have a UAE residence visa in another way, or if your company does not need a visa straight away.

Not included at this price: the visa, the Emirates ID and the medical. These are real costs, and they are charged for each person, not for each company. If someone offers you a price like this as "everything", ask which of these three it includes.

Option two: the all-in package, from AED 10,799

This covers any business activity. It includes the licence, the company papers (MOA), the visa, the Emirates ID and the medical. The price looks bigger. But if you do not already live in the UAE, it is often cheaper overall, because it includes costs you would have to pay anyway.

What each item means

Item	What it covers
Trade licence	Your legal permission to do a certain type of business. It lasts one year and you renew it.
MOA	The memorandum of association: the main legal document of your company.
Establishment card	Registers your company as an employer. You need it to get visas.
Investor visa	Your own residence visa, linked to owning the company.
Medical and Emirates ID	Needed to complete the visa. Charged for each person.
Bank account help	Preparing your papers and taking them to the right bank. This is not a government fee.

The costs people forget

• Visas are charged for each person. A price for one visa is not a price for a team of four. If you are bringing family or staff, multiply before you plan your budget.
• You renew every year. A licence is not a one-time purchase. The second year costs real money, so plan for it from the start.
• Changing your activities costs money. Adding an activity to your licence later can mean extra fees. So it is worth choosing a slightly wider set of activities at the start.
• The bank account is part of the setup, not something for later. Without a business account, you cannot send invoices or get paid. More setups get stuck here than at any other step.

What about the bank account?

Getting the licence is not the end. A company with no business account cannot send invoices, cannot get paid and cannot pay salaries. Many setups get stuck here. The company is set up easily, and then the bank account takes weeks.

We give you a price for opening an account after we see your case, not a fixed published price. It depends on your situation and on which banks are likely to accept you. Plan for it as a real cost. And choose your bank before you set up the company, because the licence you choose affects which banks will accept you.

How to check any price you are given

Whoever you use, these three questions will show you if a price is real:

1. Does this include the visa, the Emirates ID and the medical? If the answer is not a clear yes, it does not.
2. How many people does this cover? Costs for each person are the most common difference between a quote and the final bill.
3. What will the second year cost? A cheap first year with an expensive renewal is not a discount. It is just paying later.

In short

Free zone setup starts at AED 4,888, and at this price the visa, Emirates ID and medical are extra. The all-in package starts at AED 10,799 and includes them, for any business activity. We price the bank account after we see your case.

Want the full list of costs for your business and your number of people? Send "COST" on WhatsApp to +971 52 733 8749 and we will send it to you.