For Indian investors who are looking to establish a variety of businesses, the city of Dubai offers a wide range of options. This benefitted more and more business persons to register a company in the UAE from India. To make them more business-friendly for foreign investors, the requirements for registering a company in the UAE keep changing. So, this blog sums up how to register a company in Dubai from India.
Steps to Register a Company in the UAE
To start doing business in the UAE, registering a UAE company has become simpler. The following are the steps to register a company in Dubai:
Finalize the Business Activities
The organization’s business model is determined by the day-to-day operations of the firm. The entrepreneur must list and submit the certificates to the relevant authorities as several actions necessitate particular approvals. If an entrepreneur needs to register a company in Dubai in a specialized economic business zone, they should choose a free zone setup. They may or may not be able to open up a firm in some of the free zones depending on the nature of the business.
There are also several factors to consider while setting up a company in a free zone such as closeness to other firms in the same industry. The business owners should also consider the option of transportation as well. They can have 100% ownership of the company if they want to have a business setup in Dubai in a free zone.
The entrepreneur should also register a sole establishment else LLC if they want to start a business on the mainland. If they want to set up a company outside the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) or on Mainland, a 51% ownership controlling stake is to be held by the UAE national. The structure of the company is dependent on the type of business activity chosen by the business owners. Therefore, before setting up a business in Dubai, they will need to decide on the business activity as a primary step.
Register a Trading Name for the Company
Registering a trading name is another important step in establishing a company in the UAE. To increase the significance of the company in the industry, the entrepreneurs are recommended to choose trade names with words that indicate their venture’s nature.
Moreover, trade name reservation regulations must be followed in the UAE to open a business. Through consultations and experts, the entrepreneur must double-check that the proposed company name is by the UAE naming rules. This is done to avoid any misunderstandings or rejections. Those company names that are related to offending people’s religious feelings, and names similar to any social or spiritual organizations are prohibited by the government of UAE.
If the business owner wants to utilize a person’s name in the name of the company, there must a partnership or ownership stake in the firm. By applying with the Department of Economic Development, anyone can reserve the name of their company.
Choose the Desired Business Location
The location of the company’s business determines a lot while setting up a new firm. The exposure to diverse economies, resource availability, infrastructure, taxes regulations, etc varies from one area to the next.
There are many benefits and limitations of all the business zones while registering a company in Dubai. These can be known to entrepreneurs by consulting a business setup consultants in dubai. They help entrepreneurs make good decisions and also provide them with end-to-end business assistance. The entrepreneur can acquire office space in their desired location after obtaining the “Ejari” or tenancy contract.
Draft the Memorandum of Association (MoA) and Local Service Agent (LSA)
The entrepreneur needs to work with a Local Service Agent (LSA) if they want to register a company in Dubai on the mainland. They would only offer assistance in applying for licenses and securing other mandatory approvals and wouldn’t interfere in any of the business decisions. This benefits the entrepreneur as they no longer need to offer 51% shareholding of their business to a UAE national if they work with LSA.
The entrepreneur can work with A&A Associate as they will maintain complete operational and legal control over the businesses and also take care of all the paperwork. Based on the structure of the company and business model, the entrepreneur must sign and establish the Memorandum of Association (MoA).
Prepare an Application for Business Setup in Dubai
Together with other relevant documents such as shareholders’ passports, the entrepreneur must apply their selected business name and activity to the proper government agencies. In some of the free zones, documents such as business plans or a Non-Objection Certificate, which confirms that they are permitted to have a business setup in Dubai are required.
Apply for a Business License
To start operating the business in Dubai, some businesses need to apply for licenses. The entrepreneurs who wish to start their business on the mainland must apply to the Dubai Department of Economic Development for attaining the license. They can apply to separate authorities if they wish to set up a business in the free zone.
The license will be delivered to the entrepreneur after the successful verification from the government of the UAE. Commercial license, industrial license, and professional license ate the three main licenses to operate a business in Dubai.
Open a Bank Account in UAE
Without a bank account, no company can operate its business. Entrepreneurs will need to open a business bank account for their company after they have completed all the necessary paperwork and documents. Multiple national and international banks are offered by UAE and the business owners are recommended to choose a bank that best meets their company demands. They should opt for a bank that provides significant benefits and concessions that will assist in cost optimization.
To help entrepreneurs choose which bank is best for them, business advisors set up a meeting with several banks.
Get Visa Approval
In setting up the business in Dubai, getting visa approval is the final step. Many free zones in Dubai permit business owners to have visas for their employees and families besides getting their visas.
Some of the documents are mandatory for business setup in Dubai from India. These include passport-size photographs of the company registration applicant, passport copies of all the legal participants, application form, tourist visa of the company registration applicant, and bank reference letter for each shareholder. A passport of the sponsor, a copy of the LSA’s Emirati ID, and attempted documents from MoA and LSA are also required. In some cases, a business plan is also asked for by the authorities.
For an industry license, additional documents such as a copy of the feasibility study, an existing company profile, and information related to the investor are required. Depending upon the business entity, the entrepreneur also needs to provide some other important documents.
For the Dubai company registration fees, no one fits all figure categories. It is because in Dubai the cost of registering a company depends upon several factors such as the size of the office, company location, license type, visa requirements, and a lot more.
The decision of company registration in Dubai is the right choice for the entrepreneur as the business industry in Dubai is on a rise. Business setup in dubai is a UAE-based management consultancy firm that helps business owners to find the perfect location for their venture. They also assist them with the approval of all the documents that are required to set up the business in Dubai. Their team of experts has helped a lot of companies to prosper in the Dubai marketplace.