opening your company in a free zone

Efficient business growth in the United Arab Emirates will depend on many factors that every businessperson should be aware of, starting by thinking about opening your company in a free zone in the UAE. It could be the best option and here we will show you how to get started with some tips and recommendations.

In this article, you will learn everything you need to know related to opening a company in a UAE free zone. You will also learn the advantages it can bring you and the services you may need in order to set up your business successfully in these thriving free zones. Let’s observe:

1. Reasons why you should start your business in a UAE free zone.

2. Tips you should follow to open your company successfully.

3. Available free zones you can choose to set up your business.

4. Types of licenses available and entities allowed in the UAE free zones.

5. What documents do you have to get or prepare in order to start your business?

6. How can Connectfz help you open your company in a UAE free zone?

1. Reasons why you should start your business in a UAE free zone

Building your business and opening your company in a free zone of any of the UAE cities can be the first step to start achieving success. The UAE free zones can offer many benefits and advantages to the investors and entrepreneurs who decide to set up their companies in them, allowing them to grow and thrive.

If you have the same goal and think about setting your company in the UAE free zones, it would be useful to know the elements that you will be provided with to help you get started. Among the most remarkable benefits that new investors can receive, it is worthy to mention world-class infrastructure and high-quality services regarding business management. Other advantages you can obtain are:

  • No personal, corporate, or capital taxes, along with full repatriation of capital and profits, sole ownership, and no currency restrictions. Import and export tax exemption is another useful benefit. This is why free zones are so popular and attract lots of foreign investors and entrepreneurs every year.
  • Due to the advanced systems and global connectivity that the country possesses, it will be easier for your company to reach and enter the market. Besides, you will have easy access to more than 90 airlines and 170 shipping lines.
  • The UAE country outstands in the market thanks to the conditions and the beneficial business environment that it provides to every businessperson living and working in the country.
  • Among the flexible business regulations that every free zone possesses, investors are allowed to have total ownership of their companies, allowing them to grow efficiently as businesspeople in the country.
  • Investors and their companies will be provided with the most vital resources to ensure success and a good business environment, including world-class infrastructure, warehousing, connectivity, equipped office spaces, utilities, transportation, and many other resources.

2. Tips you should follow to open your company successfully

Deciding on opening your company in a free zone in this thriving country is the first step to start building your business, and after that decision, it is time to follow other steps and tips to achieve your goal successfully. You can count on an efficient business partner if you want to speed up your company’s growth exponentially.

With a business partner like Connectfz, you can find easily the perfect free zone for your company in no time, and besides, you will obtain several benefits. Finding the best option for you will with our help is a three-step procedure that works this way:

  • Browse a variety of available locations and choose the one that suits you better according to the type of business you want to develop.
  • Compare the ones you chose as possible options and analyze the benefits and advantages you can obtain from each free zone, just like the possible disadvantages.
  • After choosing a definitive location to start setting up your company, get in touch with the experts and receive professional advice.

2.1. Steps to set up your company after choosing a free zone.

As for the process that you must follow to establish your company in the UAE, we recommend you to follow these tips carefully:

  • Choose your business activities and the free zone that suits them better. It would be good for you to know that some free zones were specially established to develop certain business activities, and that is why you should choose carefully your type of company and the location it would be working at.
  • Formulate an appropriate name for your company following certain rules and norms that are established in the country’s law. Make sure to avoid offensive content in your company’s name.
  • The next step will be preparing the necessary paperwork along with a License Notification. Some important documents could be the copies of shareholders’ passports. After the authorities process your paperwork, you will be allowed to move on and establish your company without any problems.
  • Opening your company in a free zone will also require opening a corporate bank account using the documents you have prepared so far. You have the choice of requesting a business partner capable of taking care of this matter, helping you to skip these procedures and choosing the most suitable option for you and your company.
  • As a final tip, setting up a company in the UAE will require visa documents, which means that the visa processes will be needed when you start building your business. The process is mainly formed by a few steps, which include entry permit, medical fitness test, status adjustment, Emirates ID registration, and visa stamping. You can also rely on your business partner who will take care of this affair for you.

You can also request for a local sponsor in Dubai and the UAE to complete your business setup in the country, which will help you obtain residency visas and other benefits during your company’s growth. Make sure to obtain a reliable sponsor for your company to get better results in a short period.

3. Available free zones you can choose to set up your business

opening your company in a free zone

Once you have decided opening your company in a free zone in the UAE, you must choose the most convenient free zone for you according to the type of business you are going to develop. Among some of the most popular free zones that you can find in the country, we can mention the following ones and the types of businesses that you can discover in each of them:

  • Dubai Healthcare City Free Zone: companies related to medical and healthcare industries are the ones that achieve success in this free zone. Countless hospitals, laboratories, clinics, and professional medical centers can be found here, along with many businesspeople related to the medical category.
  • Dubai Media City Free Zone: it is home to media-related companies that perform any business activities like media and brand consultancy, marketing and media support services, journalism, broadcasting, publishing, social media, communications, event management, and more.

You can find other efficient free zones in the country, especially in cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, and Fujairah. It is worthy to mention some of the most outstanding free zones where there is a variety of industries in them and you can freely set up your company, which can be:

  • Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA).
  • International Free Zone Authority (IFZA).
  • Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZA).
  • Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC).
  • Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
  • Dubai Silicone Oasis Authority (DSOA).

4. Types of licenses available and entities allowed in the UAE free zones

Opening your company in a free zone will require some vital elements in order to succeed, and licenses are one of them. Here you can explore the available licenses you can find in UAE free zones for a company setup, including the following ones:

  • General trading license.
  • Service license.
  • Industrial license.
  • Trading and commercial license.
  • Manufacturing license.
  • Warehousing license.

It would be good to ask for the Dubai free zone license cost before making any important decision related to this matter, and it applies to every other license that you may need during your company setup in the country. And as for the entities that are allowed to set up in the country’s free zones, we can mention the three main types of entities, which are:

  • Branch of a local or foreign company.
  • FZE (Free Zone Establishment) with a single shareholder.
  • FZC (Free Zone Company) with 2 to 5 shareholders.

5. What documents do you have to get or prepare in order to start your business?

opening your company in a free zone

Paperwork is essential material if you are planning opening your company in a free zone in the UAE, and in case you need more information about it, you will be able to learn more in the following paragraphs. Among the documents you will need to set up a company in the UAE free zones, we will mention the general ones, the ones regarding consultancy and industrial licenses, and the ones for branches of companies.

5.1. General documents you must gather.

Some of the most important documents you will have to obtain are:

  • Passports copies of your partners and business managers.
  • Notarized and attested MOA (Memorandum of Association) and AOA (Articles of Association).
  • Duly filled application license form.
  • A business plan copy.
  • Original bank reference letters.
  • The license of your partner’s existing company (if applicable).

5.2. Documents for branches of companies.

In this case, you will have to gather these documents:

  • Original board resolution to ensure the financial commitment of the branch.
  • Copy of the registration certificate, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and the incorporation certificate.
  • Bank statements of the parent company.
  • The original power of attorney of a legal representative along with a copy of their passport.

5.3. Documents of consultancy and industrial licenses.

Regarding the consultancy license, you will need a copy of a degree certificate mentioning the desired activities or the experience certificate. As for the industrial license documents, you will need the following ones:

  • The existing company profile.
  • Business feasibility study.
  • Duly filled form for your project profile.

If you desire to obtain more information regarding this affair, feel free to get in touch with a professional business partner to make these procedures more efficient and faster. Connectfz is the best option for you if you want to open your company in one of the UAE free zones in a matter of time.

6. How can Connectfz help you open your company in a UAE free zone?

You can obtain the best helping hand and services by requesting our efficient services, which will undoubtedly benefit your company and help it grow and enter the market. Setting up your business will be easier and you will be able to save a lot of time and money.

Opening your company in a free zone is a task that can be faster and you can skip time-consuming procedures with Connectfz services, and some of them you might be interested in can be our tax advisory services, banking services, visa and government services, and many others. We will provide these services to make your company more efficient as long as you desire.

You can also obtain professional advice to achieve your business goals in no time with our professional team’s help. Get in touch with our team to learn more about us and our services regarding company setup in UAE free zones, the Dubai free zone company setup cost, and other related affairs.

Would you like to contact Connectfz to know more about company setup in UAE free zones? If you have any question do not hesitate to call us on +97143316688 or email us at info@connectfz.ae, and you will talk to one of our representatives that will gladly answer all of your questions.