For founders setting up a Dubai business

Launch your Dubai business.
From this floor.

Trade license. Residence visa. Corporate bank account. Registered office. We've watched hundreds of operators do this — here's the path that works, and how we slot in as your address.

The four steps

From idea to operating company.

Step 1

Pick your license type.

The first decision is the biggest: mainland or free zone. The right answer depends on who your customers are, where you'll bill from, and how much UAE residency you need for your team.

Mainland (DET)

Trade with anyone in the UAE.

  • Sell to local government, retail clients, anywhere in the UAE.
  • 100% foreign ownership for most activities (since 2021).
  • Issued by Dubai DET — the original economic department whose 6th floor we're on.
  • Office space (ejari) is required — Phygital provides it.

Best for: services, trading, retail, anyone selling to UAE residents and businesses.

Free zone

Trade internationally, lighter setup.

  • 0% personal income tax, 9% corporate tax above AED 375k profit.
  • Cheaper to set up. Some allow flexi-desk addresses.
  • Can't sell directly to mainland UAE customers without a local agent.
  • Common picks: IFZA, SHAMS, Meydan, DMCC.

Best for: international consultants, e-commerce, holding companies, remote teams.

Not sure which fits? Tell us where your customers are and how many people will live in the UAE — we'll point you at the right path in five minutes. Most operators we meet end up on a mainland DET license with a Phygital address. Talk it through.

Step 2

Sort your residency.

Once your license is issued, you're entitled to UAE residence visas — yours as the owner, plus quota for any team you bring in. The order matters: license first, then visa, then bank.

Investor visa

For you as the owner. Two-year residency tied to your trade license. Renewable.

Employment visas

For your team. Quota depends on your office size — Phygital's ejari supports a healthy team count.

Family sponsorship

Once your salary clears the threshold, you can sponsor spouse and children under your residency.

Medical & Emirates ID

Quick fitness test, biometrics, ID issued in days. We'll point you at clinics that don't queue.

Golden Visa (10-year)

For investors / specialists meeting AED 2M property or salary thresholds. Different track, longer-term peace of mind.

PRO services

Most operators we know use a PRO partner for the actual paperwork. We'll introduce you to two we've worked with for years.

Step 3

Open your bank account.

This is the step most founders dread, and the one we hear about most often at reception. UAE banks are KYC-tight. Walking in with a clean license, a real address, and a personal introduction makes the difference between two days and two months.

What banks ask for

  • ·Trade license, MOA, share certificate, owner passports + Emirates IDs.
  • ·Office tenancy contract (ejari) — we provide this.
  • ·Bank statements (personal + corporate, 6 months).
  • ·Source of funds: contracts, invoices, business plan.
  • ·Customer profile: who you'll send money to, who'll send to you.

How we help

  • Direct introductions to bank relationship managers we work with.
  • A real, registered office address — banks insist on it.
  • Site visit hosting — bank reps come to Phygital, meet you in our boardroom.
  • Templates for source-of-funds letters, KYC documents, business plans.

Banks we've helped members open with: Emirates NBD, ADCB, Mashreq, RAKBANK, WIO. Different banks, different appetites — pick one whose risk profile matches yours.

Step 4

Choose your address.

The address on your trade license is the address on every contract, every invoice, every bank document. It's the address regulators see, partners check, and clients judge.

When that address is Business Village, Block A, 6th Floor — the historic DED building, conversations start differently. We provide the ejari, the Makani, the lease attestation banks ask for. Same day you sign with us.

Same day
Address live
DED
License accepted
Bank-ready
Ejari / Makani
Get our address on your license
An executive office at Phygital
Common questions

Things founders ask us.

Do you actually issue the trade license, or just the address?

We provide the address — registered, ejari'd, license-eligible. The license itself is issued by DET (mainland) or your chosen free zone authority. Most operators we know use a PRO partner for the paperwork; we'll introduce you to one if you don't already have one.

How long does the whole process take?

From signing your address with us to having a live trade license: typically two weeks. Visa another two. Bank account opening anywhere from a week to two months depending on the bank and your profile. Plan four to eight weeks end-to-end.

Can I do this without coming to Dubai first?

License and address — yes, fully remote. Visa medical and Emirates ID — you'll need to be in the UAE for a couple of days. Bank account — increasingly remote with newer banks (WIO, Mashreq Neo) but most still want you in person.

What does the whole thing cost?

Mainland DET license: ~AED 12–18k year one (depending on activities). Free zone: ~AED 8–15k. Investor visa: ~AED 4–6k. Phygital address: from AED 699/mo for a desk, AED 3,500/mo for a private office. Bank fees vary. Walk-through with us and we'll quote a realistic total for your specific path.

Is mainland or free zone better for an SME?

Depends on customers. Selling to UAE residents and businesses → mainland. Selling internationally or to other free-zone companies → free zone. Mixed? Mainland is more flexible long-term. We see roughly 70% of operators we onboard land on mainland DET.

Will Phygital handle the whole setup for me?

We're not a PRO firm — we're a business centre. We provide the address and the introductions. The actual paperwork is handled by the partners we'll point you to. The advantage: we have no incentive to upsell you on a license type you don't need.

Two weeks from idea to live license.

Tell us where you're headed. We'll map the path and slot in as your address.

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