Hi Oliver,

I’m Nurain from DhanGuard. If you're planning a Dubai mainland company, I’d recommend budgeting for the complete first-year setup rather than looking at the licence fee alone.

On average, the first-year formation cost is around AED 25,000 to AED 75,000, although the final amount depends mainly on your business activity, office requirement and number of visas.

Main Costs to Consider

• Trade Licence: Around AED 10,000–AED 25,000+ annually, depending on whether you need a professional, commercial or industrial licence from the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
• Office Space & Ejari: This can range from approximately AED 5,000–AED 15,000 for shared or flexi-desk solutions to AED 15,000–AED 50,000+ for a private physical office.
• Visas & Immigration: Budget approximately AED 3,000–AED 6,000 per visa, depending on the services and government processing involved.
• Government & Legal Approvals: Around AED 1,000–AED 10,000+ may be required for trade name registration, MOA notarisation and any activity-specific approvals.

The biggest variable is usually the office and licensing structure. For example, a small professional consultancy with a modest workspace and one visa could remain toward the lower end of the range, while a trading or industrial company requiring a larger office, additional approvals and multiple visas can move substantially higher.

I also recommend asking your setup provider for a fully itemised quotation. This makes it easier to identify whether the advertised package includes the licence, office lease, Ejari, establishment card, visas and government charges or whether some of these will be added later.