I'm planning to start a consulting company in Abu Dhabi in 2026. I want a mainland company with one investor visa and a small office. How much should I realistically budget for the first year?
Hi Chris,
If you're planning an Abu Dhabi Mainland company in 2026, I would recommend budgeting around AED 35,000–80,000+ for the first year for a typical small business. The final amount depends mainly on your business activity, office arrangement, number of visas, and whether you need any additional approvals.
The important thing is not to look only at the licence fee. The licence is just one part of the overall setup cost. Abu Dhabi's official business setup process also considers the business activity, legal structure, trade name, initial approval, business location and any activity-specific approvals. You can check the approx license cost for Abu Dhabi mainland below:
|
Cost Component |
Approx. Cost (AED) |
|
Trade Licence & Government Fees |
10,000–25,000 |
|
Trade Name & Initial Approval |
1,000–3,000 |
|
MOA / Legal & Notarisation |
1,500–4,000 |
|
Office / Tenancy |
12,000–35,000+ |
|
Establishment / Immigration Card |
2,000–3,500 |
|
Investor Visa |
3,000–7,000 |
|
PRO / Documentation Services |
3,000–8,000 |
|
Estimated First-Year Total |
AED 35,000–80,000+ |
These are indicative ranges rather than fixed government prices. Current 2026 market estimates put a typical operational Abu Dhabi mainland SME in roughly the AED 40,000–80,000 range once licensing, office costs, visas and other setup expenses are included.
A few things can significantly change the budget:
- Business activity: Commercial, professional and industrial licences can have different fee structures.
- Office: A small office or business-centre arrangement will generally cost less than a larger dedicated office.
- Visas: Each additional investor or employee adds to the total setup cost.
- Approvals: Regulated activities such as healthcare, education or certain professional services may require additional approvals.
- Legal structure: An LLC or other structure can have different documentation and notarisation costs.
Abu Dhabi also has lower-cost licensing routes for specific activities. For example, ADDED lists freelancer, virtual and other specialised licences, while the official Virtual Licence for foreign investors can cost AED 790–5,500, depending on the activities and legal form. These should not, however, be treated as equivalent to a standard mainland operating company.
So, if you're planning a standard mainland LLC with one visa and a small office, I would keep around AED 45,000–60,000 as a practical working budget and keep some additional funds aside for activity-specific approvals or unexpected requirements.
