Business setup in Dubai and UAE company formation for UK, Irish and Australian business owners
Business setup in Dubai, done once and done properly.
We help established UK, Irish and Australian business owners move and grow a real business in Dubai and across the UAE — the structure, the banking, the residency, and the yearly filing and renewals that follow.
What we do
Dubai company formation and business setup, done in the right order
We handle the structure, the banking, the residency, and the renewals and filing each year afterwards — with the same adviser from the first call onwards.
We start with the banking
The bank account is where most new businesses stall, so we plan everything around getting it open.
How to open a UAE business bank accountOne adviser, year after year
The same person, from the first call onwards.
More about GarethBuilt around what your business actually does
Not whatever is cheapest to set up.
Why owners choose usCompany structures
The first real decision is the structure, not the paperwork.
Which company type fits comes out of what your business does and where it trades. There are five: a mainland LLC, a free zone company, a branch, a sole establishment, or a holding company. Pick the one that sounds like you, or compare all five.
Mainland LLC
Selling into the UAE market itself. 100% foreign ownership for most activities.
At the bank — well understood; clean files clear quickly. What is an LLC in the UAE? 02Free zone company
Serving clients abroad or across a free zone. 100% ownership, simpler setup.
At the bank — some free zones open bank accounts more easily than others. What is a free zone company? 03Branch office
Extending your existing UK, Irish or Australian company rather than starting a new one.
At the bank — the bank reviews the parent company. How to open a branch office in Dubai 04Sole establishment
A solo professional. Simplest to set up, but you are personally liable.
At the bank — the bank treats it as one person doing one activity. What is a sole establishment? 05Holding company
Owning more than one business or assets under one parent.
At the bank — UBO checked through every layer. What is a holding company in the UAE? 06Not sure which fits?
Compare all five company structures in Dubai and the UAE side by side — and see how a UAE business bank account really works.
How they compare on the things that actually decide it. Types of company in the UAECompany setup
How we work
What actually happens when you set up a Dubai company — the sequence, the realistic timeline, and where it gets more complicated.
The UAE company setup process, step by step-
01
Understand the problem
A proper conversation before any agreement: what the business does, where the clients are, where the money came from, what the company will be allowed to do, and whether a bank will actually open an account for it.
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02
We speak to the bank before we open the company
Then we speak to the bank directly about the company, so they can tell us if they see any issues and what they’d need in place to open the account. By the time we submit the application to open the company, the bank has already seen the profile — so we’re not guessing what the bank will say.
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03
Register the business
Company registration, establishment card, entry permit, residency visa, Emirates ID and corporate-tax registration — coordinated so the owner makes one trip, not two.
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04
Bank account open
Account opening, the checks the bank runs, and the things that come up once you’re running — your first tax filing, renewals, adding staff or visas. We don’t disappear once the company is registered.
Founder
“Nothing about the company structure or bank account should be left to guesswork.”
GARETH JONES · FOUNDER
The person you speak to is the person who stays with you.
You deal directly with Gareth — from setting up your company and opening the bank account to handling compliance and renewals year after year. He has worked in international company formation since 2009 and in Dubai since 2013.
It starts with a meeting: what the business does, how it will operate, who runs it and where it trades. From that, Gareth shapes the setup — the activities, whether an office is needed and the expected revenue — and knows which Dubai banks are worth approaching. At Start Business Services, the company profile is prepared before a bank is approached, so its compliance team can understand the business immediately and decide whether it is prepared to take the company on as a client.
Named client situations
Real businesses. Decisions that had consequences.
Relocation · Australia
Closing two Australian businesses and starting again in Dubai
Winding down at home and rebuilding in the UAE, in the right order.
Read the storyExpansion · UK
Expanding a UK recruitment firm into the UAE
Extending an established UK company as a branch, not a fresh start.
Read the storyBanking
Choosing the right bank for a new UAE business
Matching the company to a bank that would actually open the account.
Read the storyWorking with us
Not every business works here.
At Start Business Services we walk away from work more often than people expect, because we are not interested in selling somebody a company on paper and leaving them to find out about the bank afterwards.
Who we work with
- Owners with a real business, moving or expanding into the UAE as part of a longer-term plan — whether the business is well established or just starting out.
- Most have already decided the UAE is right and just want it done properly; some are still working out whether it is.
- They come from the UK, Ireland, Australia, Europe, South Africa and Asia.
- A new business or a startup is fine; what matters is that there is a genuine business behind it.
Who we turn away
- ×People whose only reason for coming is to lower a tax bill.
- ×Anyone who is not really going to run a business — a company on paper and nothing more.
- ×A setup built only around tax tends to fall apart later, at the bank and at renewal.
- ×If your revenue depends on being in your home market, or your activity is one banks won’t easily take on, we’ll tell you early.
Partners and networks
What clients verify
Judgement is only useful if it works in practice.
“Gareth was hands-on throughout, always responsive on WhatsApp and email, and gave straightforward advice rather than just pushing the most expensive options (he steered us away from a pricier free zone that we didn’t need). He worked backwards from what the banks would actually require before recommending the company structure, which saved a lot of back-and-forth later.”
“My first great experience in Dubai was choosing to work with gareth and the team at start business services, very personable service, fast direct replies to all of my questions and all of my worries removed, would I recommend them 100% will I keep in touch and work with them again 100% yes.”
“We had an excellent experience throughout our relocation and business setup process in Dubai. From company formation and residency visas to Emirates IDs, banking support, and medical coordination, everything was handled professionally, efficiently, and with great communication throughout.”
Start with the guide written for you
Your existing business and tax position do not stop at the airport.
For UK owners
Moving a UK business to Dubai
Structure, residence, banking and the questions to settle at home.For Irish owners
Moving an Irish business to Dubai
What changes, what may remain and where professional advice joins up.For Australian owners
Moving an Australian business to Dubai
Company structure, banking and the Australian position before the move.From our writing
BlogBanking
How to Open a UAE Business Bank Account as a Non-Resident UK Business Owner
Opening your UAE company bank account before you're a UAE resident — what banks want, the order that works, and the honest timeline. Business only.Brits in Dubai
Source-of-Funds Documentation for UAE Banks: The Reality for UK Owners
What UAE banks actually need to see when funds enter your structure — by fund category, with the patterns that catch legitimate owners out before banking.Tax
Qualifying Free Zone Income, Explained
What qualifying free zone income actually means for UAE corporate tax in 2026, after Ministerial Decision 229 of 2025 — the rules, limits, and traps.The first questions
Frequently asked questions
The detailed answer depends on the business. These are the principles we start from.
Can I move my existing UK, Irish or Australian business to the UAE?
Will a UAE company actually get a bank account?
Mainland or free zone — which do I need?
Do I still need to visit the UAE?
What does it cost, and how long does it take?
Do I have to give up my company at home?
A short, no-cost first conversation
Discuss your Dubai move with Gareth.
A short, no-cost conversation: you tell us what the business does and where it’s heading, and we tell you the structure that fits — and why.