Missing or unattested documents are the most common reason a Dubai company setup stalls. This checklist lists the documents required for business setup in Dubai at every stage - trade name, initial approval, licence, visa and bank - and shows what changes for a free zone company, a mainland LLC, a corporate shareholder and a founder who is setting up from abroad.
Quick answer: For an individual shareholder, the documents needed to start a business in Dubai are a passport copy (valid for at least 6 months), a passport photo, proof of home address, your UAE visa and Emirates ID if you already live here, and 3-5 trade name options with your business activity. A mainland LLC also needs a notarised Memorandum of Association and an Ejari tenancy contract. A company that owns shares needs its incorporation documents and a board resolution, legalised and attested for use in the UAE.
Business Setup Checklist for Dubai at a Glance
Use this business setup checklist for Dubai to see which business setup documents each route needs:
Document | Free zone | Mainland | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
Passport copy of each shareholder and manager | Yes | Yes | Trade name / initial approval |
Passport-size photo | Yes | Yes | Application and visa |
UAE visa and Emirates ID (if UAE resident) | Yes | Yes | Initial approval |
Proof of home address | Often | Often | Initial approval and bank |
NOC from current UAE sponsor | If you hold a UAE employment visa and the authority asks | If you hold a UAE employment visa and the authority asks | Initial approval |
3-5 trade name options and activity list | Yes | Yes | Trade name |
Memorandum / Articles of Association | Free zone template | Notarised MoA | Licence |
Office lease | Flexi-desk or lease agreement | Ejari-registered tenancy contract | Licence |
Ultimate beneficial owner (UBO) details | Yes | Yes | Application |
Corporate shareholder documents (attested) | If a company is a shareholder | If a company is a shareholder | Initial approval |
Local Service Agent agreement | No | Some professional licences | Licence |
External approvals (e.g. DHA, KHDA, RTA, Municipality) | Regulated activities | Regulated activities | Before licence |
Documents Required for Trade Name Reservation in Dubai
The documents required for trade name reservation in Dubai are simple:
- Passport copy of the shareholder or applicant
- 3-5 name options in order of preference
- The business activity or activities
- The legal form (for example LLC or FZE), which must appear in the name
Names must be unique and must not include religious terms, offensive words or references to government bodies. A trade name is not a trademark - if you want to protect your brand, file a trademark separately with the Ministry of Economy.
Documents Required for Free Zone Company Setup in Dubai
Free zones keep the list short and usually accept clear colour scans, with no notary visit. The documents required for free zone company setup in Dubai are typically:
- Passport copy of each shareholder, director and manager
- Passport-size photo
- UAE visa and Emirates ID copies for anyone already resident
- Proof of home address
- Ultimate beneficial owner details, entered in the free zone's online application
- A no-objection letter from your current sponsor if you hold a UAE residence visa through employment - many free zones do not ask for this from Golden Visa holders
- A bank certificate for the deposit of share capital, only if you choose paid-up capital
Free zones issue their own Memorandum and Articles template, so you sign theirs rather than drafting one. Documents must be in Arabic or English; anything else needs a legal translation. See free zone company setup for current packages.
Documents Required for Mainland Business Setup in Dubai
The documents required for mainland business setup in Dubai come in two stages with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET):
Stage 1 - initial approval:
- Passport copies of all shareholders and the manager
- UAE visa and Emirates ID for residents
- The exact DET activity code(s)
- The shareholding of each owner and the named manager
- Contact details for each shareholder
- A no-objection certificate from your employer if you hold a UAE employment visa and DET asks for one
Stage 2 - licence issue:
- The initial approval certificate
- A notarised Memorandum of Association signed by all shareholders
- An Ejari-registered tenancy contract for an office that suits the activity
- A Local Service Agent agreement, if your professional licence needs one
- Approvals from other authorities, if DET says your activity needs them
See mainland company setup for costs and timelines.
Documents Required for LLC Formation in Dubai
An LLC is the standard mainland company, so the documents required for LLC formation in Dubai are the mainland list above, plus three points specific to an LLC:
- The Memorandum of Association sets out each partner's shares, the manager's powers and how profits are shared. It is bilingual (Arabic and English) and must be notarised - in person at a notary public, or digitally through UAE Pass if every signatory has an Emirates ID.
- A manager appointment - the person who runs the company and signs for it - is named in the MoA.
- Partners who cannot attend can sign through a power of attorney, which must be legalised if it is signed outside the UAE.
For the licence route in detail, see our LLC company formation page.
Documents Required for a Corporate Shareholder in a Dubai Company
When a company - rather than a person - owns shares, the authority needs to see who that company is and who controls it. The documents required for a corporate shareholder in a Dubai company are:
- Certificate of incorporation or registration
- Memorandum and Articles of Association
- A board or shareholder resolution approving the Dubai company, naming its manager or authorised representative, and stating the capital and activities
- A certificate of good standing or incumbency listing current directors and shareholders (some authorities ask for this)
- An ownership chart that shows every level up to the ultimate beneficial owner
- Passport copies of the authorised signatory and the ultimate beneficial owners
Attestation: the UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not accepted. Documents issued abroad must be notarised in the home country, authenticated by that country's foreign ministry, attested by the UAE embassy there, and then attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Documents not in Arabic or English need a legal translation. Allow 4-8 weeks. Our document attestation and legal translation teams can handle both.
Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) Documents
Every UAE company must keep a register of its ultimate beneficial owners - anyone who owns or controls 25% or more, or who controls the company in another way - under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023. You give these details when you apply, keep the register at the company, and update the authority within the deadline whenever ownership changes. For each beneficial owner you will need a passport copy, nationality, date of birth, address and how ownership or control is held.
Documents Required to Set Up a Dubai Company Remotely
You can complete most of the setup from abroad. The documents required to set up a Dubai company remotely are the same as above, sent as scans, with three differences:
- Identity checks are online. Free zones verify identity digitally and accept electronic signatures for the application and their Articles template.
- A power of attorney replaces your physical signature where one is required, for example for a mainland MoA. It must be legalised like any foreign document.
- Foreign corporate documents need attestation before you start, so begin that first - it is usually the longest step.
What you cannot do remotely is the residence visa: the medical test and Emirates ID biometrics need you in the UAE. Some banks also ask to meet the signatory.
Documents Needed After the Licence Is Issued
The licence is not the last document stage. Next you will need:
- Establishment card (immigration file) - needed before any visa: the trade licence, MoA and the manager's passport.
- Investor or partner visa - passport, photo, entry permit, medical fitness result, Emirates ID biometrics and health insurance. See investor visa in Dubai.
- Corporate bank account - trade licence, MoA, board resolution, shareholder passports and visas, and a company profile. Our guide to documents required for a corporate bank account has the full list.
- Corporate tax registration - trade licence, MoA, owner and manager IDs and contact details. See corporate tax registration.
Common Document Mistakes That Delay Company Registration
- Passports with less than 6 months' validity - renew before you apply.
- Blurred or cropped scans - send clear colour scans of every page requested, including the signature page.
- An apostille instead of UAE attestation - it is not enough on its own.
- Names that differ between documents - spellings must match the passport exactly.
- Starting attestation last - corporate documents from abroad take weeks.
- No employer NOC when one is asked for - check with your employer early if you are on a UAE employment visa.
Get Your Documents Checked Before You Apply
Send us your documents and we will check them against your chosen free zone or mainland route before anything is filed, so nothing is rejected for a missing page or the wrong attestation. For the full process, see business setup in Dubai. Book a Free Consultation