Choose the activity, emirate and legal jurisdiction in United Arab Emirates
Direct answer
Select a licensing route that permits the actual activity, customer access, premises, imports and regulated services required by the business model. Define every revenue-generating activity and the customers to be served onshore or from a free zone. Compare mainland, free-zone and specialist-regulator permissions rather than choosing on price alone. Check foreign-ownership, local-agent, professional qualification and external-approval conditions for each activity.
- Editorial author
- Horizon Strategies
- Last verified in the editorial record
- Scope
- United Arab Emirates · Business setup
| Fact or procedure | Recorded evidence | Authority and source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Responsible authority | Relevant emirate economic department or free-zone authority | Relevant emirate economic department or free-zone authorityOriginal source | 2026-10-28 |
| Requirements | Proposed activities, shareholders, beneficial owners, manager and legal form. Passport or Emirates ID and address records for the relevant applicants. Foreign corporate documents, board resolution and power of attorney where a corporate shareholder or branch is used. Regulator pre-approval for controlled activities such as finance, health, education, transport or professional services. | Relevant emirate economic department or free-zone authorityOriginal source | 2026-10-28 |
| Procedure | Use the official emirate or free-zone activity catalogue and business navigator. Confirm the customer and contracting rights of the chosen licence in writing. Record the required legal form, ownership, premises and regulator conditions before proceeding. | Relevant emirate economic department or free-zone authorityOriginal source | 2026-10-28 |
Limits and what this does not prove: A free-zone licence does not automatically authorise every mainland activity. Licence permissions and tax treatment are separate decisions.
Before you start
Define every revenue-generating activity and the customers to be served onshore or from a free zone.
Compare mainland, free-zone and specialist-regulator permissions rather than choosing on price alone.
Check foreign-ownership, local-agent, professional qualification and external-approval conditions for each activity.
Requirements
Proposed activities, shareholders, beneficial owners, manager and legal form.
Passport or Emirates ID and address records for the relevant applicants.
Foreign corporate documents, board resolution and power of attorney where a corporate shareholder or branch is used.
Regulator pre-approval for controlled activities such as finance, health, education, transport or professional services.
Procedure
Use the official emirate or free-zone activity catalogue and business navigator.
Confirm the customer and contracting rights of the chosen licence in writing.
Record the required legal form, ownership, premises and regulator conditions before proceeding.
Recorded output
A documented establishment route and requirements matrix for the chosen activity and jurisdiction.