Frequently Asked Questions

Choose your activity and jurisdiction (mainland, free zone or offshore), reserve a trade name and get initial approval, prepare your documents and office, receive your licence, then apply for visas and open a bank account. We handle each step and tell you exactly what we need from you.

If you’ll sell directly to UAE customers or bid for government work, choose mainland. If you want the lowest cost and simplest setup, choose Ajman Free Zone. If you only trade internationally or hold assets, an offshore company may be enough. We’ll recommend the right fit in a free consultation.

An Ajman Free Zone licence can be issued in 1–3 working days once documents are in. Mainland companies usually take 2–4 weeks, and foreign branches 1–3 weeks after attestation. Visas take another 2–4 weeks.

Free zone packages start from around AED 5,500. A mainland LLC usually costs AED 24,000–50,000+ in the first year, including office rent. We give you a clear, itemised quote upfront.

Yes. Free zone and offshore companies are always 100% foreign-owned, and on the mainland most commercial and industrial activities now allow full foreign ownership too.

For a free zone or offshore company, most of the process can be done remotely. You’ll usually need to be in the UAE for visa medicals, Emirates ID biometrics and meeting the bank.

Low cost and speed. You get 100% foreign ownership, 0% personal income tax, 0% corporate tax on qualifying income, full repatriation of profits, and licence fees that can be paid in 2, 3 or 6 instalments. Incorporation can be done in 1–3 working days once documents are in.

Commercial (trading), professional (services and consultancy), industrial (manufacturing and assembly), e-commerce, and a freelancer permit for individuals.

A Free Zone Establishment (FZE) for a single shareholder, a Free Zone Company (FZC) for two or more shareholders, or a branch of an existing local or foreign company.

Zero-visa and freelancer packages, usually with a flexi-desk included, start at around AED 5,555 to AED 7,000. The price goes up with the licence type, number of activities and visas.

Every AFZ company needs a registered address, but a flexi-desk or co-working space is enough for most licences. Executive offices and warehouses are available if you need them.

For most service and commercial packages, no deposit proof is needed. A share capital figure is written into your incorporation documents, but AFZA usually doesn’t ask you to deposit it.

Your licence can be issued 1–3 working days after documents and payment. Once you have your establishment card, residence visas typically take another 2–4 weeks.

Not directly. To sell goods on the mainland you work through a registered local distributor or agent. If you mainly serve UAE customers, a mainland company may suit you better, and we can help you compare.

Yes. Licence fees can often be split into 2, 3 or 6 instalments, usually with a down payment and post-dated cheques from a UAE bank account.

The Limited Liability Company (LLC). It limits each owner’s liability to the capital they put in. Service businesses can also use a sole establishment or civil company.

Yes. Ajman DED requires a real, verifiable office with a tenancy contract attested by Ajman Municipality. Flexi-desks are generally not accepted for a new mainland licence.

It depends on the licence. Commercial and industrial LLCs don’t need one. A 100% foreign-owned professional (service) licence does. The LSA is a UAE national with a purely administrative role and no ownership or financial stake.

There is generally no fixed minimum that must be deposited. A reasonable capital amount is stated in the MOA, but bank proof is usually not required for routine activities.

A mainland company can trade directly across the UAE but needs a physical office and is licensed by Ajman DED. A free zone company trades mainly within the zone and internationally, can use a flexi-desk, and is licensed by the Ajman Free Zone Authority.

Yes. Mainland companies can take part in federal and local government tenders, which is a real advantage over free zone entities.

Typically 2–4 weeks from first submission to licence, allowing for government approvals, MOA notarisation and the attested lease.

It is an International Business Company registered with the Ajman Free Zone Authority. It’s used to hold assets, run international trade or services, and for wealth protection and tax planning outside the UAE.

It is treated as tax-neutral: exempt from UAE corporate tax on qualifying income, personal income tax, capital gains tax, withholding tax and UAE VAT.

No. It can’t carry out business on the UAE mainland or in a free zone. Its trading, invoicing and services must be outside the UAE.

No. Shareholders decide the company’s capital structure.

No. The company uses its registered agent’s address as its official address.

Generally yes. It can own freehold property in Ajman, subject to land department approval, and hold shares in mainland and free zone companies.

Yes. Every Ajman offshore company must appoint an AFZA-approved registered agent, such as One Stop Solutions, to handle incorporation and act as the link with the authority.

No. Shareholder and director details are held privately by the registered agent and the authority, not on a public register.

No. If owners or staff need UAE residency, you’ll need a free zone or mainland company.

Generally not. Ajman offshore companies are usually exempt from mandatory audits, which keeps ongoing costs low.

Yes. Whether the parent is from another emirate or overseas, the branch is 100% owned by the parent company.

A branch is an extension of the parent, not a separate legal entity. The parent keeps full ownership and is fully liable for the branch, which must use the same name and activities.

The board resolution or power of attorney. It confirms the decision to open in Ajman, appoints the branch general manager and sets out their authority.

Yes. Ajman DED requires a physical office or commercial premises with a lease attested by Ajman Municipality, meeting the size and zoning rules for your activity.

Generally no for a local company branch. Foreign company branches may need a refundable bank guarantee for the Ministry of Economy.

Reserve the trade name (your parent’s name), submit attested copies of the parent’s licence, MOA/AOA and board resolution to Ajman DED, secure an attested Ajman lease, then pay the fees to get the licence.

No. The Ajman branch licence must show the same activities as the parent company’s licence.

It keeps separate financial records, with its own profit and loss account and balance sheet, and appoints a UAE-licensed auditor.

Yes. A mainland branch can bid for government and semi-government contracts in Ajman and across the UAE.

It is a legal extension of the parent company outside the UAE, not a separate entity. It must carry out the same activities and use the same name as the parent.

Yes, in both Ajman Free Zone and Ajman Mainland the branch is 100% owned by the foreign parent.

On the Ajman mainland, generally yes. The agent must be a UAE national or a company wholly owned by UAE nationals, with a purely administrative role and no ownership or liability. In Ajman Free Zone, no agent is needed.

A branch can sell, provide services and earn profit in the UAE within the parent’s activities. A representative office can only promote and market the parent’s products and services. It cannot make sales.

On the mainland: Ajman Department of Economic Development and the UAE Ministry of Economy. In the free zone: the Ajman Free Zone Authority.

On the mainland, a refundable bank guarantee (often AED 50,000) may be required. It is held as security and isn’t working capital. Free zone requirements are generally lower or nil.

Usually 1–3 weeks once the attested parent documents and initial approvals are ready. The free zone route can be faster.

There is no personal income tax for employees and no import or export duties within the free zone. UAE corporate tax applies to taxable profits above AED 375,000 at 9%, and we will walk you through how it applies to your branch.

A mainland branch can trade directly across the UAE. A free zone branch trades within the zone and internationally, and uses a local distributor or agent to sell to the mainland.

A few weeks before the expiry date. Renewing late can lead to fines and can hold up visas linked to your company.

Usually yes, as long as the new activity is allowed in your jurisdiction and fits your licence type. Some activities need extra approvals.

The change is recorded through an amended MOA or share transfer documents, approved by the licensing authority. We prepare the documents and handle the submission.

A PRO handles government transactions for a company: visas, Emirates IDs, labour permits, licence renewals and document attestation.

Most small and medium businesses don’t. Using an outsourced PRO service costs less than a full-time hire and you only pay for what you use.

Usually 2–4 weeks from entry permit to visa stamping and Emirates ID, depending on medical tests and approvals.