Your move to Dubai, in 8 steps.
From the decision to your first booking. We have guided 100+ companies in the UAE and collected everything you need to know right here.
In this order, not another.
Most expensive mistakes happen because a step is skipped or done too late.
- Step 1
Decide whether Dubai is right for you
Tax, daily life, family and the honest downsides, before you sign anything.
- Step 2
Settle things in your home country
End your tax residence properly and check for exit taxes. Otherwise your old country can keep taxing you.
- Step 3
Choose free zone or mainland
Where are your clients, how many visas do you need, what does renewal cost? The answers decide the zone.
- Step 4
Do the honest maths
Not just year one, but renewal, visa, accounting and living costs. Every fee on its own line.
- Step 5
Set up the company
Apply for the licence, define the activities, register the shareholders and the beneficial owners.
- Step 6
Visa, Emirates ID and tax residency
Residence visa through your own company, medical test, Emirates ID. Only then do you officially live in the UAE.
- Step 7
Bank account, home, insurance
A business account for the company, a personal account, a tenancy contract and mandatory health insurance.
- Step 8
Accounting from day one
Bookkeeping and registration duties start with the licence. Anyone who waits a year pays penalties.
Setting up in IFZA.
For many freelancers, consultants and small companies, IFZA in Dubai is the simplest route: a fast process, many activities on one licence, a visa through your own company. As an official partner we set up companies there regularly and know every step.
It is not right for everyone. If you serve mainland clients or trade physical goods, you often need a different zone. We tell you that up front.
Six free zones, in brief.
Dubai. Fast setup, many activities on one licence.
Read the guideDubai. Trading and commodities, strong reputation.
Read the guideSharjah. Lean entry point, popular for e-commerce.
Read the guideDubai. Financial services with its own courts.
Read the guideAbu Dhabi. Finance and holding structures.
Read the guideDubai. Logistics and trade at Jebel Ali port.
Read the guideStill unsure? Free zone or mainland
Do the maths before you pack.
Every fee on its own line: what goes to the authority and what is a markup.
Home, deposit, school, car, insurance and the move itself.
Every step of the setup, free as a PDF.
What daily life in Dubai costs for your household.
“The most common mistake: the company is set up, business starts, and only a year later does anyone notice that the books were never done. Without accounting, nothing works in the Emirates any more.”
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a company to move to Dubai?
Usually yes. A residence visa normally comes through your own company in a free zone or on the mainland, through an employer or through a Golden Visa. Without a residence permit there is no UAE residence and no Tax Residency Certificate.
Why do you often recommend IFZA?
Because it suits many freelancers and small companies: a Dubai address, a fast process and many activities on one licence. It is not the right zone for everyone, though. If you serve mainland clients or trade physical goods, you often need a different setup. We clarify that first.
What is the difference between Accounting Dubai and Day One Dubai?
Day One Dubai is our company setup offer: a calculator with every fee on its own line, a free guide and packages if you want support. Accounting Dubai then takes over the bookkeeping, VAT and Corporate Tax of your company. The same firm stands behind both.
Can I set up the company myself?
Yes. The free guide from Day One Dubai shows every step so you can do it alone. If you want support, we guide you through it, and the accounting starts right with the licence.
When does the accounting have to start?
With the setup. From then on you must keep books, and deadlines for registering with the Federal Tax Authority start to run. Starting a year late risks penalties, trouble at licence renewal and, in the worst case, a frozen bank account.
Ready for European-standard accounting
in Dubai?
30 minutes. No commitment. We look at your setup and tell you exactly where you stand.
No commitment · 30 min · English