VERIFIED 2026 · FORMENZO
How much does it cost to set up a UAE company from the UK?
Setting up a UAE company costs the same for British founders as for anyone else: from AED 4,888 all-in for a free-zone licence, or AED 10,800 all-in with one UAE residence visa (Ajman NuVentures, the cheapest). You get 100% foreign ownership — no local partner or sponsor — 0% personal income tax in the UAE, and the licence issues in 3-8 working days. The process is remote-friendly, so most British founders start without relocating first. Note: income may still be taxable in your home country depending on your tax residency, so check the the UK-specific rules.
Formenzo publishes real, all-in 2026 figures, confirmed in writing, with no sales call. See the full Cost Index or the open price dataset (CC-BY).
Build your exact price →By the Formenzo Research Team · compare all 9 zones
Where the AED 10,800 headline sits among the nine zones
That figure is the one-visa all-in at Ajman NuVentures, the cheapest of the nine zones Formenzo tracks. If you would rather hold a Dubai-issued licence — some British founders want Dubai on the paperwork for client-facing reasons — the same one-visa package is AED 17,615 at IFZA or AED 24,450 at Meydan Free Zone. A Sharjah middle ground, SRTIP, is AED 12,500 with one visa. The full ranking is on the cheapest-zones page.
Who picks this option
Three profiles come up repeatedly from the UK: e-commerce sellers moving stock through UAE marketplaces, management and IT consultants with GCC clients who want a local entity to invoice from, and contractors leaving UK day-rate work who need the residence visa for banking and eventual relocation.
Two things founders ask
Do I have to travel to the UAE at all? Licence-only setups can complete without a trip, but the visa stage cannot — the medical test and Emirates ID biometrics happen in person, so plan at least one visit.
What is the cheapest way to get a Dubai licence specifically? Meydan Free Zone at AED 12,500 licence-only; IFZA is AED 12,900. Both cost roughly two and a half times the Ajman equivalent of AED 4,888.