Mainland Company Formation Dubai 2026: Cost, Process & 100% Ownership

Mainland company formation in Dubai typically costs from around AED 15,000 to AED 30,000 all-in for year one, covering the DET trade licence, office and Ejari, one investor visa and the establishment card. Your exact figure depends on your activity, visas and office.

What mainland actually is (and why it’s DBS’s first recommendation)

A Dubai mainland company is licensed by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET, formerly DED) and can trade anywhere in the UAE, sell directly to the local market, take on government contracts and open branches across the Emirates without a distributor. Free zone companies cannot sell into the UAE mainland without an agent, which is exactly why mainland is the right answer for most businesses that want to serve customers here. It is the reason mainland sits at the top of our recommendation order, ahead of free zone and offshore.

The other headline change matters: for most commercial and professional activities, foreign investors can now own 100% of a mainland company. The old rule that forced a 51% local Emirati partner has been removed for the large majority of activities, so you keep full ownership and full control. A small list of strategic-impact activities still needs local participation, and we will tell you honestly if yours is one of them before you spend anything.

What it costs in 2026 — the honest all-in view

Mainland pricing has more moving parts than free zone because the office and external approvals vary by activity. Here is where the money goes, with honest ranges:

• Trade licence (DET): typically from around AED 12,000–15,000 for the initial licence and name/activity registration, depending on your activity group.
• Office space and Ejari: mainland requires a real tenancy registered on Ejari. Budget roughly AED 12,000 upward per year for a small office, though shared and flexi-desk arrangements can bring the entry point down.
• Investor / partner visa: budget roughly AED 4,000–7,000 per visa including entry permit, medical, Emirates ID and stamping.
• Establishment card (immigration file): your company’s immigration card, generally a few hundred up to around AED 2,000.
• External approvals: some activities need sign-off from another authority (food, health, real estate and similar), which adds cost. We flag these before you start.

The number most agents leave out is the Year-2 renewal. Your DET licence, your Ejari tenancy and your visas all renew annually, and the office renewal in particular is what makes mainland’s ongoing cost different from a lean free zone package. Ask for that year-two figure in writing before you commit, because it is the true cost of running the company, not just opening it.

Mainland vs free zone — when each one wins

This is the decision that saves or wastes the most money, so here is the honest version. Mainland wins when you want to sell directly to customers inside the UAE, open a shop or restaurant, bid for government and semi-government contracts, or hire a larger team without visa caps tied to office size. Free zone wins when you trade mainly internationally or business-to-business, want a lean setup with lower entry cost, or need a specific free zone ecosystem (media, commodities, tech). Offshore is holding and international structuring only, with no UAE visa and no local trading. If your customers are here in the UAE, mainland is almost always the cleaner answer.

The process and timeline

1. Choose your activity and legal form. This drives your licence type, whether 100% ownership applies and which approvals you need.
2. Reserve your trade name and get initial approval from DET.
3. Secure premises and register the Ejari tenancy for your office.
4. Obtain any external approvals required for your activity.
5. Pay fees and receive your trade licence.
6. Open your establishment card, then process visas (entry permit, medical, Emirates ID, stamping).

For a straightforward activity with no special approvals, a mainland licence is often issued within a few working days to about two weeks, and visas follow over the days after. Activities needing external approval take longer, and we will give you a realistic timeline up front rather than an optimistic one.

Activities overview — cost pages by type

Costs vary a lot by activity, so we have written an honest, dedicated cost breakdown for each of the most common ones. Start with yours:

• Restaurant & cafe licence cost 2026
• General trading licence cost 2026
• Consultancy licence cost 2026
• E-commerce licence cost 2026
• Cleaning services licence cost 2026
• Real estate brokerage licence cost 2026
• Logistics & freight licence cost 2026
• Beauty salon licence cost 2026

Ranges are a starting point, not a quote. Use our free cost calculator for your exact all-in mainland number, including the Year-2 renewal, or WhatsApp us for a straight answer: +971 54 332 2846.

FAQs

How much does mainland company formation in Dubai really cost?

Most owners pay from around AED 15,000 to AED 30,000 all-in for year one, covering the DET licence, office and Ejari, one investor visa and the establishment card. Activities that need external approvals or a bigger office run higher. We build your exact all-in figure, renewal included, before you commit to anything.

Can I own 100% of a Dubai mainland company as a foreigner?

Yes, for the large majority of commercial and professional activities you can now own 100% of a mainland company with no local partner. A short list of strategic-impact activities still requires local participation. Tell us your activity and we will confirm honestly which rule applies to you before you spend anything.

What is the Year-2 renewal cost for a mainland company?

Your DET licence, Ejari tenancy and visas all renew every year, and the office renewal is usually the biggest single line. That recurring figure is the real cost of running the company. This is the number most agents hide, so ask us and we will put it in writing before you pay.

Related Dubai licence cost guides

• Restaurant licence Dubai cost
• General trading licence Dubai cost
• Consultancy licence Dubai cost
• E-commerce licence Dubai cost
• Cleaning services licence Dubai cost
• Real estate brokerage licence Dubai cost
• Logistics & freight licence Dubai cost
• Beauty salon licence Dubai cost
• Dubai business setup cost calculator (2026)