Documents Required for Business Setup in Dubai

Apparently you’ve decided to launch in Dubai. Brilliant choice. Now comes the part most founders dread: documents. Fortunately, if you know exactly what to gather—and in which order—you’ll glide through approvals instead of getting bounced between counters. This guide lays out a clean, up-to-date checklist of the documents required for business setup in Dubai, covering both Mainland (DET/DED) and free zone routes. We’ll separate requirements for individual owners and corporate shareholders, explain notarisation and attestation, and show the extras banks and regulators ask for after your license lands.

Table of Contents

Start with structure: Mainland vs Free Zone

Before printing anything, decide where you’ll incorporate. Why? Because Mainland and free zones ask for the same core IDs, yet they issue forms and approvals through different portals.

Mainland (DET/DED): Ideal if you want to sell anywhere in the UAE, bid on government work, or open retail.
Free zones (DMCC, IFZA, Meydan, Dubai South, etc.): Great for international trading, services, and cost-predictable visa packages.

Either way, you’ll prepare an almost identical base pack; the differences appear in authority templates and add-on approvals. Get details on Business Setup in Dubai.

Core pack for individual shareholders (UAE residents and non-residents)

Gather these first. Almost every application asks for them.

Passport copies (clear, full page) for all owners and managers
Passport-size photos (white background; digital works)
UAE entry stamp or residence visa + Emirates ID (if resident)
Address proof in home country or UAE (utility bill or bank statement, recent)
Proposed trade names (3 options) and activity list pulled from the authority catalogue
No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from current UAE employer (only if you hold a residence visa sponsored by that employer and the authority requires it for your role)
Board/Owner resolutions appointing the manager/GM (template provided by the authority or free zone)

Core pack for corporate shareholders (when the owner is a company)

If a foreign or UAE company will own shares, add a corporate layer:

Certificate of Incorporation of the parent company
Memorandum & Articles/Constitution of the parent
Good Standing/Incumbency (recent) or Commercial Register extract
Board Resolution approving the Dubai entity, shareholding percentage, and authorised signatory
Power of Attorney (PoA) in favour of the Dubai signatory/consultant
Shareholder register (cap table)
Passport/ID of ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs),and,authorised signatory

Very important: Apparently,For non-UAE documents, authorities usually require MOFA (UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs) stamping upon arrival,attestation by the UAE Embassy there, and notarisation in the home country. Therefore Plan time for this chain. Looking for a Business Setup Consultant in Dubai?

Name and activity stage (fast wins)

Trade name reservation: Submit three names in priority order. Avoid restricted words (e.g., “bank”, “exchange”, “government”).
Activity selection: Copy exact activity titles from DET/DED or the relevant free zone directory. Some activities trigger external approvals (healthcare, education, real estate, food, media, legal).

Docs you’ll use: passport copies, initial form, activity list, and proposed names. Keep PDFs tidy; clear naming saves time.

Initial approval (green light to proceed)

Once your name and activities look good, you request initial approval (sometimes called NOC). It confirms the authority has no objection to your plan.

What you’ll submit:

Passport copies for owners/manager
Ownership structure or corporate docs (if applicable)
Preliminary MOA/AOA draft or authority templates (depending on the zone)
Any sector pre-approvals if your activity demands them

What you receive: a clearance that lets you sign a lease and notarise constitutive documents.

Constitutive documents: MOA/AOA and manager appointment

Now you formalise the company.

For LLCs: Memorandum of Association (MOA) with share split, capital, manager powers, and profit distribution.
For branches: Parent resolutions, PoA, and Arabic/English translations that appoint the GM with signing authority.

Documents you’ll use or produce:

MOA/AOA bilingual draft (we provide templates aligned to your activities)
Manager/GM passport, visa/EID (if resident), and specimen signature
Board resolution and PoA (for corporate shareholders)

These typically require notarisation (Unified Notary for DET or a notary service within the free zone). Get details on Business Establishment in Dubai.

Office proof: Ejari (Mainland) or facility agreement (Free zone)

Dubai links visa quotas and many permissions to your premises. Even if you start lean, you need a legal address.

Mainland: Lease a desk/office, then register the tenancy as Ejari.
Free zone: Sign a facility agreement (warehouse,private office,serviced office,flexi-desk, ).

Documents involved:

Lease or facility contract
Ejari certificate (Mainland)
Landlord NOC or fit-out approvals (if required by building management)

License issuance: the moment you exist

With initial approval, MOA/AOA, and Ejari/facility done, you pay government fees and receive your trade license. The license lists your legal name, activities, license number, issue/expiry, and manager.

Have ready:

Payment method (corporate card or e-payment)
Confirmed manager email/phone for portal access
Updated passport/visa pages if anything changed during the process

Post-license essentials (don’t skip these)

1) Immigration & labour setup

Establishment Card (immigration file)
MOHRE (for Mainland labour establishment)
E-channel/ICP enrolment where applicable

Documents: trade license, MOA, Ejari/facility, manager passport/visa/EID, specimen signature.

2) UBO declaration and Economic Substance (ESR)

File Ultimate Beneficial Owner details (owners ≥25% or control via other means).
ESR notification/return if your activity falls under relevant categories.

Documents: share registers, PoAs, passports, control maps.

3) Tax and accounting

Corporate Tax registration (Federal Tax Authority) and, if applicable, VAT registration.
Accounting software setup with tax codes; opening balance sheet.

Documents: license, MOA, bank letter (if available), projected revenues, and customer/supplier lists. Looking for a Corporate Tax Consultants in Dubai?

Corporate bank account: the KYC pack bankers expect

Banks move quickly when your file is complete. Build this pack in parallel:

Trade license, MOA/AOA, Ejari/facility, and Establishment Card
Manager/authorised signatory passport/visa/EID and specimen signature
Shareholder documents (attested, if corporate)
UBO chart and IDs
Business plan: what you sell, to whom, how you get paid (invoices, contracts, or LOIs help)
Website and domain email (avoid free webmail)
Source of funds evidence for capital and first deposits
Board resolution opening the account and appointing signatories

Extra documents by sector (only when needed)

Some activities demand regulator sign-offs or professional credentials:

Healthcare: DHA approvals, clinician licenses, clinic layout plan
training/Education: curriculum overview,NQA/KHDA approvals,
Real estate brokerage: Mainly RERA certification for brokers
Food & F&B: Dubai Municipality food safety NOC, HACCP plan, layout drawing
Legal/engineering/audit: Professional qualifications, local registers, partner exams
E-commerce/Media: NMC or e-commerce platform permissions (case-dependent)

We prepare checklists per sector so you don’t over- or under-submit.

Attestation,Translation and Notarisation —what needs what?

Foreign corporate documents: Apparently,attest at the UAE Embassy there,notarise in the country of origin,, after that stamp by MOFA in the UAE.
Translations: Actually Arabic is mandatory for many filings; So use legal translators recognised by the authority.
Digital notarisation: DET and several free zones accept e-notary for MOA and resolutions—faster, cleaner.

Additionally,Build a small calendar buffer for these steps; courier time can surprise even seasoned teams.

Common mistakes that slow everything down

Activity wording that doesn’t match the catalogue → copy exact titles
Submitting unclear or cropped passport scans → full page,colour,rescan at 300 dpi,,.
Manager powers left vague in the MOA → banks and landlords reject; define clearly.
Delaying Ejari/facility paperwork → visa quota and bank KYC stall.
Missing UBO details → expect portal blocks and follow-up requests.
Using free webmail → switch to a domain email before bank meetings.

Master checklist

Passports + photos for all owners/managers
Residence visa/EID (if resident) + NOC (if needed)
Parent company docs (attested) for corporate shareholders
Trade names (3) + activity list
Initial approval confirmation
MOA/AOA notarised + manager appointment
Ejari/facility agreement in hand
Trade license issued
Establishment Card + MOHRE (Mainland)
UBO & ESR filings
Corporate Tax/VAT registrations
Bank KYC pack complete

Related Articles:

» Step-by-Step Process for Business Setup in Dubai

» Business Setup in Dubai: Essential Steps for New Entrepreneurs

» Dubai Free Zone business setup

» Business Setup in Dubai Mainland

» Is 100% Foreign Ownership Allowed in Dubai for Business Setup?

Why founders choose Black Swan Business Setup Service

Because we transform paperwork into a path. We map your activities to the right authority, pre-check every scan, draft MOA/AOA with banker-friendly clauses, secure Ejari/facility, and stage UBO/ESR/tax filings alongside your license—so you open bank accounts and issue invoices without delays. If a regulator wants a niche certificate, we tell you before you book the courier.

Call +971 56 658 2477 for Business Setup in Dubai

You don’t need a mountain of paper to launch in Dubai—you need the right papers in the right sequence. Start with clean IDs and corporate proofs, lock your trade name and activities, notarise the MOA, secure Ejari/facility, then collect your trade license. Immediately follow with immigration, UBO/ESR, tax, and bank KYC. Do that, and your first invoice won’t be far behind. If you want every document drafted, stamped, translated, and uploaded without the run-around, Black Swan Business Setup Service is ready to lead the way.

FAQs

1) Do I need a physical office to get the license?

Usually yes. Mainland entities require an Ejari. Many free zones accept a flexi-desk or serviced office at the start. Your visa quota scales with space, so choose a size that matches your first-year hiring plan.

2) Which documents must be attested?

Any foreign corporate documents—incorporation certificate, Articles, board resolutions, PoAs—need notarisation, UAE Embassy attestation, and MOFA stamping. Individual passports do not need attestation.

3) Can I use a personal Gmail to apply and still open a bank account?

You can apply, but banks strongly prefer a domain email that matches your trade name or brand. Switch to info@yourcompany.com before KYC.

4) What’s the difference between MOA and AOA?

For an LLC, the MOA sets shareholding, capital, activities, and manager powers. Some jurisdictions also use AOA for internal governance. In Dubai, the authority templates often merge essentials into the MOA; we customise it to match bank expectations.

5) When should I file UBO and ESR?

Right after license issuance. UBO identifies the real owners or controllers. ESR notifications apply when your activity falls within relevant categories. Filing early prevents portal warnings and banking delays.