Starting a company is a sequence of decisions — and most of them happen before you ever file a document. This guide walks through the steps in the order they actually occur, so you know what to expect and what each step costs.
1. Choose your jurisdiction structure
The first decision is structural. A mainland company trades anywhere locally and can bid on government contracts. A Free Zone company gets 100% foreign ownership and simplified setup but is restricted to operating within its zone or through a distributor outside it. An offshore company holds assets and operates internationally without a physical office. Most founders choose between mainland and Free Zone based on where they plan to sell.
2. Pick your business activity
Every license is issued against an activity code. The code determines which approvals apply, so choosing it carefully matters. Common mistakes — like picking a code that triggers licensing you don't need — cost both time and fees.
3. Reserve the trade name
Your trade name is reserved before the application proceeds, and it must avoid conflicts and restricted words. A quick check here prevents a rejected application later.
4. Draft the founding documents
The Memorandum of Association (MOA) sets out ownership, capital and governance. This is the document that banks and authorities will ask to see again and again — drafting it correctly the first time saves rework everywhere else.
5. Apply for the license
With the name reserved and documents ready, the application is submitted to the licensing authority. Approval time depends on the activity and jurisdiction — Free Zones are typically faster.
6. Open the bank account
Banks evaluate your compliance file, not just your license. Preparing the business plan, source-of-funds statement and ownership documents to the bank's format — and running the application in parallel with your license — is how the timeline compresses.
7. Sort out visas
Once the license is issued, investor and employee visas follow: entry permit, medical, national ID and stamping. For a single founder this is usually three to four visits' worth of coordination; we handle them as one batch.
This is a sample article written during the site build. It will be replaced with a final version before launch.
