UAE FREE ZONES

 The following is a broad outline of the procedures:

1. Select a Free Zone: The first step is to decide which free zone is best for your company. Finding the free zone that best suits your needs requires investigation because each one has its own set of laws and regulations.

2. Type of Entity: A Free Zone Establishment (FZE), a Free Zone Company (FZCO), or a Branch Office are just a few examples of the several types of company you can establish.
There are 3 legal forms of businesses in UAE free zone

• Free Zone Limited Liability Company (FZ LLC)
• Free Zone Company (FZ Co.)
• Free Zone Establishment (FZE)

3. Determine Business Activities: You must also decide what business activities you intend to carry out. There is a distinct list of permitted activities in each free zone, some of which are more specialized than others.

Depending on the sort of business, UAE free zones provide investors and entrepreneurs with a variety of business licenses. Among them are:

• Commercial Trade
• Consultancy Services
• Marketing and advertising
• Media and entertainment
• Research and development
• Education and training
• Healthcare and medical services
• Hospitality and tourism
• Real estate development and management
• Construction and engineering services
• Energy and utilities services
• Financial services and investment management
• Legal and professional services
• E-commerce and online retail
• Freelancing and entrepreneurship

4. Reserve Name: You must reserve your company name with the respective authority. Your company name needs to be distinctive and adhere to UAE regulations.

• The trade name must have an abbreviation of the legal structure of the company as its suffix (ex: FZ LLC, FZ Co., FZE).
• The trade name must not contain inappropriate words and should not be offensive to the general public.
• The trade name must be compatible with the chosen economic activities.
• The trade name must not contain the names of rulers, government agencies, or the names and logos of government bodies.
• The trade name must not be registered by any other company.
• The trade name and trademark must be approved by the Department of Economic Development and the Ministry of Economy.
• Trade name certificates are subject to renewal.

5. Apply for a License:  You must apply for a license from the free zone authority once you have decided on your business type and operations. The license will specify the boundaries of your business operations and the applicable laws.

6. Select Business Space and Location: Free zones in the UAE give you several options to own or rent an office, or buy land to set up your factory or office building. If you want to obtain an independent/professional license, you can rent an office or register with a virtual office. The office space will depend on the number of employees and the type of commercial activity of your company.

Office spaces in free zones come either fully equipped or partially furnished, and can be rented or purchased after a commercial license is issued.

In most cases, it is the free zone authority that issues rental contracts.

7. Open a corporate bank account: In order to conduct business in the UAE, you must first open a corporate bank account.

8. Hire Employees: After you’ve established your business, you can hire staff and secure work permits for them.