UAE business setup & bank account FAQ

To open a UAE business bank account, you prepare a complete application, a trade licence, MOA, shareholder and signatory documents, proof of activity, and source-of-funds evidence, and submit it to a bank that fits your profile. Emirax pre-vets your profile, prepares a compliance-ready file, and places it with the bank most likely to approve you.

Most free zone licences issue within 2 to 5 working days once documents are ready. Mainland licensing typically takes 1 to 2 weeks depending on the activity and approvals. Visas and bank accounts follow after the licence.

Yes. Corporate tax registration with the Federal Tax Authority is mandatory for UAE companies regardless of size, even where profit falls under the threshold at which the 0% rate applies.

Eligible categories include investors, entrepreneurs, highly skilled professionals, outstanding students and graduates, and certain other groups. The Golden Visa is a 5 or 10-year renewable residency that needs no national sponsor.

You liquidate and deregister it: pass a resolution, appoint a liquidator where required, publish a notice, cancel visas, obtain clearances, deregister for tax, and cancel the licence. Simply letting a licence lapse does not close the company and leads to fines.