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What this office does
Role of the office. Dubai is the entry point for clients moving their business or capital to the UAE. Here we support the registration of structures in the DIFC, account opening and property transactions.
How the work is organised. The office is a point of local presence, not a separate practice. Every matter is led by a partner from the head team, who is personally responsible for the result and coordinates the work across all the jurisdictions involved.
A similar case: company registration in Dubai.
How exactly we help here
Our other offices
DIFC, ADGM and onshore companies: what is the difference
Two financial centres with English law. The DIFC in Dubai and the ADGM in Abu Dhabi are self-contained jurisdictions within the UAE, with their own courts based on English common law, independent of the country’s federal civil system. This offers more predictability for holding structures, family foundations and financial licences than registration onshore or in an industry free zone.
Onshore and industry zones serve a different purpose. The UAE’s more than 45 free economic zones (JAFZA, DMCC and others) and onshore companies suit a business that needs direct access to the local market or a specific industry licence rather than financial or holding status. The choice of structure is determined by the type of activity, not by tax considerations alone.
Substance requirements. Since 2019, economic substance regulations (ESR) have applied to certain activities (holding companies, ownership of intellectual property, financial leasing). Formal registration without a real office and staff does not preserve entitlement to the preferential tax rate.
How a company is registered in the DIFC
The timeframes below are indicative. They depend on the type of activity and on the bank that ultimately opens the account, and we agree the exact schedule at the consultation.
Choosing the structure and the activity
We determine the legal form and check whether the activity requires a licence from the financial regulator, the DFSA. Timeframe: 3-5 days.
Reserving the name and filing the application
We file the application with the DIFC registrar together with a set of KYC documents for each beneficial owner and director of the company. Timeframe: 5-10 days.
Leasing an office and obtaining the licence
The DIFC requires a registered physical address or a flexi-desk before the licence is issued. Once the lease is registered, the certificate of incorporation and the licence itself are issued. Timeframe: 5-7 days.
Opening a bank account
The least predictable stage: the bank carries out its own compliance check regardless of the fact that the company is registered in the DIFC. Timeframe: 4-8 weeks.
Figures for this jurisdiction
These are general parameters of the jurisdiction, not indicators of a specific transaction. We confirm how they apply to the client’s structure at the consultation.
What to bear in mind when opening an account and changing residence
The licence and the account are two independent decisions. Registration in the DIFC does not guarantee that an account will be opened automatically. The bank assesses the beneficial owner, the country of origin of the funds and the nature of the business separately from the company registrar, so the licence and the account are decided at different times and on different criteria.
Prepare the source of funds in advance. Since compliance procedures were tightened, local banks systematically ask for documentary proof of the origin of capital from business owners and from structures with a Russian beneficial owner. A set of documents gathered in advance reduces repeat requests and lowers the risk of refusal.
Settlements in roubles and sanctioned cards. Direct transfers in Russian roubles and the use of cards from payment systems subject to restrictions are difficult for most local banks. The settlement route is built into the structure at the planning stage, not after the account is opened.
A company and property are not the same as residence. Owning a company or a flat in Dubai does not in itself make a person a UAE tax resident. To change residence, the presence test must be met separately and a Tax Residency Certificate obtained.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DIFC and why register a company there?+
The DIFC is a financial centre with its own independent legal system based on English law, which gives international business more predictability than onshore UAE structures.
Do I need to be physically present in Dubai to register a company?+
No. The whole process can be carried out remotely. Personal attendance is usually required only at certain stages of the banking procedures.
Do you help with obtaining a UAE residence visa?+
Yes, as part of our support with structuring the business. A residence visa is often processed together with the registration of the company.