Legal Basics for Setting Up in Dubai as a Singapore Team
For Singapore founders eyeing Dubai, the rules around company structures, licensing, visas, taxes, and compliance matter as much as strategy. This overview explains the key legal checkpoints, documents, and regulatory obligations to help you plan a compliant setup and reduce avoidable rework or delays.
Singapore teams expanding to Dubai face a different legal and regulatory landscape from home. Decisions you make early—such as the jurisdiction, legal form, and permitted activities—shape later steps like visas, banking, taxation, and ongoing compliance. The outline below distills the essentials so you can align your business plan with the required approvals and filings, while staying mindful of cross-border documentation between Singapore and the UAE.
Start Business In Dubai: key legal steps
Your first decision is jurisdiction and activity scope. Dubai offers mainland licensing via the emirate’s economic department and multiple free zones. Free zones typically allow 100% foreign ownership and streamlined processes for defined activities; however, trading directly in the wider UAE market may require a mainland license or a local distributor, depending on your activity. Mainland routes are suitable when you plan to serve customers across the UAE without geographic or activity limits.
Prepare core documents from Singapore, such as board resolutions, certificates of incorporation, and powers of attorney. These often require notarisation and either consular legalisation or an apostille, depending on current UAE rules. You will also need a trade name reservation, initial approval for your activity, office space (physical or flexi-desk as permitted), and a signed constitutional document (for example, an MoA). Visas follow once the license is issued, starting with the establishment card and investor or employee visa quotas.
Plan for compliance tasks that begin on day one: ultimate beneficial owner registration, economic substance checks for relevant activities, and anti-money laundering measures if your activity falls under designated non-financial businesses and professions. Consider VAT registration if you meet the mandatory threshold, and determine whether you fall under the UAE corporate tax regime introduced in 2023, including any free zone exemptions that may apply to qualifying income subject to specific conditions.
Start a Business: structure and ownership rules
Choosing a legal form depends on risk, control, and commercial scope. A limited liability company is the common mainland vehicle for a wide range of activities. Many sectors now allow full foreign ownership; however, strategic or restricted activities may still require Emirati participation or special approvals. Free zone companies suit sector-focused activities (technology, media, logistics, finance, and more) and often include simplified setup and immigration processes.
A branch of a foreign company can operate in the UAE under the parent’s identity and may be appropriate if you want to keep profits consolidated at the Singapore level. A representative office is limited to promotion and market research without revenue-generating activities. If you sell only to a licensed UAE distributor or agent, an agency agreement under local law can be an alternative to establishing a presence, but it comes with statutory protections for the agent that you should review carefully.
Employment and immigration planning is integral. To relocate Singapore staff, you will typically need employment contracts compliant with UAE labor law, medical checks, and residence visas. If you prefer to test the waters, some teams use an employer-of-record solution to hire in the UAE without immediately incorporating, noting that this still requires attention to immigration eligibility, payroll, and benefits.
I Don’t Have Money But i Want to Start a Business: options
Dubai incorporates quickly by global standards, but running costs still exist: licensing, visas, premises, and compliance. If your budget is tight, consider ways to validate demand before committing to a full-scale setup. Low-commitment routes include working with a local distributor or reseller, signing customer contracts that you service from Singapore where allowed, or using a free zone with flexi-desk facilities if your activity permits. A representative office can support marketing without revenue, and a branch may reduce duplication if sales remain with the Singapore entity.
Be realistic about capital needs even when there is no statutory minimum share capital for certain structures. Banks will assess substance, source of funds, and due diligence; plan for a clear business model, transparent ownership, and documented policies. If you rely on local services to bridge early capability gaps—such as bookkeeping, company secretarial support, or PRO handling—verify licensing and service scopes, data protection practices, and termination terms.
Conclusion
For a Singapore team, the legal basics in Dubai hinge on matching your intended activity with the right jurisdiction and structure, preparing cross-border documents correctly, and sequencing licensing, visas, tax, and banking in a compliant order. With clear documentation, an accurate activity description, and early attention to VAT, corporate tax, and substance rules, you can reduce friction and establish a durable footing for long-term operations in the UAE market.
