Which UAE company structure do you need?
Free zone, mainland or offshore? Answer four questions and you get the structure that fits, the zones to compare, and the UK tax points to check before you set it up.
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A starting point, not formal advice. Your exact activity, any regulator approvals and your bank can change the answer, so get it confirmed for your case before you apply.
How the finder works
Your customers decide most of it. Clients abroad point to a free zone company, UAE consumers point to mainland, and a company that only holds assets points to an offshore company at RAK ICC. The visa answer decides whether a holding structure needs a free zone company beneath it, because the visa comes from that company. Your UK answer adds the UK tax checks: where the company is run from, your own residence, and how a UK limited company fits.
For the detail, read free zone vs mainland vs offshore, compare zones on our free zone hub, and see UAE holding companies for UK founders. Our company formation service sets the structure up from the UK.
Common questions
Do I need a free zone or a mainland company?
If your clients are outside the UAE, including in the UK, a free zone company usually fits: full foreign ownership, setup from the UK and a route to your residence visa. If you will sell directly to UAE consumers or bid for local government work, a mainland licence usually fits better.
When does an offshore company make sense for a UK founder?
When the company only needs to hold things, such as shares in other companies, property or investments, and nobody needs a visa through it. RAK ICC is the offshore registry we use. For UAE trading or a visa, the offshore company owns a free zone company that does that work.
Can a Dubai company still pay UK tax?
Yes. A company formed in the UAE becomes UK tax resident if its central management and control is in the UK, meaning the real decisions are made there. Your own UK residence matters too: while you are UK resident, UK rules can tax the income of an overseas structure as yours.