Set up a Dubai free zone company. From the US.

That is the normal starting point, and it is the decision the call is most useful for. Arriving with a zone already chosen, picked from a price comparison, is how people end up with a license that does not cover what they actually do. Start with the business and the zone follows. 30 minutes, free, no obligation, at a time that works in your timezone.

There is no single best zone, and anyone who names one before asking what you do is selling rather than advising. It comes down to 4 things: the activity you need licensed, how many residence visas you want to hold, whether you need physical space, and whether the zone’s name matters to your customers or your bank. A consultancy selling to European clients and a trading business importing stock have almost nothing in common in this decision. We shortlist against what you are actually building, and because we are partnered with almost every zone, there is none we are incentivised to push.

Broadly, and as a starting point rather than a rule: IFZA is usually chosen on cost for general trading and service licenses; Meydan Free Zone suits service and consultancy businesses wanting a Dubai address without taking premises; DMCC is the established commodities and trading zone, with a name that carries weight with banks and counterparties, at a higher price. Each sets its own activity list, visa allocation and fees, and those change, so the comparison that matters is against your activity rather than against each other in the abstract.

Most of it, yes. Choosing the zone and activities, reserving the name, signing incorporation documents and getting the license issued are typically all done remotely, and for many free zone setups the license is issued before you book a flight. What generally cannot be done from the US is the residence visa itself — the medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics usually require you to be in the UAE in person. Those are requirements set by the authorities rather than our process, and we tell you which stages need you here before you start.

Free zone licenses start from around $4,500, and your figure depends on the zone, the activities you license, how many residence visas you need and whether you take any physical space. US dollar amounts are indicative and move with the exchange rate — your written proposal is issued in AED with every line itemised, including the authority fees that sit outside the license. Payment plans are available. Mainland is quoted individually because premises and approvals vary too much for a published figure to be useful.

The company itself does not require you to live in the UAE. Your residence visa, once issued, generally has its own requirement to enter the UAE periodically to keep it valid, and the interval is set by the immigration authority rather than by us. Many US owners run the company from the US and travel occasionally. If you intend to become a UAE tax resident rather than simply hold a visa, that is a different question with a different answer, and one to settle with a US adviser first.

Not directly, in most cases. A free zone license is built for selling internationally and within your zone; reaching the UAE domestic market usually means appointing a local distributor or opening a mainland branch. If your customers are US, European or Asian, this restriction will probably never affect you. If you intend to sell to UAE businesses and consumers, mainland is likely the better answer and we will say so.

It matters less than people expect for a business trading internationally, and more than expected for banking and perception. Ajman free zone UAE, Sharjah free zone, Ras Al Khaimah free zone, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain free zone options are generally cheaper than Dubai and work well for straightforward trading and service companies. A Dubai license can be easier to explain to a bank or a counterparty, and some sectors effectively expect one. We will tell you honestly when the cheaper emirate is the sensible answer.

Bank onboarding is where most new companies stall, and it depends on your activity, your structure, your own background and how the file is presented. We prepare the application to the standard UAE banks expect and introduce you to banks that accept your profile. No consultant can guarantee a bank’s decision, and you should be wary of any who claims otherwise.

No. A free zone license supports a renewable investor or partner residence visa, typically for 2 years, and you can sponsor family on it. The Golden Visa is a separate route with its own qualifying criteria — property investment at a set threshold, public investment, or recognition as a specialist in certain fields. Setting up a company does not grant one, and anyone implying otherwise is misleading you. There is also no permanent residency in the UAE; every route renews.