What does an AED 4,888 UAE business licence actually include?
Low advertised prices in this industry often come with a catch, so it's fair to ask what a licence at AED 4,888 genuinely covers — and what it doesn't. This is the complete, itemised answer: what's in the package, what costs extra and why, when it's the right choice, and when you'd be better off spending a little more.
In this guide
1. What's included at AED 4,888
This is a zero-visa company licence package. For that price you get a fully valid, government-issued UAE company — not a placeholder or a permit-lite. Specifically:
- Your trade licence — issued by the free zone authority, valid for one year.
- Up to 10 business activities on a single licence, which you can mix and match rather than being limited to one line of business.
- Unlimited shareholders — no cap on how many owners the company can have.
- 100% foreign ownership — no local partner or sponsor required.
- No minimum capital requirement — nothing to deposit or prove.
- Your incorporation documents — certificate of incorporation, share certificate and commercial register entry.
- A registered address — so you don't need to lease premises.
- Fully online setup — completed remotely, with the licence issued in as little as two hours.
- Corporate Tax registration — free, currently included with our packages rather than charged as an extra.
That combination is genuinely competitive: many low-cost licences elsewhere restrict you to two or three activities, cap shareholders, or charge separately for the registered address.
2. What's not included
Being straight about this matters more than the headline price:
- Residence visas — the AED 4,888 package includes none. Visas are priced separately (see below).
- Establishment card — needed before you can process any visa.
- Medical test, Emirates ID and health insurance — these come with each visa.
- Bank account guarantees — we prepare and support your application, but the bank makes its own compliance decision. No honest firm can promise approval.
- VAT registration and ongoing accounting — separate services, needed once you're trading or cross the VAT threshold.
- Activity-specific approvals — a small number of regulated activities require additional authority approval and fees.
- Attestation or translation of foreign documents, where your situation requires it.
3. Adding visas — the real numbers
Most founders who plan to live in the UAE need at least one visa. Our packages are:
- Licence only — from AED 4,888 (no visa)
- Licence + 1 visa — from AED 10,800 (investor visa, Emirates ID, medical and biometrics handled)
- Licence + 2 visas — from AED 16,200 (two investor or partner visas, medical, biometrics and Emirates IDs)
Every one of those includes the same core benefits: up to 10 activities, unlimited shareholders and 100% ownership. The difference is purely the residency component. Note that a residence visa requires a short in-person visit for the medical and biometrics — see our guide to setting up remotely.
4. Who the AED 4,888 package suits
It's an excellent fit if you:
- Run an online or international business and need a credible base to invoice from
- Are testing the UAE market before committing to relocation
- Already hold residency through another route and don't need a new visa
- Want a holding or asset-owning entity
- Are a consultant or freelancer billing overseas clients
It's less suitable if you need residency immediately, plan to hire quickly, or intend to sell directly into the UAE mainland market — in which case see free zone vs mainland.
5. When you'll need to spend more
Budget beyond the entry package if any of these apply: you need visas now (step up to the 1- or 2-visa package); you're hiring a team (visa capacity is tied to your package and facility); you need a physical office rather than a registered address; your activity is regulated and needs extra approval; or you'll trade with the mainland and need a different structure.
6. Hidden costs to watch for — anywhere, not just here
When comparing quotes from any provider, ask specifically about:
- Is the registered address included, or billed separately after year one?
- How many activities are actually covered — and what does adding one cost?
- Is the establishment card included in a visa package or extra?
- What does renewal cost in year two? Some cheap first-year offers renew much higher.
- Is Corporate Tax registration included, or an upsell?
- Are there payment-plan or admin fees on instalments?
A provider who answers all six without hesitating is quoting honestly. We publish fixed, itemised quotes for exactly this reason — and you can estimate your own setup with our cost calculator.
7. What renewal costs
Your licence renews annually, and visas and Emirates IDs renew on their own cycle. Renewal is a real, recurring cost that should be part of your budget from day one, not a surprise in month eleven. We confirm your renewal figure in writing when you set up, so there's no jump in year two.
8. So is the cheapest option right for you?
Sometimes, yes — and we'll happily set you up on the entry package if it genuinely fits. But “cheapest” and “best value” only match when the package supports what you actually need: enough visas, the right activities, and a structure banks will engage with. A licence you can't bank, or that can't sponsor the visa you need next quarter, isn't cheap at all. For a wider comparison see our guide to the cheapest free zones in the UAE.
Get a fixed, itemised quote
The most useful thing we can give you isn't a headline price — it's an exact figure for your plans, with every line itemised and nothing hidden. Tell us your business activity, whether you need visas, and where your customers are, and we'll send a fixed quote with a clear breakdown of one-off costs and annual renewals.
Send your enquiry via our contact page or message us on WhatsApp — we usually reply within one business day, and there's no obligation.