2025 Abu Dhabi Company Registration Process: Practical Guide under Policy Upgrade

As the capital of the UAE and an important global business hub, Abu Dhabi continues to attract international companies with its tax incentives, foreign-friendly policies and strategic location. By 2025, the process of registering a company in Abu Dhabi is highly standardized, but still subject to a strict legal framework and cultural norms. This article will systematically sort out the core aspects of the registration process and provide a landing guide for enterprises.

1. pre-planning: clear company type and strategic positioning

1. Company type selection

abu Dhabi offers a variety of corporate forms, depending on business needs, shareholding structure and tax planning:

limited liability company (LLC): requires at least 1 shareholder (all foreign capital), with a minimum registered capital of 30000 dirhams, suitable for entity business enterprises. If registered in the mainland, local partners are required to hold 51% of the shares. If registered in a free zone, 100 foreign investors can hold it.

Free Zone Companies (FZE/FZC): Such as Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Khalifa Industrial Zone (KIZAD), etc., allow all foreign ownership, enjoy corporate income tax and VAT exemption, suitable for cross-border e-commerce, technology, finance and other light asset industries.

Joint Stock Company (PJSC): requires at least 10 shareholders with a minimum capital of 10 million dirhams, suitable for large enterprises or entities to be listed.

2. Registered Address Planning

free Zone: Provides flexible office solutions, including virtual offices, shared workstations or independent offices, suitable for start-ups to reduce costs.

Mainland China: Lease physical office space and submit a lease contract as proof of registered address.

2. core process: from name application to license collection

1. Pre-examination of company name

rules: Names must conform to Arabic naming conventions, avoid the use of religious and politically sensitive words, and must not be duplicated with existing companies.

How to: Submit 3-5 alternative names through the Abu Dhabi Economic Development Board (ADDED) online platform, usually within 1-3 working days.

Suggestion: Check whether the name is occupied in advance to ensure that the name contains business keywords.

2. Document preparation and notarization

base file:

copy of shareholder's passport (notarized);

proof of residential address (e. g. utility bill);

business plan (including market analysis, financial forecast and compliance commitment);

articles of association (specifying the shareholding structure, management structure and shareholders' rights and obligations);

lease contract (free zone needs to sign an agreement with the park, the mainland needs to entity office lease contract).

Special Documents:

if it involves specific industries (e. g. medical, education), an industry license application is required;

if you hire foreign workers, you need to apply for a labor permit in advance.

3. Submission of application and review

channel: Submit an application through the ADDED online platform or a free zone authority (e. g. ADGM Registry).

Review cycle: usually 5-10 working days, complex cases may be extended to 3 weeks.

Key point: Ensure that the document is complete and meets the Arabic translation requirements to avoid being rejected for formatting errors.

4. Obtaining business license and tax registration

license: After the approval, the ADDED or free zone management agency issues a business license, marking the formal establishment of the company.

Tax Registration:

value-added tax (VAT) registration: if the annual income exceeds 375000 dirhams, registration must be completed within 20 days;

corporate income tax: Free zone enterprises are usually exempted, and mainland enterprises are required to pay the industry tax rate.

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