The partners
Partners and credentials
Two or more partners
At least two, up to fifty, any nationality.
Professional qualifications
Each partner holds attested qualifications for the activity.
Partner passports
Clear colour scans, valid 6+ months.
Mainland professional partnership
Civil Company in Dubai
A mainland professional partnership. Two or more qualified people share one DET license to sell services.
- Two or more professional partners
- 100% foreign ownership
- Professional services only
- First-year cost from AED 25,000
15+ years10,000+ engagements4.8 Google, 163+ reviewsISO certified
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What is a civil company in Dubai?
A partnership of two or more professionals under one DET licence, for services rather than goods. Partners carry unlimited joint liability.
2+Professional partners, one license
100%Foreign owned, LSA for paperwork only
DETProfessional services, not goods
Why pick it
Should you choose a civil company?
For a team of professionals, this is the cleanest way to share one practice on the mainland. It fits some partnerships and not others. Here is both sides, plainly.
Recommended
Likely5 signs
A civil company fits if
- You are two or more professionalsSharing one practice under one license.
- You want 100% foreign ownershipNo equity going to the LSA, who is paperwork only.
- You want a low, capital-free entryNo minimum capital to deposit or freeze.
- You want full mainland accessServe clients across Dubai and the UAE.
- Your partners span nationalitiesDifferent nationalities under one entity.
Maybe not5 signs
Reconsider if
- You need to trade in goodsA civil company is services only; you need an LLC.
- Your work carries large liability riskUnlimited liability exposes personal assets.
- You are setting up on your ownA sole establishment is the simpler solo route.
- You want corporate partners on boardA civil company is built around individual professionals.
- You expect outside investmentThere are no shares to issue against an injection.
What you'll need
What you need to set up
A civil company has a few specific requirements beyond the usual paperwork. Have these ready before you file with DET.
Required
Required
Required
Legal and premises
Agreements and office
Local Service Agent
A UAE national LSA for expat partners, no equity or control.
Partnership agreement
Sets out shares, roles, and dispute rules.
Ejari office
A registered office; visa quota is tied to its size.
Compliant trade name
Reflecting your professional activity.
Qualifications must be attested
Each partner's professional qualifications must be attested and relevant to the licensed activity. Degrees issued abroad run through the same legalisation chain as any foreign document: attested in the country of origin and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs before DET will accept them. Start early, because a missing attestation is a common cause of delay.
Match credentials to the activity. DET approves partners against the specific professional field.
Draft the agreement early. Shares, roles, and dispute rules are easier settled before filing.
Size the office to the visas. Quota is tied to Ejari area, so plan headcount against space.
Who Regulates a Civil Company
The LSA is a UAE national who handles paperwork only: no shares, no profit, no control. Two laws govern the structure, and a few authorities touch it.
| Authority | What they do | When you meet them | Key output |
|---|---|---|---|
| DET | Approves activity and partners; issues the license. Formerly the DED. | At licensing | Professional license |
| FTA | Registration and filing for corporate tax and VAT. | After operations begin | Tax registration |
| Dubai Muni | Ejari registration and the annual market fee. | When office is secured | Ejari certificate |
| Sector body | External approval for regulated professional activities. | Before license issuance | Sector approval |
- DETIssues the professional license and approves the partners.You meet them:At licensing
- FTAHandles corporate tax and VAT through EmaraTax.You meet them:After operations begin
- Dubai MuniRegisters your Ejari lease and applies the market fee on rent.You meet them:When office is secured
- Sector bodyDHA, KHDA, or Ministry of Justice approve regulated fields.You meet them:Before license issuance
The process
How to set up a civil company
Eight stages, from defining the professional activity to the bank account and visas. The Local Service Agent step sits early.
8 steps1 to 2 weeks2+ partners
- 1
Define the activity
Step 1Pick your professional activity from the DET list. This sets which approvals you need and shapes everything downstream.
Activity confirmedApprovals mapped - 2
Reserve a trade name
Step 2Submit name options on the Invest in Dubai portal and secure DET approval. The name must reflect your professional activity.
Name approvedReservation slip - 3
Get initial approval
Step 3Obtain DET no-objection to your activity, name, and partners before committing to a lease or contracts.
Initial approval - 4
Appoint the LSA
Step 4Sign a notarised Local Service Agent agreement with a UAE national. The LSA handles government liaison only, with no equity.
LSA agreementNotarised - 5
Agreement and office
Step 5Sign the partnership agreement setting out shares and roles, and register your Ejari office lease.
Partnership agreementEjari registered - 6
Submit documents
Step 6File partner passports, attested degrees, and all contracts with DET for the professional license.
File submitted - 7
Pay and collect
Step 7Clear the fee voucher and receive your professional trade license. The DET fee is confirmed only at this voucher stage.
License issued - 8
Bank and visas
Step 8Open the corporate account, then apply for partner and staff visas through MOHRE and GDRFA.
Account openedVisas filed - 1 to 2 weeks with papers ready
Licensed and operating
Professional license issued, account live, partner visas filed.
Real 2026 costs
What a civil company costs to set up
Lowest entry
Two partners, no visa
License, LSA, virtual office, partnership agreement.
Professional license
LSA arranged
Virtual office
Most common
With partner visas
Adds a flexi or small office, establishment card, and visas.
Flexi or small office
Establishment card
Partner visas
Scaling practice
Larger practice
Dedicated office, higher market fee, several partner and staff visas.
Dedicated office
Higher market fee
Several visas
Want an itemised civil company quote?
Four things move the price: the DET professional license fee (from about AED 7,000 to 10,000, confirmed only at voucher), the government stack (trade name AED 620 plus a small initial-approval fee), the Local Service Agent fee (usually AED 3,000 to 8,000 a year, fixed by contract), and office plus visas (Ejari with a 5% market fee on rent, and each residence visa). All figures indicative for 2026 and against DET at publish; DMCS provides a personalised itemised quote.
Understand the liability before you sign
Partners carry unlimited joint liability, so if the company owes money or faces a claim, personal assets are exposed and each partner can be liable for the whole debt, not just their share.
Manage it, or move structure
Manage the exposure two ways: carry professional indemnity insurance, and put a clear partnership agreement in place. If the practice grows or the risk is high, many partners move to an LLC for limited liability.
Manage it by
- Professional indemnity insurance
- A clear, signed partnership agreement
- Keeping personal and company finances separate.
Move to an LLC if
- Your work is litigation-prone or high-value
- The practice is scaling and adding staff
- You want a legal wall between you and the business.
Banking
How you open a bank account
A Dubai DET license opens the main UAE banks. With more than one partner, expect closer checks, so a clean file matters. A tidy application clears in about two weeks; a complex one can take up to six.
01
Pick the right bank
Digital banks suit small practices; traditional banks suit larger partnerships.
02
Prepare the file
License, partnership agreement, Ejari, and every partner's KYC documents.
03
Pass compliance
Each partner may need to join an interview or call with the bank.
04
Fund and activate
On approval your IBAN issues and you meet any minimum balance.
Banks professional firms use most
With more than one partner, a clean, complete file is what clears review.
Why DMCS
Why set up your civil company with DMCS
A civil company is simple to run, but the partnership agreement and tax setup need care. We handle your setup end to end.
Where we add the most
Honest structure advice, before you file
If an LLC protects you better, we say so. The right structure saves money and risk for years, and we would rather tell you that on the first call than after the license is issued.
01
Itemised, honest pricing
You see every fee up front, including the LSA cost. No teaser price, no surprises late in the process.
02
We arrange and manage your LSA
We supply the Local Service Agent, draft the agreement, and handle the annual renewal, so it is one less party for you to manage.
03
Agreements and DET, handled
We draft your partnership agreement and manage the full DET filing so nothing stalls between steps.
Real results from our clients
What our clients say about working with us
Real Google reviews from founders we have set up and kept compliant on the Dubai mainland.
A
Abdul Sami3 months ago
Thank you to the team for supporting us with our company setup. Our case was not straightforward, especially the bank account opening, but they stayed committed and got it done.
P
Paolo Chua8 months ago
I had a great experience opening a corporate bank account. The process was smooth and efficient. The staff were friendly, professional, and explained everything clearly.
A
Amy Elliott Dunne4 months ago
The accounting and bookkeeping service has been exceptional. Attention to detail is impressive, and communication is always clear. Tasks are handled promptly.
R
Rashed Al Falasi5 months ago
They confirmed our activity grouping before filing and flagged an issue the bank would have raised. Licensed in under two weeks with no surprises on the invoice.
M
Marwa Khalil2 months ago
We came for a mainland LLC and stayed for renewals and PRO work. The same team answers the phone after the license is issued, which is rare here.
Straight answers
Civil company in Dubai: FAQs
Ready to set up your civil company?
Get a free consultation and an itemised quote for your license, including the LSA fee and partnership agreement. No obligation, just real numbers for your practice.
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