Company setup in Dubai for UK residents, done properly the first time.
Setting up a company in Dubai from the UK is quick. Setting one up that actually works, that a bank will hold money for, and that does not create a tax problem back home, is a different task. We do the second one.
Who we do this for
- UK residents who want a genuine UAE operating company, not a shelf company that fails its first bank review.
- Founders and business owners planning to relocate to Dubai, who need the company and the personal tax position to move together.
- Owners who already run a UK business and want a UAE arm that is defensible to HMRC, not a red flag.
- Investors and family principals who want the structure built once, correctly, rather than corrected later under audit.
If you simply want the cheapest licence on the market, we are not the right firm, and we will tell you so on the first call. If you want it done in a way you will not have to unwind, read on.
What we actually do
We are not a licence vendor. We are a multijurisdictional corporate services firm that treats a Dubai company as one part of a position that usually spans the UK, the UAE and sometimes Ireland.
The structure first, the licence second.
We decide the right vehicle, free zone or mainland, holding or operating, before anything is registered. The licence is the easiest part to change your mind about and the most expensive to unwind.
Formation and licensing.
Company registration, activity selection, and the licence itself, with the paperwork handled end to end.
The bank account.
The step most setups fail. We prepare the company to be banked: real substance, a clean source-of-funds story, and the documents a UAE bank compliance team actually asks for.
Identity and verification.
As a registered corporate service provider, we handle director and shareholder verification, including for non-residents whom the automated routes turn away.
The UK side.
We make sure the company does not walk into a UK corporation tax charge, a controlled foreign company attribution, or a transfer-of-assets problem. A Dubai company run from a London desk is a UK tax risk, not a UK tax saving.
Ongoing compliance.
Corporate tax registration, accounting, and the annual filings on both sides, so the structure stays clean after year one.
How it works
- 1
Discovery call
A partner-level adviser listens to where you are, where you want to be, and by when. No script, no licence pitch.
- 2
The plan
We set out the recommended structure, the jurisdictions, the tax position on both sides, and a clear cost, in writing, before you commit to anything.
- 3
Formation and banking
We register the company, secure the licence, verify the people, and run the bank account application with you.
- 4
Handover and support
You get a working company and a compliance calendar, and we stay on for the filings and the questions that come later.
Most clients have a plan in hand within a few days of the first call, and a functioning company and account inside the normal processing windows for their chosen jurisdiction.
Why UK residents choose Boru
We know both tax systems, not one
The partners advise across the UK, UAE and Ireland corridor daily. The point of a Dubai company for a UK person is the interaction between the two systems, and that is exactly where a single-jurisdiction agent leaves you exposed.
Partner-level from the first call
You speak to an adviser who can actually answer the hard question, not a sales desk that escalates it.
Banking realism
We tell you before you form the company whether it can realistically be banked, because a licence without an account is a cost, not a business.
Governance as standard
We build structures to survive an audit and an enquiry, not just to pass a registration form.
We stay
We are retained for the long compliance cycle, not paid once for a certificate and gone.
Regulated, listed, and accountable
You are trusting a firm with your company and your money, so here is exactly who you are dealing with, all of it publicly verifiable.
- A real UK firm. Boru Global (UK) Limited, registered in England & Wales (No. 14435343), with a London office. Not an anonymous offshore introducer.
- Supervised by HMRC for anti-money-laundering purposes. A supervised firm, not an unregulated middleman.
- A GOV.UK-listed Authorised Corporate Service Provider, ACSP Agent No. AP000267. That is the UK government register of firms authorised to verify company officers, so we also handle the UK side of your corridor, including director and PSC identity verification, in-house.
- Registered with the ICO for data protection (Reg. No. ZB534745).
For a UK resident deciding who to trust with a cross-border structure, a supervised UK firm on a government register is the difference between an accountable adviser and a licence vendor you cannot trace.
What the setup adverts do not tell you
Registering a company in Dubai does not decide where it is taxed. If the real decisions are taken from the UK, HMRC can treat the company as UK tax resident under the central management and control test and charge 25% UK corporation tax on its worldwide profits. Even if it is genuinely run from the UAE, if you own it personally as a UK resident the transfer-of-assets-abroad rules can tax its income in your hands, and if you hold it through a UK company the controlled foreign company rules can attribute the profit back. The UAE 0% rate and a UK charge can land on the same profit.
None of this means a Dubai company is a bad idea. It means it has to be built to work on both sides. If you want the full analysis before you speak to us, our own intelligence hub sets it out in plain terms.
From our intelligence hub
Request your confidential consultation
Tell us where you are and where you want to be. A partner-level adviser reviews it personally and comes back within one business day with a clear next step, not a brochure. When you get in touch, please include:
- Your name
- Phone or WhatsApp
- Where you are tax resident now (and whether you plan to relocate)
- What you want to set up, and roughly when
- Anything time-sensitive we should know (a deadline, a transaction, a bank issue)
Everything you share is treated in strict confidence. Boru Global (UK) Limited is a company registered in England & Wales (No. 14435343), supervised by HMRC for anti-money-laundering purposes and listed at Companies House as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (Agent No. AP000267).
Frequently asked questions
Can a UK resident set up a company in Dubai?
Yes. A UK resident can form a UAE company with full foreign ownership, and the formation itself is straightforward and quick. The part that needs care is not the registration but the tax position on both sides, because where the company is taxed depends on where it is genuinely run and who owns it, not on where it is registered. We plan that before we form anything.
How much does it cost to set up a company in Dubai from the UK?
The licence itself is a relatively small, fixed cost, and it varies by free zone or mainland and by activity. The figure that matters is the total cost of a structure that actually works, including banking, substance and the compliance on both sides. We give you a clear, written cost for the whole engagement before you commit, so there are no surprises after the licence is paid for.
How long does it take?
Formation and the licence usually fall within the standard processing window for the chosen jurisdiction, often a matter of days once the paperwork is ready. The bank account is normally the longer step, because it depends on the company substance and documentation. We prepare the banking case in parallel with the formation to keep the whole timeline as short as it realistically can be.
Do I have to live in Dubai to own the company?
No, you can own a UAE company while living in the UK. But living in the UK while running the company from there is exactly what can bring it within UK tax, so residence is central to the plan rather than a detail. If you intend to relocate, we structure the company and your personal move together so the two line up.
Will I still pay UK tax on a Dubai company?
You can, depending on how the company is run and held. If it is managed from the UK it can be UK tax resident and pay 25% UK corporation tax; if you own it personally the transfer-of-assets rules can apply; if you hold it through a UK company the controlled foreign company rules can apply. This is precisely why we build the structure to be defensible on the UK side.
Free zone or mainland, which is right for me?
It depends on what the business actually does, who its customers are, and where it needs substance. A free zone can offer the 0% qualifying rate but only if the income and activity meet the conditions; mainland gives wider access to the UAE domestic market. We match the vehicle to the business rather than to a sales target, and we explain the trade-off in writing.
Can you open the UAE bank account as well?
Yes, and it is a core part of what we do, because it is the step most low-cost setups fail. We prepare the company to be banked with real substance, a clean source-of-funds narrative and the documentation UAE compliance teams require, then run the application with you. We will also tell you honestly, before you form the company, if banking is likely to be difficult in your circumstances.
Do you handle visas and ongoing compliance too?
Yes. Beyond formation we handle director and shareholder identity verification, corporate tax registration, accounting, and the annual filings on both the UAE and UK sides, and we can advise on residence visa routes as part of a relocation plan. The aim is a structure that stays clean after the first year, not just one that passes registration.