Start a Business in Dubai from France: Cost, Tax and Ownership
Topic Summary
Register Remotely With DSBH Free Zone
French founders can form a Dubai South Business Hub free zone company from France and sign documents electronically. The company receives a trade license and is owned outright, with no local sponsor.
Keep 100% Foreign Ownership
You can be sole owner, share the company 50/50 with a co-founder, or hold it through a French holding. No local partner is required.
Match Your License to Activity
Review the business activities list, choose single or multiple activities, and run a name check before filing. You also decide whether to open a new license or buy an existing one.
Prepare Apostilled Documents Early
You will need passport copies, proof of address, and apostilled French corporate documents such as a holding's certificate. Unapostilled paperwork is the most common cause of delay.
Understand What Drives Setup Costs
Price depends on license type, activity, number of visas, shareholders, and renewal. Medical, Emirates ID and status change fees add to registration and annual renewal.
Plan for 9% and 0% Corporate Tax
UAE corporate tax under Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 is 9% as standard. Qualifying free zone income may be taxed at 0%, but registration with the FTA and real substance are required.
Review French Tax Obligations Too
The UAE's 0% personal income tax is not a blanket tax-free claim for French founders. DGFiP residency tests and exit tax rules need review before you move.
More than 40,000 new businesses register in Dubai in a single year (Dubai Chamber, 2023), and French founders are part of that wave. This guide shows you how to start a business in Dubai from France with Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone (DSBH), covering license, ownership, cost, residency and tax. It sits under our pillar, moving from France to Dubai.
What Is Start a Business in Dubai from France and Why It Matters
To start a business in Dubai from France means registering a free zone company with DSBH, usually remotely. You get a trade license, 100% foreign ownership, a route to residency and UAE banking, and no local sponsor, while keeping your French tax obligations in view.
How a DSBH Free Zone Company Works for French Owners
DSBH issues the trade license, and you own the company outright. Picture a Lyon-based consultant who forms a consultancy from her desk in France and signs every document electronically. That's a normal Dubai company for French founders.
Why French Founders Choose Dubai
You get a base for Gulf, African and Asian trade routes, plus residency tied to your license. On tax, France's top marginal income rate is 45% (Statista, 2024), while the UAE levies 0% personal income tax (u.ae). But that isn't a blanket tax-free claim, as the sections below explain.
License Options and Ownership for a Dubai Company for French Founders
DSBH offers free zone trade licenses covering commercial, service and general trading activities, held with 100% foreign ownership. You choose the license by activity, then register a company name and shareholder structure, as an individual or through a French holding. No local partner is required.
Matching Your Activity to the Right License
Check the business activities list first.
Pick single or multiple activities.
Run a Name Check before filing.
Decide: new license or buy an existing one.
A Bordeaux wine trader, for example, would select a trading activity and test the company name before anything else.
Key Facts for French Founders Setting Up with DSBH
Topic | Key fact |
|---|---|
Ownership | 100% foreign ownership, no local sponsor |
License | Free zone trade license matched to your activity |
Corporate tax | Federal Tax Authority (FTA) registration; 9% standard, 0% on qualifying income |
Residency | Visa package tied to the license; Emirates ID via ICP |
French tax | DGFiP residency tests and exit tax review |
100% Ownership and Shareholder Structures
You can be sole owner or share the company. Two Paris co-founders can hold 50/50, and a French holding can sit as shareholder. Unlike a French SAS, the free zone company needs no local partner.
Business Setup in Dubai from France: Documents and Apostille
Passport copies and proof of address.
Apostille on French corporate documents, such as a holding's certificate.
Unapostilled paperwork is the usual cause of delay.
Our apostille checklist covers the details.
Cost of Business Setup in Dubai from France
The cost of business setup in Dubai from France depends on license type, activity, visa count and shareholders. Main components are registration, annual renewal, visa and Emirates ID fees, and optional office or bank costs. The Cost Calculator gives a tailored figure.
What Drives the Price
License and activity.
Visa quota and number of visas.
Medical, Emirates ID and status change fees.
Renewal every year.
A one-visa consultancy costs less than a three-visa trading company. Founders weighing a new license against buying one can read what a Dubai company costs a French founder.
Corporate Tax and Ownership Rules for French Founders
UAE corporate tax is set by Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022, administered by the FTA. Free zone companies must register and may qualify for 0% on qualifying income. Other income is taxed at 9%, so compliance and substance matter.
Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 in Plain Terms
The law introduced federal corporate tax at a 9% standard rate (FTA, 2023). A Qualifying Free Zone Person can earn 0% on qualifying income. A service company must test whether its income actually qualifies.
FTA Registration and Ongoing Compliance
Register for corporate tax with the FTA.
Check the VAT threshold in FTA guidance.
Keep accounting records from month one.
File annually.
French Tax Position: Exit Tax and DGFiP Reporting
Starting a Dubai company doesn't automatically end French tax residence. The Direction générale des Finances publiques (DGFiP) looks at your home, work and economic interests. French exit tax can apply to unrealised gains on shares when you move your residence.
When French Tax Residence Continues
Keep a Paris flat and spend most days in France, and the DGFiP will likely still treat you as resident. Read does setting up in Dubai change your French tax position first.
French Exit Tax and What to Declare
Exit tax targets certain shareholdings, such as a French SAS.
Declarations go to the DGFiP.
Confirm thresholds and deferral with a French adviser.
DSBH doesn't give tax advice.
Step-by-Step Process to Start a Business in Dubai from France
To start a business in Dubai from France: choose your activity, check the name, pick a license and visa package, submit apostilled documents, receive the license, then register with the FTA and apply for residency. Travel is rarely needed before biometrics.
Step 1: Choose Activity and Check the Name
Browse activities, then test three name options. Decide whether to set up new or buy an existing license.
Step 2: Submit Documents and Pay Fees
Upload passport, address proof and apostilled papers, perhaps from Nantes. Confirm fees in the calculator, then sign remotely.
Step 3: Receive License, Register for Tax and Open the Bank Account
Once the license arrives, register with the FTA. Then open the corporate account, where banks run KYC (know-your-customer) checks and ask about substance.
Residency Link: From License to Emirates ID
A DSBH license supports a residency visa package. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) issues the visa and Emirates ID. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) handles Dubai procedures.
Visa Allocation Tied to the License
Quota depends on license and office. French nationals can apply for an investor visa in Dubai, and eligible owners may qualify for the Golden Visa, with over 100,000 issued across the UAE (u.ae, 2025).
Timeline: ICP, GDRFA and Emirates ID
Entry permit and status change.
Medical test and biometrics (one trip).
Emirates ID follows (ICP).
Timelines vary by case, so confirm with DSBH.
Your Next Move
To start a business in Dubai from France, pick the right license, keep 100% ownership, budget the full cost, register with the FTA, and settle your DGFiP and exit tax position before moving. Run the Cost Calculator, then secure your name with Name Check and set up or buy a license with DSBH.
References
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