Documents to Set Up a Dubai Company from France: Apostille Checklist

In 2026, France ranks among the top five European source markets for new UAE trade license holders, yet the single biggest cause of application delays remains the same: documents that are un-apostilled, unsigned, or presented in the wrong format before they reach Dubai. DSBH issues licenses in as few as three working days once a complete pack lands on the reviewer's desk, but an incomplete pack resets that clock entirely. This checklist walks French founders through every document required to set up a Dubai company from France via Dubai South Business Hub (DSBH) Free Zone: what each document is, how to apostille or attest it in France, and how to sequence the process so nothing slows your license down (ICP, 2025).

What Documents Do You Need to Set Up a Dubai Company from France

To set up a Dubai company from France you need a valid passport, passport-size photos, a French apostille on your criminal record extract, proof of address, and, for corporate shareholders, apostilled company documents. Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone processes these once authentication is confirmed, typically within three working days. The document set splits into two tracks depending on whether you're applying as an individual or as a French corporate entity.

Personal Identity Documents Every Applicant Must Submit

Every individual applying for a DSBH free zone license must provide the following:

• Passport copy with minimum six months validity, the Identity and Citizenship and Ports Authority (ICP) mandates this for all entry permit applications (ICP, 2025). Check the expiry date before anything else.

• Two recent passport-size photographs on a plain white background, 35 mm x 45 mm to UAE standard.

• UAE entry visa copy if you're already in the country at the time of application.

• Proof of residential address in France, a utility bill or bank statement dated within the last three months.

A Paris-based founder applying remotely can submit a certified copy of their French national identity card alongside their passport if the passport has less than eight months remaining. DSBH will flag the validity issue before submission to ICP, catching it early saves a rejected entry permit application weeks down the line.

Corporate Shareholder Documents for French Entities

If a French société, SAS, SARL, or SA, is the shareholder, the document requirements expand significantly. All of the following must be apostilled and translated into English:

• Extrait Kbis from the Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés, the definitive proof of legal existence for a French company. Kbis extracts older than 90 days are typically rejected by UAE free zone authorities, so order a fresh copy close to your submission date. A Kbis copy costs €3.70 via infogreffe.fr.

• Memorandum and articles of association of the French entity, apostilled and translated.

• Board resolution authorising the formation of a UAE subsidiary and naming the authorised signatory.

• Certificate of incumbency or equivalent document confirming current directors and shareholders.

All French corporate documents must carry an apostille under the 1961 Hague Convention, to which France is a signatory. A Lyon-based SAS whose Kbis is more than three months old at the time of DSBH submission will be asked to obtain a fresh extract, factor that refresh into your planning timeline. You can find the full France-specific guide at Dubai South Business Hub's France resource page.

How the French Apostille Process Works for Dubai Company Documents

France is a signatory to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. French public documents, criminal record extracts, notarised deeds, and civil status certificates, are apostilled by the Cour d'appel with jurisdiction over the issuing authority. The apostille replaces consular legalisation for UAE purposes and is accepted directly by Dubai free zone authorities. No embassy stamp is required.

Which French Authorities Issue Apostilles and for Which Documents

France has 36 Cours d'appel, and apostille jurisdiction is determined by the location of the issuing authority, not by where you live. Here's how it breaks down by document type:

• Criminal record extract (casier judiciaire bulletin n°3), issued by the Ministry of Justice, apostilled by the Cour d'appel of the jurisdiction where the document was produced.

• Notarised documents (procurations, deeds), apostilled by the Cour d'appel with territorial jurisdiction over the notary who signed them.

• Civil status documents (birth or marriage certificates), apostilled by the Cour d'appel of the département of the civil registry.

• Kbis extracts, issued by the Greffe du tribunal de commerce; apostille applied by the relevant Cour d'appel covering that commercial court.

A founder based in Bordeaux who needs a notarised power of attorney apostilled will submit to the Cour d'appel de Bordeaux, not to a national authority, because apostille jurisdiction follows the signing notary's location. Standard apostille processing takes 3–10 working days depending on the court and its current workload (UAE Ministry of Economy, 2025).

Translation Requirements After Apostille

Every apostilled French document must be translated into English by a certified translator before submission to DSBH. UAE authorities don't accept self-translations or machine-generated output. You need a sworn translator (traducteur assermenté) accredited by a French Cour d'appel.

Keep the apostille and its certified translation together as a single physical package. The DSBH reviewer will cross-check the translated text against the apostilled original, any discrepancy triggers a rejection. A French criminal record extract apostilled in Paris but then translated by a non-accredited agency will be turned away at DSBH intake. The translation credential matters as much as the apostille itself.

Step-by-Step Apostille Checklist to Set Up a Dubai Company from France

The French-to-Dubai document authentication process runs in sequential steps: gather originals, obtain your criminal record extract, apostille each document at the relevant Cour d'appel, commission certified English translations, compile the full DSBH application pack, submit for license, apply for entry permits through ICP, then complete Emirates ID registration in Dubai. Here's how to execute each step cleanly.

Step 1: Compile Your Personal and Corporate Document Set

1. Check your passport expiry first. Renewing a French passport takes 3–6 weeks at a préfecture, that delay cascades through the entire timeline if you miss it.

2. Order the casier judiciaire bulletin n°3 online via the French Ministry of Justice portal at justice.fr. It's free, and French nationals can download it immediately or receive it by post within 24–72 hours.

3. Gather corporate documents if a French entity is the shareholder: fresh Kbis (€3.70 via infogreffe.fr), articles of association, board resolution, and certificate of incumbency.

A Marseille-based consultant discovered her passport expired in four months when compiling her DSBH application pack. Catching this at Step 1 saved her from a rejected ICP entry permit application six weeks later, and avoided restarting the entire document sequence.

Step 2: Apostille Documents at the Relevant Cour d'appel

1. Identify the correct court for each document. France has 36 regional Cours d'appel; sending a document to the wrong court means it gets returned, adding weeks of delay.

2. Submit originals, not photocopies. Some courts accept postal applications; others require in-person submission. Check the specific court's current procedure before posting anything.

3. Allow 3–10 working days per court plus return postage time if submitting by mail.

4. Retain the apostilled originals. DSBH requires either the original apostilled document or a notarised copy of it.

French Document Authentication Routes for Dubai Company Formation

Step 3: Translate, Package, and Submit to DSBH

1. Commission certified English translations from a traducteur assermenté accredited by a French Cour d'appel. Keep each apostille and its translation physically together, never separate them.

2. Compile the full application pack: passport copy, photos, proof of French address, apostilled criminal record plus translation, and (if corporate) apostilled Kbis, articles, board resolution, and their translations.

3. Submit to DSBH. The team reviews completeness at intake and flags any missing items before the file goes to the licensing authority, you won't be left guessing.

4. Once the license is issued, proceed to ICP entry permit application. The entry permit application cannot be submitted before the license is in hand.

DSBH's business support services team can coordinate document review and government submissions on your behalf, reducing the chance of a rejection at intake.

Key Facts: French Apostille vs. UAE Document Requirements at a Glance

French founders need to match each document type to the correct authentication route: personal documents get apostilled at the relevant Cour d'appel, corporate Kbis extracts follow commercial court jurisdiction, and all apostilled documents must be paired with certified English translations before DSBH submission. No consular legalisation is required.

Important Considerations for French Founders

• Apostille jurisdiction is local, not national. There is no single French national apostille authority, always identify the Cour d'appel with jurisdiction over the specific document's issuing body.

• Kbis extracts have a 90-day shelf life at UAE free zone authorities. Order yours as late as practically possible before submission.

• A French SAS appointing a UAE-based manager via power of attorney must have the POA notarised by a French notaire, apostilled by the Cour d'appel with jurisdiction over that notaire, translated by an assermenté translator, then submitted to DSBH as part of the license application pack.

• The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) handles residency visa stamping after ICP entry permit approval, it is a separate step from licensing (GDRFA, 2025).

• No document in the standard DSBH French founder pack requires consular legalisation, the 1961 Hague Convention apostille is the complete authentication route.

Emirates ID and Residency Visa Documents from France

After your DSBH license is issued, the Identity and Citizenship and Ports Authority (ICP) processes your entry permit, and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) handles residency visa stamping. You'll then complete Emirates ID biometrics in Dubai. French founders should allow 10–15 working days for the full residency cycle.

ICP Entry Permit and Medical Fitness Requirements

ICP issues the entry permit that allows you to enter the UAE for residency visa stamping. This step follows license issuance, not before. ICP requires a minimum six months passport validity at the point of entry permit application, so a passport renewed before Step 1 is critical.

The medical fitness test is conducted inside the UAE after arrival. French founders do not complete this step in France. The Emirates ID card is issued by ICP after successful biometric registration in Dubai; it's the mandatory national identity document for all UAE residents (ICP, 2025).

GDRFA Residency Visa Stamping and What French Founders Should Prepare

GDRFA stamps the residency visa into your passport after the medical fitness test clears, typically within 3–5 working days of medical clearance. DSBH's

References

1. ICP

2. UAE Ministry of Economy

3. GDRFA