Answered the way we answer on calls.

Yes. The from-prices on /pricing are real year-1 starting points per route, in AED, VAT included — RAKEZ from AED 9,150, IFZA from AED 16,575, Dubai mainland from AED 20,200, DIFC SPV from AED 23,090. Your exact number depends on activity, visas, and add-ons, and we confirm it on a short call.

Once we issue your written quote, that number is final for the scope it covers. Government costs pass through at cost — never marked up. The only things that change a quote are a scope change you ask for, or a government authority changing its published fees — and both go through you first.

No. Every line is itemised on the quote — licence, visas, establishment card, accounting, government charges. If it's not on the quote, you don't pay it.

Renewal only — the licence plus whatever ongoing services you use, typically well below year 1. We send your renewal quote 60 days before the licence expires.

Free-zone licences typically issue in days once KYC is complete. Mainland takes one to three weeks depending on approvals. The honest caveat: banks set the real end-to-end timeline — a clean profile opens an account in weeks.

No. Digital signatures are accepted by the registrars, KYC happens on video calls, and the bank account opens remotely. The visa medical is the one step that eventually needs you physically present — when you're ready to activate residency.

Passport scan (photo page, every shareholder), proof of address under 3 months old, a passport-style photo, three company-name options, and a one-paragraph description of what you sell and to whom.

Your client portal shows the formation timeline phase by phase, what we need from you right now, and every document — yours and ours — in one place. We also email you at every step change.

A standard 2-year employment/residence visa runs from AED 6,375 (RAKEZ), AED 6,625 (IFZA), or AED 7,625 (mainland), plus government pass-throughs at cost: medical AED 360 and Emirates ID AED 370.

No — that's a common upsell. A standard 2-year investor visa through your own company covers living and working in the UAE for a fraction of the golden visa's capital requirement. The golden visa makes sense for its 10-year duration and self-sponsorship, not as a prerequisite.

Yes. Once your own residence visa is stamped, you can sponsor your spouse and children. We process dependent visas alongside yours — the per-visa pricing is on /pricing.

No. SPVs and Foundations are passive holding vehicles — no employees, no visas. Residence comes from an operating company (free zone or mainland); the usual pattern pairs a free-zone operating company with the holding layer on top.

Yes — the 'free zones can't bank' claim has been outdated since around 2022. We open business accounts for free-zone companies every week. What matters is a clean profile: clear activity, real website, sensible expected volumes.

Weeks, not days — and it depends on the bank and your profile, so distrust anyone promising a fixed banking timeline. A well-documented application moves in 1–4 weeks; a vague one stalls anywhere.

Yes. The banks we work with run KYC on video calls. You don't need to fly in for the account.

Personal income tax: genuinely zero. Corporate tax: 0% on the first AED 375,000 of profit, 9% above. Free-zone companies meeting the Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions can keep 0% on qualifying income — but that's a regime you actively qualify for, with substance and audit requirements, not a default.

Registration is mandatory once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 in any 12-month window (voluntary from AED 187,500), as of 2026. We handle registration (AED 2,100) and ongoing filing (AED 3,675/yr).

Possibly — it depends on your residency position, where the company is actually managed, and your home country's rules. This is exactly the kind of question the discovery call is for, and where serious setups differ from cheap ones.

Magic link — no password. Go to the client sign-in page, enter the email we're onboarding you with, and click the link we send. Partners have their own sign-in at the Partner centre.

Nine times out of ten: a different email. Use exactly the email we're onboarding you with (the one your booking confirmation arrived on). Still stuck? Email hello@startsmartuae.com and we'll resend access.

Your formation timeline with progress, what we need from you right now, your documents vault, compliance dates, and — for multi-entity clients — the structure view showing your Foundation, SPVs, and what each holds.