Business Setup Overview
Mainland Business Setup
UAE Mainland
UAE Freezone
UAE Offshore
Taxation
Expert taxation and financial management solutions
VAT Services
PRO Services
Professional support for all your business needs
PRO Business Services Overview
DIFC Formation
Pioneering Excellence in Financial Foundations.
Overview
Setting up a branch or representative office in the UAE mainland is the best option for Indian companies to expand their presence in the Gulf region. This allows companies to operate in the UAE under their existing corporate identity without forming a new legal entity.
A branch of a foreign company is not a separate legal entity in the UAE. It’s an extension of the parent company abroad.
The branch office can do all the business activities of the parent company except trading in the UAE mainland. It needs to get approvals from various UAE government departments.
A representative office is also an extension of the parent company but cannot engage in any commercial or revenue-generating activities. Its function is to market and promote the parent company’s products or services in the UAE.
UAE Ministry of Economy approval is required for both branch and representative office setup.
A UAE national service agent must be appointed in both cases. This agent has no equity or ownership in the company.
A bank guarantee of AED 50,000, in favor of the Ministry of Economy, is required during the license issuance process.