UAE company setup from Pakistan
Founders from Pakistan often set up in the UAE to invoice international clients for software and digital services, trade Pakistani goods into the Gulf, and hold a residence visa in a regional hub.
Setup planning
- Invoicing overseas clients for software, IT and digital-marketing work from a UAE company and bank account
- Trading Pakistani textiles, rice and general goods into GCC and re-export markets
- A UAE residence visa for the founder through the company's investor visa quota
- Moving an existing freelance practice into a licensed company that clients and platforms can contract with
Documents to prepare
Confirm the checklist for your authority, legal form and document origin. These preparation notes are not a universal filing checklist.
- Pakistani passport and a copy of the CNIC; RAKEZ lists a national identity card for Pakistani investor/partner visa applicants, and other zones may ask for it too
- Pakistan-issued documents attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan, then by the UAE Embassy in Islamabad; its digital attestation covers both the embassy and UAE MOFA in one application
- Police character (good-conduct) certificate, attested through the same MOFA and UAE Embassy route, if the zone asks for it under the reported 2026 requirement
- For a Pakistani company as shareholder: incorporation certificate, board resolution, and memorandum and articles of association, each attested separately
Travel and sequencing
Pakistani nationals are not among the nationalities GDRFA lists for its visa-on-arrival style routes for residents of the US, UK, EU and similar countries, so plan on a visit visa or the zone's investor entry permit arranged before flying. The zone may ask for the good-conduct certificate (reported, from 16 June 2026) and the CNIC copy when it applies for the entry permit or residence visa; confirm both before you book travel.
Check the required appointments and entry or status-change route before booking travel.
Where to start
Explore a Dubai free-zone licence; activity eligibility and the residence sequence need confirmation.
From AED 12,900, no visa
Explore an Ajman licence with activity, premises and renewal costs checked for your business.
From AED 5,555, no visa
Explore the mainland activity, legal form and approvals for your intended operations.
Licence estimate AED 14,000, licence only
Related activities
Information Technology Consultants
IFZA (Dubai) · Ajman Free Zone · Dubai mainland (DET)
Computer programming activities
Ajman Free Zone
Marketing Services Via Social Media
IFZA (Dubai)
Ecommerce
IFZA (Dubai) · Ajman Free Zone · Dubai mainland (DET)
General Trading
IFZA (Dubai) · Ajman Free Zone · Dubai mainland (DET)
Wholesale of Textiles and Clothes Trading
Ajman Free Zone
What this page does not cover
- Whether you stop being tax resident in Pakistan. That depends on your own circumstances and the rules there, and it needs an adviser in that country, not a UAE directory.
- How a UAE company is treated by your home tax authority, including reporting obligations that may continue after you move.
- Immigration eligibility. We describe the residency steps that follow a licence, not who qualifies for one.
Country-specific checks
RAKEZ's new investor/partner visa service lists a national identity-card copy for Pakistani applicants. Its good-conduct requirement includes Pakistan but is scoped to non-residents applying from outside the UAE or applicants inside on a tourist/entry permit. Confirm the exact document route before applying. This RAKEZ checklist does not establish a Pakistan-wide UAE visa restriction.
Sources
FAQ
Do I need a police good-conduct certificate for a UAE investor visa?
Possibly. A circular reported to free zones (not published by ICP) lists Pakistan among 45 nationalities that must provide an attested good-conduct certificate for new investor, partner, employee and dependant visas from 16 June 2026, and RAKEZ's investor visa card includes Pakistan in its own good-conduct list. Ask your zone before applying; the certificate needs MOFA Pakistan and UAE Embassy attestation. See the visa section of How it works.
How do I attest Pakistani documents for the UAE?
Have the document attested by MOFA Pakistan (or its liaison offices), then apply for UAE Embassy Islamabad digital attestation through the UAE MOFA website with UAE Pass. One application covers the embassy and UAE MOFA. Memorandum and articles of association are attested separately, and laminated documents are not accepted.
Setting up from Pakistan?
Compare the published setup routes and check which documents apply to your case.