# UAE company setup from China Chinese founders · Orientation, not advice · Dubai Setup Index > Founders from China usually set up in the UAE to hold stock, invoice and re-export Chinese-made goods into Gulf, African and South Asian markets from a company close to those buyers. - Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/from/china - Updated: 2026-10-09 - Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology ## Setup planning - Wholesale and re-export of Chinese-manufactured goods (electronics, phones, textiles, building finishes) through a UAE trading licence - A regional sales, distribution or after-sales office for a China-based manufacturer - Short business trips without a prior visa under the China–UAE mutual visa exemption for ordinary passports - A UAE bank account and residence visa held by the person running the regional operation ## Documents to prepare Confirm the checklist for your authority, legal form and document origin. These preparation notes are not a universal filing checklist. - Chinese ordinary passport with validity for the planned stay and any residence application - China-issued documents (certificates, powers of attorney, a parent company's business licence, articles and board resolution) legalised through notarisation, then China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an authorised local foreign affairs office, then the UAE Embassy or a UAE Consulate in China, with UAE MOFA attestation where the receiving authority asks for it - No apostille shortcut: the UAE is not listed as a party to the Apostille Convention, and China keeps consular legalisation for documents going to non-contracting states, so a Chinese apostille alone should not be relied on - Certified English or Arabic translations of Chinese-language documents, in the form the free zone or bank specifies ## Travel and sequencing China's consular list shows a China–UAE mutual visa exemption for ordinary passports in force since 16 January 2018, covering short stays (the list states under 30 days per entry). That covers a setup visit, not residence or work: the investor residence visa, medical test and biometrics follow once the licence is issued. A good-conduct certificate requirement is reported (not published by ICP) for Chinese nationals from 15 November 2026; confirm with the zone before applying. Check the required appointments and entry or status-change route before booking travel. [See the full five-stage process](https://dubaisetupindex.com/how-it-works) ## Where to start ### [IFZA](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ifza) Explore a Dubai free-zone licence; activity eligibility and the residence sequence need confirmation. From AED 12,900, no visa (12 months · calculator output) ### [Ajman Free Zone](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ajman) Explore an Ajman licence with activity, premises and renewal costs checked for your business. From AED 5,555, no visa (12 months · current package) ### [Dubai mainland](https://dubaisetupindex.com/mainland) Explore the mainland activity, legal form and approvals for your intended operations. Licence estimate AED 14,000, licence only (Licence only · plus 5% of rent) ## Related activities - [General Trading](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/general-trading) — IFZA (Dubai) · Ajman Free Zone · Dubai mainland (DET) - [Electrical & Electronic Appliances Spare Part Trading](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/electrical-and-electronic-appliances-spare-part-trading) — IFZA (Dubai) · Ajman Free Zone · Dubai mainland (DET) - [Mobile Phones & Accessories Trading](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/mobile-phones-and-accessories-trading) — IFZA (Dubai) · Dubai mainland (DET) - [Wholesale of Textiles and Clothes Trading](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/wholesale-of-textiles-and-clothes-trading) — Ajman Free Zone - [Tiles & Flooring Materials Trading](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/tiles-and-flooring-materials-trading) — IFZA (Dubai) · Ajman Free Zone · Dubai mainland (DET) - [Ecommerce](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/ecommerce) — IFZA (Dubai) · Ajman Free Zone · Dubai mainland (DET) ## Country-specific checks Documents issued in China follow a legalisation chain: notarisation and translation locally, certification by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an authorised local foreign affairs office, then certification by a UAE mission in China. Confirm the chain for the particular document before paying for translation or attestation. This is about document origin, not a requirement automatically imposed on every Chinese national's documents. ## Sources - [China Consular Service — Mutual Visa Exemption List](https://cs.mfa.gov.cn/lh/lhqz_149493/list/202607/t20260713_11981384.html) - [HCCH — Apostille Convention status table](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41) - [Beijing Municipal Government — apostille and consular legalisation guide](https://english.beijing.gov.cn/investinginbeijing/Start_Your_Business/focus_guide/thematic_guide/Certification_Documents/index.html) - [UAE MOFA — Documents Attestation service](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation) ## What this page does not cover - Whether you stop being tax resident in China. 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. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I use a Chinese apostille for my UAE company documents? Do not assume so. China joined the Apostille Convention in November 2023, but the UAE is not listed as a party, and China states that consular legalisation still applies to documents going to non-contracting states. Plan for the legalisation chain (notary, Chinese foreign affairs authority, UAE mission in China) and ask the free zone which attestation it accepts before paying for translations. ### Do I need a visa to visit the UAE to set up the company? Chinese ordinary-passport holders are covered by a mutual visa exemption for short stays. Residence is a separate process: after the licence is issued, the zone applies for an investor entry permit or status change, followed by a medical test and biometrics in the UAE. Check the visa section of How it works for the reported good-conduct certificate rule and its date for China. ## Related - [All country guides](https://dubaisetupindex.com/from) - [How company setup works](https://dubaisetupindex.com/how-it-works) ## Machine-readable - [China record (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/countries/china.json) ## Citation Required when quoting any figure from this page. Copy one of these verbatim — the link is not optional. Dubai Setup Index. “UAE company setup from China.” Updated 2026-10-09. https://dubaisetupindex.com/from/china [Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/from/china). “UAE company setup from China.” Updated 2026-10-09. Quoting any figure from this record requires a resolvable link to url. Keep the figure's unit, what it covers (licence only, package, government fee) and the updated date with it. A starting price is not a total setup cost, and an unknown amount stays unknown.