Business setup, licensing and corporate structuring in Dubai, the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong
Complexity,
structured.
Company formation in Dubai mainland and free zones, VARA, MiCA and payment licences, holding structures, foundations and family offices. Plus the accounting, VAT and corporate tax filings that keep every entity compliant. UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong, plus VASP licensing in the EU and BVI and crypto company set-up in Costa Rica and Panama.
- 01ComplexityEvery group starts as a cloud of references: owners, codes, regulators.
- 02OrderEach entity finds its layer and its jurisdiction.
- 03RouteOne line from the owner to the licensed entity.
- 04StructuredSeen from above, the whole group is one clear drawing.
Why Fosbury
Most firms can form a company. Fewer can tell you which company, where, under which licence, and then keep its books, VAT and filings straight for years. We do both, and we are at our best when the file is complicated.
01 / Services
Four practices. Sixteen specialisms.
Licensing
The licence is the product. We choose the regime, build the application and stay with you until approval.
- Crypto and VASP
- EMI and payment licences
- Banking and financial services
- Funds and asset management
Structuring
Who owns what, where, and why. Groups designed around the licence, the investors and the family.
- Holding companies and SPVs
- Cross-border structures
- Foundations and trusts
- Family office structures
Compliance and governance
What keeps the structure standing: approvals, AML and KYC frameworks, boards and registers.
- Regulatory approvals
- AML / KYC and compliance
- Governance
Corporate, accounting and tax
The everyday work that keeps a company in good standing: formation, books, VAT and corporate tax, renewals and filings.
- Company formation
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- VAT registration and returns
- Corporate tax registration and returns
- Company administration and renewals
In figures
7
Jurisdictions, from San José to Hong Kong
4
Practices: licensing, structuring, compliance and governance, corporate, accounting and tax
16
Specialisms across the four practices
02 / How we draw it
Every engagement ends in a chart.
Owner at the top, licensed entity at the bottom, every layer in its jurisdiction. You sign off the structure before anything is incorporated. Four steps get you there.
01
Diagnose
We map the business, the owners, the money flows and the regulator that will care. Before any entity exists.
02
Structure
We draw the group: which entity sits where, who owns it, what each layer is for. You see it as a chart, not a memo.
03
License
We prepare and run the application with the regulator, from business plan and policies to questions and conditions.
04
Govern
After approval we keep it standing: boards, registers, renewals, approved persons and change of control.
03 / Jurisdictions
Where we work.
971
United Arab Emirates
Mainland, free zones, ADGM and DIFC. VARA, FSRA, DFSA and the Central Bank.
65
Singapore
Payment services, fund management and family offices under MAS.
852
Hong Kong
Virtual asset platforms, asset management and stored value under the SFC and HKMA.
EU
European Union
MiCA
284
British Virgin Islands
BVI FSC
506
Costa Rica
Company formation
507
Panama
Company formation
04 / Who we work with
Boutique by design.
Every engagement is led by a principal and scoped to its structure. No packages, no price lists.
Founders
Building a regulated business and need the licence, the group and the bank account to line up.
Investors and funds
Setting up a manager, a vehicle or an acquisition structure across more than one centre.
Family offices
Holding wealth, succession and investment through foundations, trusts and single family offices.
Regulated businesses
Already licensed, expanding to a new jurisdiction or changing control.
05 / Questions
Questions we are asked.
How do I set up a company in Dubai?
Choose your business activity, then the jurisdiction: Dubai mainland, a free zone, or a financial centre such as ADGM or DIFC if the activity is regulated. Reserve a trade name, obtain initial approval, submit shareholder documents, arrange office space, and receive the trade licence. After that come the establishment card and visas, a corporate bank account, and corporate tax and VAT registration where required. We run the whole sequence and tell you at the start which steps your activity adds.
Free zone or mainland: which is better for my business?
A mainland company can trade directly anywhere in the UAE market, including with government. A free zone company suits international trade, services, holding and many digital businesses, but trading onshore usually needs a distributor or a mainland presence. Regulated financial activity may point to ADGM or DIFC instead. The right answer depends on who your customers are, what you will do, how many visas you need and how you will bank.
Do UAE companies have to register for corporate tax?
Yes. UAE corporate tax applies to financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023. Most UAE companies, including free zone companies, must register with the Federal Tax Authority and file an annual return. Taxable income above AED 375,000 is taxed at 9%, and qualifying free zone persons can apply 0% to qualifying income.
Can you help with a crypto or VASP licence in Dubai?
Yes. In Dubai, virtual asset activity outside DIFC is licensed by VARA; in ADGM by the FSRA; in DIFC by the DFSA. We map your activities to the right licence categories, design the group around the licensed entity and run the application with the regulator.
Bring us the complicated one.
Tell us what you are building, where, and what stands in the way. A principal replies, not a sales desk.