Smart Zones® - Your UAE Entry Partner
Business • Residency • Banking • Wealth • Investment
Smart Zones® - Your UAE Entry Partner
Business • Residency • Banking • Wealth • Investment
Civil Company Setup, Dubai
A professional partnership structure for licensed professionals: engineers, consultants, doctors, lawyers and accountants, set up and registered correctly.
Free, no-obligation consultation on licence type and structure.
A civil company in Dubai is a professional partnership structure for licensed professionals, engineers, consultants, doctors, lawyers and accountants, who want to practise together without forming a limited liability company. Eligibility depends on holding an attested professional qualification relevant to the activity, and ownership rules differ from a standard LLC. Setup runs through DET licensing once your qualification attestation and partnership agreement are in place, and civil companies are generally treated as transparent partnerships for UAE corporate tax purposes, meaning tax outcomes flow through to the partners rather than the entity itself in many structures. Separately, some searchers use "civil company" to mean a civil construction or engineering contracting business, which instead falls under Dubai Municipality contractor classification and the general framework of the UAE's Civil Transactions Law, this page covers both interpretations. Contact our team for a tailored quote once your activity and structure are confirmed.
Why It Matters
A civil company is a specific legal structure under UAE company law designed for licensed professionals such as engineers, consultants, doctors, lawyers and accountants who want to practise together as partners rather than as a limited liability company. It has different ownership rules, a different attestation requirement for professional qualifications, and different corporate tax treatment as a transparent partnership. Getting the structure and licensing right from the start avoids having to convert or re-register later.
Understanding the Structure
A partnership structure for licensed professionals, with eligibility tied to an attested professional qualification and generally transparent tax treatment.
A broader commercial structure suited to trading and general business activities, without the professional qualification eligibility requirement.
Engineers, consultants, doctors, lawyers, accountants and other licensed professionals with an attested qualification relevant to the activity.
Professional qualifications must be attested before they can support a civil company licence application.
Civil companies are generally treated as transparent partnerships for UAE corporate tax purposes, subject to the specific structure and activity.
Before You Apply
Confirm your professional activity qualifies for civil company registration rather than a standard commercial licence.
Attest your professional qualification before it can support the licence application.
Draft a partnership agreement setting out each partner's role, profit share and liability.
Confirm how your civil company will be treated for FTA corporate tax purposes given your specific structure.
Getting Started
Check that your professional activity qualifies for civil company registration.
Complete attestation of the relevant professional qualification for each partner.
Set out roles, profit sharing and liability between partners in writing.
Submit your preferred company name for approval with the relevant authority.
File your civil company application with DET along with supporting documents.
Confirm a registered office address to support your licence issuance.
Clarify how your civil company will be treated for FTA corporate tax purposes.
Begin operating once all approvals and registrations are in place.
Budgeting
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Setup cost | Varies by professional activity, number of partners and office requirement, contact us for a tailored quote |
| Eligible professionals | Engineers, consultants, doctors, lawyers, accountants and other licensed professionals |
| Key regulators | Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) |
| Construction interpretation | Civil construction and engineering contracting instead falls under Dubai Municipality contractor classification |
| Tax treatment | Generally treated as a transparent partnership for corporate tax purposes, subject to structure and activity |
No price is published for this service, as cost depends on activity, partner numbers and structure. A custom quote is required, please contact our team.
Our Story
Smart Zones® UAE has helped more than 45,000 clients worldwide set up, relocate and protect their interests across the UAE, backed by 13+ years of experience in company formation, residency, banking and family trust formation.
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The trust formation process was seamless from start to finish. Highly recommend Smart Zones UAE.
Professional, transparent, and fast. Exactly what I needed for my family's estate planning.
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Responsive team and a genuinely smooth setup process from our first call to licence in hand.
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Smart Zones® - Your UAE Entry Partner
Business • Residency • Banking • Wealth • Investment