The short answer
Dubai and Singapore both let a foreign founder own a company, but they differ on who must be local. Singapore's registrar, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), requires at least one director who meets its local residency rules. For a Dubai free zone company, IFZA says non-residents can register, own and manage it without relocating.
Singapore taxes company profit at a flat 17% before exemptions and rebates, says the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). In the UAE: 0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward.
First Idea Consultant forms companies in the UAE. As of October 2026, our Standard package, company and one residence visa, is AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA. For Singapore, this guide gives only the figures ACRA, IRAS and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) publish.
Key takeaways
- ACRA requires every Singapore company to have at least one director who meets its local residency rules: a Singapore citizen, a permanent resident or the holder of an accepted pass. ACRA lists the Employment Pass, Personalised Employment Pass and Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass, and GoBusiness also lists the EntrePass (checked 27 October 2026).
- IRAS taxes company profit at 17%, and a qualifying new company gets a 75% exemption on its first S$100,000 of normal chargeable income in each of its first 3 Years of Assessment (YAs). The 50% rebate, capped at S$40,000 with its cash grant, is for YA 2026, which covers financial years ending in 2025, so a company formed now would not receive it; IRAS lists no YA 2027 rebate (page updated 7 August 2026).
- In the UAE: 0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward. Small Business Relief now covers eligible businesses for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029 (Ministry of Finance, 7 August 2026).
- To live in Singapore you need a MOM work pass: the EntrePass is for venture-backed or innovative-technology businesses, and the Employment Pass needs a job offer and at least S$5,600 a month for applications before 1 January 2027 and S$6,000 from that date, more with age and in financial services (MOM). In Dubai, your own free zone company can sponsor your residence visa.
- ACRA charges S$15 to apply for a company name and S$300 to register the company, as of October 2026. It does not publish what a resident director, a company secretary or a Singapore address costs.
What does a Dubai company cost with us?
A Dubai free zone company with us costs AED 12,500 at Meydan or AED 12,900 at IFZA for Basic, with no visa, as of October 2026. A free zone is a business area with its own licensing authority, and our Dubai free zone company packages are priced for two of them, Meydan Free Zone and IFZA. Read one column or the other: the two zones are separate packages and are never added together.
| Package | Meydan | IFZA |
|---|---|---|
| Basic, no visa | AED 12,500 | AED 12,900 |
| Licence, memorandum of association, flexi-office address and certificate of registration. | ||
| Standard, one visa | AED 23,136 | AED 23,436 |
| Company and one residence visa: Basic plus the establishment card, medical test, Emirates ID and corporate tax registration. | ||
| Premium | AED 28,136 | AED 28,436 |
| Company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance (a digital business account), plus help with one personal account and a digital company stamp. | ||
- The totals include our professional service fee at its promotional rate: AED 0 in Basic (regularly AED 1,000) and AED 2,000 in Standard and Premium (regularly AED 3,500). If the promotion ends, the totals change.
- Bank account opening is subject to each bank's KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank's requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.
- No professional service fee on licence renewals; government and authority fees still apply.
- There is no First Idea Consultant figure for Singapore. The Singapore figures in this guide are the government's own, each named and dated.
Other UAE free zones, extra visas and family visas are quote-only. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
Every component line behind these totals is on our Dubai business setup cost page.
How do Dubai and Singapore compare for a new company?
A Dubai free zone company and a Singapore private limited company differ most on local officers, tax, the founder's residence and banking, and the table below puts each rule beside its counterpart. ACRA registers Singapore companies through its online portal, Bizfile; in Dubai, the free zone authority, such as Meydan or IFZA, issues the licence.
A locally resident director, in ACRA's terms, is a director who is a Singapore citizen, a permanent resident or the holder of an accepted work pass, as ACRA and GoBusiness list them in the table below. A corporate service provider is a registered filing agent, such as a law, accounting or corporate secretarial firm, that files with ACRA on your behalf. Each cell names the authority that publishes the rule, and every page was read on its own site on 27 October 2026.
| Point | Singapore private limited company | Dubai free zone company (Meydan or IFZA) |
|---|---|---|
| Who registers or licenses it | ACRA, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, registers the company on Bizfile. Foreigners must engage a corporate service provider to reserve the name and register.Source: ACRA, ACRA requirements, checked 27 Oct 2026 | The free zone authority licenses the company. The UAE government portal says you apply online through the website of the free zone authority.Source: u.ae, checked 27 Oct 2026 |
| Foreign ownership | Shares can be bought by a person, a company or a limited liability partnership (LLP). The local residency condition applies to the director; GoBusiness lists at least one director and one shareholder.Source: ACRA, GoBusiness, checked 27 Oct 2026 | IFZA says the free zones allow 100% foreign ownership without any local partner or sponsor.Source: IFZA, checked 27 Oct 2026 |
| Local director | At least one director who meets local residency rules: a Singapore citizen, a permanent resident or the holder of an accepted pass. ACRA lists the Employment Pass, Personalised Employment Pass and Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass, and GoBusiness also lists the EntrePass. Employment Pass holders first need a Letter of Consent from MOM.Source: ACRA, ACRA Bizfile guide, GoBusiness, checked 27 Oct 2026 | IFZA says non-residents can register, own and manage a Dubai free zone company without having to relocate.Source: IFZA, checked 27 Oct 2026 |
| Company secretary and other officers | A company secretary is required within six months of registration. The secretary must be a real person who is a Singapore citizen, a permanent resident or meets local residency rules, and cannot be the sole director. An auditor must also be appointed within three months of incorporation unless the company is exempt.Source: ACRA, ACRA post-registration guide, checked 27 Oct 2026 | Meydan's FAQ says a company names one manager on its licence and can have up to four directors; neither Meydan nor IFZA sets a residency condition for these roles on the pages we read. Ask the zone which officers it requires.Source: Meydan, IFZA, checked 27 Oct 2026 |
| Registered address | A Singapore address, open to the public for at least three hours on each business day.Source: ACRA, checked 27 Oct 2026 | A flexi-office address in the free zone is included in our Basic, Standard and Premium packages.Source: First Idea Consultant package sheet, October 2026, checked 27 Oct 2026 |
| Share capital | At least S$1 of share capital to start.Source: ACRA, checked 27 Oct 2026 | Meydan suggests AED 100,000 in the articles of incorporation and says it cannot set the figure for you.Source: Meydan, checked 27 Oct 2026 |
| Income tax | Company: a flat 17% of chargeable income, for local and foreign companies. Person: progressive rates for tax residents, 0% on the first S$20,000 and 24% at the highest band.Source: IRAS company rates, IRAS personal rates, checked 27 Oct 2026 | 0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward.Source: Ministry of Finance, u.ae, First Idea Consultant package sheet, October 2026, checked 27 Oct 2026 |
| Sales tax | GST at 9%. Registration is required once taxable turnover passes S$1 million at the end of a calendar year, or is expected to within 12 months.Source: IRAS, ACRA, checked 27 Oct 2026 | VAT at 5%. Registration is mandatory once taxable supplies and imports pass AED 375,000 a year.Source: u.ae, checked 27 Oct 2026 |
| Living there as the founder | A MOM work pass: the EntrePass for venture-backed or innovative-technology businesses, or an Employment Pass, which an employer applies for.Source: ACRA, MOM, checked 27 Oct 2026 | A residence visa sponsored through your company; a sponsored residence visa runs for 1, 2 or 3 years. Our Standard package includes one.Source: u.ae, First Idea Consultant package sheet, October 2026, checked 27 Oct 2026 |
| Family | An EntrePass holder can bring a spouse and children if the business meets one of MOM's conditions, such as S$100,000 of annual total business spending and one local employee.Source: MOM, checked 27 Oct 2026 | u.ae's page on residence visas for families of employees says the sponsor needs a salary of at least AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation, and that the conditions change: check them for your visa type with ICP, the federal identity and residency authority, or GDRFA, Dubai's residency department.Source: u.ae, checked 27 Oct 2026 |
| Business bank account | You will usually need most directors to be physically present in Singapore, plus a board decision, certified company documents and identity checks.Source: ACRA, checked 27 Oct 2026 | Bank account opening is subject to each bank's KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank's requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.Source: First Idea Consultant package sheet, October 2026, checked 27 Oct 2026 |
| Yearly filing | An annual return to ACRA (S$60), an estimate of chargeable income to IRAS within 3 months of the financial year end unless waived, and Form C-S or Form C by 30 November each year, even with no income or a loss.Source: ACRA fees, IRAS guide, IRAS forms, checked 27 Oct 2026 | A corporate tax return to the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) within nine months of the end of each tax period, including for businesses claiming Small Business Relief. No professional service fee on licence renewals; government and authority fees still apply.Source: FTA, First Idea Consultant package sheet, October 2026, checked 27 Oct 2026 |
For the Dubai steps in order, read our guide to setting up a business in Dubai, and for registering while you are still abroad, company registration in Dubai.
How is company profit taxed in Singapore and in the UAE?
Company profit is taxed at a flat 17% in Singapore and at 9% above AED 375,000 in the UAE, and both countries have reliefs that change the bill for a small company. In Singapore, chargeable income is the profit left after allowable deductions, and IRAS taxes it on a preceding year basis: income of the financial year that ends in 2025 is assessed in Year of Assessment (YA) 2026. The figures below are as IRAS published them on its corporate tax page, last updated 7 August 2026.
Singapore: the rate, the exemptions and the YA 2026 rebate
| Scheme | What IRAS says | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Headline rate | A flat 17% of chargeable income. | Local and foreign companies. |
| Start-up exemption | 75% exemption on the first S$100,000 of normal chargeable income and a further 50% on the next S$100,000, up to S$125,000 exempt in each YA. | New companies, for their first 3 consecutive YAs, if incorporated and tax resident in Singapore with no more than 20 shareholders, all individuals or at least one individual holding 10% or more. Investment holding and property development companies are excluded. |
| Partial exemption | 75% exemption on the first S$10,000 of normal chargeable income and a further 50% on the next S$190,000, up to S$102,500 exempt in each YA. | Companies not claiming the start-up exemption, including a company from its fourth YA. |
| Corporate income tax rebate, YA 2026 | 50% of the tax payable. Active companies that employed at least one local employee in 2025 receive a minimum benefit of S$2,000, paid as a cash grant. The rebate and grant together are capped at S$40,000. | All taxpaying companies, tax resident or not, for YA 2026, which covers income of financial years ending in 2025. A company set up in late 2026 is first assessed in YA 2027 or later, and IRAS lists no YA 2027 rebate. |
Source: IRAS, checked 27 Oct 2026. S$ means Singapore dollars.
The start-up exemption needs the company to be tax resident in Singapore, and IRAS says a company is tax resident there when its control and management is exercised in Singapore. IRAS explains control and management as decisions on strategic matters, usually made at board meetings. A company whose board makes those decisions outside Singapore may therefore not meet that condition, as IRAS describes it.
The UAE: one rate above a threshold
0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward. The rate and the AED 375,000 threshold come from Cabinet Decision 116 of 2022 (Ministry of Finance).
Small Business Relief, which the Ministry of Finance describes as simplified corporate tax compliance for taxable persons with annual revenue of AED 3 million or less, can now be claimed for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029, subject to the conditions in the law. The FTA's Small Business Relief guide (CTGSBR1, August 2023) says the relief is not available to a Qualifying Free Zone Person or to a member of a large multinational group. A Qualifying Free Zone Person, in the guide's terms, is a free zone business that meets the conditions of the Corporate Tax Law, such as adequate substance in the UAE and qualifying income. The details are in our UAE corporate tax guide.
Your own tax as the founder
Where you are taxed as a person turns on your own residence, not on where the company is registered. IRAS, for example, treats a foreigner as tax resident in Singapore for a YA after at least 183 days in Singapore in the previous calendar year, among other tests (IRAS). The country you live in applies its own rules to you, whichever country the company is in.
Can you live in Dubai or Singapore through your own company?
You can live in Dubai through your own free zone company, because the company can sponsor your residence visa; in Singapore, owning a company does not give you the right to live there. ACRA says foreigners who want to move to Singapore to run their business need a work pass, and the passes are issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
The EntrePass is MOM's work pass for foreign entrepreneurs whose business is venture-backed or owns innovative technologies. The Employment Pass is MOM's pass for professionals, managers and executives with a job offer, and the employer applies for it.
| Route | Who it is for | Main conditions | Length | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore: EntrePass | Founders of a Singapore private limited company that is venture-backed or owns innovative technologies. You must hold at least 30% of it. | At least one of: S$100,000 or more raised in one funding round; support from a recognised incubator or accelerator; a venture-backed or tech business you founded and sold; registered intellectual property; a research collaboration in Singapore. No minimum salary. Coffee shops, bars, massage parlours and employment agencies, among others, are not eligible. ACRA says to apply before incorporation or within six months of setting up. GoBusiness lists EntrePass holders among those who can be the local director. | New pass and first renewal: up to 1 year. Later renewals: up to 2 years. | checked 27 Oct 2026 |
| Singapore: Employment Pass | Professionals, managers and executives with a job offer in Singapore. An employer or employment agent applies. | A fixed salary of at least S$5,600 a month, rising with age to S$10,700 at 45 and above (S$6,000 to S$11,500 for new applications from 1 January 2027), for all sectors except financial services, where MOM sets higher figures; 40 points under COMPASS, MOM's points test, unless exempted; and the job advertised on MyCareersFuture first, unless an exemption applies, such as a company with fewer than 10 employees. | First pass: up to 2 years. Renewals: up to 3 years. | checked 27 Oct 2026 |
| Dubai: residence visa through your own company | Founders who buy a package with a residence visa through their own free zone company (our Standard or Premium package at Meydan or IFZA). | Applicants aged 18 and over take a medical test, pass a security check and apply for an Emirates ID, the UAE identity card. Our Standard package, AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA, includes one residence visa. | A sponsored residence visa runs for 1, 2 or 3 years. |
|
MOM's Employment Pass pages describe a pass for someone with a job offer from an employer; they do not set out a separate route for a founder employing themselves, so ask MOM how that applies to your case before you plan around it.
In the UAE, the general rule is that a residence visa lapses after more than 180 days in a row outside the country (u.ae). The portal lists some exceptions; whether one applies depends on your visa type, so check with ICP before you plan a long absence. The visa steps in order are in our guide to Dubai residence through your own company.
Can you open a business bank account for either company from abroad?
A business bank account is opened by the bank, not by the registrar, in both countries, and ACRA says a Singapore account usually needs most directors to be physically present in Singapore. ACRA's post-registration guide (updated 1 April 2026) says you can open a corporate account straight after registration and will usually need people who can sign, a board decision, certified company documents and identity checks on directors and owners. It lists ANEXT Bank, Bank of China, CIMB, DBS Bank, Maybank, OCBC Bank, State Bank of India and UOB.
In the UAE, our Premium package covers company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance: AED 28,136 at Meydan or AED 28,436 at IFZA, as of October 2026. Bank account opening is subject to each bank's KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank's requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.
KYC, short for know your customer, is the identity and source-of-funds check every bank runs. Whether a UAE bank needs to see you in person depends on the bank and the account. What can be done before you hold a residence visa is on our page on opening a UAE account from abroad.
What does each cost in government fees?
ACRA publishes S$15 to apply for a company name and S$300 to register a company, but it does not price the locally resident director, company secretary and Singapore address a foreign founder needs, and no other Singapore government page we read does. In Dubai, our package totals already include the free zone licence and, from Standard upward, the visa items listed in the package; an inside-country status change, where it applies, is extra. ACRA's fee page was last updated on 29 January 2026 and read on 27 October 2026.
| Item | Singapore: published figure | Dubai: our package |
|---|---|---|
| Company name | S$15 to apply for a new business entity name (ACRA government fee). | Not a separate line on our package sheet: every package covers company formation assistance and the trade licence. |
| Registering the company | S$300 to register a new business entity (ACRA government fee). | Basic, no visa: AED 12,500 at Meydan or AED 12,900 at IFZA. |
| Founder's residence | Work pass terms are set by MOM; see the residence table above. MOM fees are not part of this guide. | Standard, company and one residence visa: AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA. |
| Locally resident director | Not published by a Singapore government body. ACRA says a nominee director must tell the company, on the date of incorporation, that they are a nominee and give the nominator's details, and that every director carries the legal duties, active or not. | Not part of the cost: IFZA says non-residents can own and manage a free zone company. |
| Company secretary and address | Not published by a Singapore government body. | Flexi-office address included in every package. |
| Each following year | S$60 to file the annual return (ACRA government fee), plus a tax return to IRAS. | No professional service fee on licence renewals; government and authority fees still apply. |
Singapore source: ACRA fees, ACRA officers, checked 27 Oct 2026. Dubai figures: First Idea Consultant package sheet, October 2026.
You can model a Dubai setup with other options on our setup cost calculator. For zones other than Meydan and IFZA: Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
What does year one look like for a founder in Bengaluru?
A founder in Bengaluru comparing a Dubai free zone company with a Singapore company faces the same four questions in both: who must be local, what the government charges, how to move, and how profit is taxed. The worked example below follows one made-up reader through them, using only official figures and our approved package prices.
Example: Priya, 32, a software consultant in Bengaluru with clients in the Gulf and in Southeast Asia
Priya is hypothetical, not a client. She has no outside investors, no patents, no incubator place, no business she has sold and no research partner in Singapore, and she wants to move abroad within a year.
- 1
The Dubai side
Our Standard package at Meydan, company and one residence visa, is AED 23,136 as of October 2026. It covers the licence, a flexi-office address, the establishment card, the medical test, the Emirates ID and corporate tax registration. IFZA would be AED 23,436 instead; she reads one zone or the other, never both added together.
- 2
The Singapore government fees
ACRA's published fees are S$15 for the name and S$300 for registration, S$315 in all, then S$60 a year for the annual return (ACRA). Because she is a foreigner, ACRA says she must file through a corporate service provider.
- 3
The people Singapore needs
Without a Singapore pass, Priya does not meet ACRA's local residency rules herself, so someone who does must be a director. She also needs a company secretary within six months who is not the sole director, an auditor within three months unless the company is exempt, and a Singapore registered address. ACRA prices none of these services, so she asks providers for written quotes before she compares totals.
- 4
Moving
Her consultancy has no venture funding, no incubator, no registered intellectual property and no research collaboration, and she has never sold a business, so she meets none of the EntrePass criteria MOM lists. The Employment Pass needs a job offer and, at her age, a fixed salary of at least S$7,686 a month for applications before 1 January 2027, or S$8,250 from that date (MOM), plus 40 COMPASS points. In Dubai, the Standard package already includes her residence visa.
- 5
Tax on profit
If her Singapore company qualified for the start-up exemption, IRAS would exempt 75% of its first S$100,000 of normal chargeable income in each of its first 3 YAs, but only if it is tax resident in Singapore, which turns on where its control and management is exercised. On the Dubai side: 0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward.
- 6
The Indian side
Because she lives in India, she also reads our guide to a Dubai company from India, which covers India's overseas direct investment (ODI) rules and the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) for the Dubai route.
The two sides do not line up as one number each: an AED package price on one side, government fees plus unpriced services on the other. Run the same steps with your own activity, age and plans.
Which suits which business?
Which country suits a business depends on where its customers, investors and founder will be, so the table below sets out what to look at in each situation rather than naming a winner. Each row points back to a rule in this guide.
| Your situation | What to look at |
|---|---|
| Your customers are mostly in the Gulf, Africa or South Asia | A Dubai free zone company gives you a UAE licence, can sponsor your UAE residence visa and lets you apply for a UAE business bank account. Check that your activity is on the Meydan or IFZA list before you choose a zone. |
| Your customers are mostly across Asia-Pacific | A Singapore company is registered in the region. Plan for a locally resident director, a company secretary and a Singapore address, and watch the S$1 million GST registration threshold. |
| Investors expect a Singapore company | Ask them which structure they need before you register. MOM counts S$100,000 or more raised in one funding round towards the EntrePass. |
| You are moving with your family | Compare MOM's EntrePass family conditions, such as S$100,000 of annual business spending and one local employee, with the sponsor salary u.ae lists on its page for families of employees: AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation. Ask ICP or GDRFA which conditions apply to your visa type. Family visas are quote-only with us. |
| You will run the company from your home country | Singapore still needs a locally resident director. IFZA says non-residents can own and manage a Dubai free zone company. IRAS ties Singapore tax residence to where control and management is exercised. |
If Dubai fits, our guide to choosing a UAE free zone compares the zones in more depth.
Living in India? Before you send money to a company in either country, read our guide to business setup in Dubai from India, which covers overseas direct investment (ODI) and the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS).
Frequently asked questions
Each answer below is a short version of a section above, based on the same official sources.
Is it cheaper to set up a company in Dubai or in Singapore?
Whether Dubai or Singapore costs less depends on what you count, because the two sides publish different things. ACRA lists S$15 for a company name and S$300 for registration, but a foreign founder also needs a locally resident director, a company secretary and a Singapore address, and ACRA does not publish a price for those services. In Dubai, our Basic package is AED 12,500 at Meydan or AED 12,900 at IFZA, and Standard, company and one residence visa, is AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA. Get written quotes for the Singapore services before you compare totals.
Do I need a local director in Singapore or in Dubai?
A Singapore company needs at least one director who meets ACRA's local residency rules: a Singapore citizen, a permanent resident or the holder of an accepted pass. ACRA lists the Employment Pass, Personalised Employment Pass and Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass, and GoBusiness also lists the EntrePass. For a Dubai free zone company, IFZA says non-residents can register, own and manage it without relocating, and that the free zones allow 100% foreign ownership without any local partner or sponsor.
What is the corporate tax rate in Singapore compared with the UAE?
Singapore taxes company profit at a flat 17% of chargeable income, with a start-up exemption for qualifying new companies and a partial exemption for others. IRAS also grants a 50% rebate with a combined cap of S$40,000 for YA 2026, but that year covers financial years ending in 2025, so a company formed now is not in it, and IRAS lists no YA 2027 rebate (IRAS, checked 27 October 2026). In the UAE: 0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward.
Can a foreigner own 100% of a company in Dubai and in Singapore?
A foreigner can own all the shares of a Dubai free zone company: IFZA says the free zones allow 100% foreign ownership without any local partner or sponsor. In Singapore, ACRA says shares can be bought by a person, a company or a limited liability partnership (LLP), and the local residency condition applies to the director rather than the shareholders. Foreigners must register a Singapore company through a corporate service provider.
Can I live in Dubai or Singapore through my own company?
In Dubai, your own free zone company can sponsor your residence visa, which runs for 1, 2 or 3 years when sponsored; our Standard package, company and one residence visa, is AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA. In Singapore, owning a company does not give you the right to live there: you need a MOM work pass. The EntrePass is for venture-backed or innovative-technology businesses, and the Employment Pass needs a job offer and a salary of at least S$5,600 a month for applications before 1 January 2027 and S$6,000 from that date, more with age and in financial services (MOM).
Can I open a business bank account for either company from abroad?
For a Singapore company, ACRA says you will usually need most directors to be physically present in Singapore to open a corporate account. For a Dubai company, our Premium package covers company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance: AED 28,136 at Meydan or AED 28,436 at IFZA. Bank account opening is subject to each bank's KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank's requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.
Can I run a Singapore or Dubai company without living there?
You can own a Singapore company from abroad, but ACRA requires at least one director who meets its local residency rules and a company secretary within six months, so you need people who meet those rules in both roles. IFZA says non-residents can register, own and manage a Dubai free zone company without relocating. In Singapore, IRAS ties a company's tax residence to where its control and management is exercised.
Choosing Dubai? Start with the company and the visa
Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
We usually reply within a couple of hours.
Sources and how we checked
Every official source used in this guide is listed below with the date the page itself shows, and each was checked on 27 October 2026.
How we checked: each rule was read on the authority's own website on 27 October 2026. Rules change, so check the source before you file or apply.
- ACRA: Step 1, understanding requirements and eligibility (rules for foreigners, local residency) (updated 29 January 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- ACRA: Registering a local company (updated 30 January 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- ACRA: Step 4.3, choosing company directors and other key officers (updated 29 January 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- ACRA: Step 4.4, deciding on share capital and share types (updated 6 March 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- ACRA: Step 4.6, registering a local company via Bizfile (updated 19 October 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- ACRA: Post-registration guide, local company (bank account, GST registration) (updated 1 April 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- ACRA: Service and transaction fees, companies (updated 29 January 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- GoBusiness Singapore: Register your business (no date shown; checked 27 October 2026)
- IRAS: Corporate income tax rate, rebates and tax exemption schemes (updated 7 August 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- IRAS: Basic guide to corporate income tax for companies (basis period, filing dates) (updated 20 October 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- IRAS: Tax residency of a company (updated 23 June 2025; checked 27 October 2026)
- IRAS: Individual income tax rates (updated 27 April 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- IRAS: Current GST rates (updated 13 June 2025; checked 27 October 2026)
- IRAS: Overview of Form C-S, Form C-S (Lite) and Form C (updated 11 August 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- MOM: Eligibility for EntrePass (updated 14 August 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- MOM: Key facts for EntrePass (updated 19 November 2024; checked 27 October 2026)
- MOM: Passes for families of EntrePass holders (updated 3 April 2024; checked 27 October 2026)
- MOM: Employment Pass (updated 27 August 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- MOM: Key facts on Employment Pass (updated 4 May 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- MOM: Eligibility for Employment Pass (qualifying salary and COMPASS) (updated 28 April 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- MOM: Consider all candidates fairly (job advertising and its exemptions) (updated 5 January 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- UAE Ministry of Finance: Small Business Relief extended to 31 December 2029 (Ministerial Decision No. 131) (release of 7 August 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- UAE Ministry of Finance: Corporate tax threshold, Cabinet Decision 116 of 2022 (release of 1 February 2023; checked 27 October 2026)
- Federal Tax Authority: Corporate tax returns due within nine months of the tax period (release of 26 September 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- Federal Tax Authority: Small Business Relief, Corporate Tax Guide CTGSBR1 (who is not eligible) (guide dated August 2023; checked 27 October 2026)
- u.ae: Other taxes (income tax) (updated 30 March 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- u.ae: Value added tax (VAT) (updated 30 March 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- u.ae: Starting a business in a free zone (updated 6 May 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- u.ae: General provisions for the residence visa (updated 28 September 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- u.ae: Residence visa for families of employees (updated 28 September 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- IFZA: Can you run a Dubai business without living in the UAE? (published 1 April 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- Meydan Free Zone: Frequently asked questions (no date shown; checked 27 October 2026)