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Forex licence UAE · prop trading company setup

Launch your forex trading company in the UAE, managed from Dubai.

Get your forex licence in the UAE through a proprietary trading company in Innovation City Free Zone, Ras Al Khaimah, or the right regulated structure for brokerage. Licence, visas, bank account and compliance, handled by one team in Business Bay.

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Which licence do I need?
  • Part of Sarsan Group, est. 1982
  • Office in Business Bay, Dubai
  • Reply within one working day

Jurisdiction

Innovation City Free Zone, RAK (formerly RAK DAO)

Activity

Proprietary investments / trading with own capital

Ownership

100% foreign ownership, no local sponsor

Setup

Fully remote. No visit needed until visa medical

Avoid these

Four mistakes that cost forex founders the most.

01

Running brokerage on a trading licence

A commercial or prop trading licence does not permit holding client funds. The CMA actively fines unlicensed activity.

02

Marketing to UAE residents without approval

Promoting trading services in the UAE, even for an overseas broker, needs CMA authorisation.

03

Weak source-of-funds files

Banks and brokers reject trading companies that cannot show clean origin of capital. Prepare it before you apply.

04

Prop firm models that look like brokerage

Evaluation fees, payouts and simulated accounts need careful structuring. Get the model reviewed before launch.

Licence routes

Prop trading and brokerage are different businesses in law.

Trading your own capital is a commercial activity. Handling other people’s money is a regulated financial service. Here is how each is set up.

A

Route A · Innovation City

Proprietary trading company

Our core route

For founders, family offices and desks trading their own funds in FX, commodities, indices or digital assets. The fastest, lowest-cost way to trade from the UAE.

Start with Route A!
Check my route

Time to trading

2–6 weeks

Foreign ownership

100%

Setup

Remote

  • Proprietary investments activity
  • Corporate trading accounts with global brokers
  • Residence visas for founders and traders
  • No client funds, no client onboarding
B

Route B · CMA (formerly SCA)

Regulated brokerage in the UAE

Executing orders, holding client money, or onboarding UAE residents requires a licence from the UAE Capital Market Authority.

Client money

Yes

UAE clients

Yes

Timeline

Longest

  • Category-based licensing by activity
  • Paid-up capital and fit-and-proper tests
  • Compliance officer, MLRO, audits
C

Route C · Split structure

International broker + UAE tech hub

For brokers serving clients outside the UAE: an overseas brokerage licence, plus a UAE free zone entity for technology, R&D and support.

Client money

Abroad

UAE clients

No

UAE entity

Tech & ops

  • Regulated entity abroad holds client relationships
  • UAE entity runs engineering and operations
  • Clean separation of regulated and non-regulated work

Who this is for

Built for people who trade, fund traders or build trading tech.

Independent traders

Move personal trading into a company with a UAE residence visa and corporate broker accounts.

Family offices

Trade family capital across FX, gold, indices and digital assets through one structure.

Prop firms

Fund traders from company capital, with the evaluation model reviewed before launch.

Brokers and fintechs

Map the regulated licence and set up the UAE technology and operations entity.

Licence finder

Three questions decide your licence.

Most forex setups fail at the first step: the wrong licence for the business model. Answer below and see the route we would start with.

Process · Route A

From first call to a trading account.

The sequence for a proprietary trading company in Innovation City. Timelines are indicative and depend on authority and bank review.

01

Structuring call and activity mapping

Day 1

We confirm the business is proprietary, choose the activity, shareholder structure and number of visas, and flag anything that would push you into a regulated route.

02

Trade name and initial approval

Days 2–4

We reserve the company name and file the application with Innovation City, including shareholder and UBO details.

03

KYC and source of funds review

Days 3–7

Passports, address proof, CV and a source-of-funds explanation for the trading capital. This is the step where weak files get stuck, so we prepare it with you.

04

Licence and company documents issued

Days 7–12

Commercial licence, certificate of incorporation, articles of association and share certificates, issued digitally.

05

Establishment card and residence visas

Days 12-14

Immigration file, entry permit, medical test and Emirates ID for founders and traders. Visa holders can live in Dubai.

06

Corporate bank and broker accounts

Days 14 - 21

We introduce you to UAE banks and help prepare the business profile that brokers and banks ask for when opening corporate trading accounts.

07

Tax and compliance registration

Ongoing

Corporate tax registration with the FTA, UBO register, and a compliance calendar so renewals and filings are never missed.

All seven steps

2–6 weeks

Licensed, banked and compliant.

Licence, visas and corporate trading accounts in place, with a compliance calendar so renewals and filings are never missed.

Indicative timeline: 2 to 6 weeks to trading

Book a structuring call

Guide

What you need, and what you owe after the licence.

Documents for each shareholder

Passport copy

Valid for at least 6 months

Passport-size photo

White background

Proof of residential address

Utility bill or bank statement, under 3 months old

Updated CV or LinkedIn profile

Trading experience helps the bank file

Source of funds declaration

Where the trading capital comes from, with supporting documents

Corporate shareholder documents

If a company owns shares: incorporation certificate, register of members, board resolution

Ongoing obligations

Annual licence renewal

Including the activity fee and visa quota

UAE Corporate Tax

Registration, annual return, and a review of free zone qualifying income

Accounting records

Books kept to IFRS standards; audit where the free zone or tax rules require it

UBO register

Kept current whenever ownership changes

Stay inside the activity

No client funds, no advice to the public, no marketing of trading services in the UAE

Costs

Forex licence UAE costs, line by line.

We quote every component separately so you see exactly where the money goes.

ComponentWhat it coversAmount
Licence packageCompany registration, licence, office facility and visa allocationPer quote
Proprietary investments activity feeCharged by Innovation City, billed separately from the packageAED 13,400
Establishment card and visasPer visa: entry permit, status change, medical, Emirates IDPer visa
Banking and compliance supportBank introductions, business profile, tax registrationOptional

Want a number now? Open the cost calculator for an instant estimate.

FAQ

Questions we hear every week.

Not covered here? Ask us directly.

Ask on WhatsApp

Yes. Innovation City issues UAE residence visas, and holders can live anywhere in the UAE, including Dubai. Your licence defines where the company is registered, not where you live.

No. Incorporation is fully remote. You only need to be in the UAE for the visa medical and Emirates ID biometrics. See our UAE residence visa services.

Proprietary trading in digital assets with your own capital can be covered within the right activity. Tell us your asset mix on the call and we will confirm it before filing.

Yes, but banks review trading companies closely. A clear business profile, real substance in the UAE and a documented source of funds make the difference.

UAE Corporate Tax applies at 9% above the AED 375,000 threshold, with possible 0% treatment for qualifying free zone income (see the Federal Tax Authority). We review your position with a tax adviser before you start trading.

Not for trading your own capital. Handling client money, executing client orders or marketing trading services to UAE residents requires a licence from the Capital Market Authority. Read our guides to getting a forex trading licence in the UAE and the Category 5 introducing and promotion licence.

Yes. Shares can be held by individuals, a holding company or a mix. Corporate shareholders provide their incorporation documents and a board resolution, and every ultimate beneficial owner is disclosed.

VAT registration is mandatory once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 a year. Many proprietary trading companies stay below it or fall outside it, but we check your income streams before you start. More on our VAT and corporate tax services.

Yes. Many clients start with a proprietary entity and add a regulated entity once volumes justify it. We plan the structure so the upgrade does not require unwinding the first company.

Client reviews

Rated 5.0 by the founders we set up.

Verified Google reviews and short videos from clients who moved their business to the UAE with SCORP.

Read all Google reviews
Sarsan Corporate Services LLC
Sarsan Corporate Services LLC
4.9
Based on 65 reviews
powered by Google
Review us on

  • Antikha and Adnan are truly wonderful people. They were always friendly, welcoming, extremely helpful, and attentive. The entire process went smoothly from beginning to end. They patiently answered every question... read more

    serkan ilhan Avatar serkan ilhan
    October 31, 2026

    Thank you team for such a professional experience.Ankitha...Thank you for explaining all the tasks, their flow, expected timelines and outcome in advance.Such tasks takes multiple coordination...Thank you for all the... read more

    Ritesh Kumar Avatar Ritesh Kumar
    October 29, 2026

  • I had an excellent experience with Sarsan Corporate Services LLC. They handled the renewal and issuance of my company registration with outstanding professionalism, efficiency, and attention to detail. A special thank... read more

    Khalid Abuelgasim Avatar Khalid Abuelgasim
    October 22, 2026

    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Service and Outstanding After-Sales Support!From application to cancellation, their team never leaves you without support. Khristine, in particular, deserves special recognition for being incredibly attentive, professional, and customer-focused.She... read more

    Hansendime Avatar Hansendime
    October 15, 2026

Hear it from our clients

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  • Licence package and activity fee
  • Visa costs per person
  • Optional banking and compliance support
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+971 52 907 4007 · Reply within one working day

  • Burlington Tower, Office 316 · Business Bay, Dubai
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Option 2

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Tell us how you trade. We will confirm the licence, cost and timeline on a call, before you pay anything.

Sarsan Corporate Services LLC · Business Bay, Dubai

This page is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Licensing outcomes depend on the review of the relevant authority. Client-facing financial services in the UAE require authorisation from the Capital Market Authority.

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