How to Set Up a Company in ADGM: The Complete 2026 Guide

An ADGM incorporation is far less daunting than it looks from the outside, provided you take the steps in the right order and don't get blindsided by the office requirement at the end. Here is the whole journey the way we explain it across the desk, with real numbers attached.

First, what ADGM actually is

ADGM is a financial free zone running on English common law, with its own company registrar (the Registration Authority), its own financial regulator (the FSRA), and its own independent courts. That framework is why people come — banks, investors and counterparties recognise and trust it. It's also why the setup is more structured than a generic free zone.

Step 1 — Choose your structure

Decide whether you're building an operating business, a regulated financial firm, a holding company, a foundation, or a special purpose vehicle. This drives your licence category, your fees and whether you need premises. (We break the options down in ADGM entity types explained.)

Step 2 — Reserve the name and prepare documents

Reserve your company name and assemble the application: business plan, shareholder and director details, passport copies, and your proposed activities. Consistency across these documents is the single biggest factor in a smooth approval.

Step 3 — Submit to the Registration Authority

You file through ADGM's online registry. For many activities you receive an in-principle approval — a signal that, once you satisfy the remaining conditions, the authority is ready to register you.

Step 4 — Secure your registered office

For most entities a registered office is a condition of the licence; the minimum for an operating company or tech startup is one allocated desk. SPVs are the exception. Where you base it changes the cost dramatically — a compliant dedicated desk is around AED 1,200/month with us on Al Reem versus roughly AED 3,500 on Al Maryah, for the identical licence.

Step 5 — Licence (and FSRA permission if regulated)

The Registration Authority issues your commercial licence. As an indication, annual licence fees run by category: roughly USD 15,000 for financial services (Category A), about USD 10,300 for non-financial activities (Category B), and around USD 6,000 for retail (Category C), on top of a one-time incorporation fee of about USD 1,500. If you conduct regulated activity, you apply separately to the FSRA for a Financial Services Permission.

Step 6 — Visas and bank account

Once licensed, apply for your establishment card and visas. Allocation is generous for small teams: up to 3 visas per dedicated desk on a tech startup licence, 2 per desk for a standard company, or 1 per 8 sqm of leased office. Then open a corporate bank account — start early, as due diligence takes time.

Budgeting it

Most line items are fixed by ADGM (incorporation, licence by category, ~USD 300 data-protection registration, visas). The office is the line you control — and choosing Al Reem over Al Maryah saves roughly AED 27,600 a year on a desk. See our full cost breakdown.

Next: the formation process step by step and whether you truly need a physical office.

Talk to MY Coworking

Step 4 is the easy part when you talk to us first — a compliant ADGM address and a desk from AED 1,200/month, often ready within the same week.

We're on Al Reem Island — 2312 Addax Tower, City of Lights, Abu Dhabi. Email contact@mycoworking.ae to book a tour or get a same-day quote.