Most of the guidance online about UAE VAT focuses on registration. How to register, when to register, what the thresholds are. Far less attention goes to the other end of the process: what happens when you need to cancel your VAT registration. And the consequences of getting it wrong are real. A late deregistration application […]
Blogs
Absconding in the UAE: what it means and how to check your status
If you have ever changed jobs in the UAE, left an employer on bad terms, or simply worried about whether your visa status is clean, the word “absconding” has probably crossed your mind. It is one of those terms that carries more weight in the UAE than anywhere else, because a single absconding report filed […]
Food manufacturing and “Made in the Emirates”: setting up production in the UAE
The UAE imports roughly 90% of its food. That number has bothered the government for years, and it is the reason behind a wave of incentives, industrial zones, and financing programmes aimed at getting more food produced locally. If you have been looking at food manufacturing in the UAE, the timing is probably as good […]
Bereavement and compassionate leave in the UAE: your rights
When someone close to you dies, the last thing you want to think about is whether you are allowed to take time off work. But in the UAE, where most of the workforce is expatriate and families are often spread across continents, knowing your leave entitlements matters. You may need to fly home on short […]
UAE work, freelance and manager visas: types, costs and requirements
The UAE has more visa categories than most people realize. When someone says “work visa,” they could mean an employment visa sponsored by an employer, a freelance permit from a free zone, a partner or investor visa linked to a business, or a green visa that lets you sponsor yourself without a company. Each one […]
How to cancel a UAE visa: step-by-step guide and costs
Visa cancellation in the UAE is not complicated, but it is one of those processes where skipping a step or missing a deadline costs you real money. The government fees are modest, usually under AED 300. The expensive part is what happens when things are not done properly: overstay fines at AED 50 per day, […]
MOA, certificate of incorporation and trademark registration in the UAE
When you set up a company in the UAE, you end up with a stack of documents. Your trade licence is the one you interact with most, because it is the document that lets you operate. But behind it sit other documents that define what your company actually is, who owns it, and what protections […]
Managing your UAE trade licence: adding activities, renewal and cancellation
Your trade licence is not a set it and forget it document. It needs to be renewed every year, and if your business evolves, you may need to add activities to it or eventually cancel it altogether. Each of these processes has its own fees, paperwork, and timing requirements that trip people up if they […]
MOHRE and MOL services explained: enquiries, labour contracts and ILOE
If you work in the private sector in the UAE, your employer has dealt with MOHRE. If you are an employer, you deal with MOHRE constantly. And if you have been in the country long enough, you probably still call it MOL. They are the same entity. The Ministry of Labour became the Ministry of […]
How to earn passive and online income in the UAE (legally)
The UAE has no personal income tax. That single fact changes the math on every income stream you can build here. A rental property that yields 7% in Dubai yields 7% that goes into your pocket, not 7% minus whatever your home country would take. The same applies to freelance income, e-commerce revenue, dividends, and […]