Glossary · Branch Office
What Is Branch Office in the UAE
A branch office is an extension of an existing foreign or UAE company, not a new legal entity: it operates under the parent's name, with the parent liable for its obligations, and its activity must mirror the parent's business. Mainland registration of foreign branches is activity-gated; free zones register branches with full foreign ownership.
Why it matters
Why it matters when opening a company
A branch keeps contracts, profit and branding inside one legal entity — no new shareholding structure to build and maintain.
The flip side of the parent's name is the parent's liability: the branch's obligations are the group's obligations.
Process
How it works
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Parent company resolves to open a branch and notarizes its corporate documents
Step 1 -
Application filed with the zone or DED together with the parent's attested paperwork
Step 2 -
Branch license issued in the parent's name
Step 3
Mini-FAQ
Common questions
Branch vs subsidiary — which is faster to open?
A subsidiary is the routine route with standard license packages. A branch skips capital and shareholding setup but adds attestation of the parent's corporate documents — timelines come out comparable.
Can a branch sponsor residence visas?
Yes — once licensed and issued an establishment card, a branch receives a visa quota like any licensed company.