Both countries at once
Company, tax and people, seen together and not separately.
Your company between Barcelona and Dubai, in order in both countries.
A company between Spain and the Emirates
Pearson Specter has offices in Barcelona and in Dubai. That is what allows us to support business owners who open a company or a subsidiary in the Emirates, or who move their activity from one country to the other.
We study feasibility, put the tax in both countries in order, together with the position of the director and of seconded staff, and coordinate whatever is local law with a professional authorised in the Emirates.
- Type of engagement
- Fixed-scope project
- Indicative timing
- The feasibility note, usually four to six weeks; incorporation depends on the zone chosen and on the local professional’s procedures.
- Fees
- In writing, before we start
- Who provides and signs
- Pearson Specter, from Barcelona and Dubai. UAE law is provided by a professional authorised there; Spanish matters that need a signature, by a qualified lawyer from our associate firms.
When it is needed
- You want to open a company or a subsidiary in the Emirates
- You are moving your company, or its managers, to Dubai while keeping activity in Spain
- You have customers or partners in the Emirates and want to know how to invoice and how you will be taxed
Why it matters
A feasibility note
What makes sense, what it requires and how long it takes, before you spend anything.
Each law, with its own professional
Spanish law, with qualified lawyers; UAE law, with a professional authorised there.
What is included
- Which form suits: a company or a subsidiary, in a free zone or on the mainland
- Tax in both countries: corporate income tax, VAT and the treaty
- The director’s residence and pay
- Payroll and contracts for seconded staff
- Making sure activity and decisions match the form chosen
- Coordination with a professional authorised in the Emirates
What is not included
- Providing UAE law: a professional authorised there provides it, and we coordinate with them
- Carrying out the procedures before the authorities in the Emirates: the local professional does so, and we coordinate
- Guaranteeing a tax outcome or a timetable for public procedures
- Recommending investment products or managing your money
Who it is for
- Barcelona business owners who want to open a company or subsidiary in the Emirates
- Business owners who are moving their activity to Dubai while keeping the company in Spain
Four matters
What is studied in the feasibility note.
The company
Setting up a company or a subsidiary in a free zone or on the mainland. Each zone has its own rules, permitted activities and licences; the local professional confirms them.
Taxes
What each country taxes: the Emirates has had a corporate income tax since 2023 and VAT since 2018, and there is a treaty between the two countries. Studied case by case.
People
Tax residence and pay of the director, and payroll and contracts for seconded staff.
The reality of the activity
A company incorporated abroad can be tax-resident in Spain if its effective management is here (article 8 of the Corporate Income Tax Act). That is why where decisions are made, and by whom, matters.
How it starts
A first meeting to see what activity you want to take to the Emirates, with whom and from where it will be run. With that, we prepare the feasibility note.
What to bring- What activity will be carried out and in which country
- Who will be a shareholder and who a director, and where they will live
- The company’s accounts in Spain
- Contracts with customers or partners in the Emirates, if any already exist
What you receive
- 01Feasibility noteRoughly 3 to 5 pages: which form suits, what it requires and what timetable to expect.
- 02Tax map of the two countriesWhat each country taxes, who pays and when.
- 03CalendarSteps, indicative timings and who does each, in Spain and in the Emirates.
Frequently asked questions
Can I open a company in Dubai and keep the Spanish one?
Yes, it is a common structure. You need to study how each is taxed, what each really does and where the people who run them live.
Does a company in the Emirates stop being taxed in Spain?
It depends. A company incorporated abroad can be tax-resident in Spain if its effective management is here (article 8 of the Corporate Income Tax Act). It is studied case by case.
How long does incorporation take?
It depends on the zone and the activity, and the local professional confirms it. In the feasibility note we give you an indicative calendar.
“One company, two countries, a single structure.”
Guidance only. UAE law is provided by a professional authorised there.
Related in other areas
Other services in this areaCorporate
A conversation, whenever you decide.
We reply to every enquiry within 24 working hours, in strict confidence.
The first thing we will ask for: what activity will be carried out and in which country.