Employer of Record
No entity required
Year 1 total—
Ongoing / year—
Per employee / year—
Free Zone entity
100% foreign ownership
Year 1 total—
Ongoing / year—
Per employee / year—
Mainland entity
Trades anywhere in UAE
Year 1 total—
Ongoing / year—
Per employee / year—
Year 1 total cost, compared
Break-even point
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What this calculator assumes
- EOR fee bundles visa sponsorship, WPS-compliant payroll, and gratuity accrual management — that's why it has no separate visa line.
- Free zone and mainland "ongoing overhead" covers license renewal, office/flexi-desk, and PRO/compliance admin — this is the single biggest lever in the comparison, so adjust it first if you have real quotes.
- Visa and Emirates ID costs are shown as an annualized figure (actual visas typically run 2 years).
- Gratuity liability (roughly 5.8% of basic salary per year for the first five years) applies under all three models and isn't shown separately here, since it doesn't change which structure is cheaper.
- Excludes salary costs themselves, corporate tax, and one-off costs like legal review or bank account opening delays.
- This is a planning tool, not a quote — always confirm current fees with your chosen free zone authority, DED, or EOR provider.