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Is a Virtual Office Legal in the UAE?

virtual office in UAE

In this age of the Digital, one of the common ways for a business to operate is to have a virtual office Dubai. As you look around in Dubai, you probably have seen ads of virtual offices. You see them on billboards, newspaper, and even on the Internet.

However, you might ask, is a virtual office legal in the UAE? The answer to your question would depend on how you set up the virtual office.

Recently, because of the growing popularity of virtual offices and how it is becoming part of UAE business setup, the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) warned the public that operating a business solely on the Internet is illegal.

It is worth noting that in the UAE, all commercial businesses and enterprises are required to have an actual office and a physical address.

A good number of advertisers and virtual office providers try to go around this rule through dubious practices. These advertisers will tell you that DED rarely does meticulous inspections and verifications of a physical address. Thus, it is something you should not worry about.

virtual office legal

If ever the DED do an actual inspection, the same advertisers would tell you that you can “rent” a property without actually renting it. Just for the sake of getting lease documents from legitimate building owners, you can use their physical address, but in reality, the business simply exists on paper.

As you can see, this is a fraudulent practice. While you can trick the municipality officials for now, you would be left on your own in the future when problems arise. Investors or business owners who go through this route would not be protected by the law, but rather, they would be penalised by it.

While it is true that illegal virtual offices might be cheaper, in the long run, you will only get more trouble than convenience. It would even be wiser to get a small office space for rent in Dubai rather than get into illegal activities.

Having a virtual office itself is not illegal. As long as it is tied to a legitimate physical office, then you should be able to meet the requirements of the law. Thankfully, if it is the cost that you are most concerned about, you can tremendously save by getting an office from Austria Business Center.

Austria Business Center offers a wide range of office space that comes with state-of-the-art facilities and excellent services. Moreover, you can take advantage of Austria Business Center’s co-working office space in Dubai that allows you to share office space with others to further decrease your expenses. Learn more about their services by calling them today!

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