How it works
One relationship, one process, one place to look.
The same sequence regardless of which path brought you here. What changes is the content of the work, not how it's run or how you see it.
The sequence
From first message to settled life.
- 0110 minutes
Brief
A short form: why you're coming, when, who with, and roughly what you're working with.
- 02Within 1 working day
Call
Thirty minutes. We tell you which route actually fits, what it costs and where the risks are — including when the answer is that you don't need us.
- 032–3 days
Proposal
Written scope, fixed pricing, sequence and timings. Payment terms set out plainly: in full up front, or released as each service completes.
- 04Day 1
Onboarding
Your portal is created, your document checklist is issued, and your account manager is introduced by name.
- 05Ongoing
Delivery
We run the work through licensed partners and government channels, updating each milestone in your portal as it completes.
- 06Year 1 onward
Aftercare
Every document filed, every renewal date loaded with reminders, and someone to call when something changes.
Payment
Pay up front, or as each thing is done.
Two options, chosen by you, fixed in the proposal before anything begins.
Option one
Pay in full
The whole engagement settled at the start. Simplest to administer, one invoice, and it usually carries a modest discount against the milestone option.
Option two
Pay per milestone
Each service is invoiced when it's delivered and marked complete in your portal. You are never paying ahead of work that hasn't happened — which is the reason most clients choose it.
Please note
Third-party costs — government fees, licence charges, medical and Emirates ID fees, insurance premiums, DLD transfer fees — are passed through at cost and itemised separately from our fee. They are set by the relevant authority and can change without notice.
Questions
The ones worth asking.
How do you charge?
Fixed fees quoted after the call, set out service by service in your proposal. You choose whether to pay the whole engagement up front or release payment as each service is completed and marked done in your portal. Government fees, licence costs and third-party charges are passed through at cost and shown separately — we don't mark them up quietly.
What is FirstKey actually licensed to do?
We coordinate and advise. Company formation is executed through licensed corporate service providers and the relevant free zone or Department of Economy and Tourism; brokerage through RERA-licensed brokers; insurance through licensed brokers; visa filing through licensed channels and the relevant immigration authority. We never present ourselves as the licence holder, the broker or the issuing authority, and every approval decision belongs to the authority or institution making it.
Can you guarantee an outcome?
No, and any advisor who does is telling you something they can't deliver. Visa approvals, bank account openings and licence issuance are decisions made by third parties. What we control is choosing the right route, preparing the file properly, and keeping you informed when something moves — which is most of the difference between a smooth setup and a stalled one.
Do I need to be in the UAE to start?
For most of it, no. Company formation, jurisdiction selection, property search and much of the document preparation can begin before you arrive. The medical fitness test, biometrics and Emirates ID require you to be in the country, and bank onboarding usually does too.
What if I only need one thing?
Then buy one thing. Every service is available individually and priced individually — Ejari registration, a driving licence conversion, a school placement. There is no package requirement.