If you're actively trading, the goal isn't just a new licence — it's a move with no gap in service, invoicing, payroll or cashflow. We run your old and new entities in parallel for a period, then migrate in a planned sequence so the business never stops. Here's how a zero-downtime move works, what shapes the cost, and how we coordinate it.
A parallel-run move pays off when a pause would cost you real money or relationships — not when the business can simply stop for a few weeks.
There's no fixed licence price for continuity work — every plan is quoted to your specific business because the effort depends on:
We map your current contracts, billing, payroll and banking first, then send a written continuity plan and quote — sequence, timings and costs — before you commit to anything.
Split payments Setup fees can be paid in instalments with Tamara. Your advisor confirms eligibility and terms with your quote.
| Parallel run | Hard switch | |
|---|---|---|
| Downtime risk | Near zero | A gap while you migrate |
| Cost during the move | Two entities for a period | One entity, lower cost |
| Client disruption | Migrated in sequence | Notified all at once |
| Cashflow | Invoicing never stops | Possible billing gap |
| Best for | Live customers & recurring revenue | Dormant or pausable businesses |
In short: if you have live customers, staff & recurring revenue, a parallel run is worth the temporary double cost — it protects the cashflow and relationships a hard switch puts at risk. We only recommend a clean cutover when the business can genuinely pause.
That is what the plan is built for, and in most moves it holds — but we will not promise it, because some of the sequence is not ours to control. We stand up the UAE entity while the old one keeps trading, then migrate clients, billing, payroll and contracts in order. Client consent to novation, bank onboarding, payment-processor approval and immigration timelines sit with third parties. We sequence around them and tell you early where the risk actually is.
Running both for a period is what removes the gap. The new UAE company is fully live and able to trade before the old one stops, so contracts, invoicing and payroll transfer one at a time rather than all at once. It costs a little more for the overlap, but it protects your cashflow and client relationships.
It varies — the timeline is phased and illustrative, not fixed. It's driven by your contract renewal dates, billing cycle and payroll, so a clean handover can take weeks to a few months. We set out an expected sequence in your written plan and keep it as short as is safe.
Key agreements are either novated (formally transferred) to the UAE entity or re-signed with it, depending on what each contract and client allows. We schedule this so nothing lapses, and we flag any agreements that need legal or tax advice before they move.
We migrate billing in sequence rather than switching overnight, so at every point either the old or the new entity can raise an invoice. During the overlap we keep both sets of books, which is exactly what avoids a window where you can't invoice from either side.
Not immediately. The old entity is only wound down once the UAE company fully carries the business — and in some cases it's kept on for a reason. Whether to close, keep or restructure it is advised case by case, with the tax position taken into account.
Set up a UAE entity and migrate your operations, team and clients into it.
Start your UAE company before you arrive, then land ready to trade.
Already here? Grow outward from your UAE base into the neighbouring GCC markets.
Ask AgentBiz about your continuity plan, or talk to a human advisor. Real requirements, honest guidance, no obligation.