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Expand with Us into your next market

Find your next market. Plan the launch. Open with one team on the ground.

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Free · No account needed · Free consultation after your Snapshot

Already know where you’re going? Get a draft proposal

How we do it

From “where should we go?” to “we’re open”

Your starting point

Where shall we begin?

Two ways in. Both lead to the same free, sourced Snapshot.

Most popularHelp me choose a marketTell us about your business. We compare the markets that suit it and rank them for you.Find my markets
Riyadh
I have a market in mindTest your market against the evidence before you commit time and money.Test my market

Why ExpandUs exists

  1. 01

    We spent our careers taking companies abroad.

    Hundreds of companies. More than 80 markets. Decades of leading international growth. ExpandUs Global brings that experience to your business.

  2. 02

    Where you launch deserves the same rigour as what you launch.

    Yet a business will often spend months on its product, then choose a country from one conversation, a hunch and a forum thread. The surprises come later: the licence that doesn’t fit, the cost nobody mentioned, the partner who can’t deliver.

  3. 03

    So we built the guide we always wished they had.

    ExpandUs compares markets on the same rules for your business, shows the source for every fact and marks what still needs checking. Then one team helps you from the first question to opening day.

Your country

Where are you expanding from?

Expanding from

Choose your country to see, market by market, where you have a tax treaty, whether your staff keep their social security, whether you can work there without a permit and how your documents must be certified.

Inside your Snapshot

Everything you need to decide, on one page

Every Snapshot shows the same parts, written for your business.

Get your own Snapshot

Summary

Our recommendation

United Arab Emirates

A focused distributor pilot.

84/100
  • 78Singapore6 points behind
  • 73United Kingdom11 points behind

Where each market is strong

Four area groups, rated out of 5.

Setup andownershipTax andrulesMarket anddemandMoney andchannels
  • UAE
  • Singapore
  • UK

UAE compared with Singapore

Difference in each group, out of 5.

  • Setup and ownershipLevel
  • Tax and rulesLevel
  • Market and demand+0.5
  • Money and channels+0.7

UAE is ahead in 2 of 4 groups. Overall: 84 against 78.

Why UAE stands out

  • Entity / setup route

    The plan exports through one UAE distributor and keeps production in India.

  • Foreign ownership

    The example company is privately owned by two Indian nationals.

  • Base business licence

    The sample assigns export activity to the Indian business and import activity to its destination partner.

What to watch

  • Competition

    The distributor will test whether consistent blends stand out to food-service buyers.

  • VAT / GST

    The sample pricing worksheet keeps destination consumption taxes separate from the export selling price.

Illustrative sample for a fictional Indian spice producer. Not a live recommendation.

Market guides

What it takes to open, market by market

Compare the facts that change a founder’s plans. Each one is sourced and dated.

Explore all markets
Compare
Setting up
Typical structure
Mainland LLCCountry guide · reviewed 2 Nov 2026
Private limited company (Ltd)Country guide · reviewed 3 Nov 2026
Setup cost
AED 49,825 – AED 133,420Estimate · government and professional fees
£2,152 – £9,408Estimate · government and professional fees
Yearly running cost
About AED 86,500 a yearEstimate
About £9,452 a yearEstimate
Ready to trade
34–112 daysFrom the steps in the guide
20–77 daysFrom the steps in the guide
Foreign ownership
100% allowed for most Dubai mainland activitiesDubai Department of Economy and Tourism · checked 20 Oct 2026
100% · an overseas company can own a UK subsidiaryDepartment for Business and Trade · checked 22 Oct 2026
Local director
No resident manager required · federal LLC ruleUAE Ministry of Economy · checked 21 Oct 2026
No · directors do not have to live in the UKnibusinessinfo.co.uk (Invest Northern Ireland) · checked 22 Oct 2026
Corporate tax
0% up to AED375,000 taxable income · 9% aboveFederal Tax Authority · checked 20 Oct 2026
25% main rate · 19% on profits up to £50,000HM Revenue & Customs · checked 22 Oct 2026
Government fees
Check the activity and emirate’s licence quoteDubai Department of Economy and Tourism · checked 20 Oct 2026
£100 online · other filing methods cost moreCompanies House / GOV.UK · checked 21 Oct 2026
Key consideration
Corporate tax registration within three monthsFederal Tax Authority (UAE) · checked 22 Oct 2026
Each director needs a Companies House personal codeCompanies House / GOV.UK · checked 21 Oct 2026
From your country

Choose where you’re expanding from at the top of the page to see tax treaties, social security, work permits and document rules for your country.

Figures assume the most common company type in each country, owned by a foreign parent and offering general services. Costs are indicative ranges rather than quotes, unless marked as official.

United Arab Emirates guideUnited Kingdom guide
Headline corporate tax rate
  • UAE9% above AED375,000
  • Germany15% plus surcharges
  • Singapore17%
  • Saudi Arabia20%
  • US21% federal
  • India22% optional regime
  • UK25% main rate
  • France25% standard rate

Headline rates shown. Thresholds, exemptions and local taxes may apply; each guide sets out the detail.

Read a full market guide

Every guide covers entry routes, costs, tax, visas and the key considerations, with a source for each fact.

On the ground

One team for every service you need to open

We coordinate vetted local partners, so you deal with one point of contact instead of eleven.

  • Accounting and company secretarialBookkeeping, filings and statutory records.
  • LegalContracts, structuring and local counsel.
  • LicensingTrade licences and sector permits.
  • Trademarks and IPProtect your brand in the new market.
  • Visas and immigrationInvestor, founder and employee visas.
  • HR, payroll and employer of recordHire people, even before you have a company.
  • InsuranceBusiness, liability and staff cover.
  • Office and registered addressA registered address, a desk or an office.
  • Commercial propertyWarehouses, shops and larger spaces.
  • Customs and freightImport registration, clearance and shipping.
  • Translation, notary and attestationDocuments that local authorities accept.
  • One point of contactTell us what you need and we bring in the right partners.Talk to us

Our network

The people behind your expansion

Independent advisers for the hard questions, SME bodies for the right introductions, and checked partners on the ground to get you open.

The team behind it

We’re a young company. Our experience isn’t.

  • Decadesof combined experience taking businesses into new markets
  • Hundredsof companies helped to grow and expand
  • 80+markets worked in worldwide
  • 11services on the ground, with one point of contact

Find your next market.

Where shall we begin? Two ways in. Both lead to the same free, sourced Snapshot.

Most popularHelp me choose a marketTell us about your business. We compare the markets that suit it and rank them for you.Find my markets
Riyadh
I have a market in mindTest your market against the evidence before you commit time and money.Test my market