Key Takeaways
- The Fujairah Free Zone is run by the Fujairah Freezone Authority from its own site, freezone.fujairah.ae (copyright 2025).
- You can register a company with one owner, a company with several shareholders, or a branch of an existing foreign or UAE company.
- Some activities need approval from a sector regulator first. Standard activities begin with a security approval.
- The Fujairah Oil Industry Zone is for oil storage terminals, refineries and processing plants. It isn't a place to open an ordinary office.
- Licences to supply fuel to ships come from the Port of Fujairah, and its tariff dated 1 February 2026 mentions them.
People looking at Fujairah often mix up the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone (FOIZ) and the Fujairah Free Zone. They're separate bodies with very different tenants, and neither one is Creative City. Both have working official websites: foiz.gov.ae for FOIZ, and freezone.fujairah.ae for the Fujairah Freezone Authority (FFZA), which runs the free zone. Selling fuel to ships is a third matter again. The port licenses that.
Which body does what
A free zone is an area with its own authority that licenses companies under its own rules. In Fujairah, FFZA is the one that registers ordinary companies. FOIZ is a zone built around the oil sector. The Port of Fujairah licenses bunker suppliers, meaning firms that sell fuel to ships. Media businesses usually go to Creative City instead, which has its own page in our Creative City guide.
The Fujairah Ports Authority calls the emirate one of the world's three largest bunkering hubs. That's marketing language. Still, it tells you why so much business in Fujairah has to do with ships or oil. For mainland licensing and a general picture of the emirate, see company setup in Fujairah.
Fujairah Free Zone forms and activities
FFZA offers a few legal forms. A Free Zone Establishment (FZE) has a single owner, and that owner can be a person or a company. A Free Zone Company (FZC) has more than one shareholder. A branch is an outpost of a company that already exists, either abroad or in the UAE. The authority promises licensing in "one visit, one hour and one window". That's its own claim, and we haven't tested it.
Trading, manufacturing, assembling and distribution are among the fields its pages list. For space, you can choose a virtual office, a flexi desk, a trading office, a warehouse or industrial land. The postal address is PO Box 1133, Fujairah.
Documents you'll be asked for
If you're an individual owner, you provide a passport copy, two photographs and the application form. If you already live in the UAE on a residence visa, add a no-objection certificate, a letter from your current sponsor saying they don't object.
A company owner or a branch needs more. The parent company's papers must be attested, which means stamped by the authorities to confirm they're genuine. That covers the board resolution, power of attorney, certificate of incorporation and memorandum. You'll also need the parent's licence and a certificate of good standing, an official letter showing the company is active and in order. A branch adds an audit report.
Registration steps and the prior approval
The authority's registration page sets out the order. Note that the first step happens before you apply to the zone at all.
- If your activity needs it, get prior approval from the regulator for that sector.
- If your activity is a standard one, apply for the security approval.
- Register the company on the zone's e-services portal. You then receive the trade licence, the document that lets your company do business, along with related papers.
Because the approvals come first, it pays to find out early which ones your activity needs, in what order, and what each will cost.
What the Fujairah Free Zone does not publish
We couldn't find any licence fee, package, deposit, minimum capital or visa quota on the authority's site as of October 2026. A visa quota is the number of residence visas your company may apply for. The FAQ only says you apply for visas through the e-services portal once your establishment card is issued. The card is the immigration record your company uses to sponsor visas. No numbers are given.
There's also no stated rule on selling to customers on the mainland, meaning anywhere in the UAE outside a free zone. If you plan to sell across the country, get a written answer from the authority, or look at a mainland licence. The number for registration questions is +971 9 222 8000.
Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, who it serves
FOIZ is an industrial zone for the oil sector. According to the Fujairah Ports Authority, it hosts liquid bulk storage terminals, refineries and oil processing plants next to the Port of Fujairah. A general office company has no place there. The FOIZ office is on the 31st floor of Al Hilal Towers in Fujairah, and you can call it on +971 9 22 44 000.
The Ports Authority's page on starting a business offers three options, each with its own form: the Port of Fujairah, the oil terminals (FOTT) and FOIZ. Pick the form that matches where your operation will actually be. The page doesn't list fees or documents, so you'll have to get those from the body you choose.
Bunkering licences come from the port
Selling marine fuel, known as bunkering, needs a bunker licence from the Port of Fujairah. The port's tariff refers to barges that hold a valid bunker licence issued by the port. The port can also tell you who is on its current list of licensed suppliers.
The port doesn't publish the application requirements, or any bond or insurance amounts. Some sellers quote a cost for getting a bunker licence, but there's no published source behind those figures. Use them as a reason to call the port, not as a number for your budget.
Choosing the route
Your answers to three questions decide where you start.
- Does a sector regulator have to approve your activity first?
- Do you need a physical site inside a terminal or in FOIZ, or just a trading office and a warehouse?
- Will you sell fuel to ships?
A yes to the last question means the port licence comes first. If you need an oil terminal or a plant, start with the FOIZ form. A trading, marine or industrial company that needs neither will probably fit one of the activities FFZA lists. Because FFZA publishes no prices, you might compare RAKEZ packages in a nearby emirate to get a sense of cost. For other options, there's our list of free zones in the UAE, by emirate.
Tax applies here as well. A company incorporated on or after 1 March 2024 has to register for Corporate Tax within 3 months of incorporation, under Federal Tax Authority (FTA) Decision 3 of 2024, as of October 2026. A corporate tax consultant can confirm how this applies to you. When quotes start coming in, the cost guide shows you how to compare them fee by fee.
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