Key Takeaways
- A fee schedule, a package and an agent's quote each price something different. That's why every figure on this page says which one it is and when it applied.
- DIFC charges USD 8,000 to register a company and USD 12,000 for the licence, then USD 12,000 again at every renewal (fee schedule, 30 July 2026).
- RAKEZ advertises an entry package at AED 6,000 without a visa, and AED 14,000 a year with one residence visa (packages, October 2026).
- IFZA, DAFZ and Dubai South had no general price list on their public pages (October 2026). For these zones, only a written quotation gives you a figure you can use.
- Comparisons most often forget the visa quota. Zones link that number to the desk or the package you buy.
Prices for setting up a Dubai free zone company rarely match from one website to the next. Usually nobody is lying. The figures simply come from different kinds of document. Some zones publish a fee schedule, others publish a bundled package, and IFZA only gives a price when it sends you a quotation.
Why the Dubai free zone company setup cost depends on the label
A free zone is an area with its own authority that licenses companies under its own rules. You'll see three kinds of figure from these zones, and all of them get called a price. A fee schedule is the authority's own official tariff. A package is a bundled price the zone uses in its marketing, and it may include a visa or a desk. A vendor quote comes from a consultancy and is agreed by contract, which is why we don't print any here.
Every amount on this page shows its type, the authority or zone behind it and the date. Package prices are as of October 2026, the month the zones showed them.
Mixing these up leads to false comparisons. Take DMCC, the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre. Its Jump Start package costs AED 43,780 with a flexi desk, a shared workspace rented by the desk. Its schedule of charges lists a standard licence at about AED 20,000 a year. The package costs more because it also includes the desk, a visa and services (DMCC, October 2026). You'd be comparing two different purchases. To split any offer into its separate fees, see the guide to reading business setup packages.
Dubai zones with a published fee schedule
DMCC and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) both publish official tariffs. The Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA) publishes registrar fees too, but only for offshore companies, a form mostly used for holding assets rather than for trading in the UAE. Use the table to see what each fee is and which document it comes from.
| Fee | Amount | Type | Authority and document | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMCC company registration | AED 9,020 | fee schedule | DMCC schedule of charges | October 2026 |
| DMCC standard trading or service licence, one year | about AED 20,000, plus AED 20 knowledge and innovation fee | fee schedule | DMCC schedule of charges | October 2026 |
| DMCC establishment card | AED 1,825 per year | fee schedule | DMCC schedule of charges | October 2026 |
| DMCC new two-year employment visa, if you apply from outside the UAE | AED 2,972.5 | fee schedule | DMCC schedule of charges | October 2026 |
| DIFC private company registration | USD 8,000 | fee schedule | DIFC Table of Fees, revision 16 | 30 July 2026 |
| DIFC commercial licence, when you incorporate and at every renewal | USD 12,000, plus AED 20 knowledge and innovation fee | fee schedule | DIFC Table of Fees, revision 16 | 30 July 2026 |
| DIFC data protection notification, non-financial company | USD 750 | fee schedule | DIFC private company handbook, section 3 | 29 September 2026 |
| DIFC establishment card and sponsorship deposit | USD 618 (USD 656 express) and USD 680 | fee schedule | DIFC private company handbook, section 3 | 29 September 2026 |
| DIFC Prescribed Company (SPV) | USD 100 to register, USD 1,000 a year for the licence | fee schedule | DIFC Table of Fees, revision 16 | 30 July 2026 |
| JAFZA offshore company, Registrar fees | AED 10,000 to incorporate, AED 2,500 to renew after 12 months from registration | fee schedule | JAFZA Offshore Companies Regulations 2023, Schedule 2 | 2023 |
Two terms in the table need explaining. An establishment card is your company's immigration record, needed to sponsor visas. A Prescribed Company is DIFC's lighter form for a special purpose vehicle (SPV), a company set up to hold assets or carry out a single deal.
DIFC's table has one column for regulated and non-regulated companies and a separate one for retail. If you add up DIFC's own rows, a non-financial company pays USD 20,000 in registry fees in year one (USD 8,000 plus USD 12,000). If it processes personal data and pays the USD 750 notification, the figure is USD 20,750. That's before office, visas and Corporate Tax registration. A firm that needs approval to offer financial services also pays the regulator's fees, which are on a separate schedule this table doesn't cover.
JAFZA's AED 10,000 and AED 2,500 apply to offshore companies only. For an FZE (a Free Zone Establishment with one owner), an FZCO (a Free Zone Company) or a branch, JAFZA says licences start at AED 5,000. The price goes up with the number of activities, and JAFZA's cost calculator gives the final figure (JAFZA business licence page, October 2026). The JAFZA company setup guide explains how the offshore option works.
Dubai zones that publish packages or no prices at all
Meydan Free Zone advertises a standard trade licence from AED 12,500 a year (package, Meydan price page, October 2026). That price includes a flexi desk and up to three activity groups. In Meydan's own words, the base package doesn't include the visa, medical tests, Emirates ID or other services.
Meydan prices those items separately on its home page. Investor visas start from AED 4,000, employee visas from AED 3,500 and the immigration establishment card from AED 2,000 (package prices, October 2026). Its Fawri instant licence starts from AED 15,000 and is meant for a single shareholder. We couldn't find a Meydan renewal fee on its public pages. Ask for it before you pay.
IFZA, the International Free Zone Authority, had no price list or visa table on its public pages (October 2026). Any IFZA figure you see comes from someone's quotation and is only as good as that quote. IFZA's headquarters are in Dubai Silicon Oasis. The IFZA company setup guide sets out what its published terms say.
We also found no general tariff for the Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZ) and no licence price for Dubai South on their public pages (October 2026). For both, trust a figure only once the zone puts it in a written quotation. Which zone suits your activity is another matter, and the guide to choosing a free zone company in Dubai covers it.
Published prices in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain
Zones in the other emirates put more of their prices online. The table covers Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), RAK International Corporate Centre (RAK ICC), the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), Ajman Media City, Sharjah Media City (SHAMS) and the Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone (UAQ FTZ). Check the last column before comparing two rows, because fee schedules and packages aren't the same kind of price.
| Zone | Product | Amount | Type and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADGM | Non-financial company, total for the first year | USD 5,800, and USD 5,300 at renewal | fee schedule, version of January 2025, still linked in October 2026 |
| ADGM | Tech Startup licence for three years | USD 1,500 a year, not counting the data protection fee | fee schedule, version of January 2025; you need a Hub71 eligibility letter |
| RAK ICC | International business company, offshore | AED 3,250 in year one, AED 3,950 for each one-year renewal, as reported | secondary sources, 2026; not confirmed on RAK ICC's own site, so check with RAK ICC |
| RAKEZ | Biz Starter entry package | AED 6,000, no visa listed | package, October 2026 |
| RAKEZ | Lite instant licence | AED 12,000 with one residence visa | package, October 2026 |
| RAKEZ | All-inclusive business set-up | AED 14,000 a year with one residence visa; extra visas AED 4,000 each | package, October 2026 |
| Ajman Media City | Business Club to Innovator | from AED 4,999 with no visa up to AED 22,999 with 3 visas, per year | package, October 2026 |
| SHAMS | Media licence | from AED 5,760 | package, SHAMS start page, October 2026 |
| UAQ FTZ | START | AED 12,500 with one investor visa, Emirates ID, medical test and basic insurance | package, October 2026 |
ADGM calls its schedule a non-binding indicative guide, and its Fees Rules take priority. Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) uses a cost calculator instead of a public tariff. SHAMS says its final total depends on visas and add-ons, and the SHAMS guide covers its two packages. UAQ FTZ calls START an all-in price that renews every year at the same package cost.
Costs a package usually leaves out
A package price covers the zone's own services and stops there. The costs below usually come on top.
- Extra visas. Your visa quota caps how many residence visas your company may apply for. RAKEZ sells up to three more at AED 4,000 each (package). Meydan charges a visa allocation fee for each visa, and only Meydan can give you the current amount. DMCC charges AED 500 for each extra visa in the quota, plus a non-refundable AED 250 application fee (schedule, October 2026).
- Insurance and medical. u.ae lists a basic health insurance package at AED 320 per year (September 2026). Every emirate now requires it for private-sector employees, since the northern emirates joined on 1 January 2025. The medical test fee depends on the centre.
- Office. Dubai records tenancy contracts in its official register, Ejari. Registering a company lease there costs AED 220 at a trustee centre, because the AED 177.75 app and website option is for individuals (Dubai Land Department, October 2026). The landlord sets the rent.
- Mainland access. Mainland means anywhere in Dubai outside a free zone. A Dubai branch run from the free zone office costs AED 10,000 a year, and the six-month mainland permit costs AED 5,000 (Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025, Article 12, March 2025).
- Corporate Tax. Federal Tax Authority (FTA) Decision 3 of 2024 gives you three months from incorporation to register. Registering late brings an AED 10,000 penalty under Cabinet Decision 75 of 2023 as amended (as of October 2026).
- Bank help. Meydan advertises a guaranteed bank account process with partner banks, but we couldn't find its price on any readable page. The bank still makes its own decision after its due diligence, the checks it runs on you and your business.
The six-month permit also needs a Dubai Unified Licence, and it covers Dubai only (Dubai Media Office, October 2025). The guide to mainland versus free zone explains when that option is worth its fee.
Renewal, cancellation and visa renewal costs
In year two the biggest fee comes back. DIFC charges USD 12,000 again for the licence, and ADGM charges USD 5,300 for a non-financial company. Secondary sources put the RAK ICC one-year renewal at AED 3,950. The DIFC and ADGM figures come from fee schedules of July 2026 and January 2025. The RAK ICC figures come from secondary sources.
Packages follow their own renewal terms. Ajman Media City's Visionary package drops from AED 12,999 to AED 8,999 at renewal, and Innovator from AED 22,999 to AED 14,999. Business Club stays at AED 4,999. RAKEZ's all-inclusive page gives a fixed renewal price, and UAQ FTZ says START renews at the package cost (package pages, October 2026).
Visa renewals are a cost of their own. DMCC lists AED 2,200 to renew an employment visa for one year and AED 2,790 for two years. A free zone company renews its establishment card through the zone, and DMCC lists AED 2,205 for each renewal (schedule, October 2026).
Closing a company costs money too. You cancel the licence, the visas, the Corporate Tax registration and the bank account, each as its own step. At the start, find out each zone's cancellation fee and any fee for a no-objection certificate, a letter in which an authority confirms it has no objection. Also find out who pays any fines that are still open. These amounts decide what it will cost you to leave.
How to compare two zones on one sheet
Settle your inputs first: the activity, the number of owners, the visas, the desk and how many years you're planning for. Then get a written quotation from both zones on those same inputs. Fill in the sheet in this order.
- Note each zone's licence fee, with its type and date.
- Add the visa fees for the quota you need, and write down how much office space that quota requires.
- Include the establishment card, medical test, Emirates ID and insurance for each person.
- Price the office, Ejari and any mainland access fee.
- Add year two and the cost of cancelling.
- Only then compare the totals.
Comparing packages without their visa, desk and renewal terms can mislead you either way. Ajman Media City's Innovator package gets AED 8,000 cheaper at renewal (from AED 22,999 to AED 14,999). Judged on year one alone, it looks more expensive in year two than it really is. For the wider picture of setup costs, see the company formation cost guide.
Picking a zone on price alone also leaves two things untested: whether your activity fits, and whether a bank will take you on. The Central Bank's customer due diligence guidance says banks shouldn't open or keep an account when they can't complete those checks. Its rulebook shows the guidance as in force from 7 November 2025 (an April 2026 version may have changed it, so check the current rulebook). If the bank turns you down, you've already paid the licence fee. The list of free zones by emirate is a good place to start checking your activity.
If you'd rather not build the sheet yourself, a setup adviser who deals with both zones can price them on the same basis, often in one call. Have them show government fees apart from their own service fees, in writing.
AdvisoryHub may receive a fee when you request an introduction; it does not affect the information on this page.
More Company Setup Guides
Related Company Setup Guides
- Company formation cost in Dubai and the UAE, line by line
- Dubai company setup packages and what they leave out
- Free zone company Dubai, choosing a zone, visas and tax
- Free zone vs mainland Dubai, six questions to decide
- UAE free zone list by emirate, with authorities and websites
- IFZA FZCO company setup and what the zone publishes
- JAFZA trade license, company forms and the offshore option
- SHAMS freezone in Sharjah Media City, licence and visa
