Key Takeaways
- The DIFC Table of Fees (Rev. 16, 30 July 2026) sets a private company at USD 8,000 registration plus USD 12,000 licence, with USD 12,000 again at each annual renewal.
- Registry fees for an ordinary non-financial company come to about USD 20,750 in year one, including USD 750 data protection (derived from DIFC's published fees).
- A prescribed company costs USD 100 plus USD 1,000 a year and needs a corporate service provider unless exempt; it cannot employ staff.
- A non-small private company files audited accounts within seven months of year end, and other private companies file accounts within nine months (DIFC handbook, September 2026).
- DFSA authorisation fees for regulated firms follow a separate schedule that is not part of the registry table.
DIFC registration is priced from one registry table for every structure, and a quote is comparable only when it names the revision and date of that table. Financial services firms, funds, holding and family structures and technology companies that want a common law base each land on a different line. The points where the DFSA or a service provider decides are marked as they come.
DIFC company formation, what DIFC is and which structure fits
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is a financial free zone inside Dubai with its own common law framework and its own courts. The DIFC Authority registers companies, and the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) regulates financial services. DIFC reported 10,018 active registered companies and 1,134 regulated firms at the end of the first half of 2026 (DIFC half-year results of 28 July 2026, as published by the Dubai Media Office).
Each structure answers a different need. Private companies run a business or a holding. The prescribed company, DIFC's SPV, holds assets. Foundations serve succession and asset structuring, and an innovation licence suits early-stage technology and fintech firms. Moving an existing company into DIFC costs USD 8,000, a prescribed company USD 1,000, and a foundation continuation USD 500 (DIFC Table of Fees, Rev. 16).
Fee table lines and which revision to cite
Table DIFC-CS-GL-03, Rev. 16, updated 30 July 2026, is the current registry table, and DIFC links it on its handbooks and fees page and on its SPV page (as of October 2026). Quote the revision number and date whenever you compare quotes.
| Structure | Registration | Licence on incorporation | Annual renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private or public company | USD 8,000 | USD 12,000 | USD 12,000. |
| Prescribed company (SPV) | USD 100 | USD 1,000 | USD 1,000. |
| Foundation | Nil | USD 350 | USD 350. |
| Innovation licence | USD 100 | USD 1,500 while discounted | USD 1,500 while discounted. |
An AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation fee is added to each licence transaction. The table has one column for regulated and non-regulated entities and a separate retail column, which sets a private company at USD 3,400 for registration and USD 5,100 for the licence. Fees do not split into financial and non-financial. That split appears only in the data protection notification: USD 1,250 for a financial company, USD 750 for a non-financial one and USD 250 for a retail one (DIFC handbook, 29 September 2026).
Filing annual accounts and the annual confirmation statement carry no registrar fee for an ordinary company. Registry fees for an ordinary non-financial company therefore add up to USD 8,000, USD 12,000 and USD 750, or USD 20,750, plus AED 20 items (derived from DIFC's published fees). Office, establishment card, DEWS contributions and Corporate Tax are extra.
Minimum capital is not fixed for a private company: issued share capital only has to be greater than zero, with at least one shareholder and one director (DIFC handbook, September 2026).
The DIFC innovation licence and fintech firms
Innovation licences cost USD 100 to register and USD 1,500 a year while the DIFC discount applies. The fee table gives the discount for the first two years, then for years three to seven only to entities with 10 employees or fewer. Above that headcount, and for every entity from year eight, the fee reverts to USD 12,000. Confirm in writing which discount period applies to your licence.
Flexi desks at DIFC require an innovation licence, according to a DIFC landing page, which also promotes subsidised co-working and discounted visas. DIFC confirms the exact visa quota at application. Data protection fees for innovation licences are discounted, and the current figure should be checked with DIFC.
Regulated and non-regulated activity
Registry fees are the same for regulated and non-regulated entities, so the licence fee does not tell you whether your activity needs the DFSA. Financial services, funds and similar activity are regulated by the DFSA, and DFSA authorisation fees follow a schedule of their own that the registry table does not contain. Ask the DFSA for the schedule that applies to your activity.
VARA's remit excludes DIFC (VARA, About VARA, as of October 2026), so virtual asset activity in DIFC is a question for the DFSA. This is the line where a lawyer or regulated adviser is most useful, because regulated status decides the regulator and the fee schedule. The lawyers hub lists firms by practice area.
What a DIFC prescribed company cannot do
Prescribed companies cost USD 100 to incorporate and USD 1,000 a year, plus the corporate service provider (CSP). DIFC requires a prescribed company to appoint a registered CSP unless it is an exempt prescribed company (DIFC SPV page, as of October 2026). DIFC describes the prescribed company as passive, and it cannot employ staff (DIFC SPV page, as of October 2026).
Two things to settle before filing: a prescribed company may not be used as the operating company, and one that must have a CSP cannot be registered without it. A foundation, at nil registration and USD 350 a year, is the alternative vehicle for holding and succession.
Visas, establishment card and DEWS
Employment visas at DIFC need an establishment card issued by the GDRFA, and the company signs a Personnel Sponsorship Agreement. DIFC lists the new card at USD 618 (USD 656 express) and a USD 680 sponsorship deposit (DIFC handbook, September 2026).
Space decides the visa count at DIFC. The DIFC Government Services Office sets an allocation by space type and publishes no figure for a flexi desk, so ask it for the number that applies to your desk. DIFC employers also contribute 5.83% or 8.33% of basic salary into the DEWS savings plan in place of end-of-service gratuity.
Audit, Corporate Tax and renewal
Audited accounts are due within seven months of the financial year end for a non-small private company, and other private companies file accounts within nine months (DIFC handbook, September 2026). Small private companies are defined by turnover and shareholder thresholds in the Companies Regulations, so check the current definition before assuming you can skip the audit.
Confirmation statements are filed with the annual licence renewal and no later than 30 days after licence expiry. Most corporate changes, including directors, shareholders and ultimate owners, must be filed within 30 days, and so must a change of auditor.
For Corporate Tax, the 0% rate applies only to a Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) on qualifying income (Ministerial Decision 229 of 2025). Non-qualifying revenue must stay within the lower of 5% of revenue or AED 5,000,000, and a QFZP needs audited financial statements whatever its revenue. The English text of the decision is not an official translation. The structure can be tested against the QFZP conditions with a corporate tax consultant before you register.
Working on the Dubai mainland and banking
Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025 does not apply to financial establishments licensed in DIFC (Article 2). A non-financial DIFC entity should ask DIFC and the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET, formerly DED) which route applies. A law-firm review published in March 2025 names DIFC among four zones that held an older dual-licence arrangement with DET, agreed between 2017 and 2020.
Banks decide on their own file, and DIFC registration gives no promise of an account. The Central Bank's customer due diligence guidance, listed as in force from 7 November 2025, tells banks to verify customers and beneficial owners and keep records for at least five years. The Central Bank announced updated guidance in April 2026, so read the current version on its rulebook. Write the bank file before the licence is paid for. The free zone company in Dubai guide sets out the mainland options for other zones.
How to read a DIFC quote
A DIFC quote should state the fee table revision and date, then list its lines in the same order as the table.
- Registration, licence and data protection, with the right column (non-retail or retail).
- CSP charges for a prescribed company, and whether it is exempt.
- Establishment card, sponsorship deposit and the visa allocation for the space.
- Any DFSA fees, quoted from the DFSA schedule and not from the registry table.
- The provider's own fee, on its own line.
The regulated line and the SPV rules are the two places where an adviser can change the outcome. Compare the structures with ADGM, the Abu Dhabi equivalent, and with DMCC for trading and service companies.
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
- UAE free zone list by emirate, with authorities and websites
- ADGM registration, licence fees and Abu Dhabi dual licence
- DMCC company registration, costs, visas and who it suits
- Free zone company Dubai, choosing a zone, visas and tax
- RAKEZ free zone packages, visas and the Dual License wording
- Ajman Free Zone licence, visas, freelancer and cost
- Business setup in mainland UAE, LLC rules, ownership and cost
- E commerce license Dubai, three routes for an online seller
- Lawyers in the UAE
