In the UAE the licence is the quick part. Choosing the zone and opening the account are not.

This page covers 39 free zones and the mainland. Fees, visa quotas and activity lists differ from zone to zone, and a free zone licence works inside its zone: mainland customers need a distributor, a branch or, in Dubai, a permit. Corporate tax is 9% above AED 375,000, and the free zone 0% applies only to qualifying income. So we start with your customers, your activity and the visas you need, and choose the zone after that.

40
registration options covered
6,000+
companies registered
70+
banking relationships

Updated

Where we register

Thirty-nine free zones and the mainland, in all seven emirates

Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone flag
Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone
Abu Dhabi · LLC or branch
✓Trading and service packages at three Abu Dhabi airports✓Starter package from 6,000 a year without a visa, confirmed in the quote✓Capital from AED 25,000; one visa per 8 m² of office
14-21 business daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
ADGM flag
ADGM
Abu Dhabi · financial free zone
✓English common law and its own courts✓No minimum capital for a private company✓Non-financial licence USD 5,800 in year one, then USD 5,300
Approval within 10 business daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Ajman Free Zone flag
Ajman Free Zone
Ajman · FZE, FZC or branch
✓Ajman's original free zone, launched in 1988✓No published package prices, only a cost calculator✓The general manager must be a UAE resident
Confirmed in the quoteTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Ajman Media City flag
Ajman Media City
Ajman · FZE or FZC, freelance permit
✓Media, trading, e-commerce, tech and consultancy licences✓Business Club AED 4,999 a year: co-working, no visa✓One visa from AED 12,999, three from AED 22,999
Confirmed in the quoteTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Ajman NuVentures Centre flag
Ajman NuVentures Centre
Ajman · FZE, FZC or branch
✓Up to 10 activities on one licence, from over 3,500✓Zero Visa package from AED 4,888; visa packages from AED 10,800✓No minimum paid-up capital for most activities
Licence in 2 hours, per the zoneTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Creative City Fujairah flag
Creative City Fujairah
Fujairah · FZE, FZ LLE or FZ LLC
✓Media plus more than 2,000 commercial activities✓Media Package AED 3,999 without a visa; Elite AED 9,999 with one✓Licensing fully remote, no specific capital requirement
Confirmed in the quoteTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
DIFC flag
DIFC
Dubai · financial free zone
✓Its own civil and commercial law, and common-law courts✓Private company: no minimum capital, licence USD 12,000 a year✓Innovation Licence for tech firms: USD 1,500 a year plus a desk
3-4 weeks for an Innovation LicenceTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
DMCC flag
DMCC
Dubai · Company (FZCO) or branch
✓Gold, diamonds, tea, coffee, agri and energy trading✓Basic Biz package AED 35,484 for year one, one visa included✓Flexi desk: one visa on a special desk, three on a standard one
About 10 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Dubai Airport Freezone flag
Dubai Airport Freezone
Dubai · FZCO, PLC or branch
✓The Dubai International Airport free zone, under DIEZA✓1-50 shareholders, capital from AED 1, at least 25% paid up✓The manager must be a natural person resident in the UAE
Confirmed in the quoteTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Dubai CommerCity flag
Dubai CommerCity
Dubai · FZCO, PLC or branch
✓Digital commerce, with warehouses, fulfilment and last mile✓Dual licence with Dubai DET, without a separate office✓Fees on request; the manager must live in the UAE
Confirmed in the quoteTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Dubai Design District flag
Dubai Design District
Dubai · FZ-LLC, branch or freelancer
✓Design, art and fashion businesses, licensed by the DDA✓AED 3,500 to register, licence from AED 15,000 a year✓Capital AED 10,000; AED 100,000 for fashion, luxury and interiors
7-12 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Dubai Healthcare City flag
Dubai Healthcare City
Dubai · FZ-LLC or branch
✓Healthcare-led: clinics, labs, pharmacies and wellness✓Licence AED 15,000 a year for most activities✓Capital AED 10,000 for most activities, AED 100,000 for hospitals
Confirmed in the quoteTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Dubai Internet City flag
Dubai Internet City
Dubai · FZ-LLC or branch
✓Technology companies, licensed by the DDA✓AED 3,500 to register, AED 15,000 a year per segment✓One visa per 60 sq ft of leased space
7-12 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Dubai Knowledge Park flag
Dubai Knowledge Park
Dubai · FZ-LLC, branch or freelancer
✓HR, recruitment, executive search and training✓AED 3,500 to register, AED 15,000 a year per segment✓Training needs an outside approval (KHDA) before the licence
7-12 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Dubai Media City flag
Dubai Media City
Dubai · FZ-LLC, branch or freelancer
✓Media companies, licensed by the DDA✓Licence from AED 15,000 a year, AED 20,000 for advertising✓Capital AED 10,000; one visa per 80 sq ft leased
7-12 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Dubai Outsource City flag
Dubai Outsource City
Dubai · FZ-LLC or branch
✓Outsourcing and shared service providers✓FZ-LLC capital AED 300,000, fully paid up✓One activity per licence in the Outsource segment
7-12 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Dubai Production City flag
Dubai Production City
Dubai · FZ-LLC or branch
✓Media production, printing, publishing and packaging✓Capital AED 50,000-500,000, set by the segment✓Licence AED 15,000-25,000 a year plus AED 3,500 to register
7-12 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Dubai Science Park flag
Dubai Science Park
Dubai · FZ-LLC or branch
✓Healthcare, life sciences, energy and environment✓Licence AED 15,000 a year, AED 25,000 for manufacturing✓Shared desk at DSP HQ from AED 1,200 a month
7-12 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Dubai Silicon Oasis flag
Dubai Silicon Oasis
Dubai · FZCO, PLC or branch
✓Technology park with Dtec, the startup campus✓Dtec flexi desk AED 18,000 in year one, up to 2 visas✓Capital from AED 1, at least 25% paid up; a resident manager
Confirmed in the quoteTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Dubai South flag
Dubai South
Dubai · DWC-LLC or branch
✓Aviation, logistics and commercial firms near Al Maktoum airport✓Business Hub licence with a flexi-desk from AED 12,500✓Visa quota is bought separately from the visas themselves
Licence within 1 business dayTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Dubai Studio City flag
Dubai Studio City
Dubai · FZ-LLC or branch
✓Film and TV production, with sound stages and backlots✓Segment capital AED 50,000, or AED 1,000,000 for TV and radio✓Licence from AED 15,000 a year plus AED 3,500 to register
7-12 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
DWTC Free Zone flag
DWTC Free Zone
Dubai · FZE, FZCO or branch
✓Open to all sectors, from events to family offices✓Licences from AED 12,000; visas and workspace extra✓From zero visas to six with workspace, on demand
Confirmed in the quoteTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Expo City Dubai flag
Expo City Dubai
Dubai · FZ-LLC or branch
✓A free zone set up by Dubai Law No. 14 of 2022✓Business Hub AED 12,520 a year with VAT and a shared desk, no visa✓No prescribed minimum capital; a yearly audit
Initial approval in 3 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Fujairah Free Zone flag
Fujairah Free Zone
Fujairah · FZE, FZC or branch
✓Trading, warehousing and manufacturing licences✓Its authority dates from 1987✓Fees, capital and visa quota confirmed per case
Confirmed in the quoteTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Hamriyah Free Zone flag
Hamriyah Free Zone
Sharjah · FZE, FZC or branch
✓Industrial zone with a 14-metre deep port✓Basic licence AED 11,000, per the zone's FAQ✓Start Up package: one visa, no office area
Licence in 1 hour on a complete fileTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
IFZA Dubai flag
IFZA Dubai
Dubai · FZCO or branch
✓Inside Dubai Silicon Oasis: commercial, professional, general trading✓Up to 3 visas without office space✓No public fee list, prices per package
A few business daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Innovation City flag
Innovation City
Ras Al Khaimah · Ltd, CLG or branch
✓Formerly RAK DAO: AI, Web3, gaming and other tech✓Idea package from AED 6,600 a year, a limited-time offer, no visa✓Activity in the CMA's mandate needs the CMA's licence first
As little as 5-10 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Jebel Ali (JAFZA) flag
Jebel Ali (JAFZA)
Dubai · FZE, FZCO or branch
✓DP World's free zone, set up by a Dubai decree in 1985✓Trading, service, industrial and logistics licences✓Also licenses the businesses of Dubai Maritime City
Confirmed in the quoteTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
KEZAD flag
KEZAD
Abu Dhabi · Ltd company or branch
✓AD Ports Group's industrial and logistics zones✓Start-up package AED 9,450 a year, one visa, VAT included✓Capital: none per the site, AED 150,000 under the 2011 rules
24 hours, per KEZADTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Masdar City Free Zone flag
Masdar City Free Zone
Abu Dhabi · FZ-LLC or branch
✓Clean tech, energy, AI, space tech and life sciences✓Startup package AED 7,000 plus 5% VAT, up to 2 activities✓Flexi Desk Lite AED 2,000 with one visa
A few working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Meydan Free Zone flag
Meydan Free Zone
Dubai · FZ-LLC or branch
✓Over 2,500 activities, three activity groups on one licence✓Licence with a flexi-desk from AED 12,500; visas extra✓An investor or partner visa needs AED 50,000 of share capital
Under 60 minutes to 3 daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
RAK Maritime City flag
RAK Maritime City
Ras Al Khaimah · FZE, FZC or branch
✓Industrial and maritime land at Saqr Port✓Plots on a Musataha contract, 4 million m² available✓Fees and visa quota not published, confirmed per case
Confirmed in the quoteTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
RAKEZ flag
RAKEZ
Ras Al Khaimah · FZ-LLC or branch
✓More than 3,000 activities, plus three industrial zones✓Biz Starter AED 6,000: licence and coworking, no visa✓Capital AED 10,000; the manager must live in the UAE
Minutes, onlineTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
SAIF Zone flag
SAIF Zone
Sharjah · FZE, FZC or branch
✓Next to Sharjah International Airport, with customs on site✓Capital AED 150,000 for an FZE or FZC✓Offices with a quota of 3, 5 or 8 visas
Same dayTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Shams flag
Shams
Sharjah · LLC or branch
✓Media, consultancy, trading, e-commerce: up to 5 activities✓1 to 50 shareholders, set up fully online✓Up to 50 visas per licence, AED 1,600 per allocation
1-2 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
Sharjah Publishing City flag
Sharjah Publishing City
Sharjah · FZE-LLC, FZC-LLC or branch
✓Over 2,000 activities, from publishing to IT and trading✓E-publishing licence from AED 4,999; visa fees billed separately✓Unlimited visa quota on a flexi-desk
24 hours on eligible packagesTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
SRTI Park flag
SRTI Park
Sharjah · FZE, FZC or branch
✓Research and innovation park, with a mainland dual licence option✓No paid-up capital for most licences✓Renewal audits accepted only from accredited firms
As little as 5 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
twofour54 flag
twofour54
Abu Dhabi · FZ-LLC, branch or freelancer
✓Media, gaming and broadcast activities only✓Licence and registration fees waived for the first 2 years✓No minimum capital; the office type sets the visas
Within 14 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
UAE mainland flag
UAE mainland
Mainland LLC or free zone company
✓The direct route to customers on the UAE mainland✓Set up remotely, by power of attorney✓No personal income tax; VAT 5%
1-2 weeksTax: 0% to AED 375,000 · 9% aboveMore details →
UAQ Free Trade Zone flag
UAQ Free Trade Zone
Umm Al Quwain · FZE, FZC or branch
✓UAQ LYTE: licence and co-working AED 5,500 a year, no visa✓Stated capital AED 300,000, no proof required✓Includes the UAQ Port Freezone at Ahmed Bin Rashid Port
1-2 working daysTax: 9% · QFZP 0%More details →
The part that ends badly

The cheapest licence, and then the visas run out

It rarely goes wrong at the licence. It goes wrong a few months later, when the package turns out to carry no visa, the desk caps the quota, or the first mainland customer wants an invoice the licence does not cover.

✓Many entry packages include no visa: Ajman Media City at AED 4,999, Creative City at AED 3,999, UAQ FTZ's LYTE at AED 5,500✓The space sets the quota: DMCC gives one visa on a special flexi desk and three on a standard one, and extra visas only to a physical unit✓A free zone licence works inside the zone; selling to the mainland needs a distributor, a branch or, in Dubai, a permit✓DIEZA's zones, Ajman Free Zone and RAKEZ want a manager resident in the UAE, which a founder abroad is not on day one
How it should go

Visas and the bank first, the zone second

We count the visas you need for the first two years, check which banks will take your activity and your country of residence, and only then pick the zone and the package. A problem found at the opinion stage costs nothing; found after the licence, it costs the zone fees.

✓The package is sized for the visas you will actually need, whatever the headline price✓Activities are chosen so a bank can follow them; Meydan itself warns that general trading mixed with unrelated activities can complicate an account✓Mainland sales are planned before the licence: a distributor, a branch or Dubai's six-month permit✓The free zone 0% is planned from day one: qualifying activities, substance in the zone, audited accounts
What registration covers

What we do, and what you get at the end

In most zones the licence is the easy part. The work is choosing the zone and the package correctly, getting the immigration file and the visas through, and opening a bank account afterwards.

These include:
✓Choice of free zone or mainland, legal form and package against your real activity✓Name check, activity selection and the application to the zone✓Licence, incorporation certificate and constitutional documents✓Establishment card - the company's immigration file✓Corporate tax registration with the FTA
Also, where it is needed:
✓Bank or EMI account opening, with 70+ relationships behind the application✓Residence visas and Emirates ID for founders and staff✓A bigger desk or office when the visa count grows✓VAT registration, accounting and audited accounts✓Licence renewal and the yearly compliance calendar

Licences need renewing, many zones require audited accounts every year, and every company files a corporate tax return within nine months of its year-end. We keep the calendar.

WhatTypical timeWhat you receive
Document attestationDepends on your countryForeign papers legalised for UAE use
LicenceMinutes to 4 weeks, by zoneLicence and incorporation documents
Establishment cardSet by the zoneThe company's immigration file
Residence visa3-20 working days, by zoneVisa and Emirates ID
Corporate tax registrationFTA: 20 business daysRegistration with the FTA, free of charge
Bank accountSet by the bankIBAN and access to the account

The bank is the slow step here too, and some banks want a residence visa first; RAKEZ lists one among its account requirements. We build the bank file while the zone issues the licence.

Comparison of jurisdictions

Financial, general and sector zones: how they differ

The 39 zones fall into three groups, and the mainland is a fourth route. Financial free zones have their own law and courts, general zones license almost any trade or service, and sector zones license their own industry and tie visas to leased space.

01
Financial free zones: DIFC and ADGM

Their own civil and commercial law, common-law courts and fees in US dollars: USD 12,000 a year for a standard DIFC licence, USD 5,800 in year one for a non-financial ADGM licence. The right home for funds, finance and holding structures; an expensive one for a solo consultancy.

02
General zones: cheap to enter, visas extra

Meydan, IFZA, DMCC, DWTC, RAKEZ, Shams, SPC, UAQ FTZ, Creative City, the Ajman zones and others license most trading and service activities, mostly through online portals. Published entry prices run from AED 3,999 for Creative City's Media Package to AED 35,484 for DMCC's Basic Biz, and most of the cheap ones include no visa.

03
Sector zones: the licence follows the industry

The Dubai Development Authority's districts for tech, media, training, science, outsourcing, production, film and design, plus Dubai Healthcare City, twofour54, RAK Maritime City and Innovation City. In the DDA districts visas follow leased space: one per 80 sq ft in most, one per 60 at Dubai Internet City.

ZoneEntry zone feeVisas in the entry packageLicence time
Important: { "title": "The package price is not the yearly cost", "text": "Visa allocations, the establishment card, a bigger desk once the quota runs out, audited accounts and the renewal all come on top of the entry price. We price the first and the second year, not the headline." }

No row here is a recommendation on its own. The right zone follows your activity, where your customers are and how many people you will sponsor.

Before you register

What registration will require

The pack is similar from zone to zone; the differences sit in the manager rules, the space and what the bank asks for.

01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
Note: The pack for your zone and your bank is fixed in the opinion before work starts - together with the timeline and the full cost of the first year.
On the ground

Seventeen offices, our own people

Hong Kong flag
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
5/F, Yau Lee Centre, 45 Hoi Yuen Road, Kwun Tong
+852 5808 0297
Czech Republic flag
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Germany flag
Berlin
Germany
Rankestraße 26
Singapore flag
Singapore
Singapore
3 Church Street, #29-68 Samsung Hub
Thailand flag
Bangkok
Thailand
Unit P01, Penthouse, VASU1, 1 Sukhumvit 25 Alley
China flag
Foshan
China
A-Tower, Yuneng Digital Plaza, 46 Lishui Avenue South
Kyrgyzstan flag
Bishkek
Kyrgyzstan
32 Razzakov Street
How it works

Five stages from the first call to a working account

STEP 01
The opinion

What you will do, where your customers are, how many visas you need and where you will bank. Out of that comes a zone or the mainland, a legal form, a package and a written reason. Free.

STEP 02
Documents and activities

Passports, proof of address, corporate papers legalised for UAE use and an activity list that both the zone and the bank will accept.

STEP 03
The licence

Filed with the zone, usually through its online portal. You receive the licence and the incorporation documents, then the establishment card that opens the company's immigration file.

STEP 04
Visas and the bank

Entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID and residence visa for each person who needs one. The bank file is built while the licence is being issued.

STEP 05
Keeping it alive

Corporate tax registration within three months of incorporation, the return within nine months of each year-end, licence renewal and audited accounts where the zone or the 0% regime requires them.

Why Prifinance

Why this is worth paying a lawyer for

Any zone will sell you a licence online. What you pay us for is the right zone, a visa count that fits your plan and an account that actually opens.

01
The zone is chosen against the bank, not the brochure

70+ banking relationships, and we check which banks will take your activity and your country of residence before you pay any zone fees.

02
6,000+ companies, so the awkward cases are familiar

An activity the zone will not license, a corporate shareholder whose papers need embassy attestation, a manager who has to live in the UAE, a visa quota that ran out. None of it is new to us.

03
We say no when the zone is wrong

If your customers are on the mainland, if the package carries no visa you need, or if your income will not pass the qualifying test, you hear it before you pay.

04
We plan the 0% before the licence

Qualifying activities, substance in the zone, audited accounts and the de minimis limit are worked out first. One breach costs the 0% for that tax period and the next four.

05
The company keeps running afterwards

Licence renewal, corporate tax and VAT returns, audited accounts and the beneficial owner register - from the same team that set the company up.

Your team

The people who will run your file

Dmitri Mihhailov
Dmitri Mihhailov
General Partner

Leads Prifinance's corporate practice and oversees client engagements, with senior expertise in international company structuring and bank-account setup.

Eugeniu Bevziuc
Eugeniu Bevziuc
Corporate services advisor

Corporate services and compliance: documents, legalisation, annual filings and the bank's questions.

Alex Danila
Alex Danila
Company formation specialist

Your day-to-day contact - coordinates incorporation, documents and the bank introduction, from the first call through to launch.

Follow Prifinance

Active across our channels.

Worth knowing

What the UAE takes from profit

The UAE taxes companies now, at low rates, and it still does not tax individuals' income. The free zone 0% is a status, and a company keeps it only by meeting the conditions in every tax period.

Corporate tax: 0% and 9%

0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it, for financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023. Registering with the FTA is free; registering late costs AED 10,000.

Free zone 0%: qualifying income only

A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on qualifying income and 9% on the rest. It needs adequate substance in the zone, audited accounts, transfer pricing compliance and non-qualifying revenue within 5% of the total or AED 5,000,000, whichever is lower.

Break a condition, lose five years

A QFZP that fails a condition at any point in a tax period loses the status from the start of that period and for the next four. Mainland income through a branch is taxed at 9% in any case.

Small business relief to 2029

A resident business with revenue up to AED 3,000,000 can elect to be treated as having no taxable income, for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029. A QFZP cannot claim it.

VAT 5%

Registration is mandatory above AED 375,000 of taxable supplies and imports a year and optional above AED 187,500. Goods moving between designated zones can be outside VAT; services supplied inside them are not.

No withholding tax, no personal income tax

Withholding tax on payments to non-residents is set at 0%, and the UAE does not tax individuals' income. A business run by an individual falls under corporate tax once its turnover passes AED 1,000,000.

Important: { "title": "About the 15% minimum tax", "text": "For financial years from 1 January 2025 the UAE applies a 15% domestic minimum top-up tax to groups with global revenue of €750 million or more in at least two of the four preceding years. For mid-sized business nothing changes; for large structures it is modelled before the zone is chosen." }
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★

Founders who wanted it done right.

Google4.7★★★★★
★★★★★Google
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”
K N
K N
Google
★★★★★Google
“I had their assistance in company registration and I would recommend them. They were answering all my clarification during the process and offering all their supportThank you Daniel and Irinia”
Mina Kedis
Mina Kedis
Google
★★★★★Google
“We found PRIFINANCE COMPANYvia the Internet and asked for help in organizing the opening of their company in Estonia. PRIFINANCE COMPANY specialists helped us a lot with this. Their professional, competent approach and knowledge of their business left us with only the best impressions.”
Юрий Валерьевич
Юрий Валерьевич
Google
★★★★★Google
“I'm thrilled with my experience with PriFinance! They helped me obtain a crypto license in Estonia without any hassle. The team was super understanding and always available to answer my questions and assist. It was great to see how they put effort into preparing the documents to ensure everything went smoothly. I'm delighted with the outcome and highly recommend PriFinance to anyone looking to get a license…”
Anna Anna
Anna Anna
Google
★★★★★Google
“Opening an account with Prifinance in a Swiss bank was such an easy and quick process that I was shocked. It all started with the first call, where I received detailed guidance on the required documents and the entire procedure.One of the key highlights was their attention to detail. As someone who usually gets tangled up in paperwork, I was pleasantly surprised when they sent me all the documents and…”
Анастасия Одокиенко
Анастасия Одокиенко
Google
★★★★★Google
“I recently had the pleasure of working with Boris.. and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. Boris went above and beyond to assist me with my residency needs. His professionalism, knowledge, and dedication truly stood out. I highly recommend working with Boris and the team!”
Maria Jose Santome
Maria Jose Santome
Google
Questions and answers

The UAE: what people ask most

Free zone or mainland?+

Follow whoever pays you. A free zone licence works inside its zone, so selling to customers on the UAE mainland needs a licensed distributor, a mainland branch or company, or in Dubai a permit at AED 5,000 for six months, and that mainland income is taxed at 9%. If most of your customers are on the mainland, a mainland company is usually simpler.

Is free zone tax really 0%?+

Only on qualifying income, and only for a Qualifying Free Zone Person. The company needs adequate substance in the zone, audited accounts and transfer pricing compliance, and its non-qualifying revenue must stay within 5% of the total or AED 5,000,000, whichever is lower. Everything else is taxed at 9%.

Which zone is cheapest?+

Among general licences, the lowest published prices are outside Dubai: Creative City Fujairah from AED 3,999, Ajman NuVentures Centre from AED 4,888, Ajman Media City and Sharjah Publishing City from AED 4,999, UAQ FTZ at AED 5,500. In Dubai, published prices for a general licence start at AED 12,000-12,500 (DWTC, Meydan, Dubai South). None of these entry prices includes a residence visa, so the cheapest licence is often not the cheapest first year.

Do I need to come to the UAE?+

For the licence, often not: Meydan, Shams, IFZA, Creative City and RAKEZ run formation online, and DMCC checks signatories by video and signs through DocuSign. The residence visa is different, because the medical test and Emirates ID biometrics happen in the UAE. Some zones also take specimen signatures in person, as DSO and Dubai CommerCity do.

How many visas will I get?+

As many as your package or your space allows, and many entry packages allow none. DMCC gives one visa on a special flexi desk and three on a standard one; the DDA districts allow one per 80 sq ft leased, one per 60 at Dubai Internet City; Shams allows up to 50 per licence. We size the quota for year two, not for week one.

How long does the bank account take?+

Longer than the licence, and the bank sets the pace. Some banks want a residence visa first (RAKEZ lists one among its account requirements), and a zone's banking partnership helps with the introduction, not the decision. We agree the bank before the zone is paid for and build the KYC file to that bank's list.

What does a company have to do every year?+

Renew the licence, keep the beneficial owner register current, file the corporate tax return within nine months of the year-end and, in many zones, file audited accounts: within six months of the year-end in the DDA districts and DMCC, within three at Hamriyah. A Qualifying Free Zone Person needs audited accounts in any case.

Are DIFC and ADGM worth it for a small company?+

Usually not for a solo consultancy. Both have their own civil and commercial law and common-law courts and price in US dollars: USD 12,000 a year for a standard DIFC licence, USD 5,800 in year one for a non-financial ADGM licence. They make sense for finance, funds, holding structures and contracts that want a common-law court.

Why are some free zones missing from this list?+

Because they do not register ordinary trading or service companies. Tawazun Council Free Zone is for defence and security, Dubai International Academic City for education, Dubai Humanitarian for humanitarian organisations and Sharjah Healthcare City for healthcare. National Industries Park describes itself as a mainland industrial park, and Dubai Industrial City says in its own FAQ that it is not a free zone. For Gold & Diamond Park, Dubai Auto Zone and a new Sharjah communications zone we could not confirm how licensing works.

Free consultation

Tell us what you are going to do in the UAE

Your activity, where the customers are, how many people need visas, who is putting the money in and where the profit should end up. You get a written recommendation with a zone or the mainland, a legal form, the package and visas, a total first-year cost and the reasoning - free of charge.

Written assessment within 2-5 business days
We're online - a lawyer replies within 2 minutes➤ Telegram