Register a company in Dubai Airport Freezone

Much of it, yes: we map the activities and prepare the application, KYC and UBO file with you remotely, then file them. Three things tie the company to the UAE. DIEZA rules require a manager who is a natural person resident in the UAE. Residence visas start with entry to the UAE, then a medical test and Emirates ID for anyone aged 18 or over. And DAFZ does not publish whether every signature can be given remotely, so we confirm that for your file before you pay.

Our registration work starts from $2,900; with a UAE bank account set up, from $5,400. Zone fees come on top: DAFZ publishes no price list for companies, so we quote its fees for your licence and office package. Its only public prices are for niche routes. The Talent Pass freelancer licence costs AED 7,500 with no visa included, and Scality Global, for tech startups, charges AED 3,000 to register plus AED 2,850 a month, with the visa itself up to AED 4,200.

No. DAFZ's 'Why DAFZ' page still says 'No corporate tax', but the zone's own tax guide says corporate tax applies to all DAFZ-registered companies, branches included. The standard rates are 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above. The 0% on qualifying income needs QFZP status, whose conditions include adequate substance in the UAE, audited financial statements, transfer pricing compliance and non-qualifying revenue within 5% or AED 5,000,000, whichever is lower. Income from customers outside the free zones, on the mainland or abroad, counts as qualifying only for qualifying activities such as manufacturing or logistics services, or while it stays within that 5% or AED 5,000,000 limit. We map your activities against that list before you commit. VAT is 5%.

The zone gives no official timeline for company setup, so we put dates in your quote rather than a promise on this page. Two things drive the calendar: the lease, which comes before the licence, and the papers of any corporate shareholder. The bank then runs on its own clock. The official figures we do have: a Talent Pass licence takes 10-15 working days after approval, and the FTA processes a corporate tax registration within 20 business days of a complete application.

DAFZ lists empanelled bank partners: Emirates Islamic Bank, Mashreq Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD, Invest Bank, Bank of China and Wio Bank. A list is not an approval. Each bank runs its own KYC on the owners and on where the money comes from. We build that file and choose the banks or EMIs that fit your profile; after that, we tell you plainly where each application stands.

Not on the free zone licence alone, which covers operations in the zone. The routes are a licensed mainland distributor, a mainland branch or company, DAFZ's dual licence, which lets the company apply for a DET licence without a mainland office, or a licence or permit under Dubai's Executive Council Resolution No. (11) of 2025: AED 10,000 a year for a branch operating out of the free zone, AED 5,000 for a temporary permit of up to six months. Income from a mainland branch or permit is taxed at 9% and needs separate records.

As many as its space allows. A Smart Office desk carries 1 employment visa, a Business Boutique Office of 9-23 sq.m carries 2 and can apply for more, and a Standard Office of 25 sq.m gets at least 2, at one visa per 8.33 sq.m. A Premium Plus office of 50 sq.m comes with 6, and Industrial Park space carries 20 visas up to 350 sq.m and 30 above. DAFZ also handles visit and dependants' visas, with family sponsorship for directors, owners and managers.

Yes. Regulation 48 of the DIEZA Implementing Regulations says every company and branch must have a manager who is a natural person resident in the UAE. There are two ways to meet it: the founder takes a residence visa through the company and becomes the manager, or the company appoints someone who already lives in the UAE. The choice changes the office package and the visa count, which is why it comes before the lease.

For an FZCO, AED 1 is the legal minimum, and each share must be at least 25% paid up when it is allotted. DAFZ asks for a bank share capital letter only when capital is above AED 150,000. A PLC needs at least AED 250,000. Visa routes have their own thresholds: the five-year Green visa for investors needs a contribution of at least AED 1,000,000.

Keep the licence valid at all times - without one, the Registrar may wind the company up. File the UBO declaration every year and at each licence renewal, and report UBO changes within 14 days. Have the accounts audited by an auditor appointed within six months of the year-end; the corporate tax return and any tax are due within nine months of it. Separately, every shipment in or out of the zone needs a Gate Pass on DAFZA WAY.