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The Ajman Free Zone license cost is not on any AFZ price list. Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) gives prices only through a cost calculator that emails you a quote. Three setup agencies publish a no visa licence with a shared co-working desk at AED 5,555 to AED 5,565 for one year, and one visa at AED 13,131 to AED 13,141. AFZ suits traders, small manufacturers and freelancers who want warehouses near Ajman Port.
Ajman Free Zone license cost: what AFZ does publish
AFZ shows no package, registration or licence fee on its website. Its FAQ does list a handful of service fees, and these are the only official amounts we could find:
| Fee | Amount | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| E-channel renewal | AED 1,100 a year | Immigration e-channel account, renewed 5 days before expiry |
| Licence cancellation | AED 2,500 | Closing the licence (one agency quotes a different figure) |
| Manager change | AED 2,500 | Amendment fee plus the new AOA or MOA, done the same day |
| Establishment card amendment | AED 535 | Updating the card after a shareholder change |
| Employee insurance at visa renewal | AED 265 | Paid by every employee when the visa is renewed |
Source: Ajman Free Zone FAQ page, checked .
An old AFZ blog post from years ago still shows package prices. They are well out of date, so we do not repeat them here. The only official route to a current number is the calculator quote, or a quote through the form on this page.
What do setup agencies charge for AFZ?
Setup agencies publish Ajman Free Zone packages at about AED 5,555 to AED 13,141 (published prices of 3 agencies, checked ). The figures cluster tightly, which suggests they all work from the same AFZ tariff:
| Package | Agency price range | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| No visa licence | AED 5,555 to AED 5,565 | Trade licence, company registration, establishment card, co-working or flexi desk, 1 year |
| Licence with 1 visa | AED 13,131 to AED 13,141 | The above plus entry permit, medical, Emirates ID and e-channel |
Health insurance is not in either price. One of the three agencies says its figures are AFZ government fees and that its own service fee comes on top. Ask any agency to split the AFZ fees from its own charge in writing.
What does an AFZ visa cost?
AFZ does not publish a fee for a single residence visa, and it does not publish a visa quota per office size for company licences. What its pages do say:
- Freelancer and Pioneers packages give one residence visa plus family sponsorship. On the Pioneers package the visa is for the licence owner only. The FAQ adds that a freelancer can hire one employee.
- Visa stamping takes up to 4 days on the normal service and 2 days on urgent.
- Establishment card: ICP issues it after you apply through the AFZ customer portal. It arrives within three working days of the request. The issue fee is not published.
- Family sponsorship: employees need a salary of at least AED 4,500 a month to sponsor family. An investor's salary on the entry permit must be more than AED 10,000.
- Insurance: every employee pays AED 265 at visa renewal.
Setup agencies put an employee visa at AED 3,400 to AED 5,000 per person (published prices of 2 setup agencies, checked ). One of them prices an investor or partner visa a little higher than an employee visa. Health insurance is extra in both.
Before the first visa you also need the immigration e-channel and the establishment card. AFZ does not publish their issue fees. An independent newsletter (Emirae Pro, ) reports these starting AFZ fees, without linking to an AFZ page:
| Service | Reported starting fee |
|---|---|
| E-channel registration | from AED 2,300 |
| New establishment card | from AED 750 |
| Work entry permit | from AED 1,000 |
Source: Emirae Pro newsletter, reported figures, checked . One setup agency gives the same e-channel figure and adds a refundable deposit. Another agency quotes a higher establishment card fee, so the sources disagree on the card. Confirm both with AFZ. For the visa steps that apply in every free zone, see our guide to free zone visa cost and the establishment card.
Ajman Free Zone office and warehouse options
AFZ has more physical space than most northern free zones. Its product page lists:
- Executive offices and standard offices
- Business Centre, the shared co-working space used by most low cost packages
- Freelancer and Pioneers Hub, AI Robotics Hub and E-Commerce Hub
- Warehouses from 100 sq m, including Gold LEED eco-friendly units
- Temporary leasing warehouses, VAT exempt and open to companies outside AFZ
- Onsite staff accommodation
- Land on leases of 20 years or more
AFZ also runs business communities across the emirate, such as Ajman Boulevard, Al Zorah, Amber Gem Tower, China Mall and the Car Market. The FAQ says instalment plans may apply, but only on the rental part of a package.
Which licence types and company forms does AFZ offer?
AFZ issues seven licence types: Commercial, Industrial, Services, Pioneers, Freelancer (a Sole Professional Licence covering 40 freelancer categories), E-commerce and Offshore. It lists over 3,500 business activities, and you pick yours from the AFZ activity list.
Two rules catch people out. A licence is either service or commercial, never both. And a general trading licence holds one activity only, covering all goods except diesel, oil, crude oil, cars and garments.
Company types are the Freezone Establishment (FZE, one shareholder), the Freezone Company (FZC, two or more), and a branch of a local or foreign company. The Pioneers package is open to people aged 20 to 30. A freelancer licence can be used on the mainland, the FAQ says; goods still reach the UAE market through authorised distributors.
Renewing an AFZ licence
The renewal amount depends on your licence type, activities and office, and you see it in the AFZ customer portal. AFZ gives one month of grace after expiry. The e-channel renews separately at AED 1,100 a year. Read our notes on free zone licence renewal before your first anniversary.
How do you set up a company in AFZ?
Business setup in Ajman Free Zone takes six steps:
- Pick your licence type and company type (FZE, FZC or branch).
- Choose your activities from the AFZ activity list.
- Submit the application with your documents.
- Pay online, in cash, by cheque or by bank transfer.
- Receive the licence, a bank letter and the registration kit.
- Apply for the establishment card in the portal, then start the visa process.
AFZ blogs say a company can be formed in one working day, and that its One-Click portal issues licences within minutes. That is marketing wording, not a service standard.
What documents does AFZ ask for?
- Passport copy valid for at least 6 months, for each shareholder
- Colour photo
- Visa copy or UID if you have one, and a sponsor NOC if you live in the UAE
- For branches: the parent's trade licence, MOA and board resolution, plus the manager's passport and photo
A manager must hold a university degree attested by the UAE embassy in the home country and by MOFA in the UAE, translated into Arabic.
How do AFZ companies open a bank account?
AFZ issues a bank letter with the licence and works with partner banks through its AFZ+ services. Each bank still applies its own rules. See corporate bank accounts for what banks usually ask.
How do I log in to the Ajman Free Zone portal or contact Ajman Free Zone?
Existing Ajman Free Zone companies sign in through the AFZ e-portal. It is the zone's own online channel for company requests after setup.
For a question only the zone can answer, such as the status of a file, use the official Ajman Free Zone contact page. We are a directory, not the zone, so we cannot see your portal account.
Pros and cons of Ajman Free Zone
Pros:
- Agency prices for a no visa licence start near AED 5,555
- Warehouses from 100 sq m, land and staff housing beside Ajman Port
- Over 3,500 activities, plus freelancer and e-commerce licences
- Short visa stamping time on the urgent service
Cons:
- No official price list, so you depend on a quote
- No published visa quota or visa fee for company licences
- Service and commercial activities cannot share one licence
- Strict manager degree attestation rule
If AFZ is on your shortlist, compare it with the other Ajman free zones and read RAKEZ vs Ajman Free Zone. For the wider picture, see free zone licence cost across the UAE.
Ask for an AFZ quote
The form on this page lets you send your activity, shareholders and visa count in one go. UAEFreeZoneDirectory.com is an independent directory with no link to the Free Zones Authority. We forward your request to AFZ or to a licensed setup partner, and the quote comes from them.
Setup consultants that work with AFZ
Setup consultants that list AFZ among their zones include Zenesis Corporation, Creative Zone and Flyingcolour Business Setup Services LLC, the three highest ranked by weighted Google score. Zenesis Corporation is based in JLT. Ask each for a quote with government fees and service fees on separate lines, then compare it with the price above. More firms are in the directory of Dubai setup consultants.
Sources
- https://afz.gov.ae/en/help-and-support/faqs.html : service fees, visa stamping, establishment card, family sponsorship, renewal, licence rules
- https://afz.gov.ae/en/cost-calculator/ : quote by email only, no published packages
- https://afz.gov.ae/en/about-us/profile.html : launch date, company count, location
- https://afz.gov.ae/en/start-your-business/business-license-types.html : licence types, Pioneers and Freelancer visas
- https://afz.gov.ae/en/start-your-business/type-of-business.html : company types and documents
- https://afz.gov.ae/en/start-your-business/product.html : offices, warehouses, land
- https://afz.gov.ae/en/start-your-business.html : setup steps, activity count, bank letter
- Agency visa prices: Safe Ledger and BCL
- Reported service fees: Emirae Pro newsletter
- Agency package prices: Avyanco, Sarmat and Noble Core Ventures
- https://eportal.afz.gov.ae/fzaoneclick/s/sign-in: portal, activity list or contact page, checked
- https://afz.gov.ae/en/help-and-support/contact-us.html: portal, activity list or contact page, checked
