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If you want to work as a freelancer, UAE free zones offer two routes: a freelance permit, which is cheaper but limited, or a one person company. For a permit, the lowest published fee is twofour54's AED 4,500 a year in Abu Dhabi, waived for the first 2 years. Dubai's GoFreelance package is AED 7,520 without a visa. Expo City Dubai prices a permit with a visa at AED 9,000.
The zones are in the table above. Here is what each permit covers and what it leaves out.
Freelance permit or a one person company
A permit is a licence in your own name for a short list of activities. It usually comes with a hot desk and one visa for you. It does not let you build a team or a brand. On GoFreelance, freelancers cannot sponsor employees or trade under a brand name.
A one person company, such as an FZE or an FZ-LLC, costs more but has none of those limits. Several zones below sell both, so you can start on a permit and convert later. Our freelance license UAE guide covers the permit itself, and the freelance visa Dubai page covers residency.
Freelance permits zone by zone
GoFreelance: Dubai Media City, Internet City, Knowledge Park and d3
TECOM's GoFreelance permit covers four zones: Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Knowledge Park and Dubai Design District. It fits tech, media, education and design work. The package is AED 7,520 a year, which is the AED 7,500 permit plus small dirham fees, with a hot desk in co-working. The visa is separate: AED 4,600 for 1 year or AED 5,042 for 2 years, and you need the AED 2,000 establishment card first. The permit takes about 2 working days. Two agencies put the full package with a visa at AED 11,000 to AED 16,000 (prices published by the agencies, checked ). See Dubai Media City for the media side.
twofour54, Abu Dhabi
For a freelance licence in Abu Dhabi, the Creative Media Authority issues one for media and creative work at twofour54. It costs AED 4,500 for 12 months with 3 activities, or AED 2,250 for 6 months, and the fee is waived for the first 2 years. Office and visa costs are not part of the waiver. Agencies disagree widely on the total: two of them publish AED 3,539 to AED 19,000 for a freelancer setup. Ask for the year 3 cost before you sign. More on twofour54.
Expo City Dubai
Expo City's fee list prices Expo Freelance at AED 9,000 a year, with the permit, the company card and a visa included. It is also the only Expo City licence that needs no lease. The fee list is dated and says prices can change, so confirm it. Details on the Expo City Dubai Free Zone page.
Ajman Free Zone
AFZ's Freelancer Package, also called the Sole Professional Licence, covers 40 freelancer categories. You are eligible for one residence visa and can sponsor family. The AFZ FAQ says a freelancer can hire one employee and can use the licence in the mainland. AFZ publishes no price; you request it through its calculator. There is a Freelancer and Pioneers Hub for desk space. See Ajman Free Zone.
RAKEZ
RAKEZ lists a Freelancer Permit among its licence types but publishes no permit price on the pages we read. If a company suits you better, its Biz Starter licence is AED 6,000 a year with coworking and no visa.
Ajman Media City
Ajman Media City offers freelancer permits and one person company licences. It publishes no permit price. Its Business Club company licence is AED 4,999 a year with no visa, or AED 12,999 with one, and setup is fully digital.
UAQ Free Trade Zone
UAQ FTZ issues a Freelance Permit that carries two activities. Its freelance promotion page states a price, but the wording of the term is unclear, so we do not print it. The UAQ LYTE company licence, at AED 5,500 a year with no visa, is the published alternative.
Creative City Fujairah
Creative City is Fujairah's media free zone, with more than 2,000 activities and fully remote licensing. Its Smart Package includes 1 free visa, up to 3 owners, 5 activities, a flexi desk, e-channel and establishment card, but the setup page gives no price. A separate offer page lists an Elite Package with 1 visa at AED 9,999, and two agencies put a one visa licence at AED 10,000 to AED 13,500. A new fee schedule has been approved, so confirm the figure. Visas last 2 years.
Choose by your work
- Choose GoFreelance if you work in tech, media, education or design and want a Dubai permit in about 2 working days.
- Choose twofour54 if you are a media or creative freelancer and want the lowest licence fee for the first 2 years.
- Choose Expo City if you want the visa inside one published price.
- Choose Ajman Free Zone if you may hire one person or work with mainland clients.
- Choose a company licence at RAKEZ, Ajman Media City or UAQ FTZ if you plan a brand, staff or more activities.
What the permit price leaves out
Most permit prices exclude the visa, the medical test, Emirates ID and health insurance. Some zones also need an establishment card before the visa, as GoFreelance does. Add those lines before you compare.
Write your field, your clients and whether you need a visa in the form on this page. This site is an independent directory and is not run by TECOM, the Creative Media Authority or any zone. A licensed partner or the zone itself gets your request and answers it.
Sources
- GoFreelance offering: package, visa and establishment card fees
- GoFreelance zones: the four zones and the staff and brand limits
- DDA freelancer licence registration: permit fee and delivery time
- Creative Media Authority regulation and licence: freelance licence fees
- Creative Media Authority business package: 2 year waiver
- Expo City Dubai fees list (PDF): Expo Freelance price
- Ajman Free Zone licence types: freelancer package and visa
- Ajman Media City services: freelancer permits
- Creative City company set-up: Smart Package inclusions
