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A Dubai Airport Free Zone company costs about AED 40,770 to AED 85,000 in its first year, going by the published prices of 2 independent setup agents (checked ). Both put the licence itself at AED 15,000 a year. The low end is a small smart office with a two-visa quota, visa fees extra. The high end is a serviced office with 1 visa. DAFZ, also known as DAFZA, sits at Dubai International Airport and suits trading and logistics firms that want an airport address.
A note on how we checked this page
We read every free zone's own website before we write a price. With DAFZ we could not. The dafz.ae site blocked our checks, so we could not read its fee pages, packages or rules. What is confirmed here comes from the website of DIEZ, the authority that runs DAFZ. Most of the rest comes from setup agencies, and we say so each time. Treat agency details as a starting point and get the zone's figures in writing.
What DIEZ confirms:
- DAFZ is run by the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), which also runs Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai CommerCity
- The free zone has operated since 1996
- It is located at Dubai International Airport
- It hosts businesses from more than 20 sectors and over 20,000 people
- The three DIEZ zones together count more than 56,000 companies
Dubai Airport Free Zone prices: what agencies publish
DAFZ does not publish a fee table that we could read, and one agency says the zone does not publish one at all. So this section uses agency figures only. They are not our prices and not DAFZ's.
| Line | Agent figure | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| First year, smart office (6.5 sq m) | AED 40,770 | Office rent, licence, FZCO registration, MOA and AOA, establishment card. Two-visa quota, visa fees extra |
| First year, smart desk to serviced office | up to AED 85,000 | Licence, registration, 1 visa, and a smart desk at the low end or a serviced office at the high end |
| Licence on its own | AED 15,000 a year | One industry category with three sub-activities, per one of the two agents |
Label: published by setup agents. Range from 2 independent agents, checked . Not a DAFZ price.
Three sites carry these figures, but two of them (Emirabiz and UAEFreeZones.com) print the same smart office table line for line, so we count them once. Riz & Mona is the second, separate source. Its range is wider because it moves from a desk to a full serviced office with 1 visa. Both sources agree on the AED 15,000 licence line, which is why we show it. Rent is the big share of a DAFZ first year, and the licence is a separate annual line on top.
Why we do not show a DAFZ visa fee
The shared Emirabiz and UAEFreeZones.com table also lists visa fees and says they come from the DAFZ fee schedule. We could not see that schedule, and no second source prints the same figures. One source is not enough for us to show a number as a price. Ask DAFZ for its visa fee in the same quote as the office.
Promotions you may see
The dafz.ae sitemap lists pages named for offers: no registration fee, three months of free rent, and a discount on premium plus office space. We could not open them to read the terms or dates. If an offer applies, it can move your first-year cost well below the agency figures, so ask about it.
DAFZA licence cost and what drives it
Agents put the licence line at AED 15,000 a year, but your total depends on four things you control:
- Your office. A smart office or desk costs least. Larger offices, warehouses and retail units raise the rent line.
- Your licence type. Agents list Trade, Service, Industrial, General Trading and E-commerce licences. Each is priced on its own, so ask for the line for yours.
- Your visa count. More visas need more office space.
- Any current offer. See the promotions above.
Our guides to free zone license cost and hidden free zone costs list the fee lines that most quotes leave out.
How do visas work in DAFZ?
DAFZ does not publish its visa rule on any page we could read. Agents describe a quota tied to floor area, and their figures for the area per visa do not agree with each other. The smart office packages above carry a two-visa quota. Before you sign a lease, ask DAFZ how many visas your exact unit allows.
The office types named by agents and on the dafz.ae sitemap include a smart office or smart desk, business boutique offices, standard, premium and premium plus offices, warehouses, an industrial park and retail units. DAFZ's own descriptions of each could not be read.
Which licence types and company forms does DAFZ offer?
Agents say DAFZ registers FZCOs, public limited companies (PLC) and branches, and that new DIEZ rules removed the FZE form, with existing FZEs treated as FZCOs. They also describe a low minimum share capital for an FZCO under the DIEZ rules. We could not confirm any of this on dafz.ae. If the company form matters to your bank or your home country's tax rules, check it with the zone before you apply.
An agency also cites a DAFZ activity list with a large number of activities. We have not been able to see that list, so ask DAFZ whether your activity is on it.
How do you set up a company in DAFZ?
These are the general steps for a free zone company. DAFZ did not publish an official process or setup time that we could read.
- Send your planned activities to DAFZ or a licensed setup partner and confirm the licence type.
- Pick an office and confirm how many visas it allows.
- Choose the company form, usually an FZCO.
- Submit shareholder documents and sign the lease.
- Pay the licence, registration and establishment card fees.
- Apply for visas once the licence and establishment card are issued.
What documents does DAFZ ask for?
- Passport copies of all shareholders and managers
- Passport photos
Ask DAFZ for its full checklist, since we could not read it.
How do DAFZ companies open a bank account?
The dafz.ae sitemap has a page for bank representatives in the zone, but we could not read it. For the general rules, see our corporate bank account page.
How do I log in to the DAFZ portal or contact DAFZ?
Existing DAFZ companies sign in through the DAFZ e-services login. It is the zone's own online channel for company requests after setup.
The zone publishes its own business activity list. Check your exact activity there before you pick a package, because the activity decides the licence type and sometimes the price.
DAFZ says its online portal gives clients one access point to its information and services, with a separate customer portal on the login page.
For a question only the zone can answer, such as the status of a file, use the official DAFZ contact page. We are a directory, not the zone, so we cannot see your portal account.
Pros and cons of Dubai Airport Free Zone
Pros:
- An address at Dubai International Airport, confirmed by DIEZ
- Run by DIEZ, the same authority as Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai CommerCity
- Office sizes from a small smart office up to warehouses, per agents
- Offers listed on its own site, such as free rent and no registration fee
Cons:
- No official fee table we could read
- First-year agency prices start well above budget zones
- Visa rule and setup time not confirmed
- Company form and capital details come from agents only
Other DIEZ zones publish more on their own sites. Compare Dubai Silicon Oasis for tech and Dubai CommerCity for e-commerce. If you need a warehouse near a port rather than the airport, see Jafza. Every Dubai zone is on our Dubai free zones list.
Ask DAFZ for a real price
The form on this page is the quickest way to get figures DAFZ stands behind. Tell us your activity, office size and visa count. UAEFreeZoneDirectory.com is not DAFZ or DIEZ and does not act for either. We forward your request to the zone or a licensed setup partner, and you get the quote from them.
Setup consultants that work with DAFZ
If you would rather not handle the application yourself, KGRN Chartered Accountants, ADS Management Tax Consultancy LLC and Flyingcolour Business Setup Services LLC are the highest ranked consultants that name DAFZ on their own websites. KGRN Chartered Accountants is based in Business Bay. The full directory of Dubai setup consultants lets you filter by area and service.
Sources
- https://www.diez.ae/: DIEZ as the authority, the three zones it runs, group company count
- https://www.diez.ae/freezones: founding year, airport location, sectors and people
- https://www.dafz.ae/en/wp-sitemap-posts-page-1.xml: page names for offers, office types and bank representatives (contents not readable)
- https://www.businessdubai.ae/blogs/dafza-free-zone-setup: company forms, capital and licence types as described by an agency
- https://emirabiz.com/dubai-airport-free-zone-company-setup/ and https://www.uaefreezones.com/dafza_dubai_airport_free_zone.html: one shared smart office table (first year, licence line), counted as one source, checked
- https://www.rizmona.com/business-setup/dubai-airport-free-zone/: second agent first-year range and licence fee, checked
- https://www.dafz.ae/en/login: portal, activity list or contact page, checked
- https://www.dafz.ae/en/business-setup/process: portal, activity list or contact page, checked
- https://www.dafz.ae/en/contact-us: portal, activity list or contact page, checked
