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The DIFC license cost depends first on one question: does your business need financial regulation? A non-regulated private company pays USD 8,000 to incorporate and USD 12,000 a year for its licence. Tech firms can apply for the Innovation licence at USD 1,500 a year plus USD 100 registration, with up to 4 visas on the first desk. DIFC suits finance firms, holding structures and funded tech start-ups that want a common-law base in Dubai.
All DIFC fees are set in US dollars. We give them in USD exactly as DIFC publishes them, and give dirham figures only where a source states them.
Regulated or non-regulated: the first choice
Two bodies decide what you pay and how long it takes.
- DIFC Registrar of Companies registers every entity in the centre. If you run a consultancy, a holding company, a family office vehicle or a tech business, this is the only body you deal with. These are called non-regulated or non-financial firms.
- Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) licenses and supervises financial services: banking, asset management, brokerage, insurance and similar. A regulated firm registers with the Registrar and also needs DFSA authorisation.
The fees on this page are Registrar fees. If your activity is regulated, add DFSA application fees, ongoing fees and capital requirements. We did not read the DFSA fee rules, so ask a partner who handles DFSA applications for that part.
How much does a DIFC license cost?
| Licence or entity | Registration | Licence a year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private or public company, non-retail | USD 8,000 | USD 12,000 | Regulated or non-regulated |
| Retail company | USD 3,400 | USD 5,100 | Lower fees for retail entities |
| Innovation licence | USD 100 | USD 1,500 | Tech firms only, discounted fee, not for DFSA activity |
| Prescribed Company | USD 100 | USD 1,000 | Special purpose or holding vehicle |
| Active Enterprise Commercial Package | USD 100 | USD 1,000 | Holding, managing office or proprietary investment for qualifying groups |
| Foundation | None | USD 350 | Foundation operating licence |
Source: DIFC Registrar of Companies table of fees, revision 16 updated , and the DIFC Innovation licence page, checked .
Other Registrar charges to plan for:
- Annual confirmation statement: USD 300
- Data protection fee, only if you process personal data: USD 750 for non-financial firms, USD 1,250 for financial firms, USD 250 for retail
- Establishment card through DIFC Government Services: USD 618 normal, USD 656 express
- Personnel Sponsorship Agreement deposit: USD 680
The Active Enterprise package is narrow. It is for a private company that holds assets, runs a managing office or makes its own investments, and that is controlled by a DIFC entity, an affiliate, a government entity or a family business.
The DIFC Innovation licence for tech firms
This is the low-cost route, and it has limits. It is meant for AI, fintech, proptech, gaming, healthtech and similar firms, and it cannot cover any activity the DFSA regulates.
What it costs:
- USD 100 registration, one time
- USD 1,500 a year for the licence
- Coworking desk at USD 250 a month, billed yearly
- Up to 4 visas on the first desk, with up to 50% off the visa fee
The discount does not last forever. DIFC's fee table says the reduced fee applies for 2 years, then from year 3 to year 7 only if you have 10 or fewer employees. After that, or once you grow past 10 staff, the full USD 12,000 a year applies. DIFC's own pages word this differently, with one page saying 2 to 5 years, so confirm the terms that apply to you. On data protection, the landing page shows no fee while the handbook shows a discounted USD 250 in year one and USD 200 after.
If your product is not tech, compare the standard route here with our best free zone for tech guide.
What do setup agencies charge for DIFC?
Agency quotes for a non-regulated private company in its first year run from AED 65,000 to AED 104,079 (published prices of 2 setup agencies, checked ). The lower figure is described as a rough all-in starting price. The higher one is government fees with no visa, and the agency fee comes on top. These are agency figures, not ours and not DIFC's.
What does a DIFC visa cost?
DIFC publishes visa and allocation rules for the Innovation licence (up to 4 visas on the first desk) but we did not find the general allocation rules for operating companies. Offices range from coworking in the innovation hub to shared and leased offices in the centre. Ask for the office cost and visa allocation together, since the space you lease usually decides how many people you can sponsor.
The visa fee itself is in DIFC's Government Services handbook for employee services, approved in . A new permanent employment visa costs AED 3,950 plus a refundable AED 2,500 deposit on the normal 7 working day service, or AED 5,750 plus the same deposit on express. The handbook is older than the rest of our DIFC sources and may have been revised, so confirm the fee when you apply.
How does DIFC license renewal work?
A non-retail private company renews at USD 12,000 a year. Retail companies renew at USD 5,100. Add the USD 300 confirmation statement and the data protection fee if it applies.
Company formation in DIFC: entity types
DIFC offers more legal forms than most UAE zones:
- Companies: private, public, recognised, special purpose (SPC) and variable capital (VCC)
- Partnerships: general, limited, limited liability and recognised
- Non-profit incorporated organisations (NPIO)
- Foundations, prescribed companies, innovation firms and funds
A non-financial private company needs issued share capital above zero, with no fixed minimum in the handbook. DFSA firms follow DFSA capital rules.
How do you set up a company in DIFC?
Business setup in DIFC follows this order for most non-regulated firms:
- Decide whether your activity is regulated. If it is, start the DFSA process alongside registration.
- Pick the entity: private company, Innovation licence, prescribed company or another form.
- Reserve a name and submit the application to the Registrar of Companies.
- Get initial approval, typically 3 to 5 working days for non-financial entities.
- Sign an office or desk agreement.
- Pay the registration and licence fees and receive the commercial licence.
- Apply for the establishment card and then visas through DIFC Government Services.
How do I log in to the DIFC portal or contact DIFC?
Existing DIFC companies sign in through the DIFC Client Portal. It is the zone's own online channel for company requests after setup.
DIFC describes the Client Portal as the place to set up your business, access DIFC services and track and manage your transactions. New applicants register there too.
For a question only the zone can answer, such as the status of a file, use the official DIFC contact page. We are a directory, not the zone, so we cannot see your portal account.
Pros and cons of DIFC
Pros:
- Financial firms are supervised by the DFSA, a regulator inside the centre.
- Many legal forms, including foundations, VCCs and prescribed companies.
- A published, dated fee table.
- The Innovation licence makes early stage tech affordable.
Cons:
- A standard company at USD 12,000 a year costs far more than a basic free zone licence.
- Regulated firms face DFSA fees and capital rules on top.
- The Innovation discount ends with growth or time.
- Visa allocation rules for standard companies were not found.
If you are also weighing Abu Dhabi, see ADGM. For trading or a cheaper holding vehicle, see DMCC and our holding company in the UAE guide. Every Dubai option is on the Dubai free zones hub, and free zone licence cost compares base fees.
Talk to someone about DIFC
DIFC choices hinge on regulation, so a short note on your activity saves a lot of back and forth. Use the form on this page. We are an independent directory with no link to DIFC or the DFSA. We forward your note to DIFC or a licensed setup partner, and they reply with costs.
Setup consultants that work with DIFC
Setup consultants that list DIFC among their zones include KGRN Chartered Accountants, ADS Management Tax Consultancy LLC and Creative Zone, the three highest ranked by weighted Google score. KGRN Chartered Accountants is based in Business Bay. 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://www.difc.com/business/establish-a-business : Registrar and DFSA roles
- DIFC Registrar of Companies table of fees (PDF) : registration, licence, renewal, prescribed company, foundation, data protection and Innovation discount rules
- https://landing.difc.ae/innovation-license-offer : Innovation licence fee, desk price, visas, approval time
- DIFC GSO handbook, employee services (PDF) : employment visa fee and deposit, checked
- DIFC private company handbook, non-financial and retail (PDF) : establishment card, share capital, data protection
- DIFC Active Enterprise Commercial Package handbook (PDF) : Active Enterprise package
- DIFC handbook for setting up a non-financial entity (PDF) : entity types and approval time
- https://portal.difc.ae/clientportal/s/login/: portal, activity list or contact page, checked
- https://www.difc.com/contact-us: portal, activity list or contact page, checked
