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Dubai Internet City free zone does not sell a ready-made package. Every tech company there pays two official fees to the Dubai Development Authority (DDA): AED 3,500 once to register, then AED 15,000 a year for one licence segment. Office rent comes on top, and the space you lease decides your visa count: one visa per 60 sq ft. DIC suits software, IT services, telecom and data centre businesses.
How the DDA fee system works
DIC is one of several TECOM districts that share one regulator. The DDA licenses companies in Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Knowledge Park and a few more, all under one DDA decision on licence categories (Decision No. 1). That decision is the price list. You will not find a fee page on dic.ae itself: the zone FAQ says pricing follows prevailing market rates and sends you to a sales manager.
The system has three moving parts:
- Registration. A new FZ-LLC or branch pays AED 3,500 once. The DDA adds AED 10 Knowledge Dirham and AED 10 Innovation Dirham, so invoices often show AED 20 more.
- Segments. Activities are grouped into segments, and the licence fee is charged per segment, not per activity. In DIC each standard segment holds up to five activities.
- Extra segments. A second standard segment costs AED 10,000 a year on top of the first, not another AED 15,000.
The same decision sets minimum capital by segment and the late renewal penalties. Once you know your segments, you can work out the licence side yourself. Only the lease is unknown, because TECOM prices it per unit.
| DDA fee line for DIC | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Registration (FZ-LLC or branch) | AED 3,500 | Once, plus AED 10 and AED 10 in dirham fees |
| Licence, one standard segment | AED 15,000 a year | Up to 5 activities in DIC segments |
| Each extra standard segment | AED 10,000 a year | Added to the first segment fee |
| Freelancer segment | AED 7,500 a year | 1 activity, GoFreelance permit |
| Minimum capital, FZ-LLC | AED 10,000 | No minimum for a branch |
Source: the DDA Licence Categories Decision and the DDA FZ-LLC registration page, both checked .
Dubai Internet City licence segments
The decision lists six DIC segments:
- Internet and Multimedia
- Software
- Telecommunication and Network
- IT Services
- Data Centre (three activities, still AED 15,000)
- Freelancer (one activity, AED 7,500)
A software house that also runs managed IT services needs two segments: AED 15,000 plus AED 10,000 a year. Keep activities inside one segment where you can.
What do setup agencies charge for DIC?
Setup agencies publish Dubai Internet City prices of about AED 22,540 to AED 50,000 (published prices of 3 agencies, checked ). These are agency numbers, not ours. The low figure is a "starting from" headline with no inclusions listed. One mid figure is an estimate with a dedicated desk lease, a refundable deposit and an establishment card but no visa. The top end is a licence with a flexi desk. Ask for a split into DDA fees, lease and service fee.
What does a DIC visa cost?
The DIC FAQ says a company can sponsor one employee for every 60 sq ft it leases. Most DDA districts use 80 sq ft, so the same floor area carries more staff here. A 600 sq ft office supports up to ten visas.
The price of a company visa is the gap in DIC's public numbers. Companies pay visa and establishment card fees through axs, the TECOM government services portal, and the fee list only appears after you log in as a client. We checked the DDA service cards, axs.ae, the DIC FAQ and archived axs pages: none of them shows a company figure. So the table below mixes two kinds of number, and the last column says which is which.
| Cost line | Figure | Who publishes it |
|---|---|---|
| Employment visa for a company employee | AED 2,500 to AED 7,500 per visa | Setup agents (6 agencies) |
| Refundable visa deposit | AED 2,500 per visa | Setup agents (2 agencies) |
| Company establishment card | AED 1,000 to AED 2,500 | Setup agents (5 agencies) |
| GoFreelance visa, freelancers only | AED 4,600 for 1 year, AED 5,042 for 2 years | Official, TECOM |
| GoFreelance establishment card, freelancers only | AED 2,000 | Official, TECOM |
Source: six agency visa price pages and the TECOM GoFreelance page, checked .
The agency range is wide because the six agencies do not count the same things. Some add the medical test and Emirates ID, some leave them out, and some fold in their own service fee. Ask for a quote that puts the entry permit, status change, medical, Emirates ID and deposit on separate lines. For an investor or partner visa we have no reliable DIC figure: the two agencies that give one disagree. Our free zone visa cost page explains the government parts.
What office options does DIC offer?
DIC leases commercial offices, light industrial units, warehouses and retail. Rates are not published. For early founders there are two lighter routes.
in5 Tech. The tech centre of in5 sits in DIC. A start-up accepted by the in5 Evaluation Committee pays no application or registration fee, an annual licence of AED 1,000 for three years, AED 1,500 per visa and no visa deposit. After three years it moves to the normal DDA fees. Other in5 centres cover design in d3, media in Dubai Production City and science in Dubai Science Park.
GoFreelance. The TECOM freelance package costs AED 7,520 a year and gives a freelance permit with a hot desk, Wi-Fi and meeting rooms. It does not include a visa. A freelancer cannot hire staff or trade under a brand name. The permit is issued in about 2 working days. GoFreelance covers DIC, Dubai Media City, Dubai Knowledge Park and Dubai Design District. See freelance license UAE for other zones.
Which licence types and company forms does DIC offer?
You can register an FZ-LLC, a new company owned by individuals or corporates, or a branch of a UAE or foreign company. Freelancers hold a permit, not a company. Several agencies still quote AED 50,000 capital for an FZ-LLC. The DIC FAQ and the decision both say AED 10,000.
How do you set up a company in DIC?
- Choose your segments and activities, and confirm the fee lines with DIC sales.
- Reserve space, from in5 or a co-working desk up to an office. The visa count follows the lease.
- Apply online through the axs portal at any hour, or in person with a Partner Relationship Manager on weekdays.
- Receive initial approval, sign the lease and pay the registration and licence fees.
- Collect the Certificate of Incorporation, Commercial Licence, Register of Directors and Articles of Association.
- Apply for the establishment card, then visas.
Setup time is where the official sources differ. The DIC FAQ says 4 working days for initial approval plus 3 to issue the licence. The DDA service page says 10 working days for provisional approval plus 2 for registration. Both start the clock only after complete documents and payment.
What documents does DIC ask for?
- DDA application form
- Passport copies of every member, director and general manager, with the visa page where there is one
- Resolution for incorporation
- General manager appointment declaration if the GM holds a visa
- Notarised and attested power of attorney if someone signs for you
A branch adds the parent's board resolution, certificate of incorporation, good standing letter and memorandum and articles.
What does DIC license renewal cost?
The licence runs one year. Each year you pay the segment fee again and renew online through axs. Late renewal costs AED 2,500 at 31 to 60 days, AED 5,000 at 61 to 90 days and AED 10,000 after 90 days.
Pros and cons of Dubai Internet City
Pros:
- Fees are public in a DDA decision, so you can check any quote line by line
- One visa per 60 sq ft, the most generous ratio among the DDA districts
- Low AED 10,000 capital for an FZ-LLC
- in5 Tech cuts the licence to AED 1,000 a year for accepted start-ups
- GoFreelance permit for solo tech workers
Cons:
- No package price, and lease rates are not published
- Company visa fees sit behind the axs login, so you rely on agency figures until you are a client
- Two official setup times that do not match
- Activities limited to the six tech segments
If you are comparing tech zones, look at Dubai Silicon Oasis and our guide to the best free zone for an IT company. The Dubai free zones hub lists every zone in the emirate, and Dubai free zone license cost compares fees across them.
Get a DIC quote through us
Fill in the form on this page with your activities, team size and the space you have in mind. UAEFreeZoneDirectory.com is an independent directory with no link to DIC, TECOM or the DDA. We hand your request to the zone's sales team or a licensed setup partner, and they send the price.
Setup consultants that work with DIC
If you would rather not handle the application yourself, Upzone Business Consulting FZCO, Elevate Business Solutions DMCC and Al Taresh Businessmen Services are the highest ranked consultants that name DIC on their own websites. Upzone Business Consulting FZCO is based in JLT. The full directory of Dubai setup consultants lets you filter by area and service.
Sources
- https://dda.gov.ae/-/media/67662280247F46F2B94A853943F014C4.pdf : licence fee per segment, extra segment fee, capital, late penalties, in5 and Dubai SME terms
- https://dda.gov.ae/registration-licensing/setting-up-a-business/free-zone-limited-liability-company/registration-fz-llc-with-natural-person : registration fee, documents, deliverables, axs channel, 10 plus 2 day timing
- https://dda.gov.ae/en/registration-licensing/existing-businesses/license-renewal/commercial-license-renewal : renewal
- https://dic.ae/connect/faqs : licence term, capital, 60 sq ft visa ratio, 7 working day setup, pricing note
- https://dic.ae/offerings/gofreelance : GoFreelance package, freelancer visa and establishment card fees
- https://www.dic.ae/offerings/in5-centres : in5 centres
- https://www.tecomgroup.ae/ : TECOM district list, DIC opened in
- Agency prices: three setup agency price pages, checked
- https://dda.gov.ae/ and https://axs.ae/ : checked for company visa and establishment card fees (none public, axs needs a login)
- Company visa, deposit and establishment card ranges: Noble Core Ventures, UAE Consultants, Emirabiz TECOM page, Business Setup Consultants, Pro Deskk, Dubai Business Zone cost article, Dubai Business Zone visa article, UAE Free Zone Finder, Creative Zone, FZVS
