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Dubai Outsource City (DOC) is the district of the Dubai Development Authority (DDA) free zone set aside for outsourcing: back offices, shared service centres and contact centres. Its single Outsource licence costs AED 15,000 a year, and registration is AED 3,500 once. The catch is capital. A new FZ-LLC must show AED 300,000, so many groups open a branch instead, which needs none.
How much does a DOC license cost?
DOC does not publish a package. Its FAQ says prices follow market rates and sends you to the sales team. What the DDA does publish:
| Item | Official figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Registration, FZ-LLC or branch | AED 3,500 | One time |
| Outsource segment licence | AED 15,000 a year | One activity on the licence |
| Extra segment, if allowed | AED 10,000 a year | DDA rule for a second standard segment |
| Paid-up capital, FZ-LLC | AED 300,000 | Far above the AED 10,000 DDA default |
| Paid-up capital, branch | None | Part of the parent company |
| Office or retail lease | On request | Sets your visa count |
Source: the DDA licence categories decision and FZ-LLC service page, plus the DOC FAQ, all read .
What do setup agencies charge for DOC?
Two setup agencies publish Dubai Outsource City prices, at about AED 15,000 to AED 34,500 (published prices of 2 agencies, checked ). These are agency figures, not ours, and they do not price the same package. The lower end, from a guide dated , is a basic licence with a flexi desk for one year. The upper end, from a page dated , is a first year with a visa and an office. For an FZ-LLC, the AED 300,000 paid-up capital is a separate sum on top of any package. Ask for a written quote that names the lease size, the number of visas and the capital route.
The registration and licence fees follow the same DDA tariff that covers Dubai Internet City and the other TECOM districts. Our Dubai Internet City page walks through that tariff, so we keep to what is specific to DOC here.
Branch or FZ-LLC: the AED 300,000 question
This choice shapes the whole setup.
A new FZ-LLC gives you a separate UAE company with limited liability. You must pay in AED 300,000 of capital. For a large operation that will spend more than that on fit-out and salaries in the first months, the figure may not matter much. For a 10-person team it is a real cost of cash.
A branch of your existing UAE or foreign company has no capital minimum. It is not a separate company but part of the parent, and the DDA asks for more parent documents: a board resolution, the certificate of incorporation, a certificate of good standing and the memorandum and articles.
Most outsourcing groups that already run delivery centres elsewhere use the branch route. A founder starting fresh with no parent company has to use the FZ-LLC and fund the capital.
The DOC FAQ also mentions a Commercial License alongside the FZ-LLC and branch. It does not explain the terms, so ask the zone what it covers before you plan around it.
One segment, one activity
Where Dubai Media City or d3 split activities into many segments, DOC has just one: Outsource, with one activity on the licence. That keeps the licence simple. It also means DOC is not the place for a mixed business. If you want to sell software or run marketing campaigns from the same company, check that the outsourcing activity covers it, or look at a district with broader segments such as Dubai Internet City or the Dubai Silicon Oasis free zone.
How do visas work in DOC?
Outsourcing is people heavy, so in Outsource City Dubai the visa rule shapes your budget more than in most zones. DOC allows one employee visa per 80 sq ft of leased space. Some sums:
- 800 sq ft supports 10 visas
- 4,000 sq ft supports 50 visas
- 8,000 sq ft supports 100 visas
DOC leases commercial office space and retail units. It does not publish rents.
What does a DOC visa cost?
For a contact centre, the visa line is multiplied by every seat, so it matters more here than the licence. There is no official company price to quote. DOC companies file visas and the establishment card on axs, TECOM's portal for government services, and axs keeps its fee list behind a client login. The DDA service cards, axs.ae, archived axs pages and the DOC FAQ all came up empty.
What you can budget on, per hire, comes from setup agents:
- The visa itself: about AED 2,500 to AED 7,500 per person (6 agencies, quoting for all TECOM districts).
- A refundable deposit of AED 2,500 per person (2 agencies), returned when the visa is cancelled.
- Once per company, the establishment card: AED 1,000 to AED 2,500 (5 agencies).
Source: setup agency visa price pages for the TECOM districts, checked .
The only official TECOM visa figures are for GoFreelance permit holders, AED 4,600 for one year or AED 5,042 for two, and GoFreelance does not cover DOC. The agency band is wide because some agencies fold in the medical test and Emirates ID and others do not. On a 50-seat floor that difference adds up fast, so ask for a per-hire breakdown with each government fee on its own line. Investor visa figures from agents disagree too much to use. Our free zone employment visa guide sets out the steps and federal fees for each hire.
How do you set up a company in DOC?
- Decide between an FZ-LLC and a branch.
- Agree the floor size with TECOM, based on the visas you need in year one.
- Apply to the DDA through the axs portal, online at any hour, or book a Partner Relationship Manager on a weekday.
- Pay the AED 3,500 registration and the AED 15,000 licence fee. For an FZ-LLC, deposit the AED 300,000 capital.
- Collect the Certificate of Incorporation, Commercial Licence, Register of Directors and Articles of Association.
- Apply for the establishment card, then the staff visas.
The DOC FAQ quotes 7 working days, split into 4 for initial approval and 3 to issue the licence, once every document and payment is in. The DDA's own service page says 10 working days for provisional approval and 2 for registration. Plan on the longer figure.
What documents does DOC ask for?
For an FZ-LLC owned by individuals:
- Completed DDA application
- Passport copies of each shareholder, director and the general manager, with UAE visa pages where relevant
- Shareholders' resolution to form the company
- A declaration appointing the general manager, if that person holds a UAE visa
- A notarised, attested power of attorney if an agent signs for you
For a branch, add the parent company papers listed above.
What does DOC license renewal cost?
Each licence lasts one year and renews online through axs at the tariff fee. Late renewal costs AED 2,500 once you pass 30 days, AED 5,000 after 60 days and AED 10,000 after 90. Diarise the date when the licence is issued.
Pros and cons of Dubai Outsource City
Pros:
- Built for outsourcing, with a licence that names the activity plainly
- One flat licence fee of AED 15,000 a year
- Clear visa ratio for planning headcount
- Branch route with no capital for existing groups
- DDA free zone status, the same authority as the larger TECOM districts
Cons:
- AED 300,000 capital for a new FZ-LLC
- One activity only, so mixed businesses may not fit
- No published rents or official package, and staff visa fees sit inside axs
- No freelancer route for solo operators
- Exact location not stated on the official pages we read
If you mainly sell consulting rather than run a delivery centre, our consultancy license in Dubai guide compares cheaper options. The Dubai free zones hub lists every zone in the emirate, and Dubai free zone license cost shows how the totals compare.
Ask about DOC through us
Fill in the form on this page with your headcount, your preferred structure and your start date. We are UAEFreeZoneDirectory.com, a directory that works on its own and is not run by DOC, TECOM or the DDA. Your details go to the zone or to a licensed setup partner, who replies with a quote for the lease, the licence and the visas.
Setup consultants and DOC
Few of the setup consultants we list name DOC on their own websites, so ask the zone which agents it works with. The directory of Dubai setup consultants lists firms by area and service, and the top 15 by weighted Google score shows how they compare.
Sources
- https://dda.gov.ae/-/media/67662280247F46F2B94A853943F014C4.pdf : Outsource segment and fee, AED 300,000 capital, extra segment fee, late renewal penalties
- 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 and Partner Relationship Manager, 10 plus 2 working days
- https://dda.gov.ae/en/registration-licensing/setting-up-a-business/branch-of-a-foreign-uae-company/registration-branch-of-foreign-company : branch documents
- https://dubaioutsourcecity.ae/connect/faqs : licence term, 7 working days, visa ratio, entity types, Commercial License mention, capital, market rate pricing
- https://www.tecomgroup.ae/ : DOC as a TECOM Group district
- Lukadah Consultancy and https://aurne.org/uae-free-zones/dubai/doc : the two agency DOC price points
- https://axs.ae/ and the DDA service cards at https://dda.gov.ae/ : checked for company visa and establishment card fees, none public
- https://dic.ae/offerings/gofreelance : official GoFreelance visa fees, for comparison
- Per-hire visa, deposit and card ranges: Business Setup Consultants, Dubai Business Zone visa guide, Emirabiz, UAE Free Zone Finder, Noble Core Ventures, Pro Deskk, Creative Zone, UAE Consultants, FZVS, Dubai Business Zone
