Dubai free zone license cost

A Dubai free zone licence starts at AED 12,500 a year at Meydan and Expo City for a licence with no visa. DMCC's Basic Biz Package is AED 35,484 with one visa eligibility.

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Dubai free zones, lowest starting price first

Starting prices are the free zone's own published package or fees, with what they include. Where a free zone publishes none, the row says so and shows what setup agents publish instead. Checked . Packages change often: confirm before you pay.

Free zoneEmiratePublished starting priceVisasOffice options
Dubai SouthDubai South Free ZoneDubaiAED 12,500 a year: Business Hub Starter licence, 0 visas (offer AED 11,375)Business Hub Essential tier includes 1 visa from AED 16,500; Dubai South estimates AED 4,000 to 6,000 per visaFlexi desk, Serviced office, Warehouse, Land plot
Expo CityExpo City Dubai Free ZoneDubaiAED 12,500 a year: licence, registration, shared desk, 0 visasAllocation depends on leased space; Business Hub Package 2 allows 1 to 4 visasShared desk, Coworking, Private office, Retail
Meydan FZMeydan Free ZoneDubaiAED 12,500 a year: licence, 3 activity groups, flexi desk, 0 visasVisas are add-ons: investor visa AED 4,000, employee visa AED 3,500, plus AED 2,250 medical and Emirates IDFlexi desk, Office
IFZAIFZA (International Free Zone Authority)DubaiAED 12,900 a year: zero visa licence (published by 6 setup agents)Agents sell 1 visa from AED 14,900 to AED 15,000 (processing extra) or AED 21,450 to AED 22,200 all inFlexi desk (agent sources), Office
DHCCDubai Healthcare City (DHCC)DubaiAED 16,550: Zawel licence, 2 visa quota, no office in year 1 (limited-time offer)Zawel includes a 2 visa quota; a 2-year employment visa costs AED 3,226.73 to AED 4,947.63Desk space, Office, Clinical facility, Land
DWTCDWTC Free Zone (Dubai World Trade Centre)DubaiAED 16,845 to AED 17,800 with flexi desk and 1 visa (published by setup agents)Official visa fee AED 2,000 from outside the UAE, AED 3,200 inside (older DWTC visa PDF)On-demand licensing, Flexi desk, Business centre, Executive office, Commercial office, Home business (Expo Village)
d3Dubai Design District (d3)DubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 licence a year; studio or office lease extrad3 does not publish a visa quota per workspace; ask before you leaseCo-working (shared desks, micro studios), Office (from 700 sq ft), in5 Design
DIACDubai International Academic City (DIAC)DubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 licence a year; lease and KHDA approval extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space (DIAC FAQ)Commercial space, Campus (sale or rent)
DICDubai Internet CityDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 a year per tech segment, lease extra1 visa per 60 sq ft of leased space (DIC FAQ)Co-working, in5 Tech, Office, Light industrial unit, Warehouse, Retail
DKPDubai Knowledge ParkDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 a year per segment, lease extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space; 1 visa per freelancer on a hot deskHot desk (freelancers), Office, Built-to-suit
DMCDubai Media CityDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 a year per media segment, desk extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space; Open Quarters desk gives 1 work permitCo-working (D/Quarters), Office, Studios, Retail
DOCDubai Outsource City (DOC)DubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 licence a year; lease extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space (DOC FAQ)Commercial space, Retail
DPCDubai Production CityDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 to AED 25,000 a year by segment1 visa per 80 to 100 sq ft of leased space (DPC FAQ)Office, Warehouse, in5 Media
DSCDubai Studio CityDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 to AED 40,000 a year by segment1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space (DSC FAQ)Office (700 to 1,300 sq ft), Sound stages, Studios, Backlot
DSPDubai Science Park (DSP)DubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 licence a year; desk or lab lease extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space (DSP FAQ); D/Quarters Open Quarters desk carries 1 work permitCo-working (D/Quarters), in5 Science, Office, Light industrial unit, Warehouse
IHCInternational Humanitarian City (Dubai Humanitarian)DubaiAED 11,250 a year: NPO desk; commercial desk AED 20,800 (2 visa quota)Every package includes a 2 visa quota and the establishment card; visa costs are charged on topBusiness centre hot desk, Standard office, Warehouse
Dubai CommerCityDubaiAED 27,545 to AED 28,000 a year: smart desk, 2 visa quota (published by setup agents)The zone publishes no visa quota or visa fees; agent smart desk packages come with visa allocationsSmart desk, Co-working, Office, Retail, Warehouse, Fulfilment centre
DMCCDMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre)DubaiAED 35,484 a year: Basic Biz licence, flexi desk options, 1 visa eligibilityFlexi desk up to 3 visas; a new 2 year visa from outside the UAE is AED 2,972.50 (DMCC schedule)Flexi desk, Co-working, Serviced office, Office
DAFZDAFZ (Dubai Airport Freezone)DubaiAED 40,770 to AED 85,000 first year with an office (published by setup agents)Visa quota tied to office size; agents say the smart office carries a 2 visa quotaSmart office, Office, Warehouse, Retail
DIFCDIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre)DubaiUSD 1,500 a year: Innovation licence, tech firms only, plus USD 100 registrationInnovation licence: up to 4 visas on the first desk; new employment visa AED 3,950 plus AED 2,500 refundable deposit (DIFC handbook, may be out of date)Coworking (Innovation Hub), Shared office, Leased office
DMCDubai Maritime CityDubaiLicensed through Jafza (Jafza licences from AED 5,000 a year); DMC lease extraNot publishedOffice, Warehouse, Workshop, Showroom, Ship repair plot
DSODubai Silicon Oasis (DSO)DubaiLicence AED 12,000 to AED 15,000 a year, office extra (published by setup agents)DSO publishes no visa quota or fee; agents quote AED 3,000 to AED 5,100 per visaFlexi desk, Fixed desk, Office, Warehouse, Light industrial unit, Retail, Land
DUCAMZDubai Cars and Automotive Zone (DUCAMZ)DubaiAED 5,500 to AED 14,000 trading licence (published by setup agents, who disagree)Not publishedShowroom
Gold and Diamond ParkDubai Gold and Diamond ParkDubaiJafza licence from AED 5,000 a year; unit lease extraVisas are processed by Jafza under Jafza Free Zone RulesRetail showroom, Workshop, Office
JAFZAJAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone)DubaiLicence from AED 5,000 a year (one activity group); facility lease extraVisa quota not published; employment entry permit from AED 2,378 (Normal, 1 year)Co-working and workstations, Office, Warehouse, Showroom, Retail, Land plot

Last updated

The Dubai free zone license cost starts at AED 12,500 a year on official prices, at both Meydan Free Zone and Expo City, for a licence with no visa. At the other end, DMCC's Basic Biz Package costs AED 35,484 and includes eligibility for one visa. The table under the hero lists every Dubai zone. This page explains what those numbers are made of.

Looking ahead: see Free zone license cost 2027.

Why do free zone licence prices differ so much?

Free zones quote their prices in one of three ways, and mixing them up is the most common reason quotes look cheaper than they are.

  • Registration fee. A one-time charge to form the company. You pay it once.
  • Licence fee. The yearly charge for the commercial, service or trading licence. This is what comes back at renewal.
  • Package price. A bundle of registration, licence and a desk or lease, sometimes with visa eligibility. Most low-cost zones sell this way.

Here is how the zones that publish separate fee lines break down.

Zone Registration (once) Licence (each year) Notes
DMCC AED 9,020 AED 10,000 to AED 50,000 Plus application and Articles of Association fees
TECOM parks (DDA) AED 3,500 AED 15,000 for most segments Dubai Studio City segments up to AED 40,000
Expo City Dubai AED 5,000 AED 10,000 Plus AED 500 initial approval
Dubai Healthcare City AED 3,500 AED 15,000 Plus AED 1,550 initial application
DIFC USD 8,000 USD 12,000 Non-retail private company

Source: DMCC cost blog, DDA licence categories decision, ECDA fee list, DHCA price list and DIFC table of fees, checked .

DMCC's own pages give two figures for the licence line. Its cost blog says AED 10,000 to AED 50,000 a year, and its licence guide says from about AED 20,285. Ask DMCC which applies to your activity.

How much does a Dubai free zone licence cost?

Packages are easier to compare because they bundle the first year.

  • Meydan Free Zone. AED 12,500 a year: trade licence, company registration, up to 3 activity groups and flexi desk eligibility. No residence visa, medical or Emirates ID. The Fawri licence is AED 15,000 and is issued online in under 60 minutes. See Meydan Free Zone.
  • Expo City Dubai. Business Hub Package 1 is AED 12,500 with registration, licence and a shared desk, but no company card and no visas. Package 2 is AED 17,550 and adds the company card with an allocation of 1 to 4 visas. The visa fees are extra. See Expo City Dubai.
  • Dubai Healthcare City. The Zawel licence is AED 16,550, a limited-time offer with a 2 visa quota and no office in the first year. It covers only activities that need no outside approval, such as IT or consultancy.
  • DMCC. Basic Biz is AED 35,484 with flexi desk options and one visa eligibility. JLT residents can buy a package at AED 29,205, and the Crypto, Gaming and AI Centre packages are AED 31,000. See DMCC.

IFZA does not publish prices. It sells through partner agents only. Six setup agencies list a no-visa IFZA licence at AED 12,900, with their own fee on top (checked ). Two of them put the yearly renewal at about AED 11,500 to AED 22,000. See IFZA.

Which free zones do not publish a price?

Several large Dubai zones give no package price on their official pages. For these, agency figures are the only public guide.

  • Jafza publishes a licence fee table from AED 5,000 a year, but that is the licence line alone. Setup agencies put a first year with a flexi desk or workstation and one visa at AED 40,000 to AED 60,000 (published prices of 2 agencies, checked ).
  • For DAFZ, two independent agencies list AED 40,770 to AED 85,000 for year one. The low end is a smart office with a 2 visa quota, and visa costs are extra.
  • For Dubai Silicon Oasis, three agencies put the licence alone at AED 12,000 to AED 15,000 a year. The desk or office DSO requires, and visas, are extra.

What does a free zone licence price include?

A free zone package usually gives you the documents that prove the company exists:

  • the licence certificate and certificate of incorporation,
  • the Memorandum and Articles of Association and a share certificate,
  • a lease, flexi desk or co-working seat, when the package says so.

It usually leaves out the establishment card, each residence visa, the medical test, Emirates ID, health insurance and bank account help. Our page on free zone visa costs covers the visa lines, and hidden free zone costs lists the rest.

What makes a free zone licence cost more?

  • Activity type. At Expo City a service licence is AED 10,000 a year, a general trading licence AED 25,000 and a holding or e-commerce licence AED 30,000.
  • Extra activities and owners. Meydan charges AED 1,000 per extra activity and AED 2,000 per additional shareholder.
  • Office size. In the TECOM parks the visa count follows the lease, so more staff means more space and a higher rent.
  • Regulated work. Financial firms in DIFC need DFSA approval as well as company registration.

How much do free zones outside Dubai cost?

If you do not need a Dubai address, other emirates publish lower starting prices. SRTIP's SPARK Starter is AED 3,999 (limited time), Ajman Media City's Business Club AED 4,999, UAQ LYTE AED 5,500, Shams AED 5,760 and RAKEZ Biz Starter AED 6,000, all with no visa. See the cheapest free zones in the UAE for the full ranking, and trade license cost in Dubai if you are comparing with mainland.

Asking for a quote

Package names change and promotions end. Use the form on this page to send your activity, the number of visas and the office you want. We are an independent directory, not one of these zones, and we forward your request to the zone or a licensed setup partner who prices it for you.

Where to get a written quote

A published price is only the start. To see what a setup agency adds on top, compare written quotes from two or three firms in the directory of 497 Dubai setup consultants, and ask each to show government fees and service fees on separate lines.

Sources

Get free quotes from several free zones

Tell us about free zone licence prices in Dubai: your activity, the visas and the office you need. We pass it to the free zones that fit or to a licensed setup partner, and reply with options you can compare side by side.

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Good to know

Questions people ask

What is the Dubai free zone license cost for one year?

On official prices, a no-visa licence starts at AED 12,500 a year at Meydan Free Zone and at Expo City. The TECOM parks charge AED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 a year for most segments. DMCC packages start at AED 35,484 with one visa eligibility.

Is the registration fee paid every year?

No. Registration is a one-time fee when the company is formed, for example AED 3,500 at the DDA parks and AED 9,020 at DMCC. The licence fee is the part you pay again at each renewal.

Does the free zone licence price include a visa?

Usually not. Meydan's AED 12,500 licence and Expo City's first hub package include no visa. DMCC's Basic Biz Package gives eligibility for one visa, but the visa fees are paid on top.

Why does JAFZA say licences start from AED 5,000?

That is the licence line on its own. Jafza does not publish package prices, and you also need a lease, registration and the establishment card. Setup agencies put a first year with a flexi desk and one visa at AED 40,000 to AED 60,000.

Are licence prices in other emirates lower?

Yes, on published figures. Several zones in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah list no-visa licences between AED 3,999 and AED 6,600 a year. Compare the visa and office terms before you choose on price.

Can I pay a free zone licence in instalments?

Some zones allow it. Meydan offers payment plans through Tabby and Tamara, Shams shows monthly card instalments, and DMCC packages can be split through Wio Bank. Ask the zone about the total you pay over the year.

What is the DAFZA license cost?

DAFZ publishes no price list we could read. Two independent setup agencies put the licence at AED 15,000 a year and a first year with an office at AED 40,770 to AED 85,000, with visa costs extra. These are agency figures, not a DAFZ tariff, so ask for a written quote.

What is the Dubai South free zone cost and fees?

The Dubai South Business Hub Starter licence is AED 12,500 a year with no visa. The Essential tier is AED 16,500 with one visa and a flexi desk. Visa processing is billed on top. The DWC LLC and Freelancer routes have no public price, so those need a quote.

What is the Umm Al Quwain free zone license cost?

UAQ Free Trade Zone sells UAQ LYTE at AED 5,500 a year, a licence with a co-working desk and no visa. UAQ START is AED 12,500 and adds one investor visa, Emirates ID and a medical test. LYTE renews at the same AED 5,500. Confirm the price with the zone before you pay.

What is the Meydan free zone license cost?

Meydan's licence is AED 12,500 a year, with up to 3 activity groups and flexi desk eligibility. The Fawri instant licence is AED 15,000. Extra activities cost AED 1,000 each and extra shareholders AED 2,000 each. The residence visa, medical and Emirates ID are not included.

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