Dubai Free Zone Company Setup Cost in 2026

The Dubai free zone company setup cost starts at AED 12,500 a year for a Meydan licence with a flexi desk. You get 100% foreign ownership, no minimum paid-up capital at Meydan and 0% corporate tax on taxable income up to AED 375,000, with a possible 0% rate on qualifying free zone income.

The hard part is the real total. The headline covers the licence alone. The visa allocation, the establishment card, the investor visa, the medical test, the Emirates ID and health insurance come as separate lines, so one owner with a visa at Meydan pays about AED 24,280 in year one. Several zones publish no prices.

This is where we come in. We form the company ourselves and quote your Dubai freezone company setup cost for the whole first year: the zone and activity choice, the KYC file, the licence, the establishment card, the visas and the bank introduction. Authority fees go on your quote as the zone charges them. Our fee sits on its own line.

What a Dubai Free Zone Company Setup Cost Includes

A Dubai free zone company setup cost has five layers: the licence and registration, the workspace, the company immigration file, the visas for each person, and the tax and banking work after the licence. Most quotes show only the first layer. Price all five before you choose a zone, because the visa layer often doubles the Dubai freezone company setup cost.

The Licence and Registration Fee

The licence is the part every zone advertises, and the Dubai free zone license cost is paid every year. Meydan Free Zone sells a regular licence from AED 12,500 a year, covering company registration, the trade licence and up to three activity groups, according to its own pricing page. Its Fawri licence for a single founder costs from AED 15,000 and is issued in under 60 minutes. DMCC sells bundled packages instead, from AED 35,484 for its Basic Biz package with one residency visa.

The Workspace

Every free zone company needs a registered address. At Meydan, a flexi desk is included with every licence. Upgrades are priced separately: a dedicated desk at AED 3,500 a month, a shared office at AED 15,000 a year and a dedicated office at AED 30,000 a year, according to Meydan's cost breakdown updated 30 June 2026. Some zones tie your visa count to the size of the office, so a bigger team can force a bigger lease.

The Company Immigration File

Before anyone gets a visa, the company needs an establishment card, the immigration record that lets it sponsor people. Meydan's guide dated 17 September 2026 says the card is valid for about one year and issued in two to five business days. Its investor visa guide lists immigration and the establishment card together at AED 2,000 a year. Budget for it again at every renewal.

The Visa Layer

Each person on a visa adds a visa allocation, the visa itself, a medical test, an Emirates ID and health insurance. At Meydan the allocation is AED 1,850 per visa, the investor or partner visa about AED 4,000, the employment visa AED 3,500 and the medical test with Emirates ID AED 2,250. The free zone visa Dubai cost surprises many first-time founders, which is why we price it per person.

Tax Registration and Banking

Corporate tax registration is free at the Federal Tax Authority, but it is due soon after the licence, so plan the time for it as part of the cost of opening a company in a Dubai free zone. VAT registration becomes mandatory once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000. The bank account has no setup fee at most banks, but the minimum balance and the transfer fees are real costs. Together these lines make up your Dubai free zone business setup cost. Our guide to the cost of business setup in the UAE covers the mainland side of the same picture.

Dubai Free Zone License Cost by Zone in 2026

The Dubai free zone license cost ranges from AED 12,500 a year at Meydan to more than AED 35,000 for a DMCC package with a visa. Only some zones publish a Dubai free zone license cost on their own website. Where a zone does not, the figure depends on your activity, visas and office, and we quote it with your setup.

The table shows why the cheapest licence is not always the cheapest company. A Meydan licence at AED 12,500 has no visa in it, while a DMCC package at AED 35,484 already has one. Once you add one visa at Meydan, the gap between the two narrows a lot. Price both on the same team size, because the Dubai freezone company setup cost depends on visas as much as on the licence.

Meydan Free Zone

Meydan publishes the most detail of any Dubai zone, so it is the easiest Dubai free zone license cost to check. The regular licence starts at AED 12,500 with a flexi desk, more than 2,500 activities to choose from and up to three activity groups. Each extra activity beyond those groups costs AED 1,000. Up to six visa allocations sit on one licence, and there is no minimum paid-up share capital to start. Our guide to Meydan Free Zone company formation covers the zone in full.

DMCC

DMCC prices by package rather than by licence line, and some of its packages include a visa in the Dubai free zone license cost. Its business setup page lists Basic Biz at AED 35,484, paid in advance with one visa, Prime Plus at AED 40,145 for one year, and Jump Start with a flexi desk at AED 43,780. DMCC also runs sector centres, such as its Crypto Centre and AI Centre packages at AED 31,000 each. It suits commodity traders and businesses that want a well-known address. Read our guide to DMCC company formation.

IFZA

IFZA, the International Free Zone Authority, sells licence packages built around 0 to 3 visa allocations, but its own website does not publish the prices. Its registration guide says the set-up fee depends on the number of shareholders and directors, and that a registered office is needed once a company holds four or more visa allocations. We quote the IFZA Dubai free zone license cost with your setup. See our guide to IFZA company formation.

DAFZA, JAFZA and Dubai South

DAFZA, the Dubai Airport Freezone, sells office packages that bundle a licence with a 25 or 50 square metre office and three or six employment visas, without a public price. JAFZA and Dubai South price around warehouses, logistics and larger leases, and Dubai South now runs a digital licensing platform with same-day licences. These zones fit trading and logistics companies, and we quote them with your setup. Our guide to JAFZA company formation explains the Jebel Ali route.

Free Zone Visa Dubai Cost, Item by Item

The free zone visa Dubai cost is about AED 9,930 for an investor at Meydan before the visa allocation, according to its investor visa guide updated 29 July 2026. Add the AED 1,850 allocation and the owner's first visa is about AED 11,780. Employees cost less per head, but every visa repeats the medical test, the Emirates ID and insurance.

These figures come from Meydan's own guides, so other zones will differ by a few hundred dirhams on each line. The pattern holds everywhere: the first visa carries the company immigration file, and each extra person adds roughly the employee column. A company with three visas pays more for visas than its Dubai free zone license cost.

The Investor Visa

The investor or partner visa is for shareholders. Meydan lists it at about AED 4,000, with Category A health insurance at AED 1,680 for investors and staff earning more than AED 4,000 a month. The visa lasts two years before renewal. Our guide to the UAE investor visa covers eligibility and the longer-term options.

Employee Visas

Employment visas cost AED 3,500 each at Meydan, plus the AED 1,850 allocation, the AED 2,250 medical and Emirates ID, and health insurance. Meydan's hidden costs guide, updated 15 September 2026, puts basic health insurance from AED 320 a year and visa stamping at AED 500 to 700. Health insurance has been mandatory for private sector staff since January 2025, so budget it for every hire.

Dependants

Family visas sit outside the company budget, but they belong in your personal plan. Meydan's cost breakdown puts a dependant visa at around AED 6,000 per person. Budget it early if your family will move with you.

Dubai Free Zone Company Registration Fees and One-Off Costs

Dubai free zone company registration fees are usually folded into the first licence fee, but several one-off costs sit around them and raise the cost of opening a company in a Dubai free zone. Extra activities, attested documents for corporate shareholders, office upgrades and optional services can add several thousand dirhams in year one. Plan for them as part of your Dubai free zone company setup cost before you file.

Extra Activities

Choose the activities that describe how you really earn money, because each one beyond the included groups costs extra. Meydan charges AED 1,000 per extra activity outside its three included groups. Adding an activity later also means an amendment, which takes time and may trigger new questions from your bank.

Company Registration in a Dubai Free Zone With Corporate Shareholders

If a company rather than a person owns the new entity, the zone asks for the parent's documents: certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, a board resolution and proof of good standing. These usually need notarisation, apostille or embassy legalisation, and translation where they are not in English or Arabic. The cost depends on the parent's country, so we quote it with your setup and start the process on day one.

Office Upgrades and Services

A flexi desk is enough for most new companies. Meydan's optional services include a PO box at AED 1,700 a year, mail management at AED 750 a year and VAT registration support at AED 1,500. These are service prices, not government fees, and you only pay for what you use.

Read more: Open a Virtual Office in Dubai and Types of Companies in the UAE.

Dubai Freezone Company Setup Cost in the First Year

The Dubai freezone company setup cost for year one runs from AED 12,500 for a company with no visa to about AED 40,120 for a founder with two employees, using Meydan's published prices as the benchmark. Our own fee comes on top of the Dubai freezone company setup cost and is quoted separately. The visa count, not the licence, decides where you land in that range.

Read the table from the bottom up. If you need no visa, the Dubai free zone license cost is most of the bill. Each visa moves the total up by roughly AED 7,900 to AED 11,800 in year one, so decide your team size before you choose the zone. A zone with a higher licence but more included visas can bring the Dubai freezone company setup cost down for a team of three.

First-Year Cost by Company Profile

These totals use Meydan's published prices because Meydan publishes every line. DMCC's Basic Biz package at AED 35,484 already includes one visa, so for a founder with one visa it costs more than Meydan, but some companies choose it for the address and the commodities ecosystem. The right zone is the one with the lowest Dubai free zone company formation cost for your activity and team, not the lowest headline.

Renewal Costs in Year Two

The Dubai free zone license cost comes back every year, usually close to the original fee. Meydan's hidden costs guide describes renewal as broadly in line with the first licence fee. The establishment card and health insurance also renew yearly, and visas renew every two years with a new medical test and Emirates ID.

What Renews Every Year

Plan for the licence fee, the establishment card, health insurance for every visa holder and any office rent. At Meydan prices, a company with one investor visa pays about AED 16,180 in a year without visa renewals: the AED 12,500 licence, AED 2,000 for the immigration file and AED 1,680 for Category A insurance. Bookkeeping and the corporate tax return are yearly costs too.

What Renews Every Two Years

Residence visas in most Dubai free zones run for two years. At renewal, each person repeats the medical test and Emirates ID, and the visa fee is paid again. Budget for a heavier year two or three when several visas renew together. Some zones offer multi-year licences: Meydan says a multi-year LLC licence can save up to 15%.

Renewal Discounts and Price Freezes

Some packages carry renewal terms worth reading. DMCC lists a price freeze on renewal for its Prime Plus package and 50% off second-year renewal on some ecosystem packages. These can change your two-year Dubai freezone company setup cost more than the first-year price does, so ask for the year-two figure in writing before you sign. Our guide to the trade licence in the UAE covers renewal steps and late fees.

Tax Costs After a Dubai Free Zone Company Setup

A Dubai free zone company pays 0% corporate tax on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it, under Cabinet Decision No. 116 of 2022. A Qualifying Free Zone Person can pay 0% on qualifying income, but it must keep audited accounts every year. VAT at 5% applies once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000.

Corporate Tax Registration

Every free zone company must register for corporate tax, even when it expects to pay nothing. FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024 sets the deadline for companies formed from 1 March 2024 at three months from incorporation. Registration itself is free on the FTA's portal. Missing the deadline brings a penalty, so we register every company we form as part of the setup.

Audited Accounts for the 0% Rate

To keep the 0% rate on qualifying income, a Qualifying Free Zone Person needs audited financial statements every year, under Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025. That means an annual audit fee from year one. A company that does not need the qualifying status may still choose an audit for banking reasons, because banks ask for financial statements at review.

VAT Registration

VAT registration is mandatory once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 over 12 months, and voluntary from AED 187,500, according to the Federal Tax Authority. Meydan's hidden costs guide lists the penalty for late VAT registration at AED 10,000. Some free zones are designated zones for VAT, which matters for goods moving in and out. Our guide to e-commerce licence in Dubai explains how VAT works for online sellers.

How Long Dubai Free Zone Company Formation Takes

A standard Dubai free zone company is licensed in about a week from a complete file, and visas follow in two to three weeks. Meydan's Fawri licence can be issued in under 60 minutes for a single founder. The establishment card takes two to five business days after the licence.

The slowest step is rarely the licence. Corporate shareholder documents that need legalisation abroad, a missing proof of address or an activity that needs an outside approval add the most time. Starting those on day one keeps the whole setup inside a month and keeps the Dubai free zone business setup cost on budget.

Documents Needed for a Dubai Free Zone Company

A Dubai free zone company needs passport copies, photos and proof of address for every shareholder and manager, plus a short description of the business. Corporate shareholders add attested company documents. Some activities need a business plan or a regulator's approval.

• Passports: A clear copy for every shareholder, director and manager.
• Photos: Passport-style photos for the licence file and later for visas.
• Proof of address: A recent utility bill or bank statement for each person.
• Business description: What you sell, to whom and where your customers are.
• Corporate shareholder papers: Certificate of incorporation, articles, board resolution, good standing.
• Source of funds: Often asked by the zone and always by the bank.

We send you one checklist built for your zone and activity, review every document before it is filed and handle the legalisation of foreign papers. Read more: Business Setup in Dubai (2026).

Business Banking Costs for Dubai Free Zone Companies

A business account is part of the real Dubai free zone company setup cost, because large UAE banks set minimum balances. Emirates NBD asks for an AED 50,000 average balance on its Prime package, and HSBC UAE sets AED 20,000. Our partners open multi-currency accounts for free zone companies in days, remotely, with no minimum balance.

What the Local Banks Charge

Emirates NBD's Business Banking Schedule of Charges, dated June 2025, lists Prime at an AED 50,000 average balance with an AED 103.95 monthly service fee, and outward foreign currency transfers at AED 78.80 at a branch. HSBC UAE's corporate tariff, revised from 1 October 2026, sets a AED 20,000 minimum average balance with an AED 150 monthly charge below it. Mashreq NEO BIZ lists plans at AED 99 and AED 199 a month with no minimum balance.

Local banks also review the licence, the owners and the source of funds, and some ask for a UAE resident signatory or a visit. A new free zone company with foreign owners and no trading history can wait weeks. Our guide on how to open a business bank account in Dubai explains the local route in detail.

The Partner Route

We work with regulated payment partners built for non-resident companies. They open a multi-currency account in days, fully remotely, with no minimum balance and international payments in several currencies. We build the file they ask for from your licence documents and make the introduction. Many founders run the partner account first and add a local AED account later, once the Dubai free zone company setup cost is behind them.

Read more: Opening a Business Bank Account in Dubai for Non-Residents and why banks reject business account applications.

Dubai Free Zone vs Mainland and Sharjah on Cost

A Dubai free zone is usually the cheapest way to hold a Dubai licence, but not always the cheapest in the UAE. Sharjah zones publish lower entry prices, and a Dubai mainland company costs more because it needs an Ejari office. Pick on where your customers are, then on the Dubai freezone company setup cost.

The table shows the cost gap is mostly the office. A Dubai address in a free zone avoids a mainland lease, and a Sharjah zone costs less again, but each sells to the UAE market under its own rules. If your clients are outside the UAE, a free zone is usually enough. If you need a local shop or clients that require a mainland licence, the mainland is worth the extra cost.

Dubai Free Zone vs Dubai Mainland

A mainland company under DET can trade anywhere in the UAE, but visas depend on the size of an Ejari-registered office, which raises the yearly cost. A free zone company starts cheaper with a flexi desk, so the Dubai free zone company formation cost is usually lower. Our guide to business setup in Dubai mainland covers the mainland costs and approvals.

Dubai Free Zone vs Sharjah Free Zones

Sharjah Publishing City lists an e-publishing licence from AED 4,999 and an e-commerce licence from AED 5,750 on its own website, updated 10 November 2026, well below Dubai's entry prices. The trade-off is the Dubai address, which some clients and banks prefer. Read our guide to Sharjah free zone business setup.

Who a Dubai Free Zone Company Is Wrong For

A Dubai free zone company is wrong for businesses that must sell directly to UAE consumers from a shop, work for local clients that require a mainland licence, or need a large local team in one office. These businesses usually pay less overall on the mainland, despite the higher entry cost.

It is also the wrong tool if you only need to hold shares or assets and will never sponsor a visa. An offshore company in Dubai or a holding company in Dubai costs less each year. And if your activity needs a regulator's approval, such as financial services, the free zone cost depends on that regulator rather than the zone, and we quote it with your setup.

If you are not sure, start from your customers and your team size, not the Dubai free zone company setup cost alone. Those two answers decide the jurisdiction, and the jurisdiction decides most of the Dubai freezone company setup cost. Our guide to free zone company formation in the UAE sets out the options across the emirates.

Common Mistakes When Budgeting a Dubai Free Zone Company Setup

Most budgeting mistakes come from reading the Dubai free zone license cost as the company price. These four cost founders the most, and each is easy to avoid with a full first-year quote.

Pricing the Licence and Forgetting the Visas

Founders often pick the lowest Dubai free zone trade license cost and find the visa layer billed later. At Meydan, one investor visa adds about AED 11,780 to an AED 12,500 licence, so the real first year is about AED 24,280, nearly double the headline. With two employees it passes AED 40,000. Price the free zone visa Dubai cost for every person you plan to sponsor in the first 12 months, then choose the zone.

Choosing Activities Too Broadly

A long activity list feels flexible, but each activity beyond the included groups costs extra, AED 1,000 each at Meydan, and broad lists invite questions from banks. A trading company that lists consulting, software and general trading may face a longer bank review. Pick the activities that match how you earn money and add more when the business needs them.

Ignoring the Year-Two Bill

A low first-year offer can hide a full-price renewal. The licence renews at about the original fee, the establishment card and insurance renew yearly, and visas come back every two years. Ask for the year-two total in writing, and check any price freeze or renewal discount before you sign. A two-year view of the Dubai freezone company setup cost often changes which zone is cheaper.

Leaving Corporate Tax Registration Too Late

Corporate tax registration is free, but the deadline is three months from incorporation for new companies, and a late registration brings a penalty. Some founders also miss that the 0% rate on qualifying income needs audited accounts every year. Register in the first month and budget an annual audit if you plan to claim qualifying status.

Bottom Line

The Dubai free zone company setup cost starts at AED 12,500 a year at Meydan for a licence with a flexi desk and no visa. One owner with an investor visa brings the first year to about AED 24,280, and a founder with two employees to about AED 40,120, before office upgrades and our fee. DMCC's packages start higher but include a visa, and IFZA, DAFZA, JAFZA and Dubai South are quoted on your plan.

Choose the zone on the Dubai freezone company setup cost for your real team size and on the year-two bill, not on the headline licence. Register for corporate tax in the first three months, plan an audit if you want the 0% rate on qualifying income, and prepare the bank file early. If you want the whole budget on one page, we price it for you, form the company and open the account with you. Our guide to company formation in the UAE covers the rest of the country.

Sources

• Meydan Free Zone, pricing and cost calculator (2026)
• Meydan Free Zone, company setup cost breakdown (updated 30 June 2026)
• Meydan Free Zone, investor visa in UAE free zones (updated 29 July 2026)
• Meydan Free Zone, Dubai establishment card (updated 17 September 2026)
• Meydan Free Zone, hidden costs in Dubai company formation (updated 15 September 2026)
• Meydan Free Zone, Dubai trade licence for AED 12,500
• DMCC, business setup packages
• IFZA, how to register a company in a Dubai free zone
• IFZA, support for startups
• Dubai Airport Freezone, office packages
• Dubai South, DSBH digital free zone platform
• Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone, Why SPC Free Zone (updated 10 November 2026)
• UAE Ministry of Finance, Cabinet Decision No. 116 of 2022 on taxable income subject to corporate tax
• PwC, FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024 on corporate tax registration timelines (February 2024)
• UAE Ministry of Finance, Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025 on audited financial statements
• Federal Tax Authority, VAT registration
• Emirates NBD, Business Banking Schedule of Charges (June 2025)
• HSBC UAE, business banking
• Mashreq, NEO BIZ business account