How much does a Dubai free zone company cost in 2026?
On our current package sheet, a company with no visa costs AED 12,900 in IFZA or AED 12,500 in Meydan. A company with one residence visa costs AED 23,436 in IFZA or AED 23,136 in Meydan, including the licence, the visa, the medical test and the Emirates ID.
These are two separate packages, so the exact total depends on the zone you choose. Our professional fee inside these figures is on promotion today, and the authorities can change their fees without notice.
New to the process? Start with our guide to setting up a business in Dubai, then come back for the figures.
Work out your Dubai free zone company setup cost
Every figure comes from our approved package sheet. Change the zone, the package or the extras and the table updates line by line.
| Cost line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Trade licence, first year | AED 12,500 |
| Visa allocation | AED 1,850 |
| Establishment card | AED 2,000 |
| Residence visa | AED 4,000 |
| Medical fitness test, normal | AED 400 |
| Emirates ID and biometrics, normal | AED 386 |
| Professional service feePromotional, regular AED 3,500 | AED 2,000 |
| Year-one total | AED 23,136 |
Home-currency figures are indicative, at the rates on 7 October 2026: AED 3.6725 to the US dollar (the UAE fixed rate) and the European Central Bank reference rates for the euro, the pound and the rupee. Your bank will use its own rate.
What goes into a Dubai free zone company setup cost?
A setup quote is a stack of separate charges. Most are set by the free zone and the UAE authorities; one is our professional fee. Here is every line of the one-visa package and what it pays for.
| Cost line | What it pays for | IFZA | Meydan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade licence | The free zone licence for one year, with the MOA, certificate of registration, share register where applicable and a flexi-office address. | AED 12,900 | AED 12,500 |
| Visa allocation | The right for your company to sponsor a residence visa. Each extra visa needs its own allocation. | AED 2,000 | AED 1,850 |
| Establishment card | Opens the company file with immigration, which the company needs before it can sponsor anyone. | AED 2,000 | AED 2,000 |
| Residence visa | Your own visa as the manager or investor of the company. IFZA lists it as a manager or employee visa. | AED 3,750 | AED 4,000 |
| Medical fitness test | Required for residence applicants aged 18 and over. Taken in the UAE. | AED 400 | AED 400 |
| Emirates ID | The resident identity card issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), after biometrics in the UAE. | AED 386 | AED 386 |
| Professional service fee | Our work: the application, the visa file, the appointments and support on WhatsApp and email until the visa is issued. | AED 2,000Promotional, regular AED 3,500 | AED 2,000Promotional, regular AED 3,500 |
| Year-one total · Standard | AED 23,436 | AED 23,136 | |
VIP medical costs AED 750 instead of the normal medical, earlier biometrics assistance adds AED 600, and an inside-country status change adds AED 1,600 if you are already in the UAE on another visa.
How does the setup work, step by step?
The company stage runs online from abroad. You only need to be in the UAE for the visa medical, the Emirates ID biometrics and, for a local bank, the bank meeting.
| Step | What happens | Where you need to be |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Zone, activity and package | We check that your activity is on the zone's list and settle the package and the number of visas. | Abroad |
| 2. Name check and application | The zone checks your trade name. You send passport copies, a photo and the shareholder and beneficial owner details. | Abroad |
| 3. Licence and registration | The zone issues the digital trade licence, MOA and certificate of registration. The Basic package ends here. | Abroad |
| 4. Establishment card and visa allocation | The company gets its immigration file, so it can sponsor your visa. | Abroad |
| 5. Entry permit | You enter the UAE on the entry permit, or change status inside the country if you are already there. | Travel to the UAE |
| 6. Medical test and Emirates ID | You take the medical fitness test, then give fingerprints and a photo for the Emirates ID. | In the UAE |
| 7. Visa and bank account | The residence visa is issued and the bank applications go in. A local bank usually wants to meet you. | In the UAE for a local bank |
How long does it take? Meydan says a licence can be issued online within 24 hours. After that, the timing depends on the authorities: normal biometrics appointments are generally 5 to 7 days away, subject to availability, and each bank sets its own review time. Ask us for a dated plan for your file.
What documents do you need?
Each zone publishes its own list, and banks ask for more. Expect at least:
- A clear passport copy for every shareholder and manager
- A digital passport-size photo
- Your home address and contact details
- The zone's application form, including the beneficial owner (UBO) details
- If you already live in the UAE: your Emirates ID and current visa
- For a company shareholder: its registration documents, usually attested, which is a separate cost
- For the bank: a short business plan or CV, the expected activity, main customers and suppliers, and proof of the source of funds
IFZA or Meydan: how do the two packages differ?
The two zones are close on price. Meydan's licence line is lower and IFZA's visa line is lower, and on our sheet the Meydan total comes out slightly below IFZA at every tier. A few hundred dirhams should not decide it.
| Package | IFZA | Meydan |
|---|---|---|
| Basic · No visa | AED 12,900 | AED 12,500 |
| Standard · 1 visa | AED 23,436 | AED 23,136 |
| Premium, digital bank · 1 visa | AED 28,436 | AED 28,136 |
| Premium, local bank · 1 visa | AED 33,436 | AED 33,136 |
| Gold · 1 visa | AED 48,436 | AED 48,136 |
Bank account opening is subject to the bank's KYC, compliance review and final approval.
What to weigh instead
- Your exact activity: check that it is on the zone's activity list, because the licence covers only listed activities.
- Future visas: if you plan to hire, ask how many visas the zone allows with a flexi-office address.
- Your bank: if you already have a bank in mind, ask it which zones it works with before you choose.
What will you pay in year two?
Year one includes the visa, the medical test and the Emirates ID, which come round again only when the visa is renewed. Year two is mostly renewals and compliance:
- Licence renewal
- The licence renews every year at the zone's fee. Renewal totals are not on our sheet, so ask for a written quote. We do not charge a professional fee on renewals; the authority fees still apply.
- Visa renewal
- A residence visa must be renewed before it expires. Sponsored visas run for 1, 2 or 3 years, so the renewal may not fall in year two. Meydan says its investor visas are usually issued for two to five years.
- Corporate tax
- Every free zone company must register for corporate tax and file a return within 9 months of the end of each tax period. Taxable income up to AED 375,000 is taxed at 0 percent and income above it at 9 percent. Registration is included free from the Standard package up.
- VAT
- VAT registration is mandatory once taxable supplies and imports pass AED 375,000 a year, and optional above AED 187,500.
- Accounting
- You need books that support the tax return. Accounting and bookkeeping are priced separately and are not on our sheet, so ask for a quote that matches your volume.
For how the visa through your own company works, and what renewal involves, read our page on the UAE investor visa through your own company. Before your first trip, check the Dubai business visa requirements for your passport.
What does this estimate not include?
The calculator covers the package lines on our sheet. These costs sit outside it, and we price them for your file:
- Minimum balances or monthly fees on business accounts. Each bank sets its own, and they change.
- A dedicated office or desk, if your activity, your bank or extra visas need more than the flexi-office address.
- More visas: each extra visa adds its own allocation, visa, medical and Emirates ID lines.
- Family visas for a spouse or children.
- Attestation and translation of documents, if a company is the shareholder.
- Flights and a short stay in Dubai for the medical, the biometrics and a local bank meeting.
- Accounting, VAT registration and returns, audit where it applies, and ongoing PRO work.
Want an account before you fly in? Compare international online bank accounts for a UAE company.
How accurate is the estimate?
The figures are the approved package rows from our price sheet dated August 2026, and the calculator adds them exactly. What can move them:
- Our professional fee is on promotion: AED 0 instead of AED 1,000 on Basic, and AED 2,000 instead of AED 3,500 on Standard and Premium. The Gold fee is AED 5,000 instead of AED 10,000.
- Free zone and government fees may change without notice. Your written quote carries the live figure.
- Visa, licence and immigration approvals are decided by the UAE authorities.
- Bank account opening is subject to the bank's KYC, compliance review and final approval.
- Home-currency figures are indicative and move with exchange rates.
What about other free zones or the mainland?
Our sheet covers IFZA and Meydan only. It has no figures for DMCC, DIFC, JAFZA, other free zones or a mainland company, so this calculator does not guess them. Send us your activity and visa count on WhatsApp and we will reply with a written quote, usually within a couple of hours.
Still choosing a route? Compare zones in our Dubai free zone licence guide and the wider UAE free zone licence overview, or read how company registration in Dubai works on the mainland and in a free zone.
Ask on WhatsAppFrequently asked questions
How much does it cost to set up a company in a Dubai free zone?
On our package sheet, a company with no visa costs AED 12,900 in IFZA or AED 12,500 in Meydan. With one residence visa it costs AED 23,436 in IFZA or AED 23,136 in Meydan. With one visa and help opening a digital business bank account it costs AED 28,436 in IFZA or AED 28,136 in Meydan. Each figure is a separate package for one zone.
What is the cost of a Dubai free zone license?
The trade licence line is AED 12,900 in IFZA and AED 12,500 in Meydan for the first year. Our professional fee on the Basic package is on promotion at AED 0 (regular AED 1,000), so today the licence alone is the full Basic total. Our sheet does not cover other zones; ask us for a written quote.
How much is a free zone company with one visa?
The Standard package costs AED 23,436 in IFZA or AED 23,136 in Meydan. That covers the licence, visa allocation, establishment card, residence visa, normal medical test, Emirates ID and our professional fee, which is on promotion at AED 2,000 (regular AED 3,500).
What are the yearly costs after setup?
The licence renews every year at the zone's fee, and we do not charge a professional fee on renewals. The visa renews when it expires, which may be after one, two or three years. You also file a corporate tax return within 9 months of the end of each tax period and keep accounts to support it. Ask for a written renewal quote.
Is the professional fee included?
Yes. Every total in the calculator includes our professional service fee. It is on promotion today: AED 0 on Basic, AED 2,000 on Standard and Premium, and AED 5,000 on Gold.
Are there hidden costs when setting up in Dubai?
Not inside the package lines, which the calculator shows one by one. The costs people miss sit outside them: bank minimum balances, a dedicated office if you need one, extra or family visas, document attestation for a company shareholder, travel for the medical and biometrics, and accounting.
Can I set up a Dubai free zone company without a visa?
Yes. The Basic package forms the company with no visa, for AED 12,900 in IFZA or AED 12,500 in Meydan. You can add a visa later, and the visa lines are then added. Check your banking plan first, because a local bank account usually needs you in the UAE.
Why do other websites show lower prices?
A "from" price is often the licence alone, for the simplest activity, with no visa. It may leave out the professional fee, the establishment card, the visa, the medical test and the Emirates ID, or quote a multi-year licence per year. Compare the full year-one total for the same zone and the same number of visas.