UAE free zones compared: licence costs and visas in all 45
All 45 UAE free zones in one table: licence fees, visa allocation, activities and office rules. 19 prices are checked against the zone’s own published tariff. The other 26 zones publish no tariff, so their figures are our market estimates, marked as such on each zone card. Open any zone for the full card.
Zones shown: 45
Dubai
Company formation in Dubai →Fees are entry-level “licence from” figures. Each card says what the number includes and whether it is an official tariff or our estimate.
| Free zone | Licence from | Visa allocation | Activities | Office | Zone card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFZA Dubai Silicon Oasis | ~AED 12,900 | by package | 2,000+ | not required | Popular |
| Meydan Free Zone Nad Al Sheba, Dubai | AED 12,500 | up to 6 | 2,500+ | not required | Popular |
| DMCC Jumeirah Lakes Towers | AED 31,000sector packages | per office size | 1,000+ | flexi‑desk min. | Prestige |
| JAFZA Jebel Ali | AED 5,000 | per office size | 1,500+ | per facility | Industrial |
| DAFZA Dubai Airport | ~AED 15,520 | per office size | 800+ | smart desk min. | Prestige |
| Dubai South Free Zone Dubai South (DWC) | AED 12,500 | 0 (visa packages extra) | 3,500+ | not required | Industrial |
| DIFC Financial Centre, Dubai | AED 44,000 | per office size | finance/prof. services | per office size | Finance |
| Dubai Silicon Oasis DSO district | ~AED 18,000 | 2 in entry package | tech-focused | flexi‑desk min. | Tech |
| Dubai Internet City TECOM, Al Sufouh | ~AED 18,000 | per office size | IT/software | per office size | Tech |
| Dubai Media City TECOM, Al Sufouh | ~AED 17,000 | per office size | media/marketing | per office size | Media |
| Dubai Knowledge Park TECOM, Al Sufouh | ~AED 16,000 | per office size | education/HR | per office size | Niche |
| Dubai Design District (d3) d3, Business Bay side | ~AED 18,000 | per office size | design/fashion | per office size | Media |
| DWTC Free Zone World Trade Centre | ~AED 12,000 | 0 (visa packages extra) | 1,200+ | flexi‑desk min. | Niche |
| Dubai Healthcare City Oud Metha | AED 16,550 | up to 2 | healthcare | not required | Niche |
| Dubai Maritime City Between Port Rashid & Drydocks | ~AED 15,000 | per office size | maritime | required | Industrial |
| Dubai Production City IMPZ | ~AED 15,000 | per office size | printing/packaging/media | required | Industrial |
| Dubai Studio City Al Qudra Road | ~AED 15,000 | per office size | film/TV/production | required | Media |
| Dubai Outsource City Academic City Road | ~AED 15,000 | per office size | BPO/contact centres | required | Niche |
| Dubai CommerCity Umm Ramool, near DXB | ~AED 24,000 | per office size | e-commerce | office/fulfilment | Niche |
| Dubai Science Park Al Barsha South | ~AED 15,000 | per office size | science/pharma | required | Tech |
| Dubai International Academic City Academic City | ~AED 15,000 | per office size | higher education | required | Niche |
| Expo City Dubai Expo site, Dubai South | AED 12,520 | 0; 4 in package 2 | mixed | desk min. | Niche |
| DUQE Free Zone QE2, Port Rashid | AED 12,500 | up to 6 | 1,500+ | not required | Budget |
| Dubai Industrial City Near Al Maktoum Intl. | ~AED 15,000 | per office size | manufacturing | plot/warehouse | Industrial |
| Dubai Humanitarian (IHC) Dubai South | AED 20,800 | up to 2 | humanitarian/NGO | required | Niche |
| Dubai Auto Zone Ras Al Khor | ~AED 15,000 | per office size | automotive | showroom/warehouse | Industrial |
| Dubai Textile City Al Awir | ~AED 15,000 | per office size | textiles | warehouse | Industrial |
Licence prices: 19 zones checked on the zone’s own website, 26 estimates marked ~. Last check 28 Sep 2026.
Sharjah
Company formation in Sharjah →| Free zone | Licence from | Visa allocation | Activities | Office | Zone card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHAMS Sharjah Media City | AED 5,760 | up to 50 | 5 per licence | not required | Budget |
| SPC Free Zone Sharjah Publishing City | AED 5,750 | unlimited | 2,000+ | not required | Budget |
| SAIF Zone Sharjah Airport | ~AED 10,800 | per office size | 1,500+ | desk min. | Industrial |
| Hamriyah Free Zone Hamriyah port | ~AED 11,000 | 1 in entry package | 2,000+ | per facility | Industrial |
| SRTIP Research & Innovation Park | ~AED 5,500 | 0 (visa packages extra) | R&D/tech | not required | Tech |
Licence prices: 19 zones checked on the zone’s own website, 26 estimates marked ~. Last check 28 Sep 2026.
| Free zone | Licence from | Visa allocation | Activities | Office | Zone card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajman Free Zone Ajman port | ~AED 5,555 | 0 (visa packages extra) | 1,500+ | not required | Budget |
| Ajman Media City Ajman | AED 4,999 | 0; up to 3 in packages | 10 per licence | not required | Budget |
| Ajman NuVentures Centre Ajman | AED 4,888 | 0 (visa packages extra) | 10 per licence | not required | Budget |
Licence prices: 19 zones checked on the zone’s own website, 26 estimates marked ~. Last check 28 Sep 2026.
Umm Al Quwain
| Free zone | Licence from | Visa allocation | Activities | Office | Zone card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAQ Free Trade Zone Umm Al Quwain | AED 5,500 | 0 (visa packages extra) | 1,000+ | not required | Budget |
Licence prices: 19 zones checked on the zone’s own website, 26 estimates marked ~. Last check 28 Sep 2026.
Ras Al Khaimah
Company formation in Ras Al Khaimah →| Free zone | Licence from | Visa allocation | Activities | Office | Zone card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAKEZ Ras Al Khaimah | AED 6,000 | 0; up to 4 in packages | 3,000+ | not required | Budget |
| Innovation City (RAK DAO) Ras Al Khaimah | AED 6,600 | 0; up to 4 in packages | web3/digital assets | not required | Web3 |
Licence prices: 19 zones checked on the zone’s own website, 26 estimates marked ~. Last check 28 Sep 2026.
Fujairah
| Free zone | Licence from | Visa allocation | Activities | Office | Zone card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fujairah Free Zone Fujairah port | ~AED 9,500 | per office size | 1,000+ | desk min. | Industrial |
| Creative City Fujairah Fujairah | ~AED 6,800 | 2 in entry package | media/consulting | not required | Budget |
Licence prices: 19 zones checked on the zone’s own website, 26 estimates marked ~. Last check 28 Sep 2026.
Abu Dhabi
Company formation in Abu Dhabi →| Free zone | Licence from | Visa allocation | Activities | Office | Zone card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADGM Al Maryah Island | AED 20,200 | per office size | finance/prof. services/tech | per office size | Finance |
| KEZAD Khalifa Economic Zones | AED 9,450 | 1; up to 4 in packages | industrial/logistics | desk min. | Industrial |
| Masdar City Free Zone Masdar City | AED 7,000 | 0; up to 3 in packages | 1,000+ | desk min. | Tech |
| twofour54 Yas Creative Hub | ~AED 10,000 | per office size | media/production | required | Media |
| Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone Zayed Intl. Airport | ~AED 15,000 | per office size | aviation/logistics | required | Industrial |
Licence prices: 19 zones checked on the zone’s own website, 26 estimates marked ~. Last check 28 Sep 2026.