ADGM company setup, costs and visas
Abu Dhabi’s common-law financial centre and DIFC’s direct competitor, with English law applied directly and a respected regulator (FSRA). Since January 2025 a non-financial commercial licence costs USD 5,500 to register (about AED 20,200) and USD 5,000 a year to renew, and the tech-startup licence USD 1,500 a year (about AED 5,500); a USD 300 data protection fee applies on top.
ADGM in numbers
Last verified: 28 Sep 2026. Checked against the zone’s own published tariff.
Who ADGM is built for and who overpays here
ADGM is Abu Dhabi’s common-law financial centre on Al Maryah Island, with jurisdiction now extended across Al Reem Island. It is built for regulated finance (asset and fund managers, brokers, and fintech firms testing inside the FSRA’s RegLab sandbox) and for family offices, holding companies and SPVs that want English law applied directly and a court that hears disputes in English.
It is not built for a founder who simply needs a cheap trade licence to invoice clients. An e-commerce or general-trading shell pays ADGM’s prestige positioning for prestige it will never use; a Dubai zone like IFZA or a mainland licence does that job for far less. The headline, about AED 20,200 in the first year (USD 5,500 registration; USD 5,000 a year on renewal), buys a non-financial commercial licence that suits advisory and professional-services firms.
What the headline price covers and what sits beyond it
The AED 20,200 first-year figure (USD 5,500) is the non-financial commercial licence; renewal is USD 5,000 a year. A dedicated tech-startup licence runs about USD 1,500/yr (≈AED 5,500), materially undercutting Dubai equivalents. But the licence is not the running cost: several lines sit on top of it, and for a regulated entity the regulatory track dwarfs everything else.
| Cost line | Note |
|---|---|
| Non-financial commercial licence | USD 5,500 first year (≈AED 20,200), USD 5,000 renewal |
| Tech-startup licence | ≈USD 1,500/yr (≈AED 5,500) |
| Registered office / desk | mandatory, priced by size |
| Establishment card + visas | per headcount |
| FSRA fees (regulated firms) | separate: application + annual supervision |
Budget the full stack before comparing headlines: our setup-cost calculator models it line by line.
Office, visas and substance in ADGM
ADGM requires a real registered office inside the jurisdiction; there is no address-only shortcut. Visa allocation is not a fixed number: it scales with the office space you hold, so an SPV on a small desk supports a handful of visas while a licensed manager on a full floor supports many. That is genuine substance, which is what makes ADGM credible for corporate-tax positioning and for opening a bank account.
As a free-zone person an ADGM company can qualify for 0% corporate tax on qualifying income and 9% otherwise: the rules are set out on our corporate tax page, and the choice of activity determines which side you land on.
ADGM vs DIFC and vs the rest of Abu Dhabi
The real comparison is with DIFC. Both are common-law, English-language financial centres with their own independent courts; ADGM’s regulator is the FSRA, DIFC’s is the DFSA. DIFC is older and larger, with a deeper cluster of banks, funds and law firms, often the default. ADGM competes on cost (its post-2025 fees undercut Dubai) and on proximity to Abu Dhabi’s sovereign capital, which pulls funds and family offices.
How to set up a company in ADGM
Activities and trade name
Choose the licensed activities and reserve a trade name. The activities decide which approvals you need, how banks read your file and whether your income can qualify for the 0% QFZP rate.
Documents and KYC
Passports, application forms and a clear account of where the money comes from. Free zone companies can be 100% foreign-owned, so no local sponsor is needed.
Licence and establishment card
The zone issues the licence (typically 14–30 business days). The immigration establishment card comes next and opens visa processing.
Visas and bank account
Each visa holder needs an entry permit, a medical test and an Emirates ID. The corporate bank account is opened in parallel and is usually the slowest step.
ADGM: questions founders ask
Is ADGM cheaper than DIFC?
Do I need a physical office in ADGM?
How many visas can an ADGM company get?
Does an ADGM company pay corporate tax?
Is the “from AED 20,200” price the official tariff?
Can this company do business on the UAE mainland?
Does 0% corporate tax apply here?
This is general information on UAE rules. It is not legal, tax or immigration advice for your situation. Rules and government fees change; we confirm the position for your facts in writing before you act.