Dubai Studio City company setup, costs and visas
Sound stages, backlots and production companies. Licences here assume you shoot or produce on site; content creators who only publish online usually license in a media zone.
Dubai Studio City in numbers
Estimate as of 27 Jul 2026. The zone publishes no tariff. This figure is our market estimate; the zone confirms the fee in writing when you apply.
Who Dubai Studio City fits
This is a zone for physical production. It earns its place when you physically shoot, build, or finish content: film and TV production houses, commercial and ad-film shops, post-production and VFX studios, equipment and crew rental, casting and line-production companies. The whole precinct on Al Qudra Road was laid out around sound stages, backlots and water tanks: infrastructure a WhatsApp-and-a-laptop business will never touch.
It does not fit the one-person creator who just publishes to social. If your “production” is a phone and an editing app, you are paying for a shooting ecosystem you will not use. Freelance content creators, marketing agencies without a set, and pure publishers get the same media credibility far cheaper elsewhere: see Dubai Media City for agencies and broadcasters, or a low-cost Sharjah media permit for solo creators. Studio City makes sense specifically when a camera, a stage or a crew is involved.
What the AED 15,000 licence does and does not cover
The headline in the spec table is the starting licence and registration figure. It buys you the trade licence, TECOM registration and the right to operate a film/TV/production activity; the facility is extra. Budget separately for the parts that make this zone worth choosing.
| Cost line | Sits inside the AED 15,000? |
|---|---|
| Trade licence + TECOM registration | Yes |
| Office / studio lease (Ejari) | No, separate, and mandatory here |
| Establishment card + per-person visa (medical, Emirates ID, residence visa issuance) | No |
| Sound stage / backlot / equipment rental | No, booked per production |
| Filming permits (Dubai Film & TV Commission) | No, per shoot, separate authority |
Run the real number through the setup-cost calculator before you commit, because the lease and visa lines usually outweigh the licence itself.
Office and visas in Dubai Studio City
An office is required, there is no pure virtual option. As a TECOM Group zone, Dubai Studio City allocates your visa quota against leased space rather than a fixed per-licence cap, which is why the spec table shows no hard number. A flexi‑desk supports only a handful of visas; a full unit or a studio lease raises the ceiling. If your plan is to bring cast and crew onto residence visas, size the lease to the headcount from day one rather than upgrading later.
On tax, a production company here is inside the free-zone regime but still within UAE Corporate Tax at 9% above the threshold. Whether your income qualifies for the 0% free-zone rate depends on activity and substance tests, not on the zone name: read how free-zone Corporate Tax works before assuming a production licence is automatically qualifying.
Studio City vs the obvious alternatives
The closest neighbour is Dubai Media City, same TECOM regulator, licence from AED 17,000. They are not substitutes: Media City is built for agencies, broadcasters and publishers with staff at desks; Studio City is built for the shoot itself. If you produce content on a set, licence in Studio City; if you sell media services from an office, Media City fits better.
For pure solo creators the plain answer is that neither is efficient: a low-cost Sharjah media permit gives the same industry standing without a production precinct’s overheads. Abu Dhabi’s twofour54 is the real rival at the higher end, with its own production incentives. Compare the shortlist side by side in the free-zone index before deciding.
How to set up a company in Dubai Studio City
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 10–14 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.
Dubai Studio City: questions founders ask
Do I need a physical office to license in Dubai Studio City?
What does the AED 15,000 starting licence include?
Should a solo content creator choose Dubai Studio City or Dubai Media City?
Does a Dubai Studio City company pay corporate tax?
Where does the AED 15,000 figure come from?
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.