IFZA company setup, costs and visas
A common choice for consultants, agencies and holding companies: a long activity list, no office requirement at entry level and licences that typically issue in 3–5 business days. IFZA does not publish a tariff and sells through registered partners, so the same licence reaches you at different prices. Ask every agent to show the zone fee and their own fee as separate lines.
IFZA in numbers
Estimate as of 23 Sep 2026. The zone publishes no tariff. This figure is our market estimate; the zone confirms the fee in writing when you apply.
Who IFZA fits
IFZA is built for businesses that run from a laptop. If you run a consultancy, a marketing or design agency, a coaching or advisory practice, an IP-holding vehicle or a management holding, the mix of 2,000+ activities, no office requirement at entry level and licences in about 3–5 business days is hard to beat inside Dubai. You get a Dubai licence and an address in Dubai Silicon Oasis without signing a lease.
IFZA fits less well once physical goods are involved. It is a licensing authority, not a port or industrial estate: there is no on-site warehousing, customs yard or heavy-logistics infrastructure, so import, re-export and manufacturing belong in JAFZA or a northern-emirates industrial zone. If your main aim is to reassure a bank or an institutional client, DMCC and DIFC carry more weight. And like every free zone company, an IFZA company cannot sell directly to the UAE mainland without a distributor or a mainland branch.
What the AED 12,900 estimate covers
IFZA does not publish a tariff on ifza.com; prices come through its registered partners. AED 12,900 is our market estimate for a one-year, zero-visa licence with the registered address, re-checked on 23 September 2026. Everything tied to people and compliance is priced separately, which is why the same licence reaches you at different totals from different agents.
| Line item | In the AED 12,900 estimate? |
|---|---|
| Trade licence (1 year) | Yes |
| Free zone registered address | Yes |
| Visa allocation | No, added per package |
| Establishment (immigration) card | No |
| Per-visa cost (entry permit, medical, Emirates ID) | No |
| Corporate tax and VAT registration | No |
Before you compare quotes, price the whole picture (licence, immigration file and each visa) in our setup-cost calculator rather than reacting to the headline number.
Visas, office and substance without a desk
IFZA sells its packages by visa allocation: you can start with a zero-visa package and upgrade later. The allocation runs against IFZA’s own facility, so no leased office is needed at entry level. The visas are not free. Each one needs the establishment card first, then the usual per-person steps: entry permit, status change, medical and Emirates ID. More visas mean a bigger package or a flexi‑desk.
Tax is the point agents tend to skip. A licence with no real presence raises a corporate-tax question as well as an immigration one. A Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) pays 0% on qualifying income and 9% on all other taxable income, with no AED 375,000 band, and the status depends on adequate substance in the zone. A purely nominal IFZA company can fail that test, and then the standard rules apply: 0% up to AED 375,000 and 9% above. Read our corporate tax page before you pick a package.
IFZA vs Meydan vs the northern emirates
The closest like-for-like is Meydan at AED 12,500: the same Dubai bracket and the same remote setup. Meydan publishes its tariff, includes a flexi‑desk and allows up to six visa allocations at AED 1,850 each. IFZA sells through registered partners, which is where the price spread comes from. Choose on a quote you can check line by line and a partner you trust.
If the Dubai address is not essential, SHAMS and other northern-emirates zones cost less than half, with a Sharjah or RAK address instead of Dubai. Line them up in our free zone comparisons.
How to set up a company in IFZA
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 3–5 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.
IFZA: questions founders ask
Does an IFZA company need a physical office?
Why do IFZA prices vary so much between agents?
How many visas can an IFZA company get?
Can an IFZA company trade on the UAE mainland?
Does IFZA suit holding companies?
Where does the AED 12,900 figure come from?
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.