Dubai Free Zone Costs 2026: All 12 Zones Compared in One Table

Dubai free zone costs start at about AED 5,500 and go up to AED 50,000. In euros, that’s roughly €1,300 to €12,000 for the license alone.

That gap explains why Dubai free zone costs look so inconsistent from one quote to the next. One agent swears IFZA is the bargain. Another says only DMCC will do. They can both be right, because the answer depends on what you sell, where your clients are, and which bank you hope to open an account with.

So we put 12 zones side by side, using 2026 price lists and a rough rate of AED 4.2 to the euro. Five of the twelve sit outside Dubai (Ajman, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Abu Dhabi). Keep that in mind before a low number gets you excited.

Quick answers

• The cheapest license is Ajman Free Zone, from about AED 5,565 (around €1,300) with no visa.
• The cheapest zones inside Dubai are Meydan and IFZA, at roughly AED 12,500 to 12,900 (about €3,000).
• A solo founder with one residence visa should expect AED 13,000 to 25,000 in year one, which is about €3,100 to €6,000.
• Premium zones such as DMCC, DIFC, and ADGM run AED 25,000 to 50,000 or more in year one.

How Much Does a Free Zone Company Cost in Dubai in 2026?

For one founder with one visa, Dubai free zone costs usually land between AED 13,000 and AED 25,000 in the first year. A small team in a premium zone can pass AED 50,000 without trying.

The license fee is only the start. A first-year bill normally includes a license, a registration fee, an establishment card, a flexi-desk or office, and then each visa with its medical test, Emirates ID, and insurance. One Dubai consultancy’s 2026 cost guide puts the real first-year total at 1.5 to 2 times the headline price. That’s a handy rule of thumb when you compare quotes.

If you want the full process behind these numbers, our Dubai company setup page walks through it step by step, and the guide to a full first-year cost sits right alongside it.

Dubai Free Zone Cost Comparison 2026: All 12 Zones in One Table

The table shows the entry license without a visa, plus a typical first year with one visa where a published package exists. Euro figures are rounded.

Sources don’t agree on everything. DAFZA shows up anywhere from AED 15,000 to 31,000 depending on the package, and JAFZA from AED 11,500 to 35,000. We kept the ranges instead of picking one tidy number.

Ajman NuVentures is a separate authority from Ajman Free Zone and advertises AED 4,888 for a zero-visa license. That’s the lowest published entry price we found.

What the Headline Price Doesn’t Show

These are the lines that turn an AED 12,900 quote into an AED 22,000 invoice.

• Registration and the establishment card. One IFZA breakdown shows about AED 2,050 for registration. DAFZA adds a one-time AED 7,000 company registration fee and an AED 2,020 establishment card. Dubai Silicon Oasis lists AED 6,900 for registration and legal documents.
• Visas. Expect roughly AED 3,500 to 10,000 each, depending on the zone and what’s bundled. Our Dubai investor visa cost guide shows how the amounts behave when you invest instead of hire.
• A desk or office. DMCC doesn’t sell a true zero-visa virtual license, so a flexi-desk adding AED 16,000 to 19,000 a year is part of the deal, according to one 2026 comparison.
• Audit and VAT on rent. DAFZA and JAFZA setups usually need audited accounts, and rent carries 5% VAT. Read our guide to VAT registration for free zone companies and the accounting and bookkeeping rules before you budget.
• Bank balance. Some banks ask for AED 50,000 to 100,000 as a minimum. Here’s how it works with a bank account without a residence visa.
• Renewal. First-year offers don’t always repeat. Ask for the renewal price in writing, not on a call.

Which Free Zone Is the Cheapest, and Is It the Right One?

Ajman wins on price, with a zero-visa license from AED 5,565 and a one-visa package around AED 13,100. SHAMS and RAKEZ follow close behind. If you work online and meet clients over video, that’s hard to argue with.

The catch is the address. A Dubai address still carries weight with some clients, banks, and landlords, and Meydan or IFZA gets you there from about AED 12,500. That’s roughly €3,000, so the premium over Ajman is about €1,650. Worth it? For a consultant who meets clients in Dubai, probably. For a Dutch online shop selling to the EU, probably not.

Then there’s the premium end. DMCC costs roughly double for the same visa count, according to one 2026 comparison, and it earns that with commodity trading infrastructure and a name banks recognize. If you’re consulting from a laptop, paying for it is a weak idea. Our DMCC vs IFZA vs DAFZA comparison goes deeper on that choice.

Prefer the lightest setup possible? Take a look at a virtual company in Dubai first, and read the fine print on what it does and doesn’t give you.

Four Realistic First-Year Budgets

1. Solo consultant, one visa, no office needed. Meydan or IFZA. Plan for AED 14,000 to 22,000 (about €3,300 to €5,200).
2. Online store or creative studio. SHAMS or Ajman. Plan for AED 11,000 to 13,500 (about €2,600 to €3,200).
3. Trading business with a warehouse and four staff. JAFZA or DAFZA. Plan for AED 100,000 or more (about €24,000), and expect audited accounts.
4. Fintech or fund manager. DIFC or ADGM. Plan for AED 50,000 or more before rent (about €12,000). Regulated activities need a separate financial services license with its own fees.

What Dutch Founders Should Check Before Picking a Zone

If you’re Dutch, free zone costs are the smallest part of the decision, and the license fee is smaller still. The bigger risks sit elsewhere.

Tax residence comes first. Moving a company to Dubai on paper while you still live in the Netherlands doesn’t work the way many people hope. A UAE company run from your living room in Utrecht can still raise questions with the Belastingdienst. Our guide to the 183-day rule for Dutch investors and entrepreneurs explains how days and ties get counted, and the UAE and Dutch corporate tax comparison runs the numbers on EUR 250,000 of profit.

Then the 0%. A free zone company isn’t automatically tax-free. To keep the 0% rate on qualifying income, it has to meet the conditions of a Qualifying Free Zone Person, which includes real substance in the UAE. Income that doesn’t qualify is taxed at the normal 9% rate, and a company that fails the tests can lose the status. Our overview of UAE tax changes for 2026 and the Federal Tax Authority site cover the details.

Then the bank. Opening an account is where many founders lose weeks. Read the list of the best banks in Dubai for Dutch entrepreneurs before you commit to a zone, because some zones make that conversation easier than others.

None of this is tax advice. Our tax consultants in Dubai can look at your own numbers.

Mistakes That Make a Cheap License Expensive

• Buying a zero-visa license and expecting residency. The license lets the company exist. A residence visa is a separate step with its own cost and wait, which our residence visa processing time guide lays out.
• Choosing a zone for the name alone. Prestige is real, but it costs double. Pay for it only if your banks, clients, or partners ask for it.
• Using DIFC or ADGM for a business that isn’t financial. Those zones exist for regulated finance. A consultancy there is paying for a building it won’t use.
• Locking in a multi-year package too early. A three-year IFZA package at about AED 43,470 cuts the yearly price, but you’re paying a lot upfront for a company you haven’t tested yet.

Which Zone Fits Your Plan?

• Consulting or services with Dubai clients. Meydan or IFZA. See our IFZA free zone company setup page.
• Import and export. JAFZA, DAFZA, or DMCC. Start with the best free zones for import and export companies in Dubai.
• Software or AI. IFZA or Dubai Silicon Oasis. Our guide to the best free zones for AI startups compares them.
• Lowest cost possible. Ajman, SHAMS, or RAKEZ, as long as the Dubai address doesn’t matter to you.
• Financial services. DIFC or ADGM.
• Not sure a free zone is the right call at all. Compare free zone vs mainland or a branch office vs a new company.

Dubai Free Zone Costs FAQ

What is the cheapest free zone in Dubai in 2026?

Among zones in Dubai itself, Meydan and IFZA are the cheapest, from about AED 12,500 to 12,900 (roughly €3,000) for a zero-visa license. Cheaper licenses exist in Ajman, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah, from about AED 5,500, but those aren’t in Dubai.

How much does it cost in euros to set up a free zone company in Dubai?

At about AED 4.2 to the euro, a first year runs roughly €3,100 to €6,000 for one founder with one visa, and from about €12,000 in a premium zone like DIFC. Exchange rates move, so check the rate on the day you pay.

Are free zone renewal fees the same as first-year fees?

Not always. Some zones run first-year offers, and multi-year packages change the annual price. Ask for the renewal quote before you sign.

Do I need a visa to own a free zone company?

No. Many zones sell zero-visa licenses. A zero-visa license lets the company exist, but it doesn’t give you UAE residence.

Is a free zone company really 0% tax?

Only for qualifying income, and only if the company meets the Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions, including substance. Other income is taxed at 9%.

Can a Dutch resident open a free zone company without moving?

Many zones allow remote setup, but owning a company isn’t the same as being tax resident in the UAE. If you still live in the Netherlands, Dutch rules can still apply to you and possibly to the company. Read about the 183-day rule and speak to a tax adviser before you sign anything.

Send us your activity, the number of visas you need, and the bank you’re aiming for, and we’ll price your real first year instead of the headline one. You can book a free Dubai business consultation and get a straight answer on which zone fits. If a cheaper zone is the better call, we’ll say so.

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