What agencies don't put on the homepage

What a UAE free zone company really costs

The "AED 5,750!" ads never include a visa, an office, or the establishment card. Here's the real first-year number for the three most popular zones.

Three popular zones, compared

License, visa & office — the real total

Zone	Licence (from)	Per visa (all-in)	Flexi-desk / office	Realistic 1-visa total
RAKEZ Ras Al Khaimah	AED 10,000/yr	AED 3,000–4,000	Included in most packages	~AED 16,000–18,000
IFZA Dubai (Dubai Silicon Oasis)	AED 12,500/yr	AED 3,000–4,000	Flexi-desk from ~AED 5,000	~AED 30,000–38,000
DMCC Dubai (JLT)	AED 20,000–34,000/yr	AED 3,500–5,000	Desk from ~AED 15,000/yr	~AED 35,000+

Figures are 2026 indicative ranges from public setup-agency pricing — packages, promotions and included visa counts change often. Always request a current written quote before committing.

The part nobody advertises

Six costs that show up after you sign

Establishment card

A separate immigration-file fee, often AED 2,000–3,000, needed before you can sponsor any visa.

Medical + Emirates ID

Roughly AED 700–1,200 per visa holder, mandatory for every residence visa, separate from the visa fee itself.

Security deposit / bank guarantee

Some zones require a refundable deposit (often AED 2,000–5,000 per visa) held for the licence duration.

Bank account minimum balance

UAE business banks commonly require AED 10,000–50,000 minimum balance — not a government fee, but real cash you need.

Audit fees (some zones)

FZE/FZCO structures in several zones require an annual audit — budget AED 3,000–8,000/year for a small company.

Renewal isn't always cheaper

Year-2 renewal often drops the "new customer" discount that made year-1 look cheap — ask for the year-2 price upfront.

The other option

Free zone vs. mainland, in one paragraph

A mainland (DED-licensed) company can trade anywhere in the UAE without a local distributor and now allows 100% foreign ownership in most activities — but pays 9% corporate tax on all UAE profit with no free-zone 0% option, and mainland audits are mandatory. A free zone company can reach 0% tax on qualifying income (see the QFZP checker) but is generally restricted to international trade and other free-zone clients unless it opens a mainland branch. Neither is "better" — it depends on who your customers are.

Explore specific zones: DMCC · JAFZA · IFZA · RAKEZ · SHAMS · Dubai South

Official sources

Verify before you sign anything

u.ae — starting a business, company types
Ministry of Economy — federal business registration guidance
Each free zone authority publishes its own current fee schedule — always request the official price list directly, not just a reseller's quote.