The 2026 UAE Free Zone Cost Report
We analysed the real all-in setup cost of nine UAE free zones — what it actually costs to register a company, ranked, by emirate, and with the residence-visa premium laid bare.
01 All-in licence cost, ranked
Cheapest to most expensive, zero-visa, all-in. The Northern Emirates dominate the value end; Dubai's flexible zones sit at the top of the mainstream range.
📌 DMCC (Dubai) sits in a premium tier of its own at AED 35,484 — a bundled licence + workspace + visa allowance — so it's charted apart from the mainstream range above.
| Free zone | Emirate | All-in (0 visas) |
|---|---|---|
| Ajman NuVentures Centre | Ajman | AED 4,888 |
| Fujairah Creative City | Fujairah | AED 4,900 |
| SRTIP | Sharjah | AED 5,500 |
| SPC Free Zone | Sharjah | AED 5,750 |
| RAKEZ | Ras Al Khaimah | AED 6,000 |
| Masdar City | Abu Dhabi | AED 7,000 |
| Meydan Free Zone | Dubai | AED 12,500 |
| IFZA | Dubai | AED 12,900 |
| DMCC | Dubai | AED 35,484 |
02 The cheapest free zone in each emirate
If location matters, here's the lowest all-in entry point per emirate in 2026:
The takeaway: a Dubai address costs roughly 2.5× the cheapest Northern-Emirates licence — AED 12,500 vs AED 4,888 — for what is, on paper, the same 100%-owned free-zone company.
03 The residence-visa premium
The licence is only half the story. Most founders need at least one residence visa — and that's where totals jump. Across the zones, a first visa adds an average of about AED 7,900, but the spread is wide:
| Measure | Amount (first visa) |
|---|---|
| Lowest visa premium | ~AED 4,715 (IFZA) |
| Average visa premium | ~AED 7,900 |
| Highest visa premium | ~AED 11,950 (Meydan) |
| Cheapest all-in 1-visa company | ~AED 10,800 (Ajman) |
So while Ajman wins on the licence alone, the gap narrows once visas are added — which is exactly why an all-in calculation by visa count matters more than the headline licence price.
04 Key findings
- AED 4,888 is the floor — Ajman NuVentures is the cheapest all-in UAE free-zone licence in 2026.
- The median zero-visa licence is AED 6,000; six of the nine zones cost AED 7,000 or less.
- There's a 7.3× spread across the market — AED 4,888 to AED 35,484 — for fundamentally the same 100%-owned company.
- A Dubai address carries a ~2.5× premium over the cheapest Northern-Emirates option.
- A first residence visa adds ~AED 7,900 on average, so the cheapest realistic one-visa company lands near AED 10,800.
- Every UAE free zone offers 100% foreign ownership and 0% personal income tax; typical time to licence is 3–8 working days.
New to this? See our step-by-step guide on how to start a business in Dubai.
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What is the cheapest UAE free zone in 2026?
Ajman NuVentures Centre, at AED 4,888 all-in — followed by Fujairah Creative City (AED 4,900) and SRTIP in Sharjah (AED 5,500).
What's the average cost to set up a UAE free-zone company?
The median zero-visa licence across the nine zones is AED 6,000, ranging from AED 4,888 to AED 35,484. Eight of the nine cost under AED 13,000.
How much does adding a residence visa cost?
About AED 7,900 on average for the first visa, from ~AED 4,715 (IFZA) to ~AED 11,950 (Meydan). The cheapest all-in one-visa company is ~AED 10,800 at Ajman.
How much does it cost to set up a company in Dubai in 2026?
In Dubai itself, the cheapest all-in free-zone licence in 2026 is Meydan at AED 12,500, then IFZA at AED 12,900; DMCC is AED 35,484 (bundled licence + workspace). The same 100%-owned company starts at AED 4,888 in Ajman if you don't need a Dubai address. A first residence visa adds about AED 7,900.
What's the cheapest UAE business licence with a residence visa?
About AED 10,800 all-in for one visa, at Ajman NuVentures Centre. IFZA has the lowest visa premium (~AED 4,715 on top of the licence); a first visa adds ~AED 7,900 on average across the nine zones.
Which UAE free zone is best for a freelancer or solo consultant?
For a solo or freelance company, the cheapest all-in licences are Ajman NuVentures (AED 4,888) and Fujairah Creative City (AED 4,900); with one residence visa, about AED 10,800 all-in. In Dubai, Meydan (AED 12,500) is the cheapest freelancer-friendly option.
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