Authorised partnerExpo City Dubai Free Zone
FromAED 9,020per year · freelance permit with visa
- Business Hub 2: 4 visas, AED 17,570
- Standard 6 Visa Package: AED 22,080
- Partner pricing on every package
Home / Free Zone Company Setup
100% ownership, 0% personal income tax and licences issued in days. We compare 40+ UAE free zones and register you in the one that actually fits.
Free Zone Finder
Tell us your activity, visa needs and budget and Pro24 will shortlist the 3 best-fit free zones with a fixed all-in quote.
An authorised Expo City Dubai Free Zone channel partner, DMCC specialists based in JLT, and Dubai mainland setup experts. If one of these fits your business, we can usually set you up faster and for less.
Authorised partnerEvery UAE free zone is a self-contained licensing authority with its own price list, visa packages, permitted activities and reputation with banks. The cheapest licence is rarely the best: banks, clients and visa needs matter just as much. Because Pro24 is a registered agent across the major zones, our advice follows your business model, not a single zone commission.
Popular choices we register daily include DMCC business setup for trading and commodities, IFZA and Meydan for cost-effective Dubai licences, JAFZA for logistics, DIFC and ADGM for finance, and RAKEZ or SHAMS for budget-friendly startups.
A side-by-side of the free zones Pro24 registers companies in every week. Prices move with each zone's yearly offers and your visa count, so we confirm a fixed all-in quote before you pay anything.
| Free zone | Emirate | Best for | Office options |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMCC | Dubai (JLT) | Trading, commodities, crypto, premium address | Flexi desk to full office |
| IFZA | Dubai | Best-value Dubai licence for services & e-commerce | Flexi desk, offices |
| Meydan | Dubai | Low-cost Dubai licence, fully remote setup | Flexi desk |
| Expo City Dubai | Dubai (Expo City) | Freelancers, green & innovation businesses | Business hub desks, offices |
| Dubai South | Dubai (DWC airport) | E-commerce fulfilment & logistics | Desks, offices, warehouses |
| JAFZA | Dubai (Jebel Ali) | Import-export, manufacturing, port access | Offices, warehouses, land |
| DAFZA | Dubai (Airport) | High-value trading & tech | Offices, light industrial |
| DDA | Dubai (Media & Internet City) | Media, tech, design, education | Desks, offices |
| DIFC | Dubai | Holding, family office, fintech, finance | Offices |
| ADGM | Abu Dhabi | Holding companies, SPVs, finance | Offices |
| SHAMS | Sharjah | Creators, media, freelancers on a budget | Flexi desk |
| SPC | Sharjah | Publishing, media, education | Flexi desk, offices |
| SAIF Zone | Sharjah (Airport) | Trading & light industry | Offices, warehouses |
| Hamriyah | Sharjah | Manufacturing & heavy industry | Warehouses, land |
| RAKEZ | Ras Al Khaimah | Freelance to industrial at low cost | Desks, warehouses, land |
| Ajman Free Zone | Ajman | Budget trading, services, e-commerce | Flexi desk, offices |
| UAQ Free Zone | Umm Al Quwain | Lowest-cost services & online businesses | Flexi desk |
For official, authority-published prices side by side, see the UAE Free Zone Cost Index 2026.
Not sure which one fits? Take the 60-second Free Zone Finder and get your top 3 zones with a fixed quote on WhatsApp.
Built for startups, e-commerce, consultants and international trade.
0% corporate tax on qualifying free zone income and no personal income tax on salaries or dividends.
Digital-first authorities issue many licences within 48 hours of document submission.
Move 100% of capital and profits abroad with no currency restrictions.
Licence, flexi desk and visa quota in one predictable annual fee, ideal for lean startups.
Zones like DMCC, Dubai South and JAFZA cluster suppliers, customers and infrastructure for your sector.
Add activities, visas or offices as you grow, or later expand to mainland with a dual licence.
We shortlist 2 or 3 zones against your activity, visa needs, banking profile and budget.
Passport copies, photo and application forms submitted; some zones require a short business summary.
Pay the package fee and receive your licence, lease agreement and incorporation documents.
Establishment card, e-channel, residence visas and corporate bank introductions follow immediately.
Entry prices for the free zones our clients ask about most, with a clear note on whether each figure is published by the zone itself or quoted by partners.
| Free zone | Entry price (AED) | What it buys | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAQ FTZ | 5,500 | UAQ Lyte licence | Official |
| SHAMS | from ~5,750 | Licence, flexi desk, no visa | Quoted |
| Expo City Dubai | 12,520 | Business Hub 1 licence | Official |
| Meydan | 12,500 | Licence with flexi-desk, visa eligible | Official |
| IFZA | from ~12,900 | Licence, no visa | Quoted |
| Dubai South | from ~12,500 | Licence package | Quoted |
| SAIF Zone | ~10,800 – 13,500 | Licence with flexi desk / SAIF Desk | Quoted |
| DMCC | 35,484 – 43,780 | Official setup packages incl. desk | Official |
Full breakdown, including visa costs and who each zone suits: the cheapest free zones in the UAE, compared.
A free zone company sells to the UAE mainland through a locally licensed distributor, by invoicing B2B where rules allow, or by adding a dual licence or branch. If most revenue will come from the local market, mainland is usually the better first licence, and we will tell you so.
Northern emirate zones such as SHAMS, RAKEZ, Ajman and UAQ offer zero-visa licences from roughly AED 5,999 per year. Dubai zones like IFZA and Meydan start around AED 12,900. Cheapest is not always best for banking, so we balance cost against your account-opening prospects.
Qualifying free zone persons pay 0% on qualifying income and 9% on non-qualifying income. Meeting the conditions requires adequate substance and correct transaction structuring, which our tax team sets up from day one.
Packages range from zero-visa licences to 6 or more visas, and larger allocations come with bigger offices. We match the package to your real hiring plan so you are not paying for unused quota.
Yes, for most zones. IFZA, Meydan, SHAMS, RAKEZ, UAQ and several others let you incorporate fully online with digital signatures and video KYC. You only need to be in the UAE for the visa medical test and Emirates ID biometrics, and for any bank that asks for an in-person meeting.
Digital-first zones usually issue the licence within 2 to 5 working days of complete documents and approvals. Allow roughly 2 to 3 more weeks for the establishment card, residence visas and Emirates ID. Bank account timelines vary by bank and business profile.
DMCC is the benchmark for international trading and commodities, JAFZA suits import-export that needs port access and warehouses, and Dubai South fits e-commerce fulfilment. On a lower budget, SAIF Zone, RAKEZ and Ajman Free Zone offer trading licences with warehouse options.
Yes. Expo City Dubai, on the former Expo 2020 site, licenses companies and freelancers in its own free zone, with business hub packages, freelance permits and green licences. See our Expo City Dubai Free Zone packages for the current offers.
Usually a passport copy and photo for every shareholder and manager, your UAE entry stamp or visa page if you are in the country, proof of home address and the application form. Some zones also ask for a short business plan, a CV or a no-objection letter from a current UAE sponsor.
Get a side-by-side comparison of the 3 best zones for your business, with exact package prices, within 24 hours.