UAE Free Zone Costs 2026. Every Emirate, One Page.

The lowest starting price for a zero-visa free zone licence is AED 4,444 at Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) in Ajman for its Kickstarter package, a promotional price. The next cheapest are ANCFZ at AED 4,888, Creative City (FCC) at AED 4,900 and SPC Free Zone at AED 4,999. twofour54 in Abu Dhabi also lists an offer with fees waived: “New investor / freelancer: Waived (first 2 years)”. Prices last checked on 30 Sep 2026. Cheapest is not always best: check the renewal price, the cost of visas and whether the zone licenses your activity before you choose.

In Dubai, the lowest starting price we track is AED 7,500 at TECOM Zones for its GoFreelance permit package. The cheapest Dubai package with a visa is AED 14,370 at Meydan Free Zone for its 1 visa package. Dubai generally costs more than the northern emirates: the cheapest zero-visa licence anywhere in the UAE is AED 4,444 at Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) in Ajman. Compare every Dubai zone on our Dubai free zone costs page.

The cheapest package with at least one residence visa is AED 6,875 at SPC Free Zone in Sharjah for its One visa package (visa allocation; processing extra). If you want the visa costs (entry permit, medical test and Emirates ID) inside the price, the cheapest all-inclusive package is AED 10,504 at Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) in Ajman for its Starter package, a promotional price. Prices last checked on 30 Sep 2026.

Most headline prices cover the licence and a desk. They usually leave out the establishment card (immigration file), the cost of processing each residence visa (entry permit, status change, medical test and Emirates ID), e-channel registration in some zones, any share capital the zone requires, and the gap between a first-year promotional price and the renewal price. Packages marked “All-In” on this page already include the visa costs. See “What The Headline Price Leaves Out” on this page for typical amounts.

Every three days. Each zone is checked against its own website or published rate card first; zones that publish no prices are checked against recent figures from setup agents and comparison sites. Prices last checked on 30 Sep 2026. Every package on the page shows whether its price is official or reported and the date it was last verified, and anything not verified for 30 days is flagged as possibly out of date.

Yes. 26 of the 28 free zones on this page sell a zero-visa licence, which suits owners who already hold a UAE residence visa or live abroad and do not need one. You can usually add visas later, but the number a company can sponsor depends on its package and office space, so it is cheaper to pick a package with the visa quota you expect to need.

Free zone companies are within the UAE Corporate Tax regime. A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on qualifying income and 9% on the rest; to qualify, a company needs adequate substance in the zone, audited financial statements and income that mainly comes from qualifying activities, among other conditions. A free zone company that does not qualify is taxed like a mainland company: 0% on the first AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above it. Every free zone company must register for Corporate Tax and file a return.

Often, for services. Consulting, IT, creative and other professional services can generally be provided to mainland clients from a free zone. Selling goods directly to mainland customers usually needs a mainland distributor, a mainland branch or a dual licence, which some zones offer. If most of your revenue will come from selling physical goods inside the UAE, compare a mainland licence before you commit.

For a standard activity such as consulting, trading or e-commerce, most free zones issue the licence within 3 to 5 working days once your documents are complete, and some do it within 24 hours. Residence visas (entry permit, medical test and Emirates ID) are processed after the licence, and regulated activities need approvals that add time.

The lowest-priced zones suited to e-commerce are Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) in Ajman, from AED 4,444; ANCFZ in Ajman, from AED 4,888; SPC Free Zone in Sharjah, from AED 4,999; and UAQ Free Trade Zone in Umm Al Quwain, from AED 5,500. For freelancers, look at Creative City (FCC) in Fujairah, from AED 4,900; Ajman Media City (AMC) in Ajman, from AED 4,999; SHAMS in Sharjah, from AED 5,750; and RAKEZ in Ras Al Khaimah, from AED 6,000. Use the search on this page to filter every zone by activity, and ask us for a written comparison of the best three for your plans.