Dubai's main free zones
Entry licences across Dubai zones
Cost, sector and infrastructure
More than forty across the seven emirates, with roughly half in Dubai. They are not interchangeable: each has its own registrar, activity catalogue, fee table, office formats, visa quotas and, increasingly, its own audit and substance requirements. The thirteen profiled here are the ones we incorporate in most frequently.
Work backwards from four things: the activity you need licensed, the number of residence visas you will need within eighteen months, whether you handle physical goods, and which bank is most likely to accept your profile. Price is the fifth consideration, not the first — a zone that is AED 3,000 cheaper but cannot license your activity has cost you everything.
There is no transfer mechanism between most zones. In practice you deregister from one and incorporate in the other, which means a new licence, a new establishment card, new visas and a new bank account. It is expensive and disruptive, which is why the first choice matters so much.
It depends on the zone. DMCC, DIFC and several others require audited financial statements before licence renewal. Others do not, at least for smaller entities. Separately, if you intend to claim Qualifying Free Zone Person status for corporate tax, audited statements are a condition regardless of what the zone itself demands.
Call an advisor
Message us
B1 Mall, Shop 3, Opposite Mall of the Emirates
