UAE Free Zone Cost Index
What it costs to open a company in 22 UAE free zones, taken from each authority's own website. We recheck every figure each quarter and link the exact page it came from, so you can verify it yourself.
SRTIP Free Zone, limited-time offer
Across 10 free zones with comparable packages
DIFC private company, registration plus license
Key findings
- As of 25 October 2026, the median entry price across 10 comparable UAE free zones is AED 8,225 for the first year.
- SRTIP Free Zone in Sharjah publishes the lowest entry package at AED 3,999, on a limited-time offer. Ajman Media City Free Zone follows at AED 4,999.
- In Dubai, Meydan Free Zone publishes a trade license with a flexi desk from AED 12,500 a year. DIFC is the most expensive zone in the index at AED 73,450 for a non-retail private company.
- 10 of the 22 free zones covered publish no entry price on their own website.
Entry prices, cheapest first
First-year price in AED for the cheapest company package each authority publishes. The hatched JAFZA bar covers the license only, because JAFZA prices the required lease separately.
11 free zones with a published price
Each row shows what the authority's package includes and leaves out. Scroll sideways on a phone to see every column.
| Free zone | Package | AED, year 1 | Visas | Office | Activities | Terms | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SRTIP Free ZoneSharjah | Starter | 3,999 | None | Co-working access | Up to 3 | PromoLimited-time offer, no end date published | lp.srtip.ae |
| Ajman Media City Free ZoneAjman | Business Club | 4,999 | None | Co-working space | Up to 10 | Renews at the same price each year | amcfz.ae |
| JAFZADubai | Business license, Type 1 | 5,000 | Not stated | Lease required, extra | Up to 7 in one group | License onlyNot in medianLicense fee only. A lease is required on top and is not priced here | jafza.ae |
| SPC Free ZoneSharjah | Entry license | 5,750 | Not stated | Lease agreement included | Varies | Starting price; varies by activity. Lease agreement comes with every license | spcfz.ae |
| RAKEZRas Al Khaimah | Biz Starter Package | 6,000 | Not stated | Co-working membership | Up to 10 | PromoPromotional package, T&Cs apply | rakez.com |
| Masdar City Free ZoneAbu Dhabi | Startup Package | 7,000 | None | Not included | Up to 2 | +5% VATPlus 5% VAT. License and registration only | masdarcityfreezone.com |
| KEZADAbu Dhabi | Start-up package, 1 year | 9,450 | 1 (quota) | Shared workstation | Not stated | VAT incl.VAT included. Smallest package carries a 1-visa quota | kezadgroup.com |
| Meydan Free ZoneDubai | Dubai trade license | 12,500 | None | Flexi desk | Up to 3 groups | Per year. Visa, medical and Emirates ID are extra | meydanfz.ae |
| ADGMAbu Dhabi | Non-financial company, initial registration | 21,301USD 5,800 | Not included | Not included | Not stated | USD feeUSD 5,500 registration plus USD 300 data protection fee. Office extra. Tech start-ups pay USD 1,800 (about AED 6,611) | adgm.com |
| DMCCDubai | Basic Biz Package | 35,484 | Eligible for 1 | Flexi desk | Not stated | Paid upfrontPaid in full upfront; listed against an original price of AED 57,481. Individual shareholders only | dmcc.ae |
| DIFCDubai | Private company (non-retail, non-regulated) | 73,450USD 20,000 | Not included | Not included | Not stated | USD feeUSD 8,000 registration plus USD 12,000 commercial license, plus AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation fee. Tech firms on the Innovation License pay USD 1,600 in year one | assets.difc.com |
10 free zones quote on request
These authorities give prices only through a calculator, an enquiry form or a sales call. We list each one with the page where you can ask.
- SHAMSSharjahshamsfz.ae
- Ajman Free ZoneAjmanafz.gov.ae
- Fujairah Creative CityFujairahcreativecity.gov.ae
- Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZ)Dubaidafz.ae
- Dubai World Trade Centre Free ZoneDubaidwtc.com
- Dubai CommerCityDubaidubaicommercity.ae
- Dubai Silicon OasisDubaidso.ae
- twofour54Abu Dhabitwofour54.com
- SAIF ZoneSharjahsaif-zone.com
- Hamriyah Free ZoneSharjahhfza.ae
Installment pricing
- UAQ Free Trade ZoneUmm Al Quwain
AED 2,266 a month, all-inclusive with an investor visa and up to 10 activities. UAQFTZ does not publish the number of months or the total.
promotion.uaqftz.com
How we build the index
Official sources only
We take each price from the free zone authority's own website or fee schedule. Agency and reseller prices don't count, EZONE's included.
One figure per zone
We record the cheapest company package on offer for its first year, with the smallest visa allocation the authority sells.
Currency and VAT
We convert USD fees at the dirham's fixed peg of 3.6725 and show VAT the way the authority does. Masdar City quotes before 5% VAT; KEZAD includes it.
The median
We leave JAFZA out of the median because its figure excludes the mandatory lease. Every other priced zone counts.
Promotions
A promotional price counts while the authority advertises it, and we flag it in the Terms column.
Costs on top
Unless a row says otherwise, budget extra for residence visas, medical tests, Emirates ID, the establishment card and bank account opening.
Need the full cost for your activity and visas?
EZONE advisors price your setup against these same official tariffs, with visas and running costs added.
Cite or reuse this data
Journalists, researchers and editors can quote the index freely under CC BY 4.0. Please credit EZONE and link this page.
Citation
EZONE (2026). UAE Free Zone Cost Index, Q4 2026. Prices checked 2026-10-25 on each authority's official website. https://e.zone/uae-free-zone-cost-index/
Data (CSV)
zone,emirate,package,entry_price_aed,visas,office,activities,source,checked "SRTIP Free Zone","Sharjah","Starter","3999","0","Co-working access","Up to 3","https://lp.srtip.ae/start-your-business/","2026-10-25" "Ajman Media City Free Zone","Ajman","Business Club","4999","0","Co-working space","Up to 10","https://amcfz.ae/","2026-10-25" "JAFZA","Dubai","Business license, Type 1","5000","Not stated","Lease required, extra","Up to 7 in one group","https://www.jafza.ae/business-setup/business-license/","2026-10-25" "SPC Free Zone","Sharjah","Entry license","5750","Not stated","Lease agreement included","Varies","https://www.spcfz.ae/","2026-10-25" "RAKEZ","Ras Al Khaimah","Biz Starter Package","6000","Not stated","Co-working membership","Up to 10","https://rakez.com/en/promotions/biz-starter-package","2026-10-25" "Masdar City Free Zone","Abu Dhabi","Startup Package","7000","0","Not included","Up to 2","https://masdarcityfreezone.com/explore/license-and-registration","2026-10-25" "KEZAD","Abu Dhabi","Start-up package, 1 year","9450","1 (quota)","Shared workstation","Not stated","https://kezadgroup.com/our-offerings/free-zone-business-setup","2026-10-25" "Meydan Free Zone","Dubai","Dubai trade license","12500","0","Flexi desk","Up to 3 groups","https://www.meydanfz.ae/dubai-trade-license-aed-12500","2026-10-25" "ADGM","Abu Dhabi","Non-financial company, initial registration","21301","Not included","Not included","Not stated","https://www.adgm.com/media/announcements/adgm-reduces-commercial-licence-fees-from-january-2025","2026-10-25" "DMCC","Dubai","Basic Biz Package","35484","Eligible for 1","Flexi desk","Not stated","https://dmcc.ae/business/business-setup-packages","2026-10-25" "DIFC","Dubai","Private company (non-retail, non-regulated)","73450","Not included","Not included","Not stated","https://assets.difc.com/v1/media/edge/images/dubaiintern0078-difcexperie96c5-production-3253/media/project/difcexperiences/difc/difcwebsite/documents/business-section-documents/operating-a-business/operating-business---handbook-fees/roc-table-of-fees---updated-25-december-2025.pdf","2026-10-25"
Common questions
How much does it cost to set up a free zone company in the UAE?
On prices the authorities publish themselves, entry packages range from AED 3,999 (SRTIP Free Zone, limited-time offer) to AED 73,450 (DIFC private company). The median across 10 comparable free zones is AED 8,225, checked on 25 October 2026. Residence visas, medical tests and Emirates ID usually cost extra.
Which UAE free zone is cheapest right now?
In this edition, SRTIP Free Zone in Sharjah advertises the lowest entry package at AED 3,999 as a limited-time offer. Ajman Media City Free Zone follows at AED 4,999 for a zero-visa package that renews at the same price.
What is the cheapest Dubai free zone in the index?
Meydan Free Zone publishes a trade license with a flexi desk from AED 12,500 a year. JAFZA's license starts at AED 5,000, but you also need to lease space from JAFZA, priced separately.
What is the cheapest free zone in Abu Dhabi?
Masdar City Free Zone publishes a Startup Package at AED 7,000 plus 5% VAT, covering license and registration only. KEZAD's smallest package costs AED 9,450 including VAT and carries a one-visa quota. ADGM charges USD 5,800, about AED 21,301, for a non-financial company.
Do these prices include a residence visa?
Most don't. KEZAD's smallest package carries a one-visa quota and DMCC's Basic Biz package makes you eligible for one visa. For other zones, add visa, medical and Emirates ID fees on top.
Why do some free zones have no price in the index?
Ten authorities, including SHAMS, Ajman Free Zone and DAFZ, publish no entry price on their websites. They quote through a calculator, an enquiry form or a sales call, so we list them separately with a link to ask.
How often do you update the figures?
Every quarter. We record the date we checked each source at the top of the page, and the next edition is due in January 2027.
EZONE sells business setup services in several of these free zones. Prices on this page come from the authorities, never from our own packages.