Dubai Media City (DMC) — Complete 2026 Setup Guide
Launch your business in Dubai Media City with verified 2026 pricing. Real costs for licenses, visas, banking, and permitted activities — all in one guide.
🛂 Visa Costs & Processing
| Visa Type | Cost (AED) | Timeline | Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investor | 8,808 | 5 days | Required (AED 550+) |
| Employment | 6,973 | 7 days | Required (AED 400+) |
🏦 Corporate Banking
| Bank | Difficulty | Min. Balance | Processing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emirates NBD | MODERATE | AED 50,000 | 12 days |
| Mashreq Bank | EASY | AED 25,000 | 10 days |
📊 Data Verified: Costs as of August 2026. Confirm with before proceeding. Report updates
Pricing Evidence & Source Notes
Use this profile as a planning guide, not a final invoice. Confirm the current package, activity wording, visas, office or flexi-desk requirement and renewal amount before payment.
| Free Zone | Package | Year 1 Cost | Renewal Cost | 3-Year Total | Visa Option | Office / Flexi Requirement | Year 1 Confidence | Source Type | Conflict Status | Last Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Textile City | Public textile trading / industrial licence references; membership and facility separate | AED 20,000–35,000 estimated (licence AED 12,500–25,000 + registration + visa costs; note: one source states a mainland company is also required which adds AED 10,000–25,000 mainland cost) Confidence: Conflicting public sources |
Quote-based renewal - confirm licence, lease and service charges Confidence: Needs confirmation |
Quote-based 3-year total - depends on facility and renewal terms Confidence: Needs confirmation |
Immigration allocation depends on the current company and facility configuration | Warehouse, showroom or office space is central to the operating route | Conflicting public sources | Multiple public consultant sources; current Ministry registrar context; itemised JAFZA/TEXMAS quote required | Conflicting public sources - confirm current package | July 2026 |
| What is included | Three current public consultant sources place annual licence or entry references between AED 12,000 and AED 25,000+, but differ on whether registration and other setup components are included. The Ministry registrar list places Dubai Textile City under the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority registrar structure. |
|---|---|
| What is not included | TEXMAS membership, company registration, warehouse, showroom, office, immigration, customs, deposits, utilities, visas and support charges unless itemised in the current quote. |
| Hidden-cost risk | Public sources mix licence-only and broader setup references. Facility and membership requirements make this different from a flexi-desk licence, so request an itemised current JAFZA/TEXMAS quote before payment. |
| Banking difficulty | Depends on activity, ownership, documents and transaction profile |
| Best fit | Specialist businesses that match the authority activity and facility requirements. |
Source evidence: Review source | Methodology | Corrections.
Prices can change based on free zone authority updates, activity selection, visa count, office or flexi-desk requirement, shareholder structure, establishment card, immigration file, medical test, Emirates ID, insurance, banking support and consultant service fees. Last reviewed July 2026. Always request a current quote before payment. View methodology or compare all rows in the UAE Free Zone Cost Index.