UAQ Free Trade Zone (Umm Al Quwain) — Quick Facts 2026
| Starting Cost | From AED 5,500 |
| Price Confidence | Verified official price |
| Source Type | Official authority package article; three-year total is documented arithmetic |
| Last Reviewed | July 2026 |
| Emirate | Umm Al Quwain |
| Best For | Affordable Multi-sector Trade & Industry |
| Visa Options | Up to 6 |
| Setup Time | Package and activity dependent |
| Key Activities | General Trading, Import & Export, Manufacturing, Light Industrial Production, Professional Services and more |
Final pricing may vary by activity, visa count, office requirement, shareholder structure and authority updates. See our pricing methodology.
About This Page
Written by: UAE Freezone Compare Editorial Team | Last reviewed: September 2026 | Data sources: Pricing Methodology
Pricing uses available authority material, public package data and internally reviewed evidence; quote-based rows require current confirmation. Referral relationships may support quote fulfilment, but they do not control editorial rankings. Read our partner disclosure.
UAQ Free Trade Zone (Umm Al Quwain) may be relevant when the best-fit profile is: Startups and SMEs seeking one of the lowest-cost UAE free zone licences with a simple setup process. Starting cost is shown as From AED 5,500 with price status: Needs confirmation. Visa options: Up to 6. Office requirement: Office or flexi-desk requirements depend on package type, activity and visa allocation. Verify the current requirement before choosing a package. Final activity wording, renewal exposure, government fees, banking readiness and any visa or office add-ons should be confirmed before payment.
Quick verdict: Shortlist UAQ Free Trade Zone (Umm Al Quwain) only after the named package, renewal, visa, office and banking checks match your activity, shareholder profile and budget. Request a current written quote before payment because authority packages, government fees and add-ons can change.
| Emirate | Umm Al Quwain |
|---|---|
| Starting cost | From AED 5,500 |
| Price status | Needs confirmation |
| Visa options | Up to 6 |
| Best for | Startups and SMEs seeking one of the lowest-cost UAE free zone licences with a simple setup process. |
| Banking access | Medium - depends on activity, documents and bank profile |
| Setup time | Package and activity dependent |
| Office requirement | Office or flexi-desk requirements depend on package type, activity and visa allocation. Verify the current requirement before choosing a package. |
| Last reviewed | August 2026 |
| Content reviewed | July 2026 |
| Price evidence reviewed | August 2026 |
| CTA | Request current verified quote |
Choose UAQ Free Trade Zone (Umm Al Quwain) if:
Starting price
This is a planning figure, not a guaranteed final government or authority fee. Request the current breakdown before choosing a package. UAE Freezone Compare does not charge you a service fee for quote support.
| Cost item | Estimated amount | Included? | Notes | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| License fee | From AED 5,500 | Package dependent | Confirm activity and package scope before payment. | Needs confirmation |
| Registration fee | Indicative or bundled | Varies | May be bundled into year-one setup offers. | Quote-based |
| Establishment card | Indicative | Often separate | Required for most visa processing routes. | Quote-based |
| Flexi desk / office | Package dependent | Varies | Office allocation can affect visa options and renewals. | Needs confirmation |
| Investor or employee visa | Current quote required | Usually separate | Medical, Emirates ID, insurance and status change may apply. Confirm the current visa route and authority/government components before payment. | Quote-based |
| Renewal fee | Current renewal quote required | No | Do not assume renewal equals the first-year license fee unless the authority or supporting evidence confirms it. | Quote-based |
Medium - depends on activity, documents and bank profile. Banks usually review the business activity, shareholder profile, contracts, invoices, website, source of funds and expected transaction flow.
Investor and employee visa availability depends on the license package, office allocation and free zone quota. Calculate medical, Emirates ID, status change and insurance costs before comparing zones.
License processing and visa steps depend on the selected package, activity approval, document readiness, facility route, immigration checks and the relevant authority or bank review. Confirm current timing before relying on any setup plan.
UAQ FTZ publishes several offers for different business and residency needs. The amounts below are not interchangeable: each row has a different licence scope, visa position and inclusion set.
| Named package | Published amount | Visa position | Published scope | Renewal treatment | Confidence and conflict note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Trading annual package | AED 7,000/year | Zero-visa configuration | Company registration, General Trading licence, lease agreement with coworking access and bank-account-opening support are listed. | AED 7,000 for the named General Trading package. The authority states that renewal for this same annual configuration remains AED 7,000. | High - official authority article. Applies only to the named General Trading package. |
| UAQ START | AED 12,500 | One residency visa included | Commercial or consultancy licence, co-working, medical, Emirates ID, status change, basic insurance, establishment card, e-channel and bank-account assistance are listed. | The authority describes the AED 12,500 package as including the visa during setup and annual renewal. Confirm the current renewal invoice and included services before payment. | High - current official authority articles. Extra visas and unlisted services remain separate. |
| UAQ LYTE | AED 5,500 | Zero-visa package | Current authority pages describe a lean package for remote founders; exact activity and current inclusions must be confirmed. | Quote-based - the reviewed official pages do not establish a dependable renewal total for this exact configuration. | Medium - official pages conflict. A separate authority article also mentions an AED 8,000 no-visa starting point, so availability and scope require confirmation. |
| Lowest two-visa campaign | AED 13,500 | Two-visa campaign wording | The campaign publishes the amount and visa count but does not provide a complete itemised list of issuance, medical, Emirates ID, insurance or facility components. | Quote-based - renewal is not published on the reviewed campaign page. | Medium - official campaign, incomplete scope. Confirm whether the two-visa wording means allocation or fully issued visas. |
Decision rule: compare the package that matches your actual activity, visa count and residency needs. Do not use a zero-visa promotional amount as the expected total for a visa-inclusive or industrial setup. Other UAQ packages require their own renewal confirmation.
Official sources checked July 2026: General Trading package, UAQ START renewal context, LYTE, START and Freelancer package context, and two-visa campaign. See our pricing methodology or report a correction.
IFZA, RAKEZ, SHAMS, SPC Free Zone, and Meydan Free Zone are common alternatives to benchmark.
| Is the listed price final? | No. Figures are indicative and may change based on business activity, visa count, office requirement, shareholder structure, authority approval, and free zone updates. Request the current verified quote before committing. |
|---|---|
| Can UAQ Free Trade Zone (Umm Al Quwain) support my activity? | Activity eligibility depends on the authority activity list and approval process. Check the exact activity name before paying setup fees. |
| Will a bank account be easy? | Banking depends on activity risk, documents, shareholder profile, contracts, invoices and expected transactions. No free zone can guarantee approval. |
This profile keeps cost, visa, banking and timing guidance cautious because UAQ FTZ setup terms can change by activity, package, office or facility route, regulatory review and current authority quote.
Use these links to verify package scope before payment. UFZC remains independent and is not an authority, bank, law firm, tax adviser or immigration adviser.
UAE Free Zone Compare — Independent research since 2024. Data verified against official sources. Submit a correction | About us | Privacy
All prices are indicative. Confirm current pricing with the free zone authority before making decisions. Not financial or legal advice.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAQ FTZ | Zero-visa General Trading annual package | AED 13,000–20,000 (e-commerce licence from AED 5,500; commercial AED 20,500; all-inclusive package AED 2,266/month = AED 27,192/year; 1-visa package from AED 13,500 per Aurion) Confidence: Verified official price |
AED 7,000 official renewal for the same named package Confidence: Verified official price |
AED 21,000 calculated from the published annual price across three years Confidence: Verified official price |
0 visas in the published AED 7,000 configuration; visa packages are separate | Lease agreement and coworking access are listed for the published package | Verified official price | Official authority package article; three-year total is documented arithmetic | No material public conflict recorded | July 2026 |
| What is included | The authority lists company registration, a General Trading licence, lease agreement with coworking access, bank-account-opening support and a zero-visa configuration. It states that renewal for this same package remains at the same annual amount. |
|---|---|
| What is not included | Residence visas, establishment or immigration services, medical, Emirates ID, insurance, facility upgrades, extra activities and advisory services unless separately selected. |
| Hidden-cost risk | This row applies only to the named zero-visa General Trading package. Do not blend it with UAQ LYTE, UAQ START or visa-inclusive packages. |
| Banking difficulty | Medium |
| Best fit | Cost-sensitive general trading and import/export founders who do not need a visa in the base package. |
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.
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