How much does it cost to set up a company in UAQ FTZ?

UAQ FTZ company setup is starting from AED 7,000 official zero-visa General Trading annual package. Costs include the trade license, registration, and establishment fees. Additional costs include visa processing, office or flexi-desk, and annual license renewal.

How long does it take to register a company in UAQ FTZ?

Registration in UAQ FTZ typically takes Package and activity dependent. This covers name reservation, document verification, license issuance, and delivery of incorporation documents. Express processing may be available.

How many visas does a UAQ FTZ license include?

UAQ FTZ provides 0 visas in the published AED 7,000 configuration; visa packages are priced separately per license. The allocation depends on your office package — flexi-desks typically allow 1 to 3 visas while larger offices allow more. Additional visas can usually be purchased separately.

Can a UAQ FTZ company trade with UAE mainland clients?

UAQ FTZ is authorised to operate within Umm Al Quwain and internationally. To sell directly to UAE mainland businesses or consumers, companies typically need a local commercial agent or a separate mainland branch licence.

Is UAQ FTZ suitable for startups and freelancers?

UAQ FTZ in Umm Al Quwain offers 100% foreign ownership, no minimum share capital for most license types, and flexible flexi-desk or virtual office options. It is a strong choice for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and SMEs targeting the UAE, GCC, and international markets.

What business activities are permitted in UAQ FTZ?

UAQ FTZ permits a broad range of activities including trading, consultancy, technology, media, e-commerce, and professional services. Regulated activities such as financial services or healthcare require additional regulatory approvals. Use our comparison tool to verify specific activity availability.

Is UAQ FTZ official government advice?

No. UAE Freezone Compare is an independent private comparison platform. Use this page for planning and confirm final requirements with the relevant authority, bank, licensed advisor or government channel.

Can prices, visa rules, activities or banking requirements change?

Yes. Free zone packages, renewal fees, visas, office requirements, activity approvals, banking review and government charges can change. Request a current verified quote before payment.

What should I confirm before choosing a UAE free zone?

Confirm the exact activity wording, visa count, office or flexi-desk requirement, establishment card, renewal exposure, hidden fees, banking suitability and source-backed price confidence.

UAQ FTZ Cost 2026: LYTE, START & General Trading

UAQ FTZ Quick Facts

Emirate	Umm Al Quwain
Package reviewed	Zero-visa General Trading annual package
Starting cost	AED 7,000 official zero-visa General Trading annual package
Price status	Verified official price
Visa options	0 visas in the published AED 7,000 configuration; visa packages are separate
Best for	Cost-sensitive service and trading setup outside Dubai.
Banking access	Medium
Setup time	Package and activity dependent
Office requirement	Lease agreement and coworking access are listed for the published package
Source type	Official authority package article; three-year total is documented arithmetic - review source
Last reviewed	July 2026
CTA	Request current verified quote

Quick Verdict

Choose UAQ FTZ if:

Cost-sensitive service and trading setup outside Dubai.
The Zero-visa General Trading annual package configuration matches your activity, visa and facility requirements.
You have compared the current renewal evidence, banking readiness and excluded costs before committing.

Avoid UAQ FTZ if:

Avoid UAQ FTZ if your activity is regulated, your visa count requires a different office allocation, or your bank file needs a stronger jurisdictional fit.
You need bank account approval without document, activity and compliance review.
You need mainland trading without checking distributor or mainland-license requirements.

Starting price

AED 7,000 official zero-visa General Trading annual package Verified official 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.

Free quote support: UAE Freezone Compare is not only a comparison site. We help shortlist suitable UAE free zones and request the best available market quote for your activity, visa count and budget - with no service charge from us.

UAQ FTZ Cost Table

Cost item	Amount or status	Included?	Notes	Confidence	Source type
Year 1 package	AED 7,000 official zero-visa General Trading annual package	See package inclusions below	Applies only to the named package and configuration. Confirm the exact activity before payment.	Verified official price	Official authority package article; three-year total is documented arithmetic
Renewal	AED 7,000 official renewal for the same named package	Package dependent	Do not assume a promotional Year 1 amount repeats unless the cited source supports the same renewal.	Verified official price	Official authority package article; three-year total is documented arithmetic
3-year planning total	AED 21,000 calculated from the published annual price across three years	Package dependent	Shown only where renewal evidence supports the calculation; otherwise a current renewal quote is required.	Verified official price	Official authority package article; three-year total is documented arithmetic
Office / flexi desk	Lease agreement and coworking access are listed for the published package	Package dependent	Facility allocation can affect visa eligibility, substance and renewal cost.	Verified official price	Official authority package article; three-year total is documented arithmetic
Visa option	0 visas in the published AED 7,000 configuration; visa packages are separate	Package dependent	Medical, Emirates ID, insurance, establishment card and status change may be separate.	Verified official price	Official authority package article; three-year total is documented arithmetic
Registration / establishment card	See current package inclusions; confirm the itemised invoice	Package dependent	No universal amount is assumed. Confirm authority, immigration and registration components in writing.	Needs confirmation unless listed by the source	Official authority package article; three-year total is documented arithmetic

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.

Banking Difficulty

Medium Banks usually review the business activity, shareholder profile, contracts, invoices, website, source of funds and expected transaction flow.

Visa Options

0 visas in the published AED 7,000 configuration; visa packages are separate Confirm whether allocation means eligibility or an issued visa, then budget establishment card, medical, Emirates ID, status change and insurance separately unless included.

Hidden Costs

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.

Setup Timeline

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.

Documents Required

Passport copy and contact details
Shareholder and manager information
Business activity description
Proof of address, CV or business plan if requested

UAQ FTZ Package Evidence

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.

Best Alternatives

IFZA, RAKEZ, SHAMS, SPC Free Zone, and Meydan Free Zone are common alternatives to benchmark.

Calculate total cost, check activity eligibility, review bank account difficulty, compare alternatives, and view our pricing and ranking methodology.

UAQ FTZ FAQs

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 FTZ 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.

Our free zone guides are prepared by the UAE Freezone Compare Editorial Team and reviewed using public authority information, official package pages, available fee schedules, partner quotations, and manual research. Prices may change depending on activity, visa count, office requirement, shareholder structure, and authority approval. Reviewed by UAE Business Setup Research Team. Last reviewed: July 2026. Price confidence: Verified official price. Source type: Official authority package article; three-year total is documented arithmetic. View our pricing and ranking methodology or report outdated information.

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
UAQ FTZ	Zero-visa General Trading annual package	AED 7,000 official zero-visa General Trading annual package 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.

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. Always request a current quote before payment. View methodology or compare all rows in the UAE Free Zone Cost Index.

UAQ FTZ Company Setup 2026