Compare investor, employee and dependent visa planning costs.
Quick answer
Compare investor, employee and dependent visa planning costs.
Decision table
| Rank | Free Zone | Emirate | Best For | Year 1 Cost | Renewal Cost | 3-Year Total | Visa Option | Banking Difficulty | Price Confidence | Last Reviewed | CTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ANCFZ | Ajman | Low-budget Ajman setup, micro-businesses, general trading and small service companies. | From AED 4,888 planning figure | Renewal quote required | 3-year quote required | 0-2 visas | Medium | Indicative public price | June 2026 | Request Quote |
| 2 | SHAMS | Sharjah | Media, creator, consultancy, digital service and low-cost UAE setup profiles. | From AED 5,750 planning figure | Renewal quote required | 3-year quote required | 0-3 visas | Medium | Indicative public price | June 2026 | Request Quote |
| 3 | SPC Free Zone | Sharjah | Publishing, consulting, e-commerce, services and founder-led companies. | From AED 5,750 planning figure | Renewal quote required | 3-year quote required | 0-3 visas | Medium | Indicative public price | June 2026 | Request Quote |
| 4 | Ajman Free Zone | Ajman | Budget trading and SME setup where an Ajman base is acceptable. | From AED 6,000 planning figure | Renewal quote required | 3-year quote required | 0-4 visas | Medium | Indicative public price | June 2026 | Request Quote |
| 5 | Ajman Media City | Ajman | Freelancers, media services and creator-led businesses needing a lean setup. | Quote-based - confirm current package | Renewal quote required | Quote-based 3-year total | 0-2 visas | Medium | Quote-based | June 2026 | Request Quote |
| 6 | UAQ FTZ | Umm Al Quwain | Cost-sensitive service and trading setup outside Dubai. | Quote-based - confirm current package | Renewal quote required | Quote-based 3-year total | 0-4 visas | Medium | Quote-based | June 2026 | Request Quote |
| 7 | RAKEZ | Ras Al Khaimah | SMEs, trading, light industrial, warehouse-led, e-commerce and cost-sensitive service businesses. | From AED 6,000 planning figure | Renewal quote required | 3-year quote required | Up to 6 visas | Medium | Indicative public price | June 2026 | Request Quote |
| 8 | IFZA | Dubai | Dubai-based consultants, service companies, e-commerce founders and startups. | AED 12,900 zero-visa Year 1 planning figure (public consensus, 2026 sources) | Renewal quote required | 3-year quote required | 0-3 visas | Medium | Indicative public price | June 2026 | Request Quote |
| 9 | Meydan Free Zone | Dubai | Dubai address-focused startups, consultants, digital businesses and entrepreneurs. | Quote-based - confirm current package | Renewal quote required | Quote-based 3-year total | 0-3 visas | Medium | Quote-based | June 2026 | Request Quote |
| 10 | DMCC | Dubai | Premium trading, commodities, crypto-adjacent, consultancy and JLT address-led companies. | Quote-based - confirm current package | Renewal quote required | Quote-based 3-year total | Depends on office | Medium to high | Quote-based | June 2026 | Request Quote |
Documents and mistakes
| Documents | Passport, photo, license, shareholder details, address, business description and supporting proof where relevant. |
|---|---|
| Common mistakes | Choosing only by first-year cost, ignoring renewal, weak bank documents, unclear activity wording and assuming visas are included. |
Useful internal links
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Related on UAE Freezone Compare: Free Zone Visa Cost | Free Zone Company Without Visa | Free Zones With Visa | Visa | Best Free Zones Without Visa
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By submitting this form, you agree that UAE Freezone Compare or a vetted partner may contact you about your request. We do not guarantee government approval, bank approval, visa approval, or unchanged pricing.
Written by: UAE Freezone Compare Editorial Team
Reviewed by: UAE Business Setup Research Team
Last reviewed: June 2026
Prices and fit notes are reviewed using public authority information, available package pages, fee schedules, partner quotations and manual research. Pricing can change based on activity, visa count, office requirement, shareholder structure and authority approval.
Family and dependent visa cost scope
Family or dependent residence is separate from the free-zone company licence and from most investor or employee visa package rows. Use this section to avoid mixing sponsor, spouse, child or other family residence costs into a licence-only setup figure.
| Planning item | What to confirm | Confidence and source context |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor route | Confirm that the sponsor already has, or will receive, the correct UAE residence route before dependent residence is planned. | Official ICP/GDRFA procedural source; category-specific rules must be checked. |
| Relationship documents | Marriage, birth, kinship, passport, photograph, housing and income evidence may be requested depending on the applicant category and emirate. | Official procedural source; attestation, translation and document format can vary. |
| Medical, Emirates ID and insurance | Residence processing may include medical testing, Emirates ID and insurance steps depending on applicant age, status and authority route. | Official procedural source; current route confirmation required. |
| Cost and timeline | Government pages and free-zone services may show component fees or target timelines, but the all-in dependent visa amount can change with in-country status, deposits, insurance, VAT, urgent service and current authority updates. | Do not treat as a verified all-in total until a current itemised quote is issued. |
Sources checked August 2026: ICP residence permit service, GDRFA family entry visa service and GDRFA family residence service. Compare documents in the company setup documents checklist, estimate owner/employee visa rows in the visa cost calculator, and request a current itemised quote before payment.
Green Residence self-employment is not the same as a free-zone visa package
A free-zone visa is usually tied to a license package, establishment card, immigration file and authority process. The UAE Green Residence self-employment route is a separate residence pathway for eligible freelancers or self-employed applicants, so it should not be compared as if it were a standard free-zone company visa.
| Item | Official-source planning check | UFZC interpretation | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Residence self-employment eligibility | ICP/GDRFA source pages refer to a MoHRE freelance or self-employment permit, education requirement and income or solvency evidence. | Check eligibility before treating Green Residence as an alternative to a free-zone company visa. | Official source context; route-specific approval must be confirmed. |
| Entry visa step | GDRFA describes a green visa for self-employment that allows a 60-day stay from entry while residence processes are completed. | This is not the full cost of a free-zone setup and should not be mixed into license-only comparisons. | Official source context; final amount can vary. |
| Residence permit fee components | GDRFA lists residence permit fee components including AED 200, knowledge and innovation dirhams, inside-country fee, delivery fee, and an annual issuance-fee increase when residency exceeds two years. | Use these as government component checks only, not a complete all-in company setup cost. | Official government component; verify current fees before payment. |
| Free-zone visa package | Free-zone packages may add establishment card, visa processing, medical, Emirates ID, insurance, office or flexi-desk and authority fees. | Request a current quote that separates visa, establishment card and license costs. | Package-specific; confidence depends on source evidence. |
Source note: Reviewed on 2 August 2026 using GoFreelance, ICP Green Residency, GDRFA Green Residence permit, GDRFA Green visa, DDA freelancer license. Government fees and authority package inclusions may change.
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