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UAE Free Zone Cost Comparison Tool — Which Free Zone Fits Your Budget Guide 2026
Choosing the right UAE free zone often comes down to total annual cost. This page provides a comprehensive cost comparison across UAE’s major free zones to help you find the option that fits your budget for 2026.
In this guide:
UAE Free Zone Annual Cost Comparison (Single Activity, 1 Visa)
- Shams (Sharjah Media City): AED 5,750 licence; no office required for basic package; lowest-cost free zone; best for solo content creators, journalists, freelancers; banking very difficult
- Creative City Fujairah: AED 5,750-7,500 licence; media and content activities; individual freelance permit option; banking difficult
- RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah): AED 7,500-12,000 licence; wide range of activities; RAKBank banking relatively accessible; good for manufacturing and service businesses
- IFZA (International Free Zone Authority, Fujairah): AED 14,900 (1 activity, no visa) / AED 23,000 (1 activity + 1 visa); WIO Bank partnership; best banking of budget free zones; recommended starter option
- UAQ Free Trade Zone: AED 8,000-14,000; cheap; Northern Emirates; limited services; good for physical goods businesses
- Ajman Free Zone: AED 10,000-18,000; low cost; industrial activities; good for manufacturing; Ajman Port access
- Hamriyah Free Zone (Sharjah): AED 8,000-15,000; industrial zone; Hamriyah Port; heavy industry and storage
- Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO): AED 15,000-25,000; Dubai address; technology companies; hardware; IoT; good for tech startups wanting Dubai presence
- Dubai Internet City (DIC): AED 15,000-30,000; premium Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai address; tech ecosystem; large companies
- Meydan FZ: AED 12,500-20,000; Dubai address; flexible activity types; Meydan racecourse location; banking can be challenging
- DMCC: AED 21,000-35,000; JLT Dubai; best banking of all Dubai free zones; commodities, fintech, technology; community of 24,000+ companies
- DIFC: AED 20,000-50,000+ for regulated activities; Financial Centre; banks, investment firms, fintech; highest prestige; most expensive for regulated activities
- ADGM: AED 15,000-50,000+; Abu Dhabi Global Market; financial services; law firms; international businesses with Abu Dhabi focus
UAE Free Zone Cost Components
- Licence fee: the annual fee paid to the free zone authority for your trade licence; varies by free zone and activity type
- Visa allocation: most free zone packages include 0, 1, 2, or 5 visa allocations; additional visas cost AED 1,500-3,500 per visa allocation/year
- Office or Flexi Desk: some free zones include a flexi desk in the package; some require a physical office (AED 8,000-30,000/year extra)
- Residence visa costs: each visa holder needs the UAE residence visa itself (AED 2,500-5,000 per visa) + Emirates ID (AED 370) + medical fitness test (AED 320)
- Renewal: annual licence renewal is approximately the same as the initial licence fee; budget for this
Total First-Year Cost Estimates
- Budget option (1 owner, IFZA, with visa): AED 23,000 licence + AED 4,500 visa = ~AED 27,500
- Mid-range (1 owner, DSO, with visa): AED 20,000 licence + AED 5,000 visa = ~AED 25,000
- Premium (1 owner, DMCC, with visa): AED 25,000 licence + AED 5,000 visa = ~AED 30,000
Disclosure: UAE Free Zone Compare is an independent research platform. We may receive partner commissions if you request a quote through our forms — this is disclosed on every page where it applies. Our research and recommendations are independent.