About these figures: Costs and timelines on this page are indicative planning figures compiled from public free zone fee information. They have not been individually verified for this page, may be out of date, and must be confirmed with the free zone before you pay. How we source prices · How we compile data.
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.