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UAE Free Zone Renewal Cost Calculator — Year 2 and Beyond 2026
Year 1 UAE free zone costs are higher due to formation fees. Year 2 (renewal) is typically 20-30% cheaper. This calculator shows what to budget for Year 2 and ongoing annual renewal costs across major UAE free zones in 2026.
In this guide:
Why Year 2 Costs Differ from Year 1
- Year 1 unique costs: company incorporation fee; Certificate of Incorporation issuance; MOA drafting; share allotment; visa medical (first time)
- Year 2 ongoing costs: licence renewal fee; desk/office renewal; visa renewal (every 2-3 years); health insurance renewal; audit; CT filing
- Typical saving: Year 2 is AED 3,000–8,000 cheaper than Year 1 for most free zones
Year 2 Renewal Costs by Free Zone (2 Visas, Flexi-Desk)
IFZA Year 2 Renewal
- Licence renewal: AED 14,900
- Visa renewal (2 investor visas, every 3 years; amortised): AED 2,800/year
- Health insurance (2 people): AED 3,000
- Annual audit: AED 4,000
- UAE CT filing: AED 2,000
- Bank (WIO): AED 1,788
- Year 2 total: AED 28,488
Shams Year 2 Renewal
- Licence renewal: AED 7,500
- Virtual office: AED 3,000
- Visa renewal (2 investor visas, amortised): AED 2,500/year
- Health insurance (2 people): AED 3,000
- Audit: AED 3,500
- CT filing: AED 1,500
- Bank: AED 1,788
- Year 2 total: AED 22,788
RAKEZ Year 2 Renewal
- Licence renewal: AED 10,500
- Visa renewal (amortised): AED 2,500/year
- Health insurance: AED 3,000
- Audit: AED 3,500
- CT filing: AED 1,500
- Bank: AED 1,788
- Year 2 total: AED 22,788
Costs That Occur Every 2-3 Years (Not Every Year)
- Visa renewal: investor visa valid 2-3 years; full renewal cost (medical + Emirates ID + residence stamp) every 2-3 years = AED 2,800–4,000 per visa per renewal cycle
- Emirates ID: renews with visa; AED 372 per 2-year period
- Tip: many free zone owners batch visa renewals with licence renewal to simplify admin
How to Reduce UAE Free Zone Ongoing Costs
- Negotiate audit fees: as an existing client, request renewal discount from your UAE auditor; savings of AED 500–2,000 possible
- WIO vs RAKBank: WIO AED 149/month vs RAKBank (free with maintained minimum balance); if you maintain AED 25,000 minimum, RAKBank can be zero-fee
- Health insurance shopping: renew health insurance annually rather than auto-renewing; compare 3 quotes to save AED 200-1,000
- Multi-year packages: some free zones offer 2-year or 3-year packages with small discounts; ask your free zone for current offers
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.