43 free zones · 3,195 activities · Updated 9 October 2026
Where your business can be licensed
Type what you do. See which free zones and the Dubai mainland list it, what each costs to start, and how long until you hold a residency visa.
Works with
- Lowest package, no visa
- AED 4,999
- Ajman Media City Free Zone, 12 months
- Lowest Dubai package, no visa
- AED 12,900
- IFZA, 12 months
- Fastest licence issuance
- Same day
- Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone, once documents are complete
- Zones with a published price
- 38 of 43
- The rest are marked not published
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Can I licence what I do?
Which free zone and mainland catalogues list it, with the approvals and premises each one asks for.
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Free zone or mainland?
What each route costs, how soon the licence and visa arrive and what premises it needs, side by side.
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What will year one cost?
A line-by-line estimate for IFZA or Ajman Free Zone at your visa count and licence term.
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Cheapest published start, no visa, 12 months
Licence packages start at AED 4,999 outside Dubai and AED 12,900 in Dubai
| Free zone | Emirate | Price is | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ajman Media City Free Zone | Ajman · Package | Package | AED 4,999 |
| Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park | Sharjah · Package | Package | AED 5,500 |
| Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone | Umm Al Quwain · Package | Package | AED 5,500 |
| Ajman Free Zone | Ajman · Package | Package | AED 5,555 |
| Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone | Sharjah · Official calculator | Official calculator | AED 5,760 |
| Innovation City | Ras Al Khaimah · Starting price | Starting price | AED 6,600 |
| Meydan Free Zone | Dubai · Official calculator | Official calculator | AED 12,520 |
| Dubai World Trade Centre Free Zone | Dubai · Official calculator | Official calculator | AED 12,525 |
| IFZA | Dubai · Package | Package | AED 12,900 |
9 of 43 zones publish a comparable starting price without a visa. Darker bars are zones in Dubai. Each zone’s guide lists what the price includes; how figures are checked.
Browse activities by group
The largest groups in the Dubai DET catalogue, with the guides each one holds and the routes that list them.
- Mechanical & engineering equipment trading 133
- Contracting and building works 93
- Medical Clinic 77
- Transport, shipping and storage 66
- Banks, finance & credit group 56
- Building materials trading 50
- Sport Club 49
- Food industries 47
- Other engineering services 47
- Manufacturing of chemicals 45
- Appliances and machinery manufacturing 41
- Equipment and engines manufacturing 40
- Other Personal & trading services 39
- Transport, shipping and storage 39
- Ready made garments qroup 37
- Information Technology 36
- Block and building stones industry 30
- Agricultural 28
- Consultancy -D- management, information and marketing 28
- Other Trading Activities 26
- Manufacture of motor vehicles, motorcycles & its spare parts 25
- Electronics group 24
- Event organizers 24
- Foodstuff trading 24
- Motor vehicle repairing 24
- Education 23
- Waste collection and treatment 21
- Chemicals trading 20
- Manufacturing of wood, wood products and Furniture 20
- Real estate 20
Route finder · 3 questions
Not sure where to start?
Three plain questions narrow the routes worth investigating. The result is a starting point, not confirmed eligibility.
Question 1 of 3
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Dubai Setup Index helps founders compare setup routes, licence requirements and the steps to residency.