ADGM or Innovation City
Compare ADGM and Innovation City on the same rows: starting packages at each visa count, licence and residency-visa timelines, renewal, facilities and remote paperwork. Every figure is read from the two guide pages.
Your situation
Answer for the default situation: one visa. Change an answer above to update it.
Ajman Free Zone fits your answers, and it is not in this comparison.
Choose Dubai Mainland if you will sell or work onshore.
Innovation City publishes the faster licence, 5–10 business days against 10 business days for ADGM. No like-for-like starting price is published for ADGM, so the cost side of this comparison is open.
Read from the same published figures as the table. Activity eligibility, approvals and the full first year still decide the route.
Side by side
Package figures cover their stated inclusions only. Activity eligibility, the full first-year cost and renewal still need confirmation for your case.
| Metric | ADGMFree zone | Innovation CityFree zone |
|---|---|---|
| From, one visa | ADGM Not published: Not published | Innovation City AED 13,200 12 months · starting price |
| Lowest package price | ADGM Not published: Not published | Innovation City AED 6,600 12 months · starting price |
| Licence issued in | ADGM 10 business days | Innovation City 5–10 business days Fastest |
| Residency visa in | ADGM Not published: Not published | Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Renewal price | ADGM USD 500 Renewal quoted alongside Foundation initial fee | Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Licence types | ADGM Non-regulated, FSRA-regulated financial | Innovation City Digital assets, Related tech |
| Facility options | ADGM Office, Coworking within ADGM | Innovation City Office, Virtual options as offered |
| Visa options | ADGM Not published: Not published | Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Remote paperwork | ADGM No | Innovation City Yes |
| Activity guides catalogued | ADGM Not published: Not published | Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Next step | Explore ADGM | Explore Innovation City |
Check before choosing
Innovation City
Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case.
Read the Innovation City guideAsk an assistant about this page: ChatGPT · Claude · Perplexity
FAQ
How are the prices compared?
Only package prices at the same visa count and term are ranked against each other. A calculator output, a licence-only estimate or a product flagged as not like for like is shown in the table but never used to name a cheaper side.
Which costs less on published figures, ADGM or Innovation City?
Innovation City publishes the faster licence, 5–10 business days against 10 business days for ADGM. No like-for-like starting price is published for ADGM, so the cost side of this comparison is open.
Still torn?
Explore the full guides to compare package costs, visa requirements and how you plan to trade.