DIFC or Dubai South Free Zone
Compare DIFC and Dubai South Free Zone 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.
Dubai South Free Zone publishes the faster licence, 1 business day against 3–5 business days for DIFC. No like-for-like starting price is published for DIFC and Dubai South Free Zone, 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 | DIFCFree zone | Dubai South Free ZoneFree zone |
|---|---|---|
| From, one visa | DIFC Not published: Not published | Dubai South Free Zone Not published: Not published |
| Lowest package price | DIFC Not published: Not published | Dubai South Free Zone AED 12,500 starting price |
| Licence issued in | DIFC 3–5 business days | Dubai South Free Zone 1 business day The official setup page claims licence issuance in one business day. Fastest |
| Residency visa in | DIFC Not published: Not published | Dubai South Free Zone Not published: Not published |
| Renewal price | DIFC Not published: Not published | Dubai South Free Zone Not published: Not published |
| Licence types | DIFC Non-regulated commercial, DFSA-regulated financial | Dubai South Free Zone Aviation, Logistics, Trading, Services |
| Facility options | DIFC Office, Coworking within DIFC | Dubai South Free Zone Office, Warehouse, Logistics plots |
| Visa options | DIFC Not published: Not published | Dubai South Free Zone Not published: Not published |
| Remote paperwork | DIFC No | Dubai South Free Zone No |
| Activity guides catalogued | DIFC Not published: Not published | Dubai South Free Zone Not published: Not published |
| Next step | Explore DIFC | Explore Dubai South Free Zone |
Check before choosing
Dubai South Free Zone
Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case.
Read the Dubai South Free Zone 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, DIFC or Dubai South Free Zone?
Dubai South Free Zone publishes the faster licence, 1 business day against 3–5 business days for DIFC. No like-for-like starting price is published for DIFC and Dubai South Free Zone, 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.