DIFC or Innovation City
Compare DIFC 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.
DIFC publishes the faster licence, 3–5 business days against 5–10 business days for Innovation City. No like-for-like starting price is published for DIFC, 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 | Innovation CityFree zone |
|---|---|---|
| From, one visa | DIFC Not published: Not published | Innovation City AED 13,200 12 months · starting price |
| Lowest package price | DIFC Not published: Not published | Innovation City AED 6,600 12 months · starting price |
| Licence issued in | DIFC 3–5 business days Fastest | Innovation City 5–10 business days |
| Residency visa in | DIFC Not published: Not published | Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Renewal price | DIFC Not published: Not published | Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Licence types | DIFC Non-regulated commercial, DFSA-regulated financial | Innovation City Digital assets, Related tech |
| Facility options | DIFC Office, Coworking within DIFC | Innovation City Office, Virtual options as offered |
| Visa options | DIFC Not published: Not published | Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Remote paperwork | DIFC No | Innovation City Yes |
| Activity guides catalogued | DIFC Not published: Not published | Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Next step | Explore DIFC | 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, DIFC or Innovation City?
DIFC publishes the faster licence, 3–5 business days against 5–10 business days for Innovation City. No like-for-like starting price is published for DIFC, 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.