IFZA or Innovation City
Compare IFZA 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, Dubai address not needed. Change an answer above to update it.
Ajman Free Zone fits your answers, and it is not in this comparison.
Choose IFZA if a Dubai address matters, or Dubai Mainland if you will sell or work onshore.
IFZA publishes the faster licence, 3–5 business days against 5–10 business days for Innovation City. IFZA and Innovation City both show starting figures, but they cover different scopes, so neither is the cheaper route on this evidence.
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 | IFZAFree zone | Innovation CityFree zone |
|---|---|---|
| From, one visa | IFZA AED 20,650 12 months · current package | Innovation City AED 13,200 12 months · starting price |
| Lowest package price | IFZA AED 12,900 12 months · current package | Innovation City AED 6,600 12 months · starting price |
| Licence issued in | IFZA 3–5 business days Fastest | Innovation City 5–10 business days |
| Residency visa in | IFZA 1–2 business days | Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Renewal price | IFZA AED 12,900 No visa; AED 17,100 with one visa, AED 19,100 with two (card included) | Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Licence types | IFZA Commercial, Professional, Industrial | Innovation City Digital assets, Related tech |
| Facility options | IFZA Flexi desk, Smart office, Office | Innovation City Office, Virtual options as offered |
| Visa options | IFZA Investor or partner visa against the licence for shareholders 3 moreShow less
| Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Remote paperwork | IFZA Yes | Innovation City Yes |
| Activity guides catalogued | IFZA 823 | Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Next step | Start with IFZA | Explore Innovation City |
Check before choosing
IFZA
- The lowest possible first-year cost, where Ajman is materially cheaper
- Warehouse, land or industrial operations that need real premises
- Activities carrying a third-party approval before licence issuance, which breaks the fast timeline
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, IFZA or Innovation City?
IFZA publishes the faster licence, 3–5 business days against 5–10 business days for Innovation City. IFZA and Innovation City both show starting figures, but they cover different scopes, so neither is the cheaper route on this evidence.
Still torn?
Explore the full guides to compare package costs, visa requirements and how you plan to trade.