DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) company setup
DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) is a Dubai free zone regulated by DIFC Authority / DFSA for regulated activities.
Dubai · Free zone
Key facts
- From, no visaDetails on from, no visa
Not published
- Licence issued inDetails on licence issued in
3–5 business days
- VisasDetails on visas
Not published
- PremisesDetails on premises
Office, Coworking within DIFC
- RenewalDetails on renewal
Not published
- ActivitiesDetails on activities
Not catalogued
May suit your business
- Financial services, fintech and common-law contracts under DIFC Courts
Check before choosing
Check activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements before applying.
Based on the zone’s published specialism. Confirm suitability for your activity.
Updated 4 Sep 2026 · 3 sources · 1 detail still to confirm · Sources
Ask an assistant about this page: ChatGPT · Claude · Perplexity
Costs and packages
Prices are the authority's published figures. Confirm the current package before you budget.
No normalized public 0-, 1-, or 2-visa total was found.
Looked at difc.com
Other published prices
- Innovation licence annual feeUSD 1,500annual feeOfficial
- Private company incorporation, retailUSD 3,400published tariffOfficial
- Private company annual licence, retailUSD 5,100annual feeOfficial
- Private company incorporation, non-retailUSD 8,000published tariffOfficial
- Private company annual licence, non-retailUSD 12,000annual feeOfficial
Setup steps and timing
Timing for each step. Requirements depend on your jurisdiction and visa route.
Company setup
Get your company licence before starting the residency process.
- Licence
To confirm
Residency · remote preparation
Prepare the immigration file and entry visa before travelling.
- Security approval
To confirm
- Establishment card
To confirm
- E-channel
To confirm
- Entry visa approval
To confirm
Residency · in the UAE
Attend medical and biometrics in person, followed by residence approval and Emirates ID.
- Medical test
To confirm
- Biometrics
To confirm
- Residence visa approval
To confirm
- Emirates ID printing
To confirm
- Emirates ID delivery
To confirm
Bank account
A separate application, subject to the bank’s requirements and approval.
- Bank account
To confirm
Timings are per step, not a total. Appointments and approvals may vary. Where only “days” is shown, the business or calendar-day basis is to confirm.
Timing details and conditions
- A non-financial or retail private-company applicant typically receives initial approval within three to five working days. assets.difc.com
Required documents
Corporate shareholder 1 document
- Stakeholder and corporate documents specified by the current handbook
Licences and activities
Licence types
Explore business activities
We have not published an activity catalogue for DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre), so we cannot say which licence lines it carries. Not yet verified against a public source.
Visa and office options
Facility options
Remote paperwork
No
Expect more on-site presence than a fully remote lane.
Visa options
We have not recorded the visa categories for this jurisdiction.
Nationality-specific requirements
Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq
National ID copy for entry and residence applications.
Pakistan
National ID copy for an investor or partner visa.
RAKEZ guidance — confirm for your route
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, India, Iraq, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Senegal, Somalia, Syria, TongaFrom 16 June 2026
Albania, Bangladesh, Colombia, Cyprus, Fiji, Mauritius, Nigeria, Philippines, Sudan, Tunisia, ZimbabweFrom 15 August 2026
Belarus, China, Georgia, Iran, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovenia, South AfricaFrom 15 November 2026
Attested police clearance for a new visa.
Reported — confirm before applying
Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Sri Lanka
UAE embassy visit within 45 days to complete entry approval.
RAKEZ guidance — confirm for your route
Ethiopia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka
Attested medical report for entry approval when applying from outside the UAE.
RAKEZ guidance — confirm for your route
Details and sources
Citizens of Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq must attach a copy of their home-country personal identification card to entry-permit and residence-permit applications.
ICP published
RAKEZ's investor/partner visa service card also requires a national identity card from citizens of Pakistan. The ICP service cards list only Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq; treat Pakistan as applied in practice but not confirmed on an ICP page.
Zone service card; federal page not found
From 16 June 2026, in three phases, applicants of 45 nationalities must submit a good-conduct (police clearance) certificate from their country of nationality, attested by the UAE embassy or consulate there with electronic MOFA attestation, for new investor, partner, employee and dependant visas. The rule was circulated by ICP to free-zone authorities; no ICP web publication has been located, so the list and dates are recorded from the circular as reported.
Reported ICP circular; not yet published by ICP
Applicants from Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia, Sri Lanka or Kenya receive an approval instead of an entry permit and must visit a UAE embassy within 45 days to complete it. Published by RAKEZ; the underlying federal instruction has not been found on an ICP page.
Zone service card; federal page not found
Applicants outside the UAE from Ethiopia, Sri Lanka or Indonesia must provide an attested medical report with the entry-permit application. Published by RAKEZ; not found on an ICP page.
Zone service card; federal page not found
- RAKEZ's service card lists 25 good-conduct nationalities (including Kenya, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Zambia) while the reported 2026 ICP circular lists 45 across three phases (including India, Somalia, Gambia, China). Either the zone card predates the circular or applies an older internal list. Show the applicant both and ask the zone to confirm before an application.
Renewal costs
Practical considerations
- English common-law jurisdiction with its own courts — different legal stack from other Dubai free zones
- Regulated financial activities need DFSA authorisation, not only a trade licence
- Office and compliance costs sit well above general free-zone flexi packages
- Dubai Setup Index's customer profile generally excludes licence-heavy financial services — treat DIFC as a specialist path
Alternatives
Sources
| Claim | Access | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| pricing | Published page | Official | difc.com 2026 handbook reviewed |
| documents | Published page | Official | difc.com |
| timeline | Published file | Official | assets.difc.com document approved 2026-03-24; checked 2026-09-04 |
Known gaps
No normalized public 0-, 1-, or 2-visa total was found.
visaPackages · not found in first pass
FAQ
Does Dubai Setup Index set up companies in DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre)?
Not currently. We document this zone so you can compare it honestly, while Dubai Setup Index handles applications in IFZA and Ajman.
Is a free zone the same as mainland DET?
No. Free zones license under their own authority. A Dubai mainland company is licensed by DET and normally needs Ejari-registered premises.
We'll help you choose
DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) is documented here for comparison. Dubai Setup Index currently handles applications in IFZA and Ajman — tell us what you need and we will say plainly which option fits.