Expo City Dubai Free Zone company setup
Expo City Dubai Free Zone is a Dubai free zone regulated by Expo City Dubai.
Dubai · Free zone
Key facts
- From, no visaDetails on from, no visa
Not published
- Licence issued inDetails on licence issued in
1 business day
- VisasDetails on visas
Not published
- PremisesDetails on premises
Office, Event and campus facilities
- RenewalDetails on renewal
AED 10,000
- ActivitiesDetails on activities
Not catalogued
May suit your business
- Post-Expo campus businesses, events and innovation tenants
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 · 5 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 visa
Not published
No published price for a 0-visa package was found for this zone.
One visa
Not published
No published price for a 1-visa package was found for this zone.
Two visas
Not published
No published price for a 2-visa package was found for this zone.
Other published prices
- Package 1AED 12,520published packageOfficial
- Package 2AED 17,570published packageOfficial
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
1 business day
Conditions apply — see timing details below.
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
- Initial approval is shown as three working days, subject to any required third-party approvals. assets.ctfassets.net
- Entity registration is shown as one working day after successful submission of all legal documents and payment. assets.ctfassets.net
- Final licence issuance is shown as one working day after the signed lease agreement is available and final compliance succeeds. assets.ctfassets.net
Required documents
All applicants 6 documents
- ECDA Business Setup application form
- Signed ECD lease offer letter when applicable
- Passport copies for shareholders, directors, company managers, and secretary
- UAE visa and Emirates ID copies when applicable
- Controlled-activity approvals when applicable
- Specimen signatures using ECDA templates
Corporate shareholder 4 documents
- Articles of Association using ECDA templates
- Shareholder resolution or declaration to establish the company
- ECDA Ultimate Beneficial Owner declaration
- Government approvals for controlled business activities when applicable
Branch of an existing company 5 documents
- Parent company licence with at least six months validity
- Good Legal Standing issued within three months when requested
- Parent company incorporation certificate and Articles of Association
- Resolution to establish the branch and appoint the company manager
- Parent company controlled-activity approvals when applicable
Licences and activities
Licence types
Explore business activities
We have not published an activity catalogue for Expo City Dubai Free Zone, 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
Renewal price
AED 10,000
The standard annual renewal tariff for a one-group Commercial or Service Licence is AED 10,000.
Term
The packages have a one-year term.
Late renewal
Late-renewal fees are AED 1,500 for days 31-59, AED 3,000 for days 60-89, and AED 6,000 from day 90 onward.
The packages have a one-year term.
The initial Package 1 and Package 2 offers are unavailable for renewal.
The standard annual renewal tariff for a one-group Commercial or Service Licence is AED 10,000.
Late-renewal fees are AED 1,500 for days 31-59, AED 3,000 for days 60-89, and AED 6,000 from day 90 onward.
Practical considerations
- Reuses Expo 2020 site with a free-zone / district commercial offer
- Events and campus presence are part of the pitch
- Still maturing compared with decades-old zones like Jafza or DIC
- Verify current licence catalogue before treating it as a general FZ alternative
Alternatives
Sources
| Claim | Access | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| packages | Published page | Official | expocitydubai.com |
| activities | Published file | Official | expocitydubai.com |
| documents | Published file | Official | assets.ctfassets.net version 03, August 2024; checked 2026-09-04 |
| timeline | Published file | Official | assets.ctfassets.net version 03, August 2024; checked 2026-09-04 |
| renewal | Published file | Official | assets.ctfassets.net checked 2026-09-04 |
Known gaps
Stage-level service times are published, but total elapsed setup time remains conditional on third-party approvals, document signing, payment, and lease completion.
timeline · incomplete
Conflicts and aliases
The initial packages are one-year renewable offers, but the reviewed terms state those initial packages are unavailable for renewal.
conflict
FAQ
Does Dubai Setup Index set up companies in Expo City Dubai Free Zone?
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
Expo City Dubai Free Zone 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.