IFZA company setup
Explore IFZA packages for a Dubai free-zone company. Compare visa options, prepare your documents and plan the steps to residency.
Dubai · Free zone
Key facts
- From, no visaDetails on from, no visa
AED 12,900
12 months · package price
- Licence issued inDetails on licence issued in
3–5 business days
- VisasDetails on visas
Packages with 0–2 visas
Priced per visa count in the costs
- PremisesDetails on premises
Flexi desk, Smart office, Office
- RenewalDetails on renewal
AED 12,900
- ActivitiesDetails on activities
447
Activity guides we publish
May suit your business
- Founders who need a Dubai address on the licence for client and banking credibility
- Consultants and service businesses on a light professional licence with one or two visas
- People who can make one short trip and want residency finished inside that trip
- Multi-activity licences where several related lines sit on one package
Check before choosing
- 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
Updated 7 Oct 2026 · 3 sources · 1 detail still to confirm · Sources
Ask an assistant about this page: ChatGPT · Claude · Perplexity
Costs and packages
12-month packages. Applicable VAT included. Medical, Emirates ID, insurance, optional VIP services and activity-specific costs are separate.
No visa
AED 12,900
12 months · package price
One visa
AED 20,650
12 months · package price
Two visas
AED 26,400
12 months · package price
- Inside-country status change · per person, when required
- + AED 1,600
- Investor title · when selected
- + AED 1,000
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
3–5 business days
Residency · remote preparation
Prepare the immigration file and entry visa before travelling.
- Establishment card
3–5 business days
- Entry visa approval
3–5 business days
Fast-track: 24 hours
Residency · in the UAE
Attend medical and biometrics in person, followed by residence approval and Emirates ID.
- Medical test
Same day
Smart Salem.
- Biometrics
1–4 days
Fast-track: 1 day
- Residence visa approval
2–3 business days
Fast-track: 1 day
- Emirates ID printing
1 business day
Fast-track.
- Emirates ID delivery
3 days
Fast-track: 1 day
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
- Dubai Setup Index's current fast-track planning range is three to five business days for licence issuance.
- IFZA states that it issues the legal permits in around five working days after receiving all associated papers. ifza.com
- Dubai Setup Index's fast-track planning range is one to two business days for residence-visa approval; the regular range is two to three business days. Entry visa, medical and biometrics happen beforehand.
Required documents
Individual shareholder 5 documents
- Passport copy
- Digital passport photograph
- Application form including UBO information
- Emirates ID and visa copy for UAE residents
- Related third-party approvals when required
Corporate shareholder 8 documents
- Passport copies and digital photographs of every shareholder and the General Manager
- Application form including UBO information
- Emirates ID and visa copies for UAE-resident shareholders
- Board resolution
- Memorandum and Articles of Association or equivalent
- Valid trade licence or equivalent
- Certificate of incorporation or formation
- Related third-party approvals when required
Licences and activities
Licence types
Explore business activities
We publish 447 activity guides for this jurisdiction. This is our guide coverage, not the authority’s full activity list.
Accounting & Bookkeeping
Activity guide
Acids & Alkalines Trading
Activity guide
Adhesives Trading
Activity guide
Advertising Requisites Trading
Activity guide
Agarwood & Incense Trading
Activity guide
Agricultural Equipment & Accessories Trading
Activity guide
Visa and office options
Facility options
Remote paperwork
Yes
Licence paperwork can usually be prepared before you travel.
Visa options
- Investor or partner visa against the licence for shareholders
- Employment visas up to the allocation in the package, priced from zero to three visas
- Dependant sponsorship once the primary residency and Emirates ID are issued
- Establishment card is issued first and gates every visa that follows
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
The licence and registration renew annually at the same component prices for an unchanged one-year package. Residence visas renew every two years.
1 visa · annual licence and card
AED 17,100
Licence and registration AED 14,900; establishment card AED 2,200.
2 visas · annual licence and card
AED 19,100
Licence and registration AED 16,900; establishment card AED 2,200.
Employment visa · every 2 years
AED 3,750
Per person, plus medical, Emirates ID and insurance.
A no-visa licence and registration renew at AED 12,900 annually. Prepaid licence years are not charged again; future rates and changes to your activity or visa allocation can affect renewal.
Practical considerations
- Applications are filed through an IFZA-registered company formation partner rather than as walk-in self-service
- Dubai address and Dubai-facing banking narrative, at a higher package cost than Ajman
- In-person residency path can finish in under a week with fast-track options
- Activity catalogue uses DED codes with third-party approval (TPA) flags that can stop issuance
Alternatives
Sources
| Claim | Access | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| activities | Public API | Official | one.ifza.com last verified sync contained 825 active records |
| documents | Published page | Official | ifza.com checked 2026-09-04 |
| timeline | Published page | Official | ifza.com checked 2026-09-04 |
FAQ
Does Dubai Setup Index set up companies in IFZA (International Free Zone Authority)?
This route is available. Review the current package and confirm pricing and timing before applying.
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.
Set up in IFZA (International Free Zone Authority)
Review the current packages, visa requirements and planning timelines before choosing your setup.