# DIFC or ADGM > Compare the two UAE financial free zones that run their own common-law frameworks: DIFC in Dubai, with the DFSA regulating financial activity, and ADGM on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi, with the FSRA. They are not interchangeable. - Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/difc-vs-adgm - Updated: 2026-09-04 - Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology ## Verdict DIFC publishes the faster licence, 3–5 business days against 10 business days for ADGM. No like-for-like starting price is published for DIFC and ADGM, 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 | DIFC (Free zone) | ADGM (Free zone) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | From, no visa | Not published | Not published | | From, one visa | Not published | Not published | | From, two visas | Not published | Not published | | Lowest package price | Not published | Not published | | Licence issued in | 3–5 business days | 10 business days | | Residency visa in | Not published | Not published | | Renewal price | Not published | USD 500 (Renewal quoted alongside Foundation initial fee) | | Licence types | Non-regulated commercial, DFSA-regulated financial | Non-regulated, FSRA-regulated financial | | Facility options | Office, Coworking within DIFC | Office, Coworking within ADGM | | Visa options | Not published | Not published | | Remote paperwork | No | No | | Activity guides catalogued | Not published | Not published | Each figure comes from the same source as its guide page. ### Not published - DIFC · From, no visa: Checked 2026-10-09: A public handbook/fee schedule exists, but direct retrieval was rate-limited. No instant company-and-visa calculator was located; licence category, premises and immigration costs require a scoped quote. - ADGM · From, no visa: Checked 2026-10-09: The old fees URL returned 404. Current setup FAQs and the 2025 fee schedule describe registration and licence categories, not complete 0/1/2-visa setup packages. - DIFC · From, one visa: Checked 2026-10-09: A public handbook/fee schedule exists, but direct retrieval was rate-limited. No instant company-and-visa calculator was located; licence category, premises and immigration costs require a scoped quote. - ADGM · From, one visa: Checked 2026-10-09: The old fees URL returned 404. Current setup FAQs and the 2025 fee schedule describe registration and licence categories, not complete 0/1/2-visa setup packages. - DIFC · From, two visas: Checked 2026-10-09: A public handbook/fee schedule exists, but direct retrieval was rate-limited. No instant company-and-visa calculator was located; licence category, premises and immigration costs require a scoped quote. - ADGM · From, two visas: Checked 2026-10-09: The old fees URL returned 404. Current setup FAQs and the 2025 fee schedule describe registration and licence categories, not complete 0/1/2-visa setup packages. - DIFC · Lowest package price: No comparable company package price is confirmed. Other published fees and products are listed separately. - ADGM · Lowest package price: No comparable company package price is confirmed. Other published fees and products are listed separately. - DIFC · Residency visa in: No published residency-visa processing time was found for this zone. - ADGM · Residency visa in: No published residency-visa processing time was found for this zone. - DIFC · Renewal price: No published renewal price, term or penalty was found. - DIFC · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - ADGM · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - DIFC · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre). Confirm the selected licence line and approvals with the authority. - ADGM · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market). Confirm the selected licence line and approvals with the authority. ## Check before choosing ### DIFC Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case. [Read the DIFC guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/difc) ### ADGM Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case. [Read the ADGM guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/adgm) ## Frequently asked questions ### Are DIFC and ADGM regulated the same way? No. Regulated financial activity in DIFC is supervised by the DFSA and in ADGM by the FSRA. Each has its own rulebook, application process and courts, so confirm which regulator covers your activity before comparing costs. ### Do non-financial companies use these zones? Their facilities and requirements are shaped around financial firms. Confirm that your non-financial activity is licensed there, and compare a general free zone if it is not regulated. ### Which costs less on published figures, DIFC or ADGM? DIFC publishes the faster licence, 3–5 business days against 10 business days for ADGM. No like-for-like starting price is published for DIFC and ADGM, so the cost side of this comparison is open. ## Related - [DIFC guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/difc) - [ADGM guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/adgm) - [All comparisons](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare) ## Machine-readable - [DIFC or ADGM (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/comparisons/difc-vs-adgm.json) ## Citation Required when quoting any figure from this page. Copy one of these verbatim — the link is not optional. Dubai Setup Index. “DIFC or ADGM.” Updated 2026-09-04. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/difc-vs-adgm [Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/difc-vs-adgm). “DIFC or ADGM.” Updated 2026-09-04. Licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Any use or transformation of the data carries: Source: Dubai Setup Index (dubaisetupindex.com), licensed CC BY 4.0. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/difc-vs-adgm, updated 2026-09-04. Licensed CC BY 4.0: any use or transformation carries the attribution text, with its link and date. Quoting any figure from this record requires a resolvable link to url. Keep the figure's unit, what it covers (licence only, package, government fee) and the updated date with it. A starting price is not a total setup cost, and an unknown amount stays unknown. A figure sourced from a third party (Invest in Dubai, DET, a free zone authority or a partner's quote) keeps its source citation — the source named in the record, with its URL and checked date — alongside the licence attribution.