# DMCC or Dubai mainland > Compare a DMCC free-zone company with a Dubai mainland company licensed by DET. The permitted route depends on the activity, where you trade and the premises you need; these figures do not establish a universal cost advantage. - Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/dmcc-vs-dubai-mainland - Updated: 2026-10-09 - Publication: below the publication gate (No decision value beyond the activity name) - Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology ## Verdict The published figures do not yet support a like-for-like call between DMCC and Dubai Mainland; decide on activity fit, location and an itemised quote for your case. 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 | DMCC (Free zone) | Dubai Mainland (Mainland) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | From, no visa | Not published | AED 14,000 (Licence only · plus 5% of rent) | | From, one visa | AED 43,780 (12 months · published package) | Priced by owners, not visas (Visa costs are separate) | | From, two visas | Not published | Priced by owners, not visas (Visa costs are separate) | | Lowest package price | AED 35,484 (12 months · published package) | AED 14,000 (Licence only · plus 5% of rent) | | Licence issued in | 2 weeks (Company setup is described as usually taking about two weeks.) | Not published | | Residency visa in | 0–20 business days (The employee visa guide allows up to 20 working days.) | Not published | | Renewal price | AED 20,265 (Trading or service licence renewal for one year is AED 20,265.) | Not published | | Licence types | Trading, Service, Industrial | Commercial, Professional, Industrial | | Facility options | Flexi desk, Office, Retail | Confirm the premises are suitable for the exact activity before signing a lease or paying for fit-out. Ejari registration alone does not establish activity approval., Ejari registration: DLD publishes AED 177.75 through the app/website and AED 220 through a trustee. Confirm company-tenant channel eligibility; rent, deposits and fit-out are separate., The trustee fee components total AED 219.75 with 5% VAT on the partner fee, while DLD prints AED 220. Confirm the payable amount. | | Visa options | Not published | Visa eligibility, quota, documents and fees have not been verified for your scenario; confirm separately from company licensing. | | Remote paperwork | No | Not published | | Activity guides catalogued | Not published | 2,327 | Each figure comes from the same source as its guide page. ### Not published - DMCC · From, no visa: Checked 2026-10-09: Official setup packages and tariffs are published. The existing one-visa package remains available as evidence; quota-only Basic Biz is not an issued-visa bundle. No active setup calculator was located on the checked official surfaces; a rewards calculator is unrelated. - DMCC · From, two visas: Checked 2026-10-09: Official setup packages and tariffs are published. The existing one-visa package remains available as evidence; quota-only Basic Biz is not an issued-visa bundle. No active setup calculator was located on the checked official surfaces; a rewards calculator is unrelated. - Dubai Mainland · Licence issued in: An end-to-end formation timeline has not been verified for your activity and applicant profile. - Dubai Mainland · Residency visa in: A complete owner-residency timeline still needs confirmation for the selected visa route, applicant status, medical and biometrics appointments. - Dubai Mainland · Renewal price: Renewal needs a current licence assessment, premises, membership and any permits or immigration renewals due that year. Historical fee schedules do not establish a current total. - DMCC · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - Dubai Mainland · Remote paperwork: Remote setup eligibility and any in-person steps depend on the activity and applicant; not verified here. - DMCC · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre). Confirm the selected licence line and approvals with the authority. ## Check before choosing ### DMCC Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case. [Read the DMCC guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/dmcc) ### Dubai Mainland - Choosing a licence before defining the actual activity and operating requirements - Comparing a quoted package without its premises, visa and renewal assumptions [Read the Dubai Mainland guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/mainland) ## Frequently asked questions ### Can a DMCC company trade directly with the Dubai market? Free-zone companies generally trade within their zone and internationally, and reach the local market through a distributor or additional permissions. A mainland licence is built for onshore trading. Confirm the rules for your activity. ### How are the prices compared? The mainland column shows the official licence estimate, which excludes rent, visas and approvals, so it is never ranked against a free-zone package. Confirm the activity, premises and visa plan to get a like-for-like quote. ### Which costs less on published figures, DMCC or Dubai Mainland? The published figures do not yet support a like-for-like call between DMCC and Dubai Mainland; decide on activity fit, location and an itemised quote for your case. ## Related - [DMCC guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/dmcc) - [Dubai Mainland guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/mainland) - [All comparisons](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare) ## Machine-readable - [DMCC or Dubai mainland (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/comparisons/dmcc-vs-dubai-mainland.json) ## Citation Required when quoting any figure from this page. Copy one of these verbatim — the link is not optional. Dubai Setup Index. “DMCC or Dubai mainland.” Updated 2026-10-09. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/dmcc-vs-dubai-mainland [Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/dmcc-vs-dubai-mainland). “DMCC or Dubai mainland.” Updated 2026-10-09. 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/dmcc-vs-dubai-mainland, updated 2026-10-09. 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.