# DMCC or JAFZA

> Compare an office-led trading and commodities free zone with Jebel Ali's port-adjacent logistics, manufacturing and heavy trading zone. The deciding question is whether your goods need a warehouse beside the port.

- Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/dmcc-vs-jafza
- Updated: 2026-10-09
- Publication: below the publication gate (No decision value beyond the activity name)
- Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology

## Verdict

No like-for-like starting price is published for Jebel Ali Free Zone, so the cost side of this comparison is open. 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) | Jebel Ali Free Zone (Free zone) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| From, no visa | Not published | Not published |
| From, one visa | AED 43,780 (12 months · published package) | Not published |
| From, two visas | Not published | Not published |
| Lowest package price | AED 35,484 (12 months · published package) | Not published |
| Licence issued in | 2 weeks (Company setup is described as usually taking about two weeks.) | 3–14 business days |
| 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 | Trading, Industrial, Service, Logistics |
| Facility options | Flexi desk, Office, Retail | Office, Warehouse, Plot, Onshore logistics facilities |
| 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

- 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.
- Jebel Ali Free Zone · From, no visa: Checked 2026-10-09: The official calculator accepts licence type, activity groups and shareholders. Service / one group / one shareholder / FZE reached a blank results page in the browser; no numeric quote was verified.
- Jebel Ali Free Zone · From, one visa: Checked 2026-10-09: The official calculator accepts licence type, activity groups and shareholders. Service / one group / one shareholder / FZE reached a blank results page in the browser; no numeric quote was verified.
- 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.
- Jebel Ali Free Zone · From, two visas: Checked 2026-10-09: The official calculator accepts licence type, activity groups and shareholders. Service / one group / one shareholder / FZE reached a blank results page in the browser; no numeric quote was verified.
- Jebel Ali Free Zone · Lowest package price: No comparable company package price is confirmed. Other published fees and products are listed separately.
- Jebel Ali Free Zone · Residency visa in: No published residency-visa processing time was found for this zone.
- Jebel Ali Free Zone · Renewal price: No published renewal price, term or penalty was found.
- DMCC · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction.
- Jebel Ali Free Zone · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction.
- 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.
- Jebel Ali Free Zone · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA). 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)

### Jebel Ali Free Zone

Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case.

[Read the Jebel Ali Free Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/jafza)

## Frequently asked questions

### Which suits physical goods and logistics?

JAFZA sits beside Jebel Ali port and is built for warehousing, manufacturing and heavy trading. DMCC suits trading houses run from offices, where goods do not pass through the zone's own facilities.

### How are the prices compared?

Only package prices at the same visa count and term are ranked against each other. A calculator output, a licence-only estimate or a product flagged as not like for like is shown in the table but never used to name a cheaper side.

### Which costs less on published figures, DMCC or Jebel Ali Free Zone?

No like-for-like starting price is published for Jebel Ali Free Zone, so the cost side of this comparison is open. Decide on activity fit, location and an itemised quote for your case.

## Related

- [DMCC guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/dmcc)
- [Jebel Ali Free Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/jafza)
- [All comparisons](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare)

## Machine-readable

- [DMCC or JAFZA (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/comparisons/dmcc-vs-jafza.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 JAFZA.” Updated 2026-10-09. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/dmcc-vs-jafza

[Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/dmcc-vs-jafza). “DMCC or JAFZA.” 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-jafza, 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.
