# DMCC or Innovation City > Compare DMCC and Innovation City on the same rows: starting packages at each visa count, licence and residency-visa timelines, renewal, facilities and remote paperwork. Every figure is read from the two guide pages. - Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/dmcc-vs-rak-dao - Updated: 2026-10-09 - Publication: below the publication gate (No decision value beyond the activity name) - Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology ## Verdict DMCC and Innovation City both show starting figures, but they cover different scopes, so neither is the cheaper route on this evidence. 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) | Innovation City (Free zone) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | From, no visa | Not published | AED 6,600 (12 months · starting price) | | From, one visa | AED 43,780 (12 months · published package) | AED 13,200 (12 months · starting price) | | From, two visas | Not published | Not published | | Lowest package price | AED 35,484 (12 months · published package) | AED 6,600 (12 months · starting price) | | Licence issued in | 2 weeks (Company setup is described as usually taking about two weeks.) | 5–10 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 | Digital assets, Related tech | | Facility options | Flexi desk, Office, Retail | Office, Virtual options as offered | | Visa options | Not published | Not published | | Remote paperwork | No | Yes | | 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. - 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. - Innovation City · From, two visas: Checked 2026-10-09: Start Estimate links to a contact form, not an instant calculator. Idea / Seed / Startup / Growth prices are public; Startup and Growth include only one visa despite a four-visa cap. The additional second visa price is unpublished. - Innovation City · Residency visa in: No published residency-visa processing time was found for this zone. - Innovation City · Renewal price: No public renewal detail was found. - DMCC · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - Innovation City · 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. - Innovation City · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for Innovation City (formerly RAK DAO). 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) ### Innovation City Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case. [Read the Innovation City guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/rak-dao) ## Frequently asked questions ### 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 Innovation City? DMCC and Innovation City both show starting figures, but they cover different scopes, so neither is the cheaper route on this evidence. Decide on activity fit, location and an itemised quote for your case. ## Related - [DMCC guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/dmcc) - [Innovation City guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/rak-dao) - [All comparisons](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare) ## Machine-readable - [DMCC or Innovation City (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/comparisons/dmcc-vs-rak-dao.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 Innovation City.” Updated 2026-10-09. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/dmcc-vs-rak-dao [Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/dmcc-vs-rak-dao). “DMCC or Innovation City.” 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-rak-dao, 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.