# ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market) company setup

Abu Dhabi · Free zone · Dubai Setup Index

> ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market) is a Abu Dhabi free zone regulated by ADGM / FSRA for regulated activities.

- Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/adgm
- Updated: 2026-09-04
- Regulator: ADGM / FSRA for regulated activities
- Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology

## Key facts

- From, no visa: Not published — No simple public package matrix normalized by 0, 1, or 2 visas was found.
- Licence issued in: 10 business days (Provided all incorporation requirements are met, ADGM expects the application to be approved within 10 business days.)
- Visas: Not published — no visa allocation published.
- Premises: Office, Coworking within ADGM
- Renewal: USD 500 (Renewal quoted alongside Foundation initial fee)
- Activities: Not catalogued

### May suit your business

- Financial free zone on Al Maryah Island with English common law

Based on the zone’s published specialism. Confirm suitability for your activity.

## Costs and packages

Prices are the authority's published figures. Confirm the current package before you budget.

Not published — No simple public package matrix normalized by 0, 1, or 2 visas was found.

### Other published prices

- Foundation initial fee: USD 1,000 (published tariff)
- Category A initial fee: USD 17,000 (published tariff)

A starting price is not a full setup total.

## Setup steps and timing

### Company setup

| # | Step | Timing |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1 | Licence | To confirm |

### Residency · remote preparation

| # | Step | Timing |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 2 | Security approval | To confirm |
| 3 | Establishment card | To confirm |
| 4 | E-channel | To confirm |
| 5 | Entry visa approval | To confirm |

### Residency · in the UAE

| # | Step | Timing |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 6 | Medical test | To confirm |
| 7 | Biometrics | To confirm |
| 8 | Residence visa approval | To confirm |
| 9 | Emirates ID printing | To confirm |
| 10 | Emirates ID delivery | To confirm |

### Bank account

| # | Step | Timing |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 11 | 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

- Provided all incorporation requirements are met, ADGM expects the application to be approved within 10 business days.

## Required documents

### Corporate shareholder

- Stakeholder and entity documents listed in the official ADGM setup guidance

## Licences and activities

### Licence types

- Non-regulated
- FSRA-regulated financial

### Business activities

Not published — We have not published an activity catalogue for ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market), so we cannot say which licence lines it carries.

## Visa and office options

### Facility options

- Office
- Coworking within ADGM

### Remote paperwork

No (Expect more on-site presence than a fully remote lane.)

### Visa options

We have not recorded the visa categories for this jurisdiction.

### Nationality-specific requirements

- Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq: National ID copy for entry and residence applications.
- Pakistan: National ID copy for an investor or partner visa. (zone 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, Tonga, Albania, Bangladesh, Colombia, Cyprus, Fiji, Mauritius, Nigeria, Philippines, Sudan, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Belarus, China, Georgia, Iran, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovenia, South Africa: 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. (zone guidance — confirm for your route)
- Ethiopia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka: Attested medical report for entry approval when applying from outside the UAE. (zone guidance — confirm for your route)

## Renewal costs

- Renewal price: USD 500 (Renewal quoted alongside Foundation initial fee)
- Term: Not published — No published renewal term was found.
- Late renewal: Not published — No published late-renewal penalty was found.

- Official category fee schedules publish both initial and renewal charges; visas and lease are excluded.

## Practical considerations

- Abu Dhabi's financial free zone — peer framing to DIFC, not to IFZA flexi desks
- FSRA regulates financial services activities
- Costs and compliance sit in the financial-centre band
- Not currently offered as a Dubai Setup Index setup option

## Alternatives

- [IFZA](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ifza) — Dubai setup option
- [Ajman Free Zone](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ajman) — Lower-cost setup option
- [Dubai mainland (DET)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/mainland) — Onshore alternative

## Sources

| Claim | Access | Source |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| activities | Published file | https://www.adgm.com/PermittedActivities/ExportToExcel?sorting=classcode%23asc&contentId=106832 |
| pricing | Published file | https://www.adgm.com/setting-up/fees-and-registration |
| timeline | Published page | https://www.adgm.com/faqs/setting-up/ |

### Known gaps

- No simple public package matrix normalized by 0, 1, or 2 visas was found.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Dubai Setup Index set up companies in ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market)?

Not currently. We document this zone so you can compare it honestly, while Dubai Setup Index handles applications in IFZA and Ajman.

### 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.

## Related

- [All free zones](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones)
- [Business activities](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities)
- [How company setup works](https://dubaisetupindex.com/how-it-works)

## Machine-readable

- [ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market) record (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/free-zones/adgm.json)

## Citation

Required when quoting any figure from this page. Copy one of these verbatim — the link is not optional.

Dubai Setup Index. “ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market) company setup.” Updated 2026-09-04. https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/adgm

[Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/adgm). “ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market) company setup.” Updated 2026-09-04.

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.