# Expo City Dubai Free Zone company setup

Dubai · Free zone · Dubai Setup Index

> Expo City Dubai Free Zone is a Dubai free zone regulated by Expo City Dubai.

- Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/expo-city-dubai
- Updated: 2026-09-04
- Regulator: Expo City Dubai
- Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology

## Key facts

- From, no visa: Not published — No published price for a 0-visa package was found for this zone.
- Licence issued in: 1 business day (Entity registration is shown as one working day after successful submission of all legal documents and payment.)
- Visas: Not published — no visa allocation published.
- Premises: Office, Event and campus facilities
- Renewal: AED 10,000 (The standard annual renewal tariff for a one-group Commercial or Service Licence is AED 10,000.)
- Activities: Not catalogued

### May suit your business

- Post-Expo campus businesses, events and innovation tenants

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.

| Visas | Starting price |
| :--- | :--- |
| No visa | Not published — No published price for a 0-visa package was found for this zone. |
| One visa | Not published — No published price for a 1-visa package was found for this zone. |
| Two visas | Not published — No published price for a 2-visa package was found for this zone. |

### Other published prices

- Package 1: AED 12,520 (published package)
- Package 2: AED 17,570 (published package)

A starting price is not a full setup total.

## Setup steps and timing

### Company setup

| # | Step | Timing |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1 | Licence — Conditions apply — see timing details below. | 1 business day |

### 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

- Initial approval is shown as three working days, subject to any required third-party approvals.
- Entity registration is shown as one working day after successful submission of all legal documents and payment.
- Final licence issuance is shown as one working day after the signed lease agreement is available and final compliance succeeds.

## Required documents

### All applicants

- ECDA Business Setup application form
- Signed ECD lease offer letter when applicable
- Passport copies for shareholders, directors, company managers, and secretary
- UAE visa and Emirates ID copies when applicable
- Controlled-activity approvals when applicable
- Specimen signatures using ECDA templates

### Corporate shareholder

- Articles of Association using ECDA templates
- Shareholder resolution or declaration to establish the company
- ECDA Ultimate Beneficial Owner declaration
- Government approvals for controlled business activities when applicable

### Branch of an existing company

- Parent company licence with at least six months validity
- Good Legal Standing issued within three months when requested
- Parent company incorporation certificate and Articles of Association
- Resolution to establish the branch and appoint the company manager
- Parent company controlled-activity approvals when applicable

## Licences and activities

### Licence types

- Commercial
- Events
- Innovation-related

### Business activities

Not published — We have not published an activity catalogue for Expo City Dubai Free Zone, so we cannot say which licence lines it carries.

## Visa and office options

### Facility options

- Office
- Event and campus facilities

### 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: AED 10,000 (The standard annual renewal tariff for a one-group Commercial or Service Licence is AED 10,000.)
- Term: The packages have a one-year term.
- Late renewal: Late-renewal fees are AED 1,500 for days 31-59, AED 3,000 for days 60-89, and AED 6,000 from day 90 onward.

- The packages have a one-year term.
- The initial Package 1 and Package 2 offers are unavailable for renewal.
- The standard annual renewal tariff for a one-group Commercial or Service Licence is AED 10,000.
- Late-renewal fees are AED 1,500 for days 31-59, AED 3,000 for days 60-89, and AED 6,000 from day 90 onward.

## Practical considerations

- Reuses Expo 2020 site with a free-zone / district commercial offer
- Events and campus presence are part of the pitch
- Still maturing compared with decades-old zones like Jafza or DIC
- Verify current licence catalogue before treating it as a general FZ alternative

## 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 |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| packages | Published page | https://www.expocitydubai.com/en/business-at-expo-city-dubai/business-setup/ |
| activities | Published file | https://www.expocitydubai.com/en/business-at-expo-city-dubai/business-setup/ |
| documents | Published file | https://assets.ctfassets.net/r2cfrvo3y08m/20MTBHOf1Apcj0hYQN6Ury/6e850e00a4716d5d73686a30b1b7eb73/How_to_set_up_your_business_in_Expo_City_Dubai.pdf |
| timeline | Published file | https://assets.ctfassets.net/r2cfrvo3y08m/20MTBHOf1Apcj0hYQN6Ury/6e850e00a4716d5d73686a30b1b7eb73/How_to_set_up_your_business_in_Expo_City_Dubai.pdf |
| renewal | Published file | https://assets.ctfassets.net/r2cfrvo3y08m/sPSBzbG5GhPVexNQLpMlM/fc9f133929ed769269d83936ed116b56/ECDA_Fees_and_Service_Charges_List.pdf |

### Known gaps

- Stage-level service times are published, but total elapsed setup time remains conditional on third-party approvals, document signing, payment, and lease completion.

### Conflicts and aliases

- The initial packages are one-year renewable offers, but the reviewed terms state those initial packages are unavailable for renewal.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Dubai Setup Index set up companies in Expo City Dubai Free Zone?

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

- [Expo City Dubai Free Zone record (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/free-zones/expo-city-dubai.json)

## Citation

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

Dubai Setup Index. “Expo City Dubai Free Zone company setup.” Updated 2026-09-04. https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/expo-city-dubai

[Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/expo-city-dubai). “Expo City Dubai Free Zone 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.