IFZA vs Ajman FZ: which free zone fits you?
A neutral comparison — no single free zone pays us more than another.
In short
IFZA (licences from about AED 12,900) and Ajman FZ (from about AED 5,555) are both UAE free zones — Ajman FZ has the lower entry price. IFZA best suits: Consultants, freelancers, service firms, marketing/IT agencies, holding companies and traders who want an affordable Dubai free zone with flexible visa numbers and a wide activity list. Ajman FZ best suits: Online sellers and e-commerce founders who want the one AFZ package with a published price, freelancers using the 40-category Sole Professional licence, and cost-sensitive traders and light-industrial businesses already looking at the northern emirates who are willing to request a written quote rather than compare a published rate card. No single zone pays us more, so the recommendation depends only on your activity, visa count and budget.
IFZA and Ajman FZ side by side
Approximate budgeting figures — your final quote is confirmed in writing. Government fees are passed through at cost, never marked up.
| Criteria | IFZA | Ajman FZ |
|---|---|---|
| Licence from | AED 12,900 | AED 5,555 |
| Emirate | Dubai | Ajman |
| Location | Dubai Silicon Oasis / Dubai Digital Park | Ajman Port / Al Jurf, Ajman |
| Visas | IFZA uses a package-based visa quota. | Package-defined. |
| Activities | IFZA offers more than 2,000 business activities across professional, commercial, consulting, trading, media, IT and general-trading categories. | AFZ's mid-tier packages advertise up to five mix-and-match activities across commercial, service and e-commerce categories, rising to up to ten activities on the Hexa-and-above tiers. |
Lower entry price: Ajman FZ.
Which one should you pick?
Choose IFZA if
Consultants, freelancers, service firms, marketing/IT agencies, holding companies and traders who want an affordable Dubai free zone with flexible visa numbers and a wide activity list. Ideal for solo founders and small teams who do not need a physical mainland storefront.
Think twice if
Businesses that must sell directly to the UAE mainland (retail shops, restaurants, clinics), need a large physical office or warehouse, or require a prestige financial-district address (DIFC/ADGM). Companies needing many visas may find dedicated-office requirements push costs above the headline figure.
Choose Ajman FZ if
Online sellers and e-commerce founders who want the one AFZ package with a published price, freelancers using the 40-category Sole Professional licence, and cost-sensitive traders and light-industrial businesses already looking at the northern emirates who are willing to request a written quote rather than compare a published rate card.
Think twice if
Anyone who needs to compare a published, itemised price before engaging — outside the E-Commerce Licence, AFZ's cost calculator emails an estimate rather than displaying one, so you cannot self-serve a budget. Also a poor fit if you need a Dubai address, a regulated financial licence, or certainty today about mainland selling rights, which AFZ does not spell out publicly.
Cost breakdowns
IFZA
from AED 12,900
Trade licence (zero-visa, base package)
Two-year package including flexi-desk access (best value); one-visa packages from ~AED 15,000
AED 12,900 (from)
Establishment / immigration (e-channel) card
Required once you take any visa
AED 2,000 (approx)
Residence visa processing (per visa)
Inside-country processing; varies by visa type
AED 3,500–4,500
Flexi-desk / office
Flexi-desk access included; dedicated office AED 5,000–20,000+/yr
Included (base)
Company name reservation & initial approval
Typically bundled in the licence package
Included
Medical test + Emirates ID (per visa)
Medical ~AED 350–400, Emirates ID ~AED 370; health insurance extra (AED 600+)
AED 700–800
UAE corporate tax registration
Federal Tax Authority registration is free; 9% tax applies on profit above AED 375,000. Advisor/filing fees separate
Government fee: AED 0
Realistic first-year total (1 visa)
Approx — licence, card, one visa, medical, Emirates ID and insurance combined
AED 21,000–26,000
Ajman FZ
from AED 5,555
E-Commerce Licence package
The only AFZ package with a publicly published price. Covers the registered company name, e-commerce licence, official documentation, eligibility to open a UAE bank account, unlimited coworking access and 100% foreign ownership.
from AED 5,555
All other packages (Kickstarter, Freedom, Starter–Deca, Al Jurf)
AFZ's package portal lists features but no prices, and its cost calculator emails an estimate rather than displaying one. Ask for the figure in writing.
Quote-based
E-channel registration renewal
Published in AFZ's own FAQ, which states it should be renewed five days before expiry.
AED 1,100 / year
Company licence cancellation
Published in AFZ's own FAQ.
AED 2,135
Visas, medical, Emirates ID and insurance
Not covered by the published E-Commerce Licence price, which is a zero-visa package. Budget per person.
Added on top
Strengths and trade-offs
IFZA
- Among the lowest-cost Dubai free-zone licences, with a true zero-visa entry point.
- Very flexible — scale visas and activities up or down without changing free zone.
- Fast, paperwork-light setup with remote (no-visit) formation possible.
- 100% foreign ownership and full repatriation of capital and profits.
- Wide activity list (2,000+) and up to 7 activities bundled on one licence.
- Multi-year licences reduce the effective annual cost.
- The headline AED 12,900 is licence-only; real first-year cost with one visa, cards, medical and insurance is typically AED 21,000–26,000.
- No direct mainland trade — selling to the UAE mainland needs a distributor, dual licence or extra approvals.
- Higher visa counts can trigger dedicated-office requirements that raise cost.
- Not a prestige financial-district address — DIFC/ADGM carry more weight for regulated finance.
- Some activities (e.g. regulated or specialised ones) need extra external approvals and fees.
Ajman FZ
- A genuine government free zone with a long operating history — established in 1988, under the Free Zones Authority of Ajman.
- The published E-Commerce Licence at AED 5,555 is competitive and bundles coworking access and bank-account eligibility.
- Visa tiers run all the way to ten on a single package structure, so scaling headcount does not mean changing zone.
- Fast administrative turnarounds where AFZ does publish them: three working days for an establishment card, two to three for a visa cancellation.
- No published rate card. Sixteen packages are listed with features and no prices, and the cost calculator emails an estimate instead of showing one — you cannot budget without contacting them.
- The one published price is scoped to e-commerce and appears in a 2025 article rather than an official fee schedule, so it is a weaker source than the PDF rate cards other zones publish.
- AFZ does not state publicly whether its licences permit direct mainland selling, so treat mainland access as unconfirmed until you have it in writing.
- An Ajman address carries less weight than a Dubai one with some banks and clients, and the zone is not a financial-services jurisdiction.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, IFZA or Ajman FZ?+
IFZA licences start from about AED 12,900 (from / approx — zero-visa, two-year package with flexi-desk access; government and visa fees added on top). Ajman FZ starts from about AED 5,555 (from / published — the E-Commerce Licence package, the only price Ajman Free Zone publishes openly (stated in its own 2025 article, not in a fee schedule). Every other AFZ package is quoted individually; visas, government fees and facilities are added on top). Ajman FZ has the lower headline price, but your real total depends on visa count and office needs — always compare a written, itemised quote.
Who is IFZA best for?+
Consultants, freelancers, service firms, marketing/IT agencies, holding companies and traders who want an affordable Dubai free zone with flexible visa numbers and a wide activity list. Ideal for solo founders and small teams who do not need a physical mainland storefront.
Who is Ajman FZ best for?+
Online sellers and e-commerce founders who want the one AFZ package with a published price, freelancers using the 40-category Sole Professional licence, and cost-sensitive traders and light-industrial businesses already looking at the northern emirates who are willing to request a written quote rather than compare a published rate card.
How do I decide between IFZA and Ajman FZ?+
Compare licence cost, visa allocation and activity fit. IFZA: IFZA uses a package-based visa quota. Ajman FZ: Package-defined. If you are still unsure, our free zone selector or a free 30-minute PRO Health Check will confirm the better fit for your case.
Still torn between IFZA and Ajman FZ?
Tell us your activity and how many visas you need, and we'll confirm the better-fit zone and its real cost — in writing, line by line.