Dubai Business Setup Cost Index 2026
Transparent, verified numbers for setting up a company in Dubai — the eight free-zone licence fees, mainland all-in cost, and PRO retainer.
Dubai free-zone licences start from about AED 5,750 (licence-only), while the realistic first-year all-in lands in the ~AED 22,000–52,000 range depending on zone and visa count. Mainland setup lands at a realistic all-in of ~AED 25,000–52,000 (government fees alone run about AED 5,000–9,000+); ZETUP's service fee is quoted individually, itemised in writing. Every figure below is shown as a range or 'from' price, verified as of 2026-06.
Free-Zone Cost — The Eight Zones
| Free zone | Licence from (licence-only) | Visa allowance | Realistic all-in (year 1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHAMS (Sharjah Media City) | Quote-based | Tied to package tier | ~AED 22,000–52,000 (free-zone band) |
| RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah) | AED 6,000 (Biz Starter) | Tied to package tier | ~AED 22,000–52,000 (free-zone band) |
| IFZA (Dubai) | Quote-based (no published rate card) | Varies — not published (allowance unconfirmed) | All-in only via written quote (no published pricing) |
| Meydan (Dubai) | AED 12,500 | Flexi-desk caps at ~3 visas (2026) | ~AED 22,000–52,000 (free-zone band) |
| DAFZA (Dubai Airport) | Quote-based (no published rate card) | Tied to package tier | ~AED 40,000 realistic all-in |
| DMCC (Dubai) | AED 35,484 (Basic Biz, one-time, incl. VAT) | Incl. flexi-desk; eligible for 1 residence visa | From AED 35,484 (package is the floor) |
| JAFZA (Jebel Ali) | From AED 5,000 (Jafza-published); logistics/general trading higher (~AED 15,000, market-reported) | Tied to package tier | ~AED 22,000–52,000 (free-zone band) |
| DIFC (Dubai) | AED 5,500 — Innovation Licence ONLY (non-regulated tech). Standard commercial AED 44,000–55,000/yr + registration AED 29,000–44,000 | Flexi-desk extra (+AED 15,000–50,000/yr) required for visas | Innovation = tech-only; standard 44–55k + reg; DFSA-regulated finance AED 250,000+ |
Mainland & Reference Figures
| Item | Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland formation — ZETUP service fee | Quoted individually (itemised, in writing) | ZETUP's formation service fee is quoted per company — government fees itemised separately at cost |
| Mainland gov fees (Dubai Instant Licence) | From ~AED 5,000 → realistic ~AED 9,000+ | Depends on activity; ~AED 9,000 single-owner is the realistic floor |
| Mainland first-year all-in (LLC) | ~AED 25,000–52,000 | 2026 market consensus |
| PRO retainer | From AED 839/month (scales with headcount) | Floor = calculator minimum |
| Corporate tax | 0% ≤ AED 375,000; 9% above | Register within 3 months of incorporation (AED 10,000 late penalty). Small Business Relief for revenue ≤ AED 3M (sunset 31 Dec 2026). |
| ZETUP corporate-tax service | Quoted individually (itemised, in writing) | Quoted per company — FTA/EmaraTax scope varies |
Exact Price Answers
- What is the cheapest free-zone licence in Dubai in 2026?
- From about AED 5,500–5,750 published — for example UAQ FTZ (AED 5,500) or SPC (AED 5,750, lease included). RAKEZ starts from AED 6,000; Shams no longer publishes package prices.
- How much does a DMCC licence cost in 2026?
- AED 35,484 for the Basic Business package (one-time, incl. VAT), which includes a flexi-desk and eligibility for one residence visa.
- How much does an IFZA licence cost?
- IFZA publishes no prices — licences are quoted per application, typically as multi-year flexi-desk packages. Ask for a written, itemised quote.
- How much does a Meydan free-zone licence cost?
- AED 12,500. The flexi-desk package caps at about 3 visas (2026).
- What is the realistic first-year all-in cost to set up in a Dubai free zone?
- Roughly AED 22,000–52,000 depending on the zone and number of visas. DAFZA (~AED 40,000) and DMCC (AED 35,484+) sit at the high end.
- How much does it cost to set up a mainland company in Dubai?
- Government fees start from ~AED 5,000 (realistic ~AED 9,000+), and a realistic first-year all-in is ~AED 25,000–52,000 including office and visas. ZETUP's formation service fee is quoted individually, itemised in writing, with government fees passed through at cost.
- How much does DIFC cost?
- The DIFC Innovation Licence starts from AED 5,500 (non-regulated tech only). Standard commercial licences run AED 44,000–55,000/yr plus AED 29,000–44,000 registration.
- How much does JAFZA cost?
- Jafza publishes licences from AED 5,000 (licence fee only); logistics/general trading run higher (~AED 15,000, market-reported), and the mandatory facility is quoted separately.
- How much does DAFZA cost?
- DAFZ publishes no prices — licences are quoted on enquiry; realistic all-in quotes run about AED 40,000 (market-reported).
- How much is a PRO retainer in Dubai?
- From AED 839/month, scaling with headcount.
- What are the UAE corporate tax rates in 2026?
- 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above. Register within 3 months of incorporation (AED 10,000 late penalty). Small Business Relief applies to revenue ≤ AED 3M until 31 Dec 2026.
For Nordic founders: the same costs in DKK, SEK, NOK & EUR
Converted from AED at the official Central Bank of the UAE rate (as of 2026-07-30). Approximate, for orientation only — invoicing is in AED.
| Item | AED | ≈ DKK | ≈ SEK | ≈ NOK | ≈ EUR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest published free-zone licence (e.g. SPC, lease included) | 5,750 | 10,152 | 14,897 | 14,925 | 1,358 |
| DMCC package (from) | 35,484 | 62,649 | 91,931 | 92,104 | 8,382 |
| Realistic first-year all-in — low end | 22,000 | 38,842 | 56,997 | 57,104 | 5,197 |
| Realistic first-year all-in — high end | 52,000 | 91,809 | 134,720 | 134,973 | 12,283 |
| ZETUP PRO retainer (published sliding scale, from) | 839 | 1,481 | 2,174 | 2,178 | 198 |
Source: Central Bank of the UAE — Exchange Rates
Hvad koster en free zone-licens i Dubai i 2026? (Danish)
Fra ca. 5.750 AED (≈ 10.150 DKK) for en basispakke — fx SPC (lejeaftale inkluderet). DMCC-pakker starter fra ca. 35.484 AED (≈ 62.650 DKK). Et realistisk totalbudget for det første år er typisk 22.000–52.000 AED (≈ 38.850–91.800 DKK) inkl. visum og etablering. Kurs: UAE's centralbank, 30. juli 2026.
Kan en dansker eje 100 % af et selskab i Dubai? (Danish)
Ja. I alle free zones ejer udenlandske stiftere 100 % af selskabet, og siden 2021 gælder det også de fleste mainland-aktiviteter. Der kræves ingen lokal partner for de fleste erhverv.
Vad kostar en free zone-licens i Dubai 2026? (Swedish)
Från ca 5 750 AED (≈ 14 900 SEK) för ett baspaket — t.ex. SPC (hyresavtal ingår). DMCC-paket börjar från ca 35 484 AED (≈ 91 900 SEK). En realistisk totalbudget för första året är normalt 22 000–52 000 AED (≈ 57 000–134 700 SEK) inklusive visum och etablering. Kurs: UAE:s centralbank, 30 juli 2026.
Hva koster en free zone-lisens i Dubai i 2026? (Norwegian)
Fra ca. 5 750 AED (≈ 14 900 NOK) for en basispakke — f.eks. SPC (leieavtale inkludert). DMCC-pakker starter fra ca. 35 484 AED (≈ 92 100 NOK). Et realistisk totalbudsjett for første år er normalt 22 000–52 000 AED (≈ 57 100–135 000 NOK) inkludert visum og etablering. Kurs: UAEs sentralbank, 30. juli 2026.
Mitä free zone -lisenssi maksaa Dubaissa vuonna 2026? (Finnish)
Alkaen n. 5 750 AED (≈ 1 360 €) peruspaketista — esim. SPC (vuokrasopimus sisältyy). DMCC-paketit alkavat n. 35 484 AED (≈ 8 380 €). Realistinen ensimmäisen vuoden kokonaisbudjetti on tyypillisesti 22 000–52 000 AED (≈ 5 200–12 300 €) sisältäen viisumit ja perustamisen. Kurssi: UAE:n keskuspankki 30.7.2026.
Hvilken free zone i Dubai er bedst? (Danish)
Det afhænger af forretningen: SPC (fra 5.750 AED, lejeaftale inkluderet) og RAKEZ (fra 6.000 AED) er de billige indgange til konsulenter og online-forretning; Meydan (fra 12.500 AED) giver en Dubai-adresse og fleksible visa (IFZA prissættes pr. tilbud); DMCC (pakker fra 35.484 AED) er førstevalget til handel, råvarer og krypto; JAFZA/DAFZA til logistik og DIFC til reguleret finans.
Vilken free zone i Dubai är bäst? (Swedish)
Det beror på verksamheten: SPC (från 5 750 AED, hyresavtal ingår) och RAKEZ (från 6 000 AED) är de billigaste för konsulter och onlineverksamhet; Meydan (från 12 500 AED) ger Dubai-adress och flexibla visum (IFZA prissätts per offert); DMCC (paket från 35 484 AED) är förstahandsvalet för handel, råvaror och krypto; JAFZA/DAFZA för logistik och DIFC för reglerad finans.
Hvilken free zone i Dubai er best? (Norwegian)
Det avhenger av virksomheten: SPC (fra 5 750 AED, leieavtale inkludert) og RAKEZ (fra 6 000 AED) er de rimeligste for konsulenter og nettbasert virksomhet; Meydan (fra 12 500 AED) gir Dubai-adresse og fleksible visum (IFZA prises per tilbud); DMCC (pakker fra 35 484 AED) er førstevalget for handel, råvarer og krypto; JAFZA/DAFZA for logistikk og DIFC for regulert finans.
Mikä on paras free zone Dubaissa? (Finnish)
Se riippuu liiketoiminnasta: SPC (alkaen 5 750 AED, vuokrasopimus sisältyy) ja RAKEZ (alkaen 6 000 AED) ovat edullisimmat konsulteille ja verkkoliiketoiminnalle; Meydan (alkaen 12 500 AED) tarjoaa Dubai-osoitteen ja joustavat viisumit (IFZA hinnoitellaan tarjouksesta); DMCC (paketit alkaen 35 484 AED) on ykkösvalinta kaupankäyntiin ja kryptoon; JAFZA/DAFZA logistiikkaan ja DIFC säänneltyyn rahoitukseen.
Notes & Methodology
- Free-zone first-year all-in band (cross-zone): ~AED 22,000–52,000. DAFZA ~AED 40,000 and DMCC AED 35,484+ sit at the high end of the entry band.
- Visa allowance is set by the office/flexi-desk tier you choose — it is not a single fixed number per zone. Verified specifics: DMCC Basic = 1-visa eligibility; Meydan flexi-desk ~3 (2026). IFZA's allowance is unreconciled and deliberately shown as 'varies'.
- Figures verified as of 2026-06 and presented as ranges or 'from' prices, not flat quotes. Free-zone authorities update calculator-gated prices periodically — confirm current fees with the authority or ask ZETUP.
Open Data — Download & Cite
This index is published under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY 4.0). Reuse the figures in your research, article or site — all we ask is attribution with a link back to ZETUP.
How to cite
ZETUP PRO Corporate Services. (2026). Dubai Business Setup Cost Index 2026. Retrieved from https://zetup.ae/en/dubai-business-setup-cost-indexRelated guides
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