DAFZA vs Ajman FZ: which free zone fits you?
A neutral comparison — no single free zone pays us more than another.
In short
DAFZA and Ajman FZ are both UAE free zones. Ajman FZ publishes licences from about AED 5,555; DAFZA publishes no rate card — its licences are quoted per application. DAFZA best suits: Aviation, freight forwarding, logistics, electronics, pharma, luxury goods and trading companies that need physical airport proximity, a prestige Dubai address, and an office or warehouse on-site. 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.
DAFZA 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 | DAFZA | Ajman FZ |
|---|---|---|
| Licence from | Quote-based | from AED 5,555 |
| Emirate | Dubai | Ajman |
| Location | Dubai Airport Free Zone, next to Dubai International Airport (DXB), Deira | Ajman Port / Al Jurf, Ajman |
| Visas | Visa allocation is tied to the office space you lease, not bought as a flat add-on. | Package-defined. |
| Activities | DAFZA licences cover Trading, Service, Industrial and General Trading categories, with roughly 15 broad industry groups (aviation, electronics, pharma, logistics, consulting, insurance, chemicals, auto parts and more). | 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. |
No published-price winner here — compare written quotes from both.
Which one should you pick?
Choose DAFZA if
Aviation, freight forwarding, logistics, electronics, pharma, luxury goods and trading companies that need physical airport proximity, a prestige Dubai address, and an office or warehouse on-site. Suits funded businesses that value reputation over the lowest possible cost.
Think twice if
Solo founders, freelancers and early-stage startups chasing the cheapest licence. DAFZA's mandatory office and higher fees make it poor value if you do not need airport proximity or the prestige - cheaper Dubai zones like IFZA or Meydan are better-fit there.
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
DAFZA
Quote-based
Trade / Service licence (annual)
DAFZ publishes no licence prices — bespoke packages quoted on enquiry; industrial/general-trading runs higher
Quote-based
Registration / incorporation fee
One-time, approx.
AED 7,000
Establishment card
Annual; renewal slightly lower (approx AED 1,870).
AED 1,500 - 2,020
Immigration / e-channel registration
One-time, only if hiring / sponsoring visas, approx.
AED 1,000 - 2,000
Smart-desk / office (mandatory)
Annual; the smallest smart-desk (~6.65 sq.m) starts around AED 16,600 and is required to issue any licence. Larger offices / warehouses cost more.
AED 16,000 - 24,000+
Name reservation + initial approval
One-time, approx.
AED 1,000
Knowledge + postal / PO Box fee
Annual, included in most DAFZA packages, approx.
AED 1,010 - 1,125
Medical test + Emirates ID (per visa)
Per person; includes visa stamping, medical and Emirates ID, approx.
AED 1,200 - 3,500
Corporate tax registration (FTA)
Registration is free; 9% applies on taxable income above thresholds. Qualifying free-zone income may be 0%.
AED 0 (govt)
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
DAFZA
- Unmatched airport proximity - ideal for time-sensitive cargo, perishables and pharma.
- Prestige address that signals scale and credibility to partners and banks.
- 100% ownership, profit repatriation and no personal income tax.
- Dual-licence route to also trade on the Dubai mainland.
- Premium on-site infrastructure: Grade-A offices, warehouses and logistics units.
- Higher cost than most Dubai free zones - you pay a premium for location and prestige.
- A smart-desk or office is mandatory; there is no true zero-rent licence here, and office rent alone starts around AED 16,600.
- Visa quota is fixed by office size, so scaling headcount can mean leasing more space.
- Overkill for solo founders and budget startups who do not need airport access.
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, DAFZA or Ajman FZ?+
DAFZA publishes no prices — licences are quoted per application (quote-based — DAFZ publishes no prices; set-up packages are bespoke and quoted on enquiry. A smart-desk or office is mandatory, so realistic complete setups (smallest package, 1 visa) are typically quoted around AED 40,000 (market-reported)). Ajman FZ licences start 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). With no published price on both sides, a like-for-like answer needs written, itemised quotes from each zone — compare those, not headlines.
Who is DAFZA best for?+
Aviation, freight forwarding, logistics, electronics, pharma, luxury goods and trading companies that need physical airport proximity, a prestige Dubai address, and an office or warehouse on-site. Suits funded businesses that value reputation over the lowest possible cost.
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 DAFZA and Ajman FZ?+
Compare licence cost, visa allocation and activity fit. DAFZA: Visa allocation is tied to the office space you lease, not bought as a flat add-on. 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 DAFZA 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.