Dubai setup cost
Dubai setup cost depends on the license route, activity, visas, office or facility, approvals, banking file, tax registrations, accounting and renewal assumptions. A cheap headline license can still become an expensive first year.
What to actually compare
Your budget should include every line before the company is licensed, operational, bank-ready, visa-ready and compliant for the first year.
Planning ranges
Directional only; final fees must be verified against authority, activity, visas, facility, approvals and current package pricing.
No-frills Dubai free zone, zero visa
from 5,500 – 20,000
Advertised entry package (RAKEZ Biz Starter floor ~5,500; IFZA and Meydan list ~12,500). Usually excludes visas, bank file, VAT / corporate tax, accounting and full renewal
Dubai free zone with 1 investor visa
15,000 – 35,000
All-in with establishment card, medical, Emirates ID and visa stamping usually lands at 20,000+; premium zones and flexi-desk push toward 35,000
Premium free zone (DMCC / JAFZA)
35,000 – 85,000+
DMCC minimum registration + license ~29,000, real first year 38-55k with flexi-desk and one visa; JAFZA base 40k without a warehouse
Dubai mainland service or trading (DET)
25,000 – 80,000+
DET license 15-22k, then Ejari (5% market fee, capped 20k), MOA, Chamber, MOHRE labour file and one visa; commercial premises push higher
Regulated or physical-premises business
50,000 – 150,000+
VARA, DFSA and similar regimes require Dubai office, fit-out (10-50k) and category-specific authority fees (VARA application often 40-100k)
Offshore / holding
7,000 – 20,000+
RAK ICC ~11-14k with agent; ADGM SPV government fee ~7k but all-in with registered agent 15-25k; JAFZA Offshore materially higher
GulfLaunch decision work
We make the viable routes, exclusions and operating dependencies explicit before a business commits to incorporation. Discuss the route in front of youReal 2026 authority packages
Advertised starter figures, taken directly from each authority. These are entry-tier packages — real first-year cost adds visas, bank file, tax and renewal.
IFZA
AED 12,900Zero-visa starter, remote setupMeydan Free Zone
AED 12,500Zero-visa digital licence, virtual officeDMCC
≈ AED 29,000Registration 9,020 + licence 20,285, before flexi-deskJAFZA
AED 40,000+Base package before warehouse (warehouse from ~48,000)RAKEZ Biz Starter
AED 5,500Lowest compliant zero-visa entry across the UAEDubai mainland (DET)
AED 15,000+Professional licence, before Ejari, Chamber, MOA and visaRequired or conditional
A cost is not optional merely because it is absent from the first quote. Ask which facts make it applicable and when it becomes payable.
Licence, activity and legal documents
Every operating entity needs an approved route, activity and incorporation documentation
Which activities, name, amendments and legal-document charges are included?
Visa and immigration stack
A founder or employee will obtain UAE residence or work through the entity
Does the number include establishment/immigration setup, medical, Emirates ID, stamping and renewal?
Facility or premises
The route, activity, visa quota, customer model or bank narrative needs more than a package address
What facility is included now, what can it support, and what is the year-two price?
External approvals
The activity is regulated, customer-facing, food-related, financial, health, education or otherwise permission-led
Which approval is assumed, who pays it, and what happens if the activity changes?
Accounting, tax and ongoing compliance
The company begins invoicing, reaches a registration trigger or has reporting/recordkeeping responsibilities
What is setup-only versus the recurring monthly or annual support cost?
Why cheap ads mislead
A very low price may be a legitimate entry offer, but often excludes what your business actually needs.
First-year vs renewal
Some packages discount year one and renew higher; use the same categories on both.
License
License fee, name, initial approval
License renewal fee
Office / facility
Setup, deposit, Ejari, first year
Renewal or new lease
Visas
Investor + employee visa cost stack
Renewal cost per visa
Tax / compliance
Corporate tax, VAT registration, opening accounts
Ongoing accounting, filings, audit
Bank / cards
Establishment card, immigration file, bank setup
Establishment card renewal
Amendments
Any activity or shareholder change
Additional visas or activity add-ons
Cost planner
Use this quick planner to see why route, visas and office assumptions matter. It is directional only; a real quote needs authority and activity checks.
Cost scenarios
These are decision scenarios, not quotes. They show why a starter package, a relocating founder and a premises-led business should not be compared as if they carry the same first-year cost.
Remote, zero-visa service
Founder relocating
Trading or premises-led operation
Ask before payment
Government sites to review
A short list — authority calculators and tax pages. See the full sources hub for every free-zone package page we compare. Last checked 9 July 2026.
Continue the decision work
Need to check the activity before you compare quotes?Check a Dubai trade licenseQuestions
A simple zero-visa free-zone setup can be much lower than mainland, premium free-zone, warehouse or regulated setup. Compare total first-year cost across route, visas, office, bank file, tax, accounting and renewal.
The cheapest advertised setup is not always the best route; it may exclude visas, banking, mainland access, approvals, renewal, tax and accounting. Choose the cheapest compliant route that fits your activity.
Common missing items include visas, establishment card, Emirates ID, medical, office/flexi desk, renewal, activity amendments, external approvals, bank-account preparation, VAT, corporate tax and bookkeeping.
Not always. Some packages include a visa quota or one visa path, while others are license-only. Always ask what is included.
Yes. Send the quote, activity, visa needs, target clients and bank urgency, and we will identify missing cost items and route risks.
A considered next step
Send the activity, target clients, ownership position, visa or premises plan, timing and any route already under consideration. We will identify the decision work that matters before commitment.
