Guide · updated 16.10.2026 · 10 min read · Lucent Legal team

Cheapest free zone in the UAE: official prices and what they leave out

"Licence from AED 5,500" is true, but that is a licence price without a visa, and sometimes without the establishment card. We checked the official free zone websites and listed only the figures each zone publishes itself. Check date: 16 October 2026. Zones change prices without notice, so confirm on the zone's site before you pay.

Price table as of 16 October 2026

Every figure is "as of the check date" and comes from the zones' own pages (links under Sources). SHAMS publishes its prices as images on the packages page. We left UAQ Free Trade Zone out: its official promotion pages show different amounts for the same package, and the pages date from 2023.

What hides behind "from"

A "from" price almost always means the minimum set: one owner, one activity group, a coworking seat or flexi-desk. The first year adds:

• Establishment card and e-channel registration. You cannot issue visas without them. At Meydan the card starts at AED 2,000; SHAMS charges e-channel separately.
• Owner's visa. SPC from AED 4,495, which includes the medical test (AED 365) and Emirates ID (AED 330). Meydan from AED 4,000 for an investor visa.
• Health insurance for each visa holder.
• Extra shareholders and activities. SPC includes up to 7 shareholders; each additional one costs AED 1,000.
• Renewal. A yearly payment of the same order. SPC, SHAMS and Meydan do not publish renewal prices on their sites. RAKEZ promises the same renewal price for the SME package. DMCC renews the flexi package with a visa for AED 35,564 a year.

So compare the first-year and second-year totals for "licence + establishment card + one visa + insurance", not the licence price.

Example: first year with one visa

Using published figures only, without insurance or agent fees:

• Fujairah Creative City: AED 9,999 for the Elite package with one visa; the zone does not say whether the visa issuance fee is included.
• SPC: licence from 5,750 + owner's visa from 4,495 = from AED 10,245, plus the establishment card at the zone's tariff.
• RAKEZ SME: AED 14,000 with one visa on the offer.
• Meydan: licence from 12,500 + establishment card from 2,000 + investor visa from 4,000 = from AED 18,500, plus medical test and Emirates ID.
• DMCC: AED 43,780 with a visa on a flexi-desk.

The gap between Sharjah or Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai runs several times over. You pay it for a Dubai address, for the zone's standing with banks and counterparties, and for access to the Dubai market through a DET permit.

A cheap zone does not suit everyone

The cheapest licence pays off if:

• you work for clients abroad and need no office in Dubai;
• the company has one or two people;
• the zone lists your activity and it needs no separate regulator.

A pricier zone earns its cost when:

• you need a team and an office with real floor space for the visa quota;
• counterparties or your bank expect a specific zone (banks know the large Dubai zones better);
• you plan to serve clients in mainland Dubai, since DET issues its permit to Dubai free zone companies;
• you need QFZP status: proving real presence with a flexi-desk in another emirate is harder.

If your main market is inside the UAE, read free zone vs mainland first: the cheapest free zone can cost more than the mainland once a middleman takes a cut of every deal.

Tax is the same in every zone

The zone's price does not change your tax duties. Every free zone company must register with the FTA for corporate tax. The 0% rate on all profit applies only with QFZP status; otherwise you pay 9% on profit above AED 375,000. A small business with revenue up to AED 3 million can claim Small Business Relief, but not together with QFZP status.

Topic: Doing Business in the UAE

Get a lawyer's help: Company formation in the UAE

This material is for information only and is not legal advice. UAE law changes — a lawyer will assess how it applies to your situation.