Executive Summary: A Dubai free zone company costs around AED 35,000 (about USD $9,500) all-in for a solo founder with one visa, or roughly AED 44,400 ($12,100) for two founders. A zero-visa license starts at AED 12,900 ($3,513). The dirham is pegged at 3.6725 to the dollar, so USD figures stay stable. Quotes below AED 5,000 usually exclude the visa, medical, and establishment card. This guide breaks down every fee in both currencies.
If you have been researching the cost of a Dubai free zone company, you have already run into the problem: the numbers are all over the place. One agency quotes AED 6,000. Another says AED 30,000. Someone on a forum swears they did it for $5,000 all-in. So who is telling the truth?
The honest answer is that most of them are quoting one slice of the total and leaving the rest for later.
This guide fixes that. It breaks down every real cost of setting up a Dubai free zone company in 2026, in both AED and USD, so you can budget in the currency that suits you.
Government fees, the mandatory steps cheap quotes skip, the difference between a “license fee” and a genuine all-in total, and what a realistic budget actually looks like for a solo founder, two partners, or a family. No bait-and-switch, no vague ranges.
GenZone has handled this process for more than 1,400 founders across 50-plus countries, so the figures below are the ones we actually work with, not marketing bait.
Quick answer: how much does a Dubai free zone company cost?
For anyone who just wants the total before the detail, here it is.
A realistic all-in budget for a solo founder with one residency visa is approximately AED 35,000 (around USD $9,500). That figure includes the trade license, one visa, the establishment card, the government medical and biometrics, corporate and personal bank account setup, and a full-service agency fee. Nothing bolted on afterward.
The three most common variations:
| Setup | All-in cost (AED) | All-in cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Zero-visa license (you already hold UAE residency) | From around AED 12,900 | From around $3,513 |
| Solo founder, 1 visa (most common) | Around AED 35,000 | Around $9,500 |
| Two founders, 2 visas | Around AED 44,400 | Around $12,100 |
Government fees in the UAE are set in dirhams and the dirham is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of 3.6725 AED to 1 USD. That peg is why the dollar figures below barely move year to year, and why you can budget in USD with confidence.
For readers elsewhere, roughly AED 35,000 works out to about GBP 7,400, EUR 8,700, or INR 800,000 at typical 2026 rates, though those cross rates float and the AED and USD numbers are the fixed ones.
Now the detail that actually matters.
The complete cost breakdown (every line item, AED and USD)
Here is the full stack for the most common setup, a solo founder taking one residency visa. Every figure is shown in both currencies.
| Line item | Cost (AED) | Cost (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free zone trade license (with 1 visa allocation) | AED 14,900 | ~$4,057 | The core cost. Varies by free zone and visa count. |
| Visa processing (per person) | AED 3,750 | ~$1,021 | Entry permit, status change, stamping. |
| Establishment card | AED 2,000 | ~$545 | Mandatory. Lets your company sponsor visas. |
| Medical and biometrics (VVIP, per person) | AED 3,230 | ~$879 | Government requirement for Emirates ID. |
| Corporate and personal bank account setup | ~AED 1,836 | $500 | Both accounts, priced in USD. |
| Agency service fee | ~AED 9,181 | $2,500 | One-time, end-to-end coordination. |
| All-in total (solo founder, 1 visa) | ~AED 34,900 | ~$9,500 | Call it roughly $9,000 to $9,600. |
That total is the number cheap quotes hide. Below, each line is explained so you can see exactly what you are paying for and where the low-ball quotes cut corners.
1. The free zone trade license
This is the core cost, and the “dubai free zone license cost” that most searches are really trying to pin down. It varies on one key factor: how many visa allocations you need.
Zero-visa license: AED 12,900 (around USD $3,513). This is for people who already hold UAE residency through another route, for example a Golden Visa earned through a property investment of AED 2 million or more. If you already have your Emirates ID, you do not need a visa allocation under the company, so you can take this lower-cost license.
License with 1 visa allocation: AED 14,900 (around USD $4,057). The most common starting point. The extra AED 2,000 above the base license adds one visa slot, meaning the company can sponsor one person, usually the founder, for UAE residency.
Each additional visa allocation: AED 2,000 (around USD $545) per slot. Bringing on a partner or an employee who also needs an Emirates ID adds AED 2,000 per person to the license.
One thing cheap quotes never mention: if your company accumulates a large number of visa allocations, some free zones require a larger physical office or a dedicated flexi desk, which adds to the cost. GenZone flags this on the first call so it never surprises you later.
2. Visa processing
Adding a visa allocation to your license does not process the visa. It only means your company is allowed to sponsor one. The actual stamping is a separate cost.
Cost per visa: AED 3,750 (around USD $1,021).
This covers the full cycle: entry permit, status change if you are already in the country on a tourist visa, the medical examination, Emirates ID biometrics, and visa stamping. If several people need UAE residency under the company, a co-founder, a spouse, an employee, multiply this figure by the number of people.
3. The establishment card
This is the line item that catches people who have only seen basic setup quotes online. It is a genuine “establishment card cost dubai free zone” that many agencies leave out entirely.
Cost: AED 2,000 (around USD $545).
The establishment card, sometimes called the immigration card, gives your company the legal right to sponsor employees and residents. Without it, your company cannot sponsor any visa, including your own. It is mandatory for any company with visa allocations, and it is a one-time cost at setup.
4. Medical, biometrics and the Unified Number
Every person taking a UAE residency visa must complete a medical examination and a biometric scan before the Emirates ID is issued. This is a government requirement and cannot be skipped. During this stage you are also assigned a Unified Number, a permanent identifier the UAE immigration system uses to link all of your visa records over time, which is why several searchers ask “what is unified number.” You do not pay for it separately, it is issued as part of the process.
What most agencies do not explain is that the medical comes in service tiers, and the difference between them is measured in days.
Standard processing takes 10 to 14 days, with the medical and biometrics on separate visits scheduled days apart.
VIP processing completes the medical the same day, with results in 30 to 60 minutes, but the biometrics appointment is still scheduled 3 to 5 business days later.
VVIP processing completes both the medical and biometrics on the same day, in a single visit.
VVIP medical and biometrics: AED 3,230 (around USD $879) per person.
For most people flying in specifically to complete their setup, the gap between Standard and VVIP is the difference between a two-week trip and a three-to-five-day trip. At roughly $100 to $150 a night for accommodation, that saved week usually pays for the VVIP tier several times over.
5. Corporate and personal bank account setup
Opening a bank account in Dubai is not a walk-in-and-sign affair. Banks assess your profile, nationality, business activity, and source of funds, and how your documents are presented matters. A rejection or a placement with the wrong bank can cost you months.
Business and personal bank account setup: USD $500 (around AED 1,836).
This covers both your corporate account and your personal UAE account. Good preparation makes a real difference here, the right documents and the right bank match dramatically improve first-attempt approval. Some providers charge $1,000 or more for a personal account alone. The work is the same regardless of who does it, so the price does not need to double.
WIO is a common choice for founders because it has no minimum deposit and activates quickly. Emirates NBD offers broader global banking but asks for an AED 15,000 minimum deposit. RAKBANK and Mashreq are also solid options depending on your profile. GenZone matches you to the right one and takes no kickback from any bank.
6. Agency service fee
Most people use a firm to manage the setup, especially the first time. You pay a one-time service fee for the coordination, consultation, and handling of every government step.
Typical service fee: USD $2,500 (around AED 9,181).
This should cover the entire setup: free zone selection, license application, visa coordination, medical and biometric scheduling, banking assistance, and government follow-ups. A few things to watch for:
- Some agencies hide the service fee and reveal it after you are committed.
- Many charge an ongoing annual “management fee” of $1,000 to $3,000 just to renew your license, separate from the government renewal fee, often buried in the contract.
- Some lock you into contracts with a penalty for leaving.
The government renewal fee is fixed. Any agency fee stacked on top at renewal time is a business decision by that agency, not a government requirement. GenZone does not charge hidden renewal management fees, and there is no lock-in penalty.
Registration fees, formation cost, setup cost: same thing
A quick note, because the search terms suggest real confusion here. People look up “dubai free zone company registration fees,” “dubai freezone company formation cost,” and “free zone company setup cost” as if they are three different products. They are not. They are three names for the same thing: the total cost of getting your company registered, licensed, and operational.
“Registration fees” tends to mean the government and free zone charges. “Formation cost” and “setup cost” usually mean the whole job including service. When you compare quotes, the only question that matters is what is actually included: license, visa, establishment card, medical, and banking, or just the license with the rest waiting to appear later. Price the whole job, not one word of it.
All-in scenarios (AED and USD)
Here are the realistic packages for the most common situations, each shown in both currencies.
Solo founder, 1 visa (the most common setup)
| Item | AED | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Free zone license with 1 visa allocation | AED 14,900 | ~$4,057 |
| Visa processing | AED 3,750 | ~$1,021 |
| Establishment card | AED 2,000 | ~$545 |
| VVIP medical and biometrics | AED 3,230 | ~$879 |
| Bank account setup | ~AED 1,836 | $500 |
| Agency service fee | ~AED 9,181 | $2,500 |
| Total (approx.) | ~AED 35,200 | ~$9,576 |
Two founders, 2 visas
| Item | AED | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Free zone license with 2 visa allocations | AED 16,900 | ~$4,602 |
| Visa processing (x2) | AED 7,500 | ~$2,042 |
| Establishment card | AED 2,000 | ~$545 |
| VVIP medical and biometrics (x2) | AED 7,000 | ~$1,906 |
| Bank account setup | ~AED 1,836 | $500 |
| Agency service fee | ~AED 9,181 | $2,500 |
| Total (approx.) | ~AED 44,400 | ~$12,100 |
Zero-visa license (you already hold UAE residency)
| Item | AED | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Free zone license, zero visa | AED 12,900 | ~$3,513 |
| Bank account setup (optional) | ~AED 1,836 | $500 |
| Agency service fee (optional) | ~AED 9,181 | $2,500 |
| License only | AED 12,900 | ~$3,513 |
Each extra person beyond the founder adds roughly AED 2,000 (visa allocation) plus AED 3,750 (visa processing) plus AED 3,500 (medical), which is about AED 9,250, or around USD $2,500 per head. That applies whether you are adding a business partner, a spouse, or a child on a dependent visa. This is also the answer for anyone asking about setting up a holding company with family members on the license: budget one visa stack per person who needs residency.
Why you see quotes as low as AED 5,000 to 7,000
This is the section to read if you have already been shopping around and have a cheap quote in hand. Those low numbers almost always share one or more of these traits.
It is a zero-visa license. A license with no visa allocation gives you no Emirates ID and no path to UAE tax residency. If tax residency is why you are setting up, which it is for most people, a zero-visa license does not give you what you came for.
Visa, medical and establishment card are excluded. The license is quoted, but visa processing (AED 3,750), the establishment card (AED 2,000), and the medical (AED 3,500) are left out. They reappear once you are committed.
It is not actually a Dubai company. Some agencies advertise “UAE setup” at these prices and register you in Ajman or Ras Al Khaimah. That is a different product with different banking access and real limitations, not the Dubai company you thought you were buying.
Hidden renewal fees come later. The setup looks cheap, then the agency locks you into a management contract charging $1,000 to $3,000 a year just to renew. Over three years, the “cheap” option costs more than a transparent one.
So is there a genuinely cheapest option? Yes, and it is the zero-visa license at AED 12,900 if you already hold residency, or a lower-cost outer-emirate zone if you are willing to accept weaker banking. But for the outcome most people actually want, a Dubai company, an Emirates ID, tax residency, and a working bank account, the honest floor is the AED 35,000 range, and anyone quoting far below that is quoting a different product.
Free zone vs mainland cost
The costs above are for a free zone company, which is the right fit for the large majority of international founders. The main alternative is a Dubai mainland company, licensed by the Department of Economic Development.
The short version on cost: free zone is generally cheaper to start and does not require a physical office, since a virtual office arrangement is fully compliant. Mainland requires a registered physical office and Ejari tenancy registration, which adds to the cost, but it lets you trade directly with the UAE local market across all seven emirates and bid for government contracts, which free zone companies cannot do directly.
Choose free zone if your clients are international and you want the lowest-cost, fastest route to residency and banking. Choose mainland if your focus is selling into the UAE domestic market. GenZone will tell you honestly which one fits, and we do not upsell mainland to someone who only needs a free zone.
The zero-tax reason the license costs what it does
In Canada, the UK, or Spain, registering a company can cost a few hundred dollars and take a few days online. Dubai is more expensive, and the reason matters.
A Dubai free zone license is not just permission to trade. It is the foundation that lets you obtain UAE tax residency, open corporate and personal UAE bank accounts, receive an Emirates ID, and live and operate with 0% personal income tax when structured correctly. Free zone companies also pay 0% corporate tax on qualifying income. You are not buying a business registration. You are buying a whole structure. That is what the price reflects.
What are the annual costs after setup?
The figures above are one-time. Running the company also carries annual costs. Budget for these from the start.
| Ongoing item | Cost (AED) | Cost (USD) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| License renewal | AED 15,000 to 17,000 | ~$4,084 to $4,629 | Per year |
| Visa renewal | AED 3,750 per person | ~$1,021 | Every 2 to 3 years |
| Accounting and compliance | Varies by transaction volume | Varies | Per year |
Government renewal fees are fixed. As noted above, any agency management fee stacked on top is optional, not mandatory. If you want the full picture of running costs, we cover it in detail in how much it costs to maintain a Dubai company.
And what it costs to close, if you ever exit
A complete cost picture includes the exit, and closing a Dubai company properly is cheaper and simpler than winding one up in most Western countries. It runs about USD $2,330 (around AED 8,560) in government fees for a single-visa company, or roughly $3,330 (around AED 12,235) all-in with GenZone managing it, over three to four weeks. The one rule that matters: never just stop renewing and walk away, because unpaid fines accumulate and surface the next time you enter the UAE. The full breakdown is in our guide to what it costs to close your Dubai company.
Do you need to visit Dubai to set up?
Yes, at least once. The medical examination and biometric scan for your Emirates ID must be done in person in Dubai. There is no remote option for that step. The company registration itself can be done remotely before you fly in.
Most people complete the whole thing in 3 to 7 days depending on the medical tier they choose. With VVIP processing the on-the-ground portion compresses to about 3 to 5 days. GenZone schedules and coordinates every appointment so your trip is as short as possible. The typical free zone timeline runs consultation on day one, documents on days one to two, license on days two to four, visa on days four to six, and bank account on days six to eight, fully operational around day ten.
Real founders who did this with GenZone
Numbers are one thing. Here is what the process actually looks like for people who have run global businesses and were not going to settle for a middling provider.
Dr. Mike Diamonds, a medical doctor turned fitness entrepreneur with 1.7 million YouTube subscribers, had lived in six countries across four continents before Dubai. He is not easily impressed, and he does not hand out recommendations lightly. What stood out to him was the service before the sale, and a bank account that opened faster than anything he had seen anywhere. In his words, “I don’t recommend anybody but them.” The full story is here: Dr. Mike Diamonds on why he chose Dubai with GenZone.
Tomer Tzadok, known online as “Coding Jesus,” runs the quant-trading platform getcracked.io to an audience of more than 300,000. He moved his global business from Chicago to Dubai for the weather, the business-friendly environment, and to be closer to family, and he trusted GenZone with everything from company formation and residency through to his ongoing tax and accounting. He also had GenZone open two US LLCs for him. His account is here: how Coding Jesus relocated to Dubai with GenZone.
Why so many people are doing this now
If setting up in Dubai feels like a trend, that is because the data backs it up. The UAE led every destination on the planet for millionaire migration in 2025 with a record net inflow of 9,800, and Dubai’s resident-millionaire population has roughly doubled in a decade to around 81,200. The wealth leaving high-tax countries is arriving here, which means a relocating founder now lands in an established network of peers and advisers rather than a cold start. We dug into the numbers, including Canada’s 69% collapse in millionaire inflow, in why millionaires are leaving Canada for Dubai.
It is worth noting that GenZone’s own co-founders, Kevin McKenzie and Shayan Nasiri, are Canadians who made exactly this move, which is a large part of why the firm was built to handle relocations properly rather than just file paperwork.
A note for international founders
The cost of setting up is the same whether you are applying from London, Mumbai, Manila, Sydney, or Toronto. What changes between nationalities is mainly the banking assessment and, in a few cases, the documents a specific free zone asks for.
For Indian founders, which is one of our largest audiences, the free zone route is popular precisely because it gives full foreign ownership with no local partner, and the AED and USD costs above apply exactly as written. For founders from the US, UK, Australia, Singapore, and across the EU, the same holds. GenZone has set up companies for founders in more than 50 countries, and the banking preparation is tailored to your profile so your application goes in clean the first time.
How GenZone prices this, and how to get an exact quote
Everything above is our real pricing, not a teaser. We give you the full picture upfront: no hidden service fee revealed at checkout, no surprise renewal management charge, and no lock-in penalty. The government portion is the government portion, and our fee is stated plainly.
You have two easy ways to start. Book a free, no-obligation consultation and we will walk you through exactly what your setup costs for your activity, nationality, and visa count, or start directly on the GenZone portal, where company formation, residency, banking, and compliance all live in one place with real advisers behind every step. This is the “can I get a complete quote for free zone business setup today” answer: yes, and the consultation is free.
Already sell to US customers? Consider a US LLC too
Not everyone who reads a Dubai cost guide needs a Dubai company first. If your immediate priority is accepting international payments, invoicing in USD, and getting approved by Stripe, PayPal, Amazon, or Shopify, a US LLC is often the faster, cheaper starting point, and the two structures work well together. It is exactly what GenZone set up for Coding Jesus alongside his Dubai move.
A non-resident can own 100% of a US LLC, with no requirement to be a US citizen or ever set foot in the country. Formation takes 24 to 48 hours, the EIN follows in 3 to 5 days, and the whole thing is remote. GenZone’s US LLC packages are transparent:
| Package | Price (USD) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $499 / year | New founders who want the essentials done right |
| Advanced | $999 / year | Owners who want annual tax filings and banking support |
| Done-For-You | $1,999 / year | A hands-off setup with bookkeeping and compliance included |
If you are weighing Dubai against a US LLC, or considering both, a free call will tell you which order makes sense for your business. Many founders run a US LLC for payment access and a Dubai company for tax residency, and GenZone handles both under one roof.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to set up a company in Dubai?
A realistic all-in budget for a single founder with one visa is approximately AED 35,000 (around USD $9,500). That covers the free zone license, visa processing, establishment card, medical, banking, and agency service fee. Cheaper quotes usually exclude the visa, medical, or establishment card.
How much does a Dubai free zone company setup cost specifically?
The same range. The free zone license itself starts at AED 12,900 (around $3,513) with zero visas or AED 14,900 (around $4,057) with one visa, and the all-in figure for a solo founder lands near AED 35,000 (around $9,500) once you add visa, medical, banking, and service.
What is the cheapest way to set up a company in Dubai?
The genuine cheapest options are a zero-visa license at AED 12,900 if you already hold UAE residency, or an outer-emirate zone with weaker banking. For the outcome most people want, a Dubai company with an Emirates ID, tax residency, and a working bank account, the honest floor is around AED 35,000. Quotes far below that are for a different product.
Can I set up without a visa?
Yes. A zero-visa license costs AED 12,900 (around $3,513). It suits people who already have UAE residency through a Golden Visa or another route. Without a visa you get no Emirates ID and no UAE tax residency, so it only makes sense if you already hold residency.
How much is the establishment card in a Dubai free zone?
AED 2,000 (around USD $545). It is a mandatory one-time cost that gives your company the right to sponsor visas, and it is frequently left out of cheap quotes.
What are the Dubai free zone company registration fees?
“Registration fees,” “formation cost,” and “setup cost” describe the same thing. Budget the full stack: license from AED 12,900 to 14,900, plus visa (AED 3,750), establishment card (AED 2,000), and medical (AED 3,500), plus banking and service.
How much does it cost in US dollars?
Because the dirham is pegged to the dollar at 3.6725 to 1, a solo founder setup is approximately USD $9,500, a two-founder setup approximately $12,100, and a zero-visa license approximately $3,513.
Is there a minimum capital requirement?
Most Dubai free zones have no minimum share capital. Banks, however, typically want an opening deposit of USD $3,000 to $10,000 depending on the institution and your profile.
Can I get UAE tax residency through a free zone company?
Yes. With UAE residency through your company and the required time in the country (typically 90 days a year for the tax residency certificate), you can obtain a UAE tax residency certificate. This is the main reason most founders set up here.
How long does the full setup take?
With VVIP medical processing, most people complete everything within 3 to 5 days in Dubai. Standard processing takes 2 to 3 weeks. The company registration itself can be done remotely before you travel.
Do I pay agency fees every year?
Government renewal fees are mandatory each year. Agency renewal fees are not, they are set by whichever firm you use. GenZone does not charge a hidden annual management fee to renew your license.
Can a non-resident do this from India, the UK, or the US?
Yes. The costs are identical regardless of nationality. Only the banking preparation is tailored to your profile. GenZone has set up companies for founders in more than 50 countries.
Disclaimer: The prices and government fees in this article are based on information available at the time of publication and are subject to change. Government fees are set in AED and converted to USD at the pegged rate of 3.6725 AED to 1 USD. Fees vary by free zone and by the number of visas under the license. For the most up-to-date pricing for your specific company and free zone, contact a GenZone consultant.
