Business Setup Cost Calculator UAE

It depends almost entirely on jurisdiction and visa count. The cheapest genuine free-zone licence with one residence visa is around AED 12,500 (KEZAD), a Dubai mainland LLC with one visa runs about AED 30,000, and a premium financial-centre setup (DIFC/ADGM) starts well above AED 90,000 because a physical office is mandatory. Use the calculator above to estimate your own case — all figures are 2026 estimates, not quotes.

For a bare 0-visa licence, Ajman Free Zone (from ~AED 5,555) and Hamriyah (from ~AED 5,000) are the lowest. But once you need a residence visa, UAQ Free Zone's all-inclusive AED 12,500 bundle (licence + 1 visa + medical + Emirates ID + co-working) is usually the best real value, with Ajman and RAKEZ close behind. The 'from AED X' teasers you see advertised almost always exclude the visa and office — always compare licence + visa + office together.

Free zones are usually cheaper to start (from ~AED 12,500 with a visa) and give 100% ownership without a local partner, but they trade primarily within the free zone or internationally. A Dubai mainland licence (from ~AED 22,000) costs more and normally needs an Ejari office, but lets you trade anywhere in the UAE and take on government or local-market contracts. The right answer depends on who your customers are, not just price.

Those low headline numbers are the bare licence fee only. DMCC and JAFZA both require you to lease physical space (a flexi-desk at minimum), so the realistic all-in first-year cost is higher than the teaser — around AED 22,500 for DMCC and AED 30,000–49,000 for JAFZA (flexi-desk vs warehouse). The calculator uses the realistic all-in figure, not the teaser, so you're not surprised later.

Yes. Each residence visa is a stack — entry permit, status change, medical, Emirates ID, stamping and mandatory insurance — roughly AED 3,000–6,000 per employee visa and more for an investor visa. The calculator adds this per visa on top of the licence + office base. Visas also renew on a 2-year cycle, not annually.

No — they are 2026 estimates (±25%) built from official zone rate cards where published and 3+ consultant sources cross-checked where not. Real cost moves with your office choice, business activity (regulated activities add external approvals), visa type and current promotions. Government line items are fixed; the swing is mostly office rent and visa count. For an exact figure, message us on WhatsApp with your activity and visa count.

A handful — JAFZA, DAFZA and (conditionally) DMCC — are VAT designated zones, which changes how VAT applies to goods moved in and out. Most others (IFZA, Meydan, Ajman, RAKEZ, SHAMS, etc.) are not. If VAT treatment on physical goods matters to you, tell us and we'll factor it into the recommendation — it rarely changes the setup cost but can change your ongoing VAT position.