Business Setup Cost Calculator UAE

Yes — this is one. Pick IFZA from the jurisdiction list, set your visa count and activity, and it returns a 2026 all-in estimate rather than a bare licence teaser. On current data an IFZA licence with no visas estimates from about AED 12,900, an IFZA licence with one residence visa from about AED 15,400 all-in, and each additional visa about AED 4,500. All figures are researched estimates (±25%), not quotes — IFZA does not publish a public rate card, so these are cross-checked consultant figures. For a firm number, request a quote.

The cost of setting up a business in Dubai depends almost entirely on jurisdiction and visa count. Among zones that publish a tariff, RAKEZ advertises a Starter Package at AED 6,000 and Meydan a digital trade licence from AED 12,500 (rakez.com and meydanfz.ae, both checked Aug 2026); a Dubai mainland LLC and a premium financial-centre setup (DIFC/ADGM) are both quoted rather than published, and the financial centres cost far more because a physical office is mandatory. Use the calculator above to estimate your own case — all figures are 2026 estimates, not quotes.

Only a few zones publish a rate at all. Of those that do, RAKEZ advertises a Starter Package at AED 6,000 and UAQ FTZ an all-inclusive package from AED 2,266 a month (rakez.com and uaqftz.com, both checked Aug 2026). Ajman Free Zone and Hamriyah sit in the same budget bracket but publish no tariff, so treat any figure quoted for them as an estimate until the zone confirms it. 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 far higher than the teaser. DMCC publishes its Basic Biz package with one visa at AED 35,484 (dmcc.ae, checked Aug 2026). JAFZA publishes no licence tariff at all — only warehouse space from AED 400 per sqm (jafza.ae, checked Aug 2026) — so the JAFZA figures in this calculator are our estimates, clearly marked as such. The calculator uses realistic all-in figures, not teasers, so you are 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.

Mostly no, and the page tells you which is which. Only a handful of UAE zones publish a rate card at all; those figures are marked Published and carry the zone's own domain and the month we checked it. Every other figure is marked Estimate — a consultant-derived working number cross-checked across sources, accurate to roughly ±25%, and never a tariff. Real cost moves with your office choice, business activity, 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 with your activity and visa count.

A Dubai mainland licence starts from around AED 22,000 for the bare licence and runs to roughly AED 30,000 all-in with one residence visa and a small Ejari office. The exact figure depends on your activity group (commercial, professional or industrial), the DED/DET fees for that activity, and whether external approvals apply. Mainland costs more than most free zones but lets you trade anywhere in the UAE. Use the calculator above to model your own case.

Setup is a one-off; the recurring costs are annual licence renewal, office rent, visa renewals every 2 years, and mandatory accounting compliance — bookkeeping, VAT returns (if you cross the AED 375,000 registration threshold) and the annual corporate tax return. Most zones also charge an establishment-card renewal. Budgeting for year-two compliance early avoids surprises; Velmont Crest handles the accounting side once you're licensed.

A straightforward free-zone licence can be issued in a few working days once your name reservation and documents are approved; residence visas add roughly one to three weeks for the medical, Emirates ID and stamping stack. Mainland setups and regulated activities that need external approvals take longer. Cost and timeline both move with your activity type and visa count — the calculator above estimates the cost side.

Not always. Most budget and mid-range free zones (IFZA, Meydan, Ajman, RAKEZ, SHAMS) bundle a flexi-desk into the licence, so no separate lease is needed for a small visa quota. Premium financial centres (DIFC, ADGM) and some logistics zones (JAFZA) do mandate a fitted physical office, which is the single biggest cost driver — commonly estimated at AED 50,000 to 100,000 or more, though none of those zones publishes an office tariff we could verify. Mainland companies normally need an Ejari-registered office.

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.