Free zone company setup in Dubai. And every other emirate.

That is the normal starting point, and it is the decision the call is most useful for. Arriving with a zone already chosen from a price comparison is how people end up with a license that does not cover what they actually do. Start with the business and the zone follows. 30 minutes, free, no obligation — and if a free zone is the wrong answer for you entirely, you will hear that too.

There is no single best free zone, and anyone naming one before asking what you do is selling rather than advising. It comes down to four things: the activity you need licensed, how many residence visas you want to hold, whether you need physical space, and whether the zone’s name matters to your customers or your bank. A consultancy and a trading business importing stock have almost nothing in common in this decision. We shortlist against what you are actually building, and because we are a partnered CSP with almost every zone in the UAE, there is none we are incentivised to push. However you have phrased the search — business setup in Dubai free zone, business setup in UAE free zone, or simply a free zone license UAE-wide — it is the same conversation.

Broadly, and as a starting point rather than a rule: IFZA is usually chosen on cost for general trading and service licenses; Meydan Free Zone suits service and consultancy businesses wanting a Dubai address without taking premises; DMCC is the established commodities and trading zone, with a name that carries weight with banks and counterparties, at a higher price. Each sets its own activity list, visa allocation and fees, and those change, so the comparison that matters is against your activity rather than against each other in the abstract.

Free zone licenses start from AED 12,500 in Dubai and AED 9,999 in the other emirates, and an e-commerce license starts from AED 5,999. Your figure depends on the zone, the activities you license, how many residence visas you need and whether you take any physical space. Those starting prices exclude government and authority fees, which vary by zone and activity. Mainland we quote individually, because premises and approvals vary too widely for a published number to be useful. Payment plans are available, so the cost can be spread rather than paid up front.

Yes. A free zone license supports a renewable investor or partner residence visa, typically for 2 years, and you can sponsor family on it — spouse, children and in many cases parents. A free zone visa and an investor visa are the same residence visa — the name follows your shareholding, not a different permit. How many you can hold is generally capped by your package, and more can usually be added at extra cost — the free zone visa Dubai cost is quoted per person alongside your license rather than bundled into a headline figure. The medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics are done in person in the UAE; the rest does not require you to be here. One thing worth saying plainly: a company license does not grant a Golden Visa, which is a separate route with its own criteria.

Not directly, in most cases. A free zone license is built for selling internationally and within your own zone; reaching the UAE domestic market usually means appointing a local distributor or opening a mainland branch. If your customers are overseas, this restriction will probably never affect you. If you intend to sell to UAE businesses and consumers, mainland is likely the better answer, and we will say so rather than selling you the cheaper license and letting you find out.

It matters less than people expect for a business trading internationally, and more than expected for banking and perception. Zones in Ajman, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain are generally cheaper than Dubai and work well for straightforward trading and service companies. A Dubai license can be easier to explain to a bank or a counterparty, and some sectors effectively expect one. We will tell you honestly when the cheaper emirate is the sensible answer. Note that we handle mainland licensing in Dubai only — outside Dubai we work through the free zones.

Both are free zones, despite often being discussed separately. DIFC in Dubai and ADGM in Abu Dhabi are financial free zones operating under their own common-law frameworks and their own courts, which is what sets them apart from the others. They suit finance, fintech, funds, asset holding and corporate structures, and they are priced accordingly. They are not a route to a mainland license.

Typically 2–5 working days for the license itself once your documentation is complete and no external approval is outstanding. Some zones are faster than others, and an activity that needs a regulator’s sign-off runs to the regulator’s timeline rather than the zone’s. Residence visas generally add a week or two after the license is issued. We tell you at the proposal stage which of those apply to you.

Bank onboarding is where most new companies stall, and it depends on your activity, your structure, your own profile and how the file is presented. Some zones are better received by some banks than others, which is one of the quieter reasons the zone choice matters. We prepare the application to the standard UAE banks expect and introduce you to banks that accept your profile. No consultant can guarantee a bank’s decision, and you should be wary of any who claims otherwise.