What it costs to set up a company in Dubai
A Dubai free zone company with one residence visa costs AED 27,925 in the first year at IFZA and AED 27,145 at Meydan. That includes our service fee of AED 5,500 and AED 5,500 plus 5% VAT, which we show on separate lines. Renewal then costs AED 20,775 and AED 20,245 a year. Choose a zone and the number of visas below to see every line and its source.
Your setup cost, line by line
IFZA, 1 visa: year 1 AED 27,925, including VAT on our fee
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Free zone and government fees (the client price, as each body quotes it) | |
| IFZA commercial licence, 1 year, 1 visa | AED 11,400 |
| IFZA annual licence registration fee | AED 3,500 |
| IFZA establishment card, first year | AED 2,000 |
| IFZA residence visa administration fee, 2 years | AED 2,890 |
| IFZA residence visa processing fee, 2 years | AED 860 |
| Medical test and Emirates ID, fast-track (medical centre, Emirates ID card and quick delivery) | AED 1,500 |
| Subtotal | AED 22,150 |
| StartSmart service fee | |
| Setup handling: incorporation, dealing with IFZA, and the bank account introduction at no extra charge | AED 3,500 |
| Residence visa and Emirates ID processing | AED 2,000 |
| VAT 5% on our fee | AED 275 |
| Subtotal, including VAT | AED 5,775 |
| Total | AED 27,925 |
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Free zone and government fees (the client price, as each body quotes it) | |
| IFZA licence renewal, 1 year, 1 visa | AED 11,400 |
| IFZA annual licence registration fee | AED 3,500 |
| IFZA establishment card renewal | AED 2,200 |
| Subtotal | AED 17,100 |
| StartSmart service fee | |
| Licence renewal handling | AED 3,500 |
| VAT 5% on our fee | AED 175 |
| Subtotal, including VAT | AED 3,675 |
| Total | AED 20,775 |
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Free zone and government fees (the client price, as each body quotes it) | |
| IFZA residence visa renewal fees, 2 years | AED 3,750 |
| Medical test and Emirates ID, fast-track (medical centre, Emirates ID card and quick delivery) | AED 1,500 |
| Subtotal | AED 5,250 |
| StartSmart service fee | |
| Residence visa renewal handling | AED 2,500 |
| VAT 5% on our fee | AED 125 |
| Subtotal, including VAT | AED 2,625 |
| Total | AED 7,875 |
| Government and third-party costs | AED 61,600 |
|---|---|
| StartSmart service fee | AED 15,000 |
| VAT 5% on our fee | AED 750 |
| Total | AED 77,350 |
Year 1, two renewal years and one visa renewal in year 3, added up from the lines above.
The figures assume that visa holders apply from outside the UAE, standard visas, no promotion from the authority, and payment by bank transfer.
Our fee is shown with 5% VAT. Free zone and government fees are shown as each body charges them, including any VAT that body adds.
Why we show our fee. The free zone and government lines are the prices those bodies set; the StartSmart service fee is the price we set for our work. Showing the two apart lets you compare our fee with any other provider's.
Not included
- Health insurance, which every visa holder needs. The insurer prices it per person, so we quote it separately.
- A VIP medical package. The figure above is the fast-track route for the medical test and Emirates ID.
- Attestation of documents issued outside the UAE, when the authority asks for it.
- The bank's own charges, such as account fees or a minimum balance.
- Office space beyond the free zone package. At IFZA, four or more visas need an office lease in an IFZA building.
- IFZA's 2.25% surcharge when its invoice is paid by card. The figures assume a bank transfer.
- Multi-year licences. Both zones discount the licence when you pay several years ahead; we quote these on request.
- Extra activity groups, and activities that need an approval from another authority.
Costs that apply only in some cases
- Visa status change, for a visa holder who is already in the UAEAED 1,600 per person
- Investor or partner visa, when the visa holder is a shareholderAED 1,000 per visa
- VIP e-visa (entry permit within 24 hours), optionalAED 2,000 per person
- Cross-activity fee, when activities from different groups are combined (often waived on a new licence)AED 2,000
- Late renewal penalty, charged on the licence and on the establishment cardAED 1,000 per month
Our other services, not part of the setup
- Corporate tax registration, always together with the yearly corporate tax returnAED 1,500 + 5% VAT
- Corporate tax returnAED 2,500 a year + 5% VAT
- Bookkeeping, in four packages by volumeAED 6,000–36,000 a year + 5% VAT
Figures checked on 10 October 2026 · sources
Who you deal with
- Company
- StartSmart Business Solutions L.L.C-FZ
- Licence
- Meydan Free Zone licence 2416833.01
- Businesses set up
- 150+
- Languages
- English and Dutch
The team: Abdenasser Ouled Radi, Founder & CEOMohamed Moussaoui, Head of Sales & OperationsOmar Said, Head of IT
From first call to bank account
Free 30-minute diagnosis call
We go through where you live now, what the company will sell and to whom, the profit you expect, your timeline and whether you plan to move to the UAE.
A written quote
You receive a quote that lists the government and third-party costs and our fee on separate lines, as on this page.
Licence, visa and bank
Once you accept, we file the licence application, arrange the establishment card and residence visas, book the medical test and Emirates ID, and apply for the corporate bank account with you.
IFZA and Meydan side by side
Both are Dubai free zones. We can set up a company in any UAE free zone, and most of our clients choose IFZA. The figures below are for one residence visa; use the calculator above for other visa counts.
IFZA
The licence price steps up with each visa in the quota. Four or more visas need an office lease in an IFZA building.
Meydan
One licence price for up to three activity groups, whatever the visa quota. Each visa adds a yearly allocation fee, and a shared desk is part of every licence.
| IFZA | Meydan | |
|---|---|---|
| First year | ||
| Government and third-party costs | AED 22,150 | AED 21,370 |
| StartSmart service fee | AED 5,500 | AED 5,500 |
| VAT 5% on our fee | AED 275 | AED 275 |
| Total | AED 27,925 | AED 27,145 |
| Each renewal year | ||
| Government and third-party costs | AED 17,100 | AED 16,570 |
| StartSmart service fee | AED 3,500 | AED 3,500 |
| VAT 5% on our fee | AED 175 | AED 175 |
| Total | AED 20,775 | AED 20,245 |
| Visa renewal (every 2 years) | ||
| Government and third-party costs | AED 5,250 | AED 5,000 |
| StartSmart service fee | AED 2,500 | AED 2,500 |
| VAT 5% on our fee | AED 125 | AED 125 |
| Total | AED 7,875 | AED 7,625 |
| Three years | ||
| Government and third-party costs | AED 61,600 | AED 59,510 |
| StartSmart service fee | AED 15,000 | AED 15,000 |
| VAT 5% on our fee | AED 750 | AED 750 |
| Total | AED 77,350 | AED 75,260 |
Disclosure: StartSmart is itself a Meydan Free Zone licensee (licence 2416833.01).
Common questions
What is included in the price?
The first-year figure covers the licence and the authority's other yearly fees, the establishment card, the residence visa fees, the medical test, the Emirates ID, and our own fee for setting up the company and processing each visa, with 5% VAT on our fee. Our setup fee also covers the introduction to a bank for the corporate account, at no extra charge. Health insurance, the bank's own charges, document attestation and office space outside the free zone package are not included; the calculator lists them.
Why is your fee on a separate line?
So you can see which part the free zone, the medical centre and ICP set, and which part is our fee. Their lines are their client prices; our service fee is the only part we set, and it stands on its own so you can compare it directly with any other provider's fee. We add 5% VAT to our fee on a row of its own and add nothing to their lines.
Why do I pay again every year?
A free zone licence runs for one year. At renewal the authority charges the licence again, with its yearly fees and the establishment card renewal; at Meydan each visa also carries a yearly allocation fee. Our renewal fee covers preparing and filing the renewal. Residence visas run for two years, so each visa is renewed every second year, and the 3-year total includes that renewal.
How long does it take?
Plan on two to four weeks from a complete application to the licence, the establishment card and the residence visa, and up to four more weeks for the corporate bank account, whose pace the bank sets. The visa steps need you in the UAE for the medical test and the Emirates ID biometrics. Your quote puts a date on each step. If the licence is needed fast, Meydan says it typically issues a standard licence within 24 hours, and its Fawri licence for a company with a single owner in under 60 minutes, at AED 15,000.
Can I do this without living in Dubai?
Yes. The licence is applied for and signed remotely, and you can own the company from anywhere. A residence visa needs one trip to the UAE for the medical test and the Emirates ID biometrics, and banks often ask to meet the account holder in person. Where you live still matters for tax: a company you run from your home country can be taxed there. We go through that on the diagnosis call.
What if I need four or more visas?
Ask us. A larger visa quota changes the licence package, and at IFZA four or more visas need an office lease in an IFZA building. We price these on request, after the diagnosis call.
Written by Mohamed Moussaoui, Head of Sales & OperationsLast updated Next review
Where the figures come from: Meydan's figures come from Meydan's own public pages, and the medical test and Emirates ID from Smart Salem and ICP, all linked under Sources. IFZA publishes no price list, so its figures are the fees IFZA charged in October 2026. Our own fees come from our price list. All figures were checked on 10 October 2026.
Sources
- Smart Salem: visa medical test, with ICP's Emirates ID fees, fast-track and delivery, checked
- Meydan Free Zone: licence packages and add-ons, checked
- Meydan Free Zone cost calculator, checked
- Meydan Free Zone: company setup cost breakdown, checked
- Meydan Free Zone: cost of running a business in Dubai, checked
- ICP (Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship): Emirates ID fees, checked
- UAE government portal: VAT, checked
Book your free 30-minute diagnosis call
We go through your situation, check which zone and how many visas fit, and send you a written quote with the government costs and our fee on separate lines.