Dubai Free Zones 2026: Complete List of 23 Zones, Costs, Visas and How to Choose

Dubai free zones are designated areas of the emirate, each run by its own authority under a Dubai law or decree, where a company can be wholly foreign-owned, licensed by that authority rather than by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), and sponsor residence visas for its owners and staff. The Government of Dubai’s portal lists 21 of them. They range from the Jebel Ali Free Zone next to the port, opened in 1985, to Expo City Dubai, created by law in 2022. One of them, the Dubai International Financial Centre, is a federal financial free zone with its own civil and commercial laws and courts; the other zones have their own company and licensing regulations but otherwise remain under UAE federal law.

A licence in one of the Dubai free zones lets you trade inside the zone and abroad, but not, by itself, across the Dubai mainland. It gives you an establishment card and a visa quota; the visas are issued by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA Dubai). Since 2023 every free zone company is also inside the corporate tax system.

This pillar guide is a decision tool: who licenses which zone, a master table of all 23 Dubai free zones we cover, business types matched to zones, published costs, visas, tax, mainland trading and the common setup steps. If you are still deciding between a free zone and a mainland licence for business setup in Dubai, read our free zone vs mainland guide first. If you already know you want a free zone and would like someone to run the file, our free zone company setup support covers every zone below. The UAE-wide picture, including Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the northern emirates, is in our free zones in the UAE guide.

Every figure comes from our zone guides, researched from official sources and checked on 26 September 2026. Where sources disagree or a zone publishes nothing, we say so.

Dubai free zones at a glance

The short answers to the questions founders ask first about Dubai free zones, with where each answer comes from.

How Dubai free zones are organised: the eleven licensing authorities

The most useful fact about Dubai free zones is that there is no single Dubai free zone authority. Each zone, or group of Dubai free zones, answers to its own body, with its own regulations, fee schedule, activity list, portal and visa formula.

Jafza and PCFC Investments share one row in our count of eleven because both sit in the PCFC ports group.

DIEZ Dubai free zones: one rulebook for the airport, Silicon Oasis and CommerCity

Dubai Law No. 16 of 2021 created the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority and, from 1 January 2022, placed the Dubai International Airport Free Zone and Dubai Silicon Oasis under it, repealing their separate founding laws. DIEZ Resolution No. 1 of 2022 then approved four free zone areas: the airport free zone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai CommerCity and DAFZA Industrial Park in Al Qusais. They share the DIEZA Implementing Regulations 2023 (FZCO, PLC, branch), so you choose on operations: air-linked goods at DAFZA, technology and a residential campus at Dubai Silicon Oasis, and online retail and fulfilment at Dubai CommerCity.

IFZA belongs in this family too, and the wording matters. IFZA’s own terms describe “IFZA Dubai” as “the International Free Zone Authority area within Dubai Silicon Oasis”, and IFZA companies are formed under the DIEZA regulations. IFZA runs its own platform, packages and partner network, but the free zone on the official list is Dubai Silicon Oasis; see our IFZA company setup guide.

DDA Dubai free zones: nine TECOM communities under one law

The Dubai Development Authority licenses the TECOM Group communities. They share one legal base (Law No. 15 of 2014 as amended in 2018), one company rulebook (the Private Companies Regulations 2016), one licence-category decision (DDA Decision No. 1 of 2021) and one service portal, axs. That is why their fee structure looks identical: AED 3,500 registration, a segment licence that is usually AED 15,000 a year, and AED 20 in Knowledge and Innovation Dirham fees, giving AED 18,520 in year one before rent and visas. What differs is the list of segments each community may license, so your activity fixes the community.

The ports family of Dubai free zones: Jafza, Dubai Maritime City, the Dubai Auto Market and DUQE

Jafza, part of DP World, licenses more than Jebel Ali itself, and our JAFZA company setup guide covers the satellites. Dubai Maritime City’s own page says “the registration of a business license is managed by Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza)”, while marine activity also needs a permit from the Dubai Maritime Authority. Decree No. 52 of 2025 (17 November 2025) created a free zone at Al Aweer First for the Dubai Auto Market and gave Jafza the licensing powers there. The older DUCAMZ is still on the VAT designated zone list but no longer marketed on its own; we found no notice dissolving it, so DUCAMZ licence holders should confirm their renewal route.

DUQE is a different product in the same group. It is operated by PCFC Investments, has licensed companies from the QE2 at Mina Rashid since June 2022, and sells flat-priced packages. It does not publish its licensing decree and is not on dubai.ae’s list, so ask in writing which authority issues your licence; our DUQE free zone company setup guide lists the questions.

Dubai free zones with a single-zone authority

The rest of the Dubai free zones each have one authority: DMCC (Law No. 3 of 2020), DIFC with the DFSA and its own courts, Meydan City Corporation (whose regulations exclude the federal Commercial Companies Law inside the zone), DWTC, Dubai South, Expo City Dubai, Dubai Healthcare City (where, since Law No. 16 of 2024, the Dubai Health Authority licenses clinics and professionals) and Dubai Humanitarian, the former International Humanitarian City.

List of free zones in Dubai: the official 21 and our 23 guides

The Government of Dubai’s page “Free zones in Dubai” (dubai.ae, last modified 3 April 2026) is the official list of free zones in Dubai. It names 21 zones, counting the nine DDA communities separately.

Why our list of free zones in Dubai has 23 entries, not 21

Two names founders search for daily are not on the official list of free zones in Dubai, so each has its own guide.

• IFZA is not a separate zone on dubai.ae because its companies are licensed within Dubai Silicon Oasis under DIEZ’s regulations. IFZA sells through partners and does not publish prices itself.
• DUQE is not on dubai.ae and does not publish its founding decree. It is operated by PCFC Investments and has licensed companies since 2022. We treat that as a reason for care, not as a sign that the licence is invalid: ask DUQE in writing which authority issues your licence, and check the company on the National Economic Register once licensed.

Names that are not separate Dubai free zones

Other names appear in marketing and older lists; none is a separate application route today.

Dubai free zones compared: the master table

These two tables put all 23 Dubai free zones side by side. Every value comes from the zone guide, which cites its source, checked on 26 September 2026. “Not published” means the zone does not publish the figure.

Dubai free zones table 1: authority, speciality and legal forms

Dubai free zones table 2: published cost, official time, VAT and mainland route

“Lowest published cost” is the cheapest line a zone prints, not a year-one budget, and a missing figure is a prompt to ask for an itemised written quotation.

Best free zone in Dubai: choose by business type

There is no single best free zone in Dubai, only the best fit for an activity, a visa count and a way of working. The matrix is our starting shortlist, built from what each zone is licensed for.

Best free zone in Dubai for trading and logistics: Jafza, DAFZ, Dubai South or CommerCity

For goods, choosing among Dubai free zones depends on how they travel. If they arrive by sea in containers, Jafza is the default: it sits beside Jebel Ali Port, offers land from 5,000 square metres, warehouses and showrooms, and is a VAT designated zone. Its visa allocation follows the facility, from two visas on a workstation to 20 initial visas on a plot. If your goods fly and are high-value or time-sensitive, DAFZ next to Dubai International Airport, with cold storage in DAFZ Industrial Park, is the natural home. Dubai South, around Al Maktoum International Airport, serves air cargo and sea-air traders through its bonded corridor to Jebel Ali. Dubai CommerCity, near DXB, is built for e-commerce parcels rather than containers. A rule of thumb from our guides: if your cargo flies, start with Dubai South or DAFZ; if it sails, start with Jafza.

How to choose between Dubai free zones in seven questions

Before you compare prices, answer these questions in order; each one removes Dubai free zones from your list.

1. Is your exact activity on the zone’s list? Ask for written confirmation.
2. Does the activity need another regulator? Financial services (DFSA, CBUAE, VARA), healthcare (DHA), education (KHDA, MoHESR), media (National Media Authority), food or medicines (Dubai Municipality, EDE) each add approvals and time.
3. Will you hold stock? Then you need a warehouse, a 3PL or a designated zone.
4. How many visas do you need in the first two years? Visa quotas follow space or package. Meydan allows up to six visa allocations per licence and DUQE publishes packages only up to six; Jafza, DAFZ and DDA zones grow with the space you lease.
5. Who are your customers? If most are on the Dubai mainland, budget for a Resolution 11/2025 permit or DET branch, or consider a mainland company instead.
6. Will you claim the 0% corporate tax rate? Qualifying income depends on activity and customers, not on the zone’s brand. Mainland-facing service income is usually non-qualifying.
7. What will your bank expect? Substance (an office, staff, local management) helps with banking and tax.

Dubai free zones vs the Dubai mainland

A company in one of the Dubai free zones is licensed to operate inside its zone and to trade outside the UAE; a DET mainland company can trade anywhere in Dubai. Since 2025 the gap is narrower, because Dubai created a formal route for free zone companies to work on the mainland.

Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025 and Dubai free zones

Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025, regulating the conduct of free zone establishments’ activities in the emirate, gives a free zone company two routes through DET:

• A DET branch licence for the free zone company, at AED 10,000 a year, for ongoing mainland operations.
• A Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit, launched by Dubai Media Office on 8 October 2025 at AED 5,000, for defined activities for up to six months.

In most Dubai free zones, both routes need the approval of your free zone authority: the DDA guides describe a DDA NOC, Meydan cites its own NOC and DET approval, and DWTC requires its approval. The Resolution does not apply to DIFC’s financial establishments (Article 2), which stay within the DFSA framework; non-regulated DIFC firms have had a separate route with DET since a 2018 memorandum. Some zones also offer their own dual licence with DET (DAFZ, Dubai CommerCity) or an Invest in Dubai dual licence (DMCC), and Dubai Silicon Oasis lets DET-licensed firms operate in its Administrative Zone. In d3, DET issues mainland licences for units inside the district. DUQE has not confirmed whether it supports Resolution 11/2025 applications, so ask before you rely on it.

Three limits still apply. Goods entering the mainland from Jafza, DAFZ or Dubai South cross Dubai Customs, with duty and VAT. Regulated activity needs its regulator on the mainland too (a DHA facility licence for a clinic, a KHDA permit for a training site). And mainland revenue is usually non-qualifying income for corporate tax.

When the mainland beats Dubai free zones

If most of your customers are walk-in consumers or companies across Dubai, or if you need a retail shop outside a zone, a mainland company is usually the cleaner answer. Our mainland company formation guide explains the DET route, and the free zone vs mainland comparison covers visas, cost and tax side by side.

Dubai free zone company setup cost: how to read the numbers

Dubai free zones present prices in three ways: line-by-line fee schedules (DMCC, Jafza, DDA, DIFC, DHCC, Dubai Humanitarian), packages (Meydan, DUQE, Expo City, Dubai South’s online hub) or quotations only (DAFZ, Dubai CommerCity, IFZA through partners). The honest answer to “what is the Dubai free zone company setup cost?” is to rebuild each option into the same year-one list.

Dubai free zone company setup cost: the year-one lines to put on every quotation

Then add the costs that Dubai free zones do not print: health insurance for each visa holder, the employer’s share of any deposit, the medical fitness test and Emirates ID fees, attestation of corporate documents, bank minimum balances, accounting and audit where the zone requires audited accounts, and corporate tax and VAT registration. Our UAE government fees list covers the federal lines.

Cheapest free zone in Dubai: the honest answer

On published company prices, the cheapest free zone in Dubai sits in a cluster around AED 12,000 to 12,500: DWTC’s base licence, Meydan’s regular licence, DUQE’s zero-visa package and Dubai South’s online hub package. Jafza’s licence and registration lines add up to about AED 10,000 before the immigration card and rent. Below that are permits for individuals rather than companies: the DDA freelance permit at AED 7,500, DAFZ’s Talent Pass at AED 7,500 and Expo City’s freelance package at AED 9,020 including a residence visa. For a pure holding vehicle, DIFC’s prescribed company at USD 100 plus USD 1,000 a year is the lowest licence fee in Dubai, but it needs a corporate service provider or a group structure, which carries its own cost.

The cheapest licence is rarely the cheapest company: add one or two visas and a desk, and the gap between the low-entry Dubai free zones and the DDA communities narrows. Choose the zone whose activity list fits.

Visas and residency across Dubai free zones

Residence works the same way in all Dubai free zones except for the number of visas you may hold. The zone issues your establishment card (Jafza calls it a company immigration card), sets your quota and submits each application; GDRFA Dubai issues the residence visa and ICP the Emirates ID. A Dubai residence file number starts with 2.

How Dubai free zones allocate visas

If you expect to hire, Dubai free zones whose quota grows with space (Jafza, DAFZ, DMCC, DDA, DHCC) scale more easily than a package capped at six. Our guide to increasing a company visa quota explains the mechanics.

The visa process in Dubai free zones

1. Establishment card. Issued once the licence is out; renew it with the licence. See our establishment card guide.
2. Entry permit or change of status. Applied for through the zone’s portal (for example axs in the DDA zones, Dubai Trade for Jafza, the Government Services Office in DIFC).
3. Medical fitness test. At an approved centre in Dubai; our medical fitness test service books it.
4. Emirates ID biometrics. Typing and appointment; see our Emirates ID services.
5. Residence visa issued by GDRFA Dubai and linked to the Emirates ID.

Investors and partners follow the same steps, sponsored by the company. Some zones set a condition: Meydan requires AED 50,000 share capital for an investor visa. Family members are then sponsored by the resident under the normal GDRFA rules, which our family residence visa service covers. Shareholders with larger investments should also look at the Golden Visa routes; see our Golden Visa service. If you would rather hand the whole visa file to one team, our free zone visa services work across all the zones in this guide.

Corporate tax, VAT and customs in Dubai free zones

Corporate tax in Dubai free zones and the Qualifying Free Zone Person

Every company in Dubai free zones is a taxable person under the federal corporate tax law and must register with the Federal Tax Authority, whether or not it owes tax. The standard rate is 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000. A company that meets the Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions pays 0% on qualifying income and 9% on the rest. The conditions, set by Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2023, include adequate substance in the zone, earning qualifying income, not electing to be taxed at the standard rate, meeting transfer pricing rules and preparing audited financial statements. Qualifying activities and excluded activities are now listed in Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025, which repealed Ministerial Decision No. 265 of 2023 with effect from 1 June 2023.

Non-qualifying income must stay under a de minimis limit, the lower of 5% of total revenue or AED 5 million, or the company loses qualifying status. A Qualifying Free Zone Person cannot use Small Business Relief. The registration deadlines come from FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024, and late registration carries an AED 10,000 penalty. Our corporate tax registration guide has the dates.

Which Dubai free zones are VAT designated zones

A designated zone is a fenced, customs-controlled area treated as outside the UAE for VAT on certain movements of goods; services are taxed normally. The Dubai entries on the list published by the Federal Tax Authority (Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017, as amended up to Cabinet Decision No. 81 of 2021) are:

Dubai Textile City (to 4 April 2021) and the Free Zone Area in Al Quoz (to 1 July 2021) have been removed from the list. The other Dubai free zones, DMCC, DIFC, Dubai Silicon Oasis (and so IFZA), Meydan, DWTC, Expo City, DHCC, DUQE and all nine DDA communities are not on the list. The FTA’s live page blocks automated reading, so we used the FTA-published list as amended up to Cabinet Decision No. 81 of 2021; check the current FTA list before you rely on designated-zone treatment for a shipment.

Banking for companies in Dubai free zones

A licence in any of the Dubai free zones does not guarantee a bank account. Banks look for a clear activity, known beneficial owners, the source and destination of funds, and substance such as a lease, staff visas and a resident manager, with the licence, constitutional documents, UBO register and a business plan. Our corporate bank account guide sets out what banks ask for, and our company formation support includes the bank pack.

Setting up in Dubai free zones: the steps common to every zone

Each authority has its own forms and portal, but the order of work is the same in all 23 Dubai free zones. Official time frames, where a zone publishes one, are in the master table above; u.ae gives “within 14 working days” as the general approval time.

1. Confirm the activity on the zone’s list, and whether it needs an external approval (DFSA, VARA, DHA, KHDA, National Media Authority, EDE, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Maritime Authority).
2. Choose the legal form: a new company (FZCO, FZ-LLC, FZE or the zone’s equivalent), a branch of a foreign or UAE company, or a special form such as a DIFC prescribed company or foundation.
3. Reserve the name and apply for initial approval with shareholder and manager details.
4. Pass compliance checks on shareholders, directors and beneficial owners.
5. Choose and sign for the space that carries the visas you need: flexi-desk, office, warehouse, plot or package.
6. Sign the constitutional documents in person, by e-signature or by power of attorney.
7. Pay capital where the zone requires it, and the registration and licence fees.
8. Receive the licence and certificate of incorporation or registration.
9. Get the establishment card and start the visas: entry permit, medical, Emirates ID, residence.
10. Open the bank account, register for corporate tax (and VAT if you pass the threshold), and file the UBO register if the zone keeps it separately.

Documents checklist for Dubai free zones

Attestation of foreign corporate documents is the step that most often adds weeks in Dubai free zones. Our document attestation service handles the UAE end, and the attestation process guide explains the order.

Renewal and ongoing compliance in Dubai free zones

• Licence and lease renewal every year (or at the end of a multi-year licence), with the establishment card.
• Audited accounts where the zone requires them, and in every case if you want Qualifying Free Zone Person status.
• UBO register under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023: filed with the registrar within 60 days of incorporation and updated within 15 days of any change; penalties under Cabinet Resolution No. 132 of 2023. See our UBO register guide.
• Anti-money-laundering duties for designated non-financial businesses (for example precious metals dealers and corporate service providers) under Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025.
• Corporate tax return every year and VAT returns if registered.
• Visa renewals for each employee and dependant, and cancellations when staff leave.
• Zone penalties for late renewal or missing filings, set by each authority’s fines schedule.

Dubai free zones in practice: three worked cases

These cases show how the choice between Dubai free zones plays out. These cases are built from the situations we see most often. Names and identifying details are left out, and the figures are the published ones.

Case 1: a spare-parts importer choosing between Jafza, DAFZ and a low-cost zone

A family business importing vehicle spare parts by container wanted to supply garages in the Gulf and East Africa, with three staff. The goods needed a bonded warehouse and would be re-exported. Jafza fitted: a VAT designated zone beside the port, trading licence from AED 5,000 a year plus AED 5,000 registration and the AED 1,975 immigration card, and a warehouse that carries visas by size. Mainland garages would be served through a distributor at first, with a Resolution 11/2025 permit considered once volumes justified it.

Case 2: a two-founder software start-up

Two founders building a B2B SaaS product wanted two visas now and up to eight within two years. The shortlist was Dubai Internet City, Dubai Silicon Oasis and IFZA. IFZA offered a low entry through a partner package, but its terms say more visas may require a physical office, and IFZA publishes no prices of its own. Dubai Internet City’s year-one lines are AED 3,500 plus AED 15,000 plus AED 20, with one visa per 60 sq ft of leased space per its FAQ, and the D/Quarters co-working option. Dubai Silicon Oasis’s Dtec flexi desk at AED 18,000 a year includes the service licence and eligibility for two visas.

Case 3: a consultant looking for the cheapest free zone in Dubai

An HR consultant with clients across the Dubai mainland asked for the cheapest free zone in Dubai. The published candidates were Meydan (AED 12,500 including a flexi desk, AED 1,850 per visa allocation), DUQE (AED 12,500 without a visa, AED 1,750 per visa slot) and DWTC (AED 12,000 base licence without workspace). Because almost all work would be delivered on the mainland, a free zone company would need a Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit (AED 5,000 for up to six months) or a DET branch (AED 10,000 a year), and the income would be non-qualifying for the 0% rate. We set out the mainland option alongside.

What circulates online about Dubai free zones that is not true

How to verify every figure on Dubai free zones in this guide

Beyond Dubai free zones: free zones in other emirates

If Dubai free zones do not fit, or you want to compare, each emirate has its own free zones and our pillar guides cover them: Abu Dhabi free zones (ADGM, KEZAD, Masdar City, twofour54), Sharjah free zones (SAIF Zone, Hamriyah, SHAMS and others), Ajman free zones, Ras Al Khaimah free zones (RAKEZ and others) and Fujairah free zones. Umm Al Quwain has one main zone, covered in our UAQ Free Trade Zone guide. The UAE-wide comparison is in free zones in the UAE, and this page stays at our Dubai free zones list. A company licensed in another emirate has its visas issued there, usually by ICP rather than GDRFA Dubai.

Free zone company setup in Dubai: how MIRDXB PRO helps

MIRDXB PRO is an independent PRO services and business setup consultancy in Al Barsha 1, Dubai. We are not a free zone authority and not an official partner of any zone in this guide, which is why we can recommend whichever of the Dubai free zones fits you, including telling you when the mainland is the better answer.

What we do

• Shortlist the best free zone in Dubai for you, plus two alternatives, for your activity, customers and visa plan, with each zone’s published fee lines side by side.
• Check your activity against the zone’s list and identify external approvals.
• Prepare the application, shareholder and UBO documents, and arrange attestation of foreign corporate papers.
• File with the zone, follow up to licence, and obtain the establishment card.
• Run investor, partner and employee visas: entry permit, medical, Emirates ID and residence.
• Prepare the bank pack, register for corporate tax and VAT, and diarise renewals, UBO updates and audit dates.
• Apply for a Resolution 11/2025 permit or DET branch when you are ready to work on the mainland.

How it works

1. Message us on WhatsApp with your activity, shareholders, visa count and whether you hold stock.
2. We reply in writing with a zone shortlist, the published fee lines and our fee.
3. You choose the zone; we collect documents and start attestation if needed.
4. We file and track the application, then run the card and visas.
5. We hand over the licence, visas and a compliance calendar.

What it costs

Your Dubai free zone company setup cost with us has two parts. Free zone and government fees are passed on at cost, from the zone’s own invoice or receipt. Our fee is quoted in writing before we start and depends on the zone and the number of visas. See our fees page for how we price.

Why founders use us

• We show you each zone’s own fee lines and sources, and we work across all Dubai free zones and the mainland, so we have no reason to push one zone.
• We handle the GDRFA, ICP, medical and Emirates ID steps ourselves as a PRO services company.
• Our office is in Al Barsha 1, open Monday to Thursday and Saturday 09:00 to 18:00 and Friday 09:00 to 12:00; founders abroad can work with us through a power of attorney.

To start, see our business setup service, or message us below.

What we will and will not do

• We will show you the published fees of the Dubai free zones on your shortlist and tell you where a zone publishes none.
• We will tell you if the mainland, another emirate or a freelance permit suits you better.
• We will not claim to be an official partner or agent of any zone.
• We will not promise a bank account, a licence approval or a visa: those decisions belong to banks, zones and GDRFA.
• We will not give tax or legal opinions; for corporate tax positions we recommend a registered tax agent or auditor.

Related guides

• Free zones in the UAE: the complete comparison
• Free zone vs mainland in Dubai
• Mainland company formation in Dubai
• Corporate tax registration in the UAE
• Opening a corporate bank account in the UAE
• UBO register in the UAE
• General trading licence in Dubai
• Establishment card explained
• Freelance permit and visa in Dubai

Choosing among Dubai free zones, preparing the documents, and running the establishment card, visas and renewals is what our PRO services in Dubai team handles.