Dubai Internet City Company Setup 2026: DDA Licences, Costs, Visas and Who It Suits

Dubai Internet City (DIC) is a technology free zone in Al Sufouh, on Sheikh Zayed Road, where companies are registered and licensed by the Dubai Development Authority under Dubai Law No. 15 of 2014; unveiled on 29 October 1999, it is the region’s best-known address for software, cloud, AI, telecoms and IT services firms. TECOM Group, part of Dubai Holding, owns and runs it. A Dubai Internet City company can be fully foreign-owned and sponsors visas in proportion to its leased space.

This guide covers the whole Dubai Internet City company setup: the regulator and the law, licence segments, documents, every published fee, offices and visas, banking, tax, mainland work and renewals. Where official pages disagree, we show both.

DIC is one of more than twenty zones in our Dubai free zones list; other emirates are in our guide to free zones in the UAE. If you are still weighing up where to base your business setup in Dubai, start there.

If you have chosen the DIC free zone and want the file run for you, our free zone company setup support team can help.

Dubai Internet City company setup at a glance

Who licenses the DIC free zone: DDA, TECOM and axs

• Dubai Development Authority (DDA) is the regulator. It registers companies, issues licences, keeps the registers and imposes fines. It began as the Dubai Creative Clusters Authority under Dubai Law No. 15 of 2014, whose Article 5 gives it power to license establishments and register companies, and was renamed by Law No. 10 of 2018. Law 15 replaced Law No. 1 of 2000, which had created the original Dubai Technology, Electronic Commerce and Media Free Zone that Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City grew out of.
• TECOM Group is the developer and landlord. It signs your lease and runs in5 and GoFreelance.
• axs is TECOM’s service platform, offering “more than 200 government and corporate solutions”. Registration, renewals, establishment cards, visas and NOCs are filed there; walk-in centres are at Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Studio City.

One rulebook covers all the TECOM zones: DDA’s 2021 licensing decision has separate sections for Dubai Internet City, Dubai Outsource City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai Science Park and Dubai Design District. What differs is the activity list, which is why a software firm goes to DIC, a PR agency to Dubai Media City and a broadcaster to Dubai Studio City.

What Dubai Internet City is known for

A 2025 study with Accenture, published by the Government of Dubai Media Office, puts Dubai Internet City at about 4,000 customers and more than 31,000 professionals, generating around 65% of Dubai’s technology sector GDP and about AED 100 billion of GDP over 15 years.

• Who is there: the Media Office names Oracle, SAP, Dell, Amazon, Google, Tencent, Huawei, Mastercard and Visa; TECOM releases in 2025 and 2026 announced Oracle’s AI customer experience centre, Forcepoint’s expanded office and Hisense’s regional headquarters. The Media Office also counts Careem and Souq among the unicorns the zone has hosted.
• Start-ups: in5 Tech, TECOM’s technology incubator, is in DIC, with labs, offices and co-working, and selects companies by application and pitch. TECOM reported in October 2025 that in5 start-ups had raised more than AED 9 billion.
• Demand for space: TECOM reported 96% commercial occupancy in its first-half 2026 results and in December 2025 launched Innovation Hub Phase 4, a AED 615 million, 263,000 sq ft project due in 2028, after Phases 2 and 3 were fully leased. Large offices can have waiting lists; desks are easier.

How the DIC free zone differs from rival tech zones

• Dubai Silicon Oasis is licensed by the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority, has homes on site and allows some light industry; DIC is more central and more corporate.
• DMCC licenses technology too, with crypto and AI centres, and allows trading goods; DIC does not.
• IFZA sells cheaper packages with remote setup; DIC costs more but carries a brand enterprise clients and banks recognise.

Dubai Internet City company setup: how MIRDXB PRO helps

Founders usually ask which segment fits, whether a desk or an office suits their visas, and what year one really costs. We answer in writing first, then run the file on axs with you.

What we do

• Match your activity to DDA’s list and flag outside approvals (TDRA, VARA and others).
• Compare DIC with alternatives if you sell goods, serve mainland clients or have a tight budget.
• Prepare the document pack: resolutions, general manager declaration, powers of attorney and attested parent documents.
• Run the DDA registration from provisional approval to licence.
• Set up the employer file: establishment card, visas, medical tests and Emirates ID.
• Handle follow-on filings: corporate tax, VAT, beneficial owners and any DET mainland permit.

How it works

1. Message us on WhatsApp with your activity, shareholders and visa needs.
2. We reply in writing with the segment, office option, documents, published fees and our fee.
3. You approve; we submit on axs and you see each DDA invoice before payment.
4. We finish the employer set-up and hand over every licence document and receipt.

What it costs

DDA and TECOM charges are passed on at cost, on their own invoices. Our fee depends on the structure and the visas and is quoted in writing before we start; see our fees page.

Why founders use us

• We work from DDA’s published decisions and show the source for every figure.
• We tell you when DIC is the wrong fit, for example for hardware sales.
• One contact covers attestation, visas, Emirates ID, tax and bank documents.
• We are an independent consultancy in Al Barsha 1, Dubai (Monday to Thursday and Saturday 09:00 to 18:00, Friday 09:00 to 12:00), not DDA, TECOM or an appointed partner of either.

See our business setup service and, for visas, our free zone visa services.

Legal forms in the DIC free zone

The FZ-LLC is the usual choice. Shares must be in dirhams with no bearer shares (Reg. 25), the company must “at all times have a registered office in the zone” (Reg. 51.2) and keep a register of members (Reg. 38.1). The regulations leave minimum capital to the Registrar; the Dubai Internet City FAQ states AED 10,000. Every licensee must appoint a general manager; a secretary is optional, and one person can be shareholder, director and manager.

A branch trades in the parent’s name with the parent’s balance sheet behind it; an FZ-LLC ring-fences liability and is easier to sell or share. DDA charges the same AED 3,500 registration for both, and a branch can later convert into an FZ-LLC for AED 3,500 (Decision No. 3 of 2017). Our guide to a branch of a foreign company in Dubai compares the two in depth.

The freelancer licence covers four ICT activities: “Web, Mobile, Software Development and Architecture”, “IT and Telecommunication Networking”, “Data Science and Analytics” and “Customer Service”. DDA lists AED 7,500 a year and 2 working days; TECOM sells it as the GoFreelance package at AED 7,520 with shared workspace. Freelancers cannot hire or sponsor employees.

Dubai Internet City licence types and activities

DDA licenses segments, each with a fixed activity list and a cap on how many you choose. The current list is Licensing Categories Decision No. 1 of 2021.

Three rules shape most applications:

• No goods trade. “The manufacture of physical components within the Zone and direct trading of physical components and products into UAE market is not allowed.” Software licences, subscriptions and services are fine; importing laptops or IoT devices to sell in the UAE is not.
• Extra segments cost AED 10,000 a year each; adding a segment from another TECOM zone is “at the sole discretion of the Authority”.
• Data centre design companies “shall not undertake any construction documents and/or management of projects”.

To check your fit, read your model against the five activity words rather than hunting for your product name. An AI start-up building its own models is a Software “Developer”; a Salesforce implementer is a “Solution Provider”; an outsourced helpdesk is “Customer Service”. DDA publishes the permitted activities document on each registration page.

Activities that need another regulator

DDA asks for an “NOC from external authorities” where its decision requires one. For Dubai Internet City businesses the usual ones are:

• Telecoms and SIM trading: the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA, listed in the decision under its older name).
• Virtual assets: a blockchain developer writing code is a software company, but exchange, custody or brokerage services need a licence from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), which covers Dubai’s free zones other than DIFC.
• Regulated add-ons: RERA for property brokerage, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority for travel agencies, DHA for health services, the National Media Authority for media content.

Personal data falls under the federal Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021), not the DIFC or ADGM regimes.

Dubai Internet City business setup: step by step

Step 1: segment, activities and structure

Choose FZ-LLC, branch or freelancer, then the segment and up to five activities. This fixes the licence fee, capital and any outside approval. If you are unsure DIC is right, see our free zone vs mainland comparison.

Step 2: documents and resolutions

Draft the incorporation resolution, general manager declaration and any power of attorney. Corporate shareholders start attestation now; it is the slowest part of most files.

Step 3: online application and provisional approval

Apply through TECOM’s “Set up your business” page, which opens an axs account; upload documents and pay. DDA’s card gives 10 working days for “Stage 1 (Provisional Approval)”; the Dubai Internet City FAQ says 4.

Step 4: lease

Every company needs a registered office in the zone, with a minimum one-year lease (Dubai Internet City FAQ). Choose the space by the visas you need.

Step 5: registration and licence

DDA’s card gives 2 working days for “Stage 2 (Registration)”; the FAQ says 3, and that the licence is issued “within 48 hours” once fees and documents are in. You receive the certificate of incorporation, commercial licence, register of directors and articles. The licence runs for one year.

Step 6: capital, establishment card and visas

Deposit the paid-up capital as DDA directs, then apply on axs for the establishment card, the investor or manager visa and staff visas.

Step 7: bank, tax and beneficial owners

Open the bank account, register for corporate tax within three months, register for VAT when due, and keep the beneficial owner register at the registered office.

Documents required for a Dubai Internet City company

Individual shareholders

• Application form.
• Passport copies of shareholders, directors and general manager, with the UAE visa page if any.
• “Resolution for the Incorporation of an FZ-LLC”.
• “Declaration of Appointment as General Manager” if the manager holds a UAE visa.
• Power of attorney for any representative, with a passport copy.

Corporate shareholders and branches

• The above, plus the parent’s certificate of incorporation, a “Certificate of Continuity or Existence or Good Standing”, and its memorandum and articles.
• The parent’s resolution to incorporate the FZ-LLC, or the “Resolution for the registration of a branch of a foreign company”.

Notarisation and attestation

DDA states that a corporate member’s resolution “is required to be Notarized by Notary Public & Attested by UAE Embassy”, and so is any power of attorney. Parent certificates signed abroad normally follow the same chain: notary, foreign ministry, UAE Embassy, then often the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Non-English, non-Arabic documents need legal translation. Our document attestation service handles the UAE side.

Beneficial owners

DDA collects beneficial owner details at incorporation. Under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023 that means anyone owning or controlling 25% or more, or otherwise in control, and DDA’s licensing decision requires “full details of the Ultimate Beneficial Ownership” at the registered office. See our UBO register guide.

Dubai Internet City license cost: every published fee line

These are the lines DDA and TECOM publish, with the source and the date we checked. It is not a quote; your axs invoice is final.

For a one-segment FZ-LLC, the fixed DDA lines in year one are AED 3,500 plus AED 15,000 plus the dirham charges: about AED 18,520 before workspace, establishment card and visas. The AED 10,000 capital stays the company’s money. From year two, only the licence fee recurs.

Not published: company employee visa fees (axs shows them at submission; the GoFreelance figures give the order of magnitude), private office rents (quoted per sq ft), attestation abroad, and the medical test, Emirates ID and insurance charged by other bodies. See our medical fitness test and Emirates ID pages.

Office options and visa allocation

The Dubai Internet City FAQ says “a company can sponsor one employee per 60 sq. ft. of the leased space”. A 600 sq ft office therefore supports up to 10 visas.

TECOM’s two D/Quarters pages disagree on locations (one says Dubai Media City and Dubai Science Park, the other Dubai Media City and Dubai Internet City). Because DDA licenses all of them, a desk in Dubai Media City can host a DIC-segment licence, but get TECOM to confirm that, and the maximum visas for your membership, in writing.

Dubai Internet City visa and residency

A Dubai Internet City visa is a standard Dubai residence visa sponsored by the DDA-licensed company: the company files on axs, GDRFA Dubai issues the entry permit and residence visa, and ICP issues the Emirates ID.

1. Establishment card for the company (AED 2,000 on TECOM’s page).
2. Contract and entry permit on axs, or a status change for someone already in the UAE.
3. Medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics.
4. Residence visa, which Dubai’s portal says is issued within 48 hours of the medical result in standard cases.

• Shareholders and managers take a visa from their own company, within the space allocation.
• Employees are sponsored by the company; DDA publishes the federal labour law with its own employment terms.
• Families: residents who meet the salary and housing conditions can sponsor family through axs. See our family visa page.
• Golden Visa: since 7 May 2025, direct-approval Golden Visa applications for employees of DDA-licensed companies are filed by the employer on axs (Fragomen). See our Golden Visa service.

Our free zone vs mainland visa guide compares the rules, and our free zone visa service runs DDA files.

Banking for a Dubai Internet City company

Banks know the DIC free zone well but still apply full due diligence: licence, certificate of incorporation, articles, registers, lease, passports and Emirates IDs of signatories and beneficial owners, a business plan with expected transaction flows, and early client contracts. Corporate shareholders add their own documents and a group chart. SaaS companies should be ready to explain their payment processor and refund exposure. See our corporate bank account guide.

Tax for a Dubai Internet City company

A Dubai Internet City company is a UAE resident for corporate tax: 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above. It pays 0% on qualifying income only as a Qualifying Free Zone Person, with adequate substance, qualifying income, audited statements, transfer pricing compliance and no election for the standard regime (Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2023).

The catch for tech firms: the qualifying activities list (Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025, which replaced Decision No. 265 of 2023 with effect from 1 June 2023) covers manufacturing, commodity trading, holding shares, fund and wealth management, headquarter, treasury and logistics services, but not general software development, IT consulting or SaaS sold to third parties. If non-qualifying revenue passes the de minimis limit (the lower of 5% of revenue or AED 5 million), the 0% rate is lost for that period and the next four. Income from other Free Zone Persons, and qualifying intellectual property such as copyrighted software under a nexus calculation, can still qualify; take tax advice. Small Business Relief is not open to Qualifying Free Zone Persons.

Registration is due within three months of incorporation for companies formed from 1 March 2024 (FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024), with an AED 10,000 late penalty. See our corporate tax registration guide.

VAT: DIC is not a designated zone, and that status only affects goods anyway. Registration is mandatory above AED 375,000 of taxable supplies in 12 months and voluntary from AED 187,500; services exported to clients abroad can be zero-rated if the conditions are met.

Working with mainland clients from the DIC free zone

The Dubai Internet City FAQ says “The licence is valid only for operating your business within the free zone territory.” Remote sales to mainland customers are common, but working on a client’s site, bidding for Dubai government tenders or employing staff on the mainland needs a mainland licence or permit:

• Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit: a DET permit for up to six months, AED 5,000 (Dubai Media Office, 8 October 2025), after the free zone authority approves (Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025).
• DET branch licence: a branch operating out of the zone costs AED 10,000 a year under the same resolution.
• “Dual licence”: the FAQ’s “Dual License under Law No. 13”, for FZ-LLCs only, is the older name for the DET branch route under Dubai Law No. 13 of 2011; Resolution No. 11 of 2025 now sets its terms.

If most revenue will come from the mainland, compare DIC plus a permit with a mainland company formation.

Renewal and ongoing compliance

DDA’s renewal card says the fee is “as per Tariff”, delivery is “Immediate” and the general manager applies on axs with any outside NOCs. Every year:

• Renew the licence and lease before expiry.
• Prepare audited accounts: every licensee “must prepare and retain Audited Accounts” under IFRS, GAAP or similar.
• Keep registers current and notify DDA of changes within 14 days.
• Renew or cancel visas and the establishment card on time.
• File tax returns: corporate tax within nine months of year end; VAT if registered.

Beneficial owner breaches carry federal fines under Cabinet Decision No. 132 of 2023. The DDA decision lists no specific late renewal fine, but trading on an expired licence can fall under the AED 20,000 line, and any visa or NOC request that needs a valid licence waits until renewal.

Pros and cons of the DIC free zone for tech companies

Who Dubai Internet City suits

• Software, SaaS, AI and cloud companies selling services or subscriptions, especially to international clients.
• Multinationals opening a regional technology office or headquarters that wants a recognised address.
• IT services, systems integration and telecoms consultancies with real teams that need several visas.
• Individual developers, data scientists and IT specialists who want a licence in their own name and their own visa.

Who should look elsewhere

• Hardware and device sellers: a zone that allows trading, such as DMCC, or an e-commerce zone such as Dubai CommerCity.
• Tight budgets needing one or two visas: package-based zones such as IFZA or Meydan Free Zone often cost less in year one.
• Tech with light assembly or a residential base: Dubai Silicon Oasis.
• Marketing, advertising and content businesses: Dubai Media City, which licenses those segments.
• Businesses whose clients are mostly Dubai mainland companies or government: a mainland licence may be simpler.

Worked cases: Dubai Internet City company setup in practice

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.

1. A freelance mobile developer

A developer on her spouse’s visa invoices clients in Europe and the UAE. The ICT Freelancer licence at AED 7,500 a year fits and is issued in 2 working days in her own name. A freelancer needing her own visa would add the AED 2,000 establishment card and AED 4,600 for a one-year visa. She cannot hire; if the business grows, she moves to an FZ-LLC.

2. Two founders launching a SaaS product

Two founders, one abroad, register a Software-segment FZ-LLC (Developer and Solution Provider): AED 3,500 plus AED 15,000, with AED 10,000 capital. A D/Quarters desk gets them two visas quickly; in year two a 300 sq ft office supports five. The founder abroad signs a power of attorney notarised and attested by the UAE Embassy. At tax registration they learn that overseas subscription income is not a qualifying activity, so they budget for 9% above AED 375,000.

3. A European software group opening a regional office

The group chooses a branch so the office carries the parent’s name in tenders. Its resolution, incorporation and good standing certificates and articles are notarised and legalised by the UAE Embassy. DDA charges AED 3,500 and AED 15,000; no capital is needed. The group’s auditors review the branch’s corporate tax position as a UAE permanent establishment.

4. The smart-home founder

A founder wants to build an app and sell the matching hubs to UAE retailers. The app fits Internet and Multimedia, but DDA bars “direct trading of physical components and products into UAE market”. He keeps a Dubai Internet City company for the software and opens a separate trading licence elsewhere for the devices.

5. A mainland project

An established DIC IT services company wins a four-month job on a mainland client’s site. With DDA’s approval it takes the Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit at AED 5,000 for up to six months; if mainland work becomes permanent, a DET branch licence at AED 10,000 a year follows.

What circulates online about Dubai Internet City that is not true

How to verify every figure in this guide

What we will and will not do

We will check your activity against DDA’s list, compare DIC with other zones for your model, prepare resolutions and document lists, run the DDA registration, establishment card and visas on axs, and handle tax registration and mainland permits. Government and TECOM charges are passed on at cost with receipts, and our fee is quoted in writing before we start.

We will not present ourselves as DDA, TECOM or an official partner of either; promise a licence date that depends on DDA or an embassy abroad; act as a nominee shareholder or manager; or give tax opinions on qualifying income (we tell you when you need a tax adviser).

Related guides

• Dubai free zones: the full list compared
• Free zones in the UAE
• Dubai Media City company setup
• Dubai Studio City company setup
• Dubai Silicon Oasis company setup
• DMCC company setup
• Free zone vs mainland Dubai
• Corporate bank account in the UAE
• Corporate tax registration in the UAE
• UBO register in the UAE
• Establishment card explained

Visa renewals, Emirates ID, attestation and government paperwork after your licence is issued are what our PRO services in Dubai team handles every day.