Fujairah Free Zone Company Setup 2026: Licences, Costs, Visas and Who It Suits

Fujairah Free Zone company setup is the process of registering a Free Zone Establishment, Free Zone Company or branch with the Fujairah Free Zone Authority (FFZA), leasing a facility in the zone beside the Port of Fujairah, and then obtaining the establishment card and residence visas for owners and staff. FFZA is a government authority of the Emirate of Fujairah. Its website says it “was established in 1987 under the government direction”, that the zone spans “approximately 4 million square meters”, and that foreign investment into the zone was estimated at AED 8 billion as of 2017. The zone is known for port-linked trading, oil and petrochemical services, warehousing, light manufacturing and logistics, served by the Port of Fujairah and Fujairah International Airport.

This guide sets out what FFZA publishes today, what it used to publish, and what to confirm in writing, from FFZA’s pages, federal sources and labelled archive copies checked on 26 September 2026. If you would like one team to compare Fujairah with other zones and run the file for you, see our free zone company setup support.

Fujairah Free Zone at a glance

What Fujairah Free Zone is known for

Most UAE free zones sell a licence and an address. The Fujairah Free Zone sells access to the sea. It sits beside the Port of Fujairah, which the Fujairah Ports Authority calls “the only multi-purpose seaport on the eastern coastline of the United Arab Emirates”, about 70 nautical miles from the Strait of Hormuz. FFZA’s chairman puts the same point in investor terms: the zone is “uniquely positioned outside the Strait of Hormuz”. For a business shipping to the Indian subcontinent, East Africa or Oman, or serving tankers at anchor, that location saves days and insurance cost compared with the Arabian Gulf ports.

The second theme is oil. FFZA’s own description of Fujairah lists it as “one of the world’s largest bunkering & storage hubs” with the port’s “deepest berths for oil tankers”. The Fujairah Oil Industry Zone (FOIZ), a separate zone for storage terminals and refineries, sits next door, and FFZA’s renewal rules mention FFZA companies located in the FOIZ area. That is why oil traders, bunker suppliers, marine service firms and inspection companies register here.

Fields the Fujairah Free Zone lists

FFZA lists manufacturing, processing, petrochemicals, engineering, aviation, mining, marine, logistics, trading and consultancy. In 2026 it signed a logistics agreement with Fujairah Terminals. FFZA publishes no tenant list, so we name no anchor companies.

What makes it different from rival zones

• East coast port access. Jebel Ali (JAFZA), Hamriyah and SAIF Zone all face the Arabian Gulf. Fujairah faces the Gulf of Oman.
• Industrial land and warehouses, not just desks. The archived price list shows open land from AED 20 per square metre a year (minimum 5,000 square metres) and pre-built 500 square metre warehouses.
• A heavier compliance culture. FFZA runs AML and UBO inspections before renewal and asks oil companies for business plans. That is extra work, but it also helps with banks.

To see how Fujairah compares with its neighbour, read our Creative City Fujairah company setup guide, the Fujairah free zones guide and the free zones in UAE guide.

Fujairah Free Zone legal forms and shareholders

FFZA’s Start Your Business page sets out three company legal types, and its application form uses the same labels.

Capital and liability

FFZA’s current site does not state a minimum capital. Its archived FAQ (March 2023) said there is no minimum capital requirement “except when registering for FZE and FZC the minimum paid-up capital should be Dhs 150,000”. The current application form asks for “proposed capital investment” in US dollars. Ask FFZA in writing whether the AED 150,000 figure still applies and whether it must be deposited or only declared. An FZE and FZC are separate legal persons, so shareholders’ liability is normally limited to their share capital; a branch has no separate personality, so the parent is liable for it.

Changing owners later

FFZA’s operational manual sets out amendments. For an FZE you return the original licence, certificates and lease with a request letter and publish a newspaper notice; documents are released 15 days later. For an FZC every partner signs at FFZA or through a legalised power of attorney, with the same 15-day wait. Corporate owners need an attested board resolution.

Offshore companies

FFZA’s application form still shows an “Offshore Company” option, and its old site said offshore companies were registered through accredited legal advisers. That page is no longer active, so confirm with FFZA before paying anyone for a Fujairah offshore company.

Fujairah Free Zone licence types and activities

FFZA’s company application form asks you to tick your business type: services, trading, distribution, assembling, manufacturing, consulting or other. In practice the Fujairah Free Zone licence falls into these groups:

• Trading: import, export, re-export and distribution of named goods. The archived price list showed a separate, higher general trading licence (AED 10,000 against AED 2,500 upwards for an office licence).
• Service and consultancy: marine services, inspection, logistics and professional consulting.
• Industrial: assembly, processing and manufacturing in warehouses, custom-built units or on leased land. FFZA asks manufacturers to complete an application for environmental clearance.

How to check whether your activity is allowed

FFZA does not publish a searchable activity list on its current website. Its archived FAQ said “all types of quality business are considered, subject to Fujairah Free Zone Authority’s approval”. So the practical route is to send FFZA a short activity description, the goods or services, and whether you will hold stock, and ask for the exact activity names and any pre-approvals in writing.

Activities that need another authority

FFZA’s FAQ warns that “certain business activities require prior approval from the relevant authorities”. From FFZA’s own renewal rules and forms we can identify these:

For any activity touching food, medicine, weapons, telecoms or finance, expect a federal approval as well. We check this before the application goes in, because a refused pre-approval after you sign a lease is expensive.

Fujairah Free Zone company setup process, step by step

FFZA describes licensing as “One Visit, One Hour, One window”. That is true only for the final issue step. The work before it, from activity check to security approval and lease, is where the time goes. Here is the order we follow, with the official time where FFZA publishes one.

Where applications are made

FFZA routes company registration, visas, NOCs and gate passes through the Fujairah Government e-services portal (digital.fujairah.ae). FFZA’s renewal guide says its IT department issues company logins.

Fujairah Free Zone company setup documents

FFZA’s setup page and application form give two lists, one for individuals and one for corporate shareholders.

Individual shareholders

• Passport copy and two high-resolution photos.
• A no objection certificate (NOC) from your current sponsor “in case of holding a UAE residency Visa”.
• Completed application form.
• Passport, visa or entry stamp page and Emirates ID for each shareholder, director and the authorised person in charge (application form note).
• Ultimate beneficial ownership forms and FFZA’s enhanced and customer due diligence (EDD and CDD) forms.
• Any pre-approval for regulated activities.

Corporate shareholders: subsidiary or branch

1. Board resolution of the parent company, notarised and attested by the UAE embassy.
2. Power of attorney for the authorised signatory, notarised and attested.
3. Certificate of incorporation, notarised and attested.
4. Memorandum and articles, notarised and attested.
5. Valid operating licence of the parent (or equivalent), notarised and attested.
6. A document showing the natural-person ultimate beneficial owners of the parent, attested.
7. Passport copies and two photos of all directors, shareholders and the person in charge.
8. Completed application and incorporation forms.
9. Copy of the parent’s last audit report (for a branch).
10. Certificate of good standing from the parent’s registrar, attested by the UAE embassy.

FFZA’s archived pages add that if the parent is inside the UAE, attestation and true copies come from the parent’s licensing authority instead of an embassy. After embassy attestation abroad, documents usually need Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation in the UAE and a legal Arabic translation where requested; our document attestation service handles that chain.

Fujairah Free Zone cost: what is published and what is not

This is the hardest part of Fujairah Free Zone company setup to research. FFZA’s current website publishes no fee schedule and no packages. Its old website did, and the Internet Archive kept copies from March 2023 and April 2022. We show those figures because they are FFZA’s own words and the best public guide to the fee structure, but they are more than three years old. Use them to understand what you will be charged for, not what you will pay.

Source: FFZA website pages “Virtual Offices”, “Flexi Desk”, “Representative / Branch Offices”, “Open Land” (Internet Archive, 6 March 2023) and “Warehouse” (Internet Archive, 21 April 2022). The custom-built units page listed the same warehouse rent, an optional AED 3,020 chamber of commerce line, AED 3,700 utilities and a visa at AED 3,450. The small differences between pages (AED 3,450 against 3,460; AED 3,700 against 3,850) are FFZA’s own and show why a written quote matters.

Fujairah Free Zone cost example from the archived figures

A one-owner FZE on a flexi desk with one residence visa would, on the 2023 figures, have paid AED 18,000 + 5,300 + 1,600 + 3,460 = AED 28,360 in first-year charges, plus a refundable AED 10,000 deposit. That excludes the medical test, Emirates ID, health insurance and any chamber membership. We show the sum only to explain the structure; do not budget from it.

Other published charges

What a Fujairah Free Zone licence quote should itemise

Ask FFZA for: licence fee by activity group, facility rent and minimum area, incorporation charge, utilities connection, security deposit, establishment card, each visa (with deposit), access card, chamber membership if required, and the renewal fee for year two. Also ask whether prices include 5% VAT. Deposits and utilities are refundable or one-time, but they are paid on day one.

Fujairah Free Zone office options and how they affect visas

FFZA’s FAQ lists its facilities as “Virtual Office, Flexi Desk, Trading Offices, Warehouses & Industrial Land”. The archived site added custom-built units and gave these details.

FFZA does not publish how many visas each facility allows. In most free zones the quota rises with leased area, and warehouses and land support far more workers than a desk. Ask FFZA for the quota in writing before you choose. Its lease page confirms that tenants of offices or pre-built units can take over the premises “with immediate effect upon the issuance of license”, and that investors building a custom facility can use free zone facilities while they build.

Fujairah Free Zone visa and residency

A Fujairah Free Zone company can sponsor its owners and staff for UAE residence. Fujairah is not an emirate where the GDRFA of Dubai issues visas: residence permits for Fujairah companies are issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), and the residence file number begins with 7, the Fujairah code. FFZA’s administrative services team applies on the company’s behalf through the Fujairah portal.

The order of events

1. Establishment card. FFZA’s FAQ: “Once your company is registered and the Establishment Card is issued, you can proceed to apply for visas.” Our establishment card guide explains what the card is and why it must be renewed with the licence.
2. Entry permit for a person outside the UAE, or a status change for someone already inside.
3. Medical fitness test in an approved centre. See the medical fitness test service.
4. Emirates ID biometrics and residence visa through ICP. Our Emirates ID typing service covers the application.
5. FFZA ID and gate pass for access to the zone (archived visa page listed a company letter, photo and passport copy).

Documents FFZA listed for visas (archived)

• New employment visa: company letter, offer letter, three passport copies, two photos, trade licence copy, education certificate copy.
• New residence visa: company letter, employment contract, licence copy, original passport and three copies, original visa and three copies, photos.
• Renewal: as above plus the health card or its copy.

At renewal FFZA also asks for every employee’s employment contract and residence tenancy contract.

Investor visa, family and Golden Visa

Owners are usually sponsored by their own company as investor or partner. Once resident, you can sponsor a spouse and children under the federal family sponsorship rules; see our UAE visa types guide. Shareholders with larger investments, or companies with significant capital, can look at the 10-year Golden Visa investor routes through our Golden Visa service. When a visa ends, the ICP grace periods apply (30 days for most categories, longer for Golden Visa holders and some others), then an overstay fine of AED 50 a day.

If your staff will live in Dubai, weigh the commute; our free zone visa service and the guide on free zone vs mainland visas compare the options.

Opening a bank account for a Fujairah Free Zone company

FFZA’s archived information page said the Fujairah Free Zone licence “entitles you to open an account in any bank of your choice”, and that banks in Fujairah “strongly look at the feasibility of the project, securities and guarantees”. That is still how banks behave. For an oil, bunkering or commodity business, expect detailed questions on counterparties, vessel names, sanctions screening and the source of funds. Prepare:

• Licence, incorporation certificate, share certificate, memorandum and lease.
• Passports, visas and Emirates IDs of owners and signatories.
• A business plan with suppliers, customers and expected turnover. FFZA’s own form already asks for turnover and cargo volumes, so reuse those answers.
• Sample contracts, invoices and shipping documents if you have traded before.
• UBO declaration and group chart.

No bank is obliged to accept a company because it holds a licence. Our corporate bank account guide covers what banks check and why accounts are refused.

Fujairah Free Zone tax: corporate tax, VAT and customs

Corporate tax

Every Fujairah Free Zone company is a taxable person and must register with the FTA for corporate tax. The standard rate is 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000. A company can pay 0% on qualifying income only if it meets the conditions of a Qualifying Free Zone Person under Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2023: adequate substance in the zone, audited financial statements, no election to be taxed normally, and non-qualifying revenue within the de minimis limit (the lower of 5% of total revenue or AED 5 million).

The qualifying 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. Several match what Fujairah companies do: manufacturing and processing of goods, trading of qualifying commodities, logistics services, ownership and management of ships, and distribution of goods in or from a designated zone. Because the Fujairah Free Zone is a designated zone, the distribution activity is available to trading firms that meet its conditions. Qualifying Free Zone Persons cannot use Small Business Relief. Read our corporate tax registration guide and take advice from a registered tax agent before you rely on 0%.

FFZA’s renewal guide makes the link to tax explicit: “all companies are required to submit FTA Tax Certificate to the Authority prior to the collection of the new trade license”, and companies are “advised to ensure fulfillment of all conditions” of Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022.

VAT and the designated zone

The FTA’s list of designated zones under Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017 (as amended) includes, for Fujairah, “Fujairah Free Zone” and “FOIZ (Fujairah Oil Industry Zone)”, both from 1 January 2018. The FTA’s own designated-zones page could not be fetched for this review, so we relied on the FTA’s September 2021 list; check the current FTA list before you plan transactions. In a designated zone, certain supplies of goods between designated zone businesses, and goods held under customs control, can fall outside UAE VAT; services are taxed normally. VAT registration is mandatory once taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000 a year.

Customs

Goods can enter the zone, be stored, processed and re-exported under customs suspension. FFZA’s archived FAQ said that, except for liquor and cigarettes, “the maximum Custom’s duties of 5% are applicable” when goods enter the UAE market. Its closure checklist requires a clearance from Fujairah Customs, so expect to register with customs if you move goods.

Selling to the UAE mainland from a Fujairah Free Zone company

A free zone licence lets you trade inside the zone and internationally. Selling to customers in the UAE market is a separate question. Dubai’s Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025, with its Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit, applies only to Dubai free zones, so it does not help a Fujairah company. We found no published Fujairah rule that lets an FFZA company operate onshore on its free zone licence. The workable routes are:

• Sell through a mainland distributor or agent who imports the goods and pays customs duty where it applies.
• Open a branch or a separate company on the mainland, licensed by Fujairah’s economic department or the economic department of the emirate where you will operate.
• Export services or goods outside the UAE, which is the core model for most FFZA traders.

Our mainland company formation guide explains the onshore option if you later need one in Dubai.

Keeping a Fujairah Free Zone company compliant

FFZA publishes a detailed renewal process. Its operational manual says the renewal period “begins at the end of the calendar year in December”, and the 2025 process moved renewals to the digital.fujairah.ae portal from 1 November 2024. The main requirements:

The UBO register must be filed within 60 days of registration and changes within 15 days, and Cabinet Resolution No. 132 of 2023 sets the penalties; our UBO register guide has the detail. FFZA’s list also still mentions Economic Substance Regulations; Cabinet Resolution No. 98 of 2024 removed the ESR filing for financial years starting after 31 December 2022, so ask FFZA whether it needs anything for older years only.

Closing the company

FFZA’s lease rules require notice six months before the lease end date if you want to stop, and you pay “for the remaining term of the relevant period”. Closure needs a request letter, an attested board resolution for corporate owners, return of original documents, a newspaper advertisement, visa cancellations and clearances from FFZA accounts, Fujairah Customs, the telephone company, post office, bank, FEWA and the vehicle department. Security deposits are claimed back at the end. Start closure planning early; the notice period catches many owners.

Fujairah Free Zone pros and cons

Who Fujairah Free Zone company setup suits

• Oil and petroleum product traders, bunker suppliers and marine service firms that need to be near Fujairah’s anchorage and terminals.
• Importers and re-exporters shipping to Oman, the Indian subcontinent and East Africa who want warehouse space by the port.
• Light manufacturers and assemblers who need industrial land or a large warehouse by a port.
• Groups that want a Fujairah subsidiary alongside an existing UAE company.

Who should look beyond the Fujairah Free Zone

• Consultants, media and digital businesses that only need a licence and a visa: Creative City Fujairah or the UAQ Free Trade Zone publish lower entry prices.
• Traders whose customers and staff are in Dubai: compare JAFZA company setup at Jebel Ali.
• Northern Emirates industrial projects looking for a Gulf-side port: compare Hamriyah Free Zone and SAIF Zone in Sharjah.
• Founders who need a fixed, published price before they start: FFZA’s quote-based model will frustrate you.

Fujairah Free Zone company setup in practice: five cases

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 bunker supply trader

A two-partner business wanted to supply marine fuel to vessels at Fujairah anchorage. It needed an FZC, an office rather than a desk (for visas and bank credibility), and the bunkering NOC from Fujairah’s Department of Economy and Industry, which FFZA also asks for at every renewal. The bank asked for supply contracts and vessel lists before opening the account. Lesson: for oil and bunkering, the approvals and the bank file take longer than the licence.

Case 2: a re-export trader choosing between Jebel Ali and Fujairah

An importer of building materials selling mainly to Oman compared JAFZA and Fujairah. Fujairah’s port and a 500 m² warehouse suited the route, and both zones are designated zones for VAT. The deciding factor was staff: the owner lived in Dubai. He chose Fujairah and hired a warehouse supervisor who lives locally, which also answered FFZA’s residence tenancy question at renewal.

Case 3: a foreign group opening a branch

A European engineering company wanted a Fujairah branch to support refinery projects. Every parent document on FFZA’s list (board resolution, power of attorney, incorporation certificate, articles, licence, UBO evidence, last audit report and good standing) needed notarisation and UAE embassy attestation abroad, then MOFA attestation here. That chain took longer than the Fujairah Free Zone company setup itself. Lesson: start attestation first.

Case 4: a founder who only needed a desk

A one-person sourcing consultancy asked for a Fujairah Free Zone licence because a friend said Fujairah was cheap. On the archived structure a flexi desk carried an annual charge, a one-time incorporation charge, utilities and a refundable deposit before any visa. We compared it with Creative City’s published fee schedule and the UAQ Free Trade Zone and the founder chose a media-zone consultancy licence. Lesson: FFZA is built for physical trade.

Case 5: closing a dormant company

An owner stopped trading mid-lease and planned simply not to renew. FFZA requires six months’ notice before the lease end and payment for the remaining term, plus clearances and visa cancellations. Timing the exit to the lease date saved months of rent and renewal penalties.

Fujairah Free Zone myths: what circulates online that is not true

How to verify every Fujairah Free Zone figure in this guide

Fujairah Free Zone company setup: how MIRDXB PRO helps

We are an independent PRO and business-setup consultancy in Al Barsha 1, Dubai, and an Amer and Tasheel partner. We are not the Fujairah Free Zone Authority and FFZA does not list us as a partner or registered agent. What we offer is company formation support that tests Fujairah against your real plan and then runs the file.

What we do for a Fujairah Free Zone company

• Check your activities, pre-approvals (environmental, bunkering, FOIZ, goAML) and the right facility.
• Request and compare FFZA’s written quote with two or three rival zones on full first-year and renewal cost.
• Prepare shareholder, UBO, EDD and CDD documents, and run attestation for corporate shareholders.
• Coordinate the establishment card, visas, medicals and Emirates ID, and prepare the bank file.
• Diarise renewal items: audit, FTA certificate, UBO, AML inspection, civil defence and insurance.

How our Fujairah Free Zone company setup support works

1. Message us on WhatsApp with your activity, owners, facility and visa needs.
2. We send a written plan with the fees FFZA confirms, the costs still to confirm, a timeline and our fee.
3. You approve and we prepare the file while you gather documents.
4. We follow it through to licence, establishment card, visas and bank documents.

What our Fujairah support costs

FFZA and government fees are passed on at cost, on their own receipts. Our fee depends on the structure, attestation and number of visas and is quoted in writing before we start; see our fees page.

Why founders use us for a Fujairah Free Zone licence

• We publish our sources and say where FFZA’s public record is thin or out of date.
• We tell you when Fujairah is the wrong zone for you.
• One team handles licence, visas, medicals, Emirates ID, attestation and ongoing PRO work, from our Al Barsha 1 office (Monday to Thursday and Saturday 09:00 to 18:00, Friday 09:00 to 12:00).

If you are also weighing business setup in Dubai on the mainland or in a Dubai free zone, we can compare those routes in the same written plan.

What we will and will not do

• We will show you FFZA’s published and archived figures and get current prices in writing; we will not invent a price.
• We will prepare and submit applications; we will not promise security approval, a bank account or a visa.
• We will flag activities that need another regulator; we will not present a free zone licence as that approval.
• We will refer tax questions, including Qualifying Free Zone Person status, to a registered tax agent.

Related guides

• Fujairah free zones compared
• Free zones in UAE: the complete guide
• Creative City Fujairah company setup
• JAFZA company setup
• Hamriyah Free Zone company setup
• SAIF Zone company setup
• Corporate tax registration in the UAE
• UBO register in the UAE

Keeping a Fujairah company’s licence, establishment card, visas and renewal file in order after setup is what our PRO services in Dubai team handles.