IFZA Company Setup 2026: Legal Status in Dubai Silicon Oasis, Licences, Costs, Visas and Who It Suits

IFZA company setup is the process of incorporating a free zone company, normally an FZCO, through IFZA Dubai, a business setup community based in the IFZA Business Park at Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), under the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority’s 2023 Implementing Regulations for free zone companies. IFZA stands for International Free Zone Authority. Despite the name, it is not listed as a separate free zone in the Government of Dubai’s official list of 21 free zones: IFZA’s own terms describe it as an “area within Dubai Silicon Oasis”, and Dubai Silicon Oasis is one of the zones that Law No. 16 of 2021 placed under DIEZA. IFZA is known for low-entry, partner-sold licences, a remote application process and the ability to combine commercial and professional activities on one licence.

This guide explains where IFZA sits in Dubai’s legal map, the IFZA business setup process, documents, what an IFZA package includes, how the IFZA visa allocation works, tax, and when another zone or the mainland is the better choice. Every fact is sourced to IFZA’s own pages and terms, the Dubai Legislation Portal, DIEZA’s regulations, the Ministry of Finance and the Federal Tax Authority. Where the sources are silent or disagree, we say so.

If you are still deciding between a free zone and the mainland, our free zone vs mainland comparison sets out the visa and cost differences, and the list of Dubai free zones shows where IFZA’s neighbours fit. For a wider view of business setup in Dubai, including mainland routes, start with our service page.

IFZA company setup at a glance

Is IFZA a free zone? The legal position, carefully worded

This is the question that confuses most founders, and many websites answer it badly. The short answer: IFZA Dubai is a company-formation community that operates inside Dubai Silicon Oasis, and the companies formed through it are free zone companies governed by DIEZA’s rules. IFZA is not one of the free zones named in Dubai’s legislation.

What the legislation says

Law No. 16 of 2021, issued on 14 September 2021, established the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority. Article 4 names the zones it covers as “the Dubai Silicon Oasis”, “the Dubai International Airport Free Zone” and any other zone added by a Ruler’s resolution. Resolution No. 1 of 2022 then fixed the names and boundaries: Dubai International Airport Free Zone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai CommerCity and DAFZA Industrial Park. IFZA is not named in either text.

Article 23 of the law is the key sentence for anyone forming a company there: “No persons or entities may conduct any Activity within the Free Zone unless they are licensed by DIEZA.” Article 6 gives DIEZA the functions of licensing entities and registering companies in its zones.

What IFZA’s own documents say

IFZA Dubai’s terms (October 2022 edition, on IFZA’s own server) define “IFZA Dubai” as “the International Free Zone Authority area within Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai”. A later edition dated November 2023, published by an IFZA partner, defines “Free Zone Regulation” as “the applicable rules and regulations in the Dubai integrated Economic Zones”. IFZA’s website describes “Business Licenses available through the incorporation of FZCOs”.

The DIEZA Implementing Regulations 2023 define a licence as “a licence issued by the Registrar to conduct a licenced activity in the Free Zone”, and the Free Zone as “the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones, established pursuant to Law No. (16) of 2021”. In short: you apply through IFZA Dubai, and the company exists under DIEZA’s regulations in the Dubai Silicon Oasis free zone.

Why the distinction matters in practice

• Official lists. The Government of Dubai’s portal lists 21 free zones and IFZA is not among them. Dubai Silicon Oasis is. A founder who searches a government list for “IFZA” and finds nothing has not been misled; the company is filed under DSO.
• Tax status. VAT designated-zone status and any customs treatment attach to the legal zone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, not to a brand.
• History. IFZA signed its cooperation agreement with the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority on 21 October 2020, reported by IFZA and by Gulf News. Secondary sources say IFZA previously operated from the Emirate of Fujairah. If you hold an IFZA licence issued before late 2020, check which authority issued it.

Our separate guide to Dubai Silicon Oasis company setup covers DSO’s own direct licences, its technology focus and its residential community. This guide concentrates on the IFZA route.

What IFZA Dubai is known for

IFZA has built its reputation on three things: price entry point, speed, and a distribution model that runs almost entirely through partners. IFZA’s Gulf News profile of April 2021 described “an extensive global network of more than 800 partners around the world”. That model explains why you rarely see an IFZA price on ifza.com and why two quotes for the same licence can differ.

The IFZA speciality: a low-friction licence for service and trading start-ups

• Remote incorporation. IFZA Dubai says “no physical presence” is needed during incorporation. Documents are uploaded, two electronic legal forms are signed and the memorandum and articles are signed electronically.
• Mixed activities. IFZA Dubai offers “cross business licensing”, combining commercial and professional activities on one licence. Many zones make you choose one category.
• A traffic-light activity list. IFZA classifies activities as “Green” (no external approval) or “Amber” (needing approval from a Dubai or federal body), searchable at activities.ifza.com.
• Serviced premises. The IFZA Business Park in Dubai Silicon Oasis supplies flexi desks, dedicated desks and private offices, plus meeting rooms and an event terrace for up to 200 guests.

How IFZA differs from its closest rivals

IFZA competes most directly with Meydan Free Zone, which is also sold heavily through partners and also markets remote setup, and with Dubai Silicon Oasis’s own direct licences. Outside Dubai, founders compare it with SHAMS in Sharjah and RAKEZ in Ras Al Khaimah, which can be cheaper but carry a non-Dubai visa and address.

IFZA legal forms: FZCO, branch and who can own them

The DIEZA Implementing Regulations 2023 recognise three kinds of registered entity. IFZA’s pages promote the first two.

Free Zone Company (FZCO)

The FZCO is a free zone limited liability company. It is the vehicle for almost every IFZA company setup, whether it has one owner or several.

• Shareholders: “one or more Shareholders” (Reg 16.1). Individuals and companies can both hold shares. The old single-owner FZE no longer exists as a separate form: “All FZEs are considered to be FZCOs under these Regulations” (Reg 8.2).
• Share capital: the minimum is “AED 1 (or any currency equivalent to AED 1)” (Reg 23.2). IFZA Dubai states that it “requires no paid-up capital”. Banks and visa authorities do not rely on a capital figure for an FZCO, though some founders choose a higher figure for credibility.
• Directors: “at least one Director, who must be a natural person” (Reg 39.2).
• Manager: must be “a natural person resident in the UAE” (Reg 48.3). A founder abroad therefore needs a UAE-resident manager or needs to take up residence. In practice many founders take their own investor visa and act as manager.
• Secretary: “at least one (1) Secretary” (Reg 49.1).
• Name: must end with “FZCO” (Reg 13.5).
• Registered office: the company “must lease premises within the Free Zone” (Reg 18.1); a flexi desk counts as premises for this purpose.
• Liability: limited to the shareholders’ share capital. The company is a separate legal person.

Branch of a foreign or UAE company

IFZA Dubai says “foreign incorporated companies may also register a branch through IFZA”. Under the DIEZA regulations a branch “does not have a legal personality distinct from” its parent (Reg 17.4), so the parent is liable for the branch’s debts, and its name is the parent’s name “immediately followed by the word ‘Branch'” (Reg 15.3).

Public Limited Company (PLC)

The regulations also allow a PLC, with minimum issued capital of AED 250,000 and at least two directors (Regs 23.4, 39.3). IFZA Dubai does not market this form and it is rarely relevant to start-ups.

IFZA licence types and the activity list

IFZA describes four licence categories on its website. The category you choose affects your activities, and IFZA Dubai’s terms say it also affects visa availability.

How many activities can an IFZA licence carry?

IFZA’s pages use two phrasings. One says “a choice of up to 3 business activities under one License with the option to apply for more”. Its multi-activity guide, last modified on 31 August 2026, says the licence “includes up to three business activity groups within the standard fee” and that “every additional activity will be charged separately”. Those are not the same thing: a group can contain several related activities. Ask your quote to state the number of activities, the group each one belongs to and the price of each extra one.

Searching the IFZA activity list

1. Open activities.ifza.com and search by keyword, not by the name you use in marketing. “Social media management” may sit under an advertising or marketing activity.
2. Note the licence category and the regulatory colour. Green activities need no external approval; Amber activities need approval from “specified Dubai and/or UAE Federal Government Entities”.
3. Check that each activity’s wording actually covers what you will invoice. Banks read the licence activity against your invoices and contracts.
4. If you need an Amber activity, ask which authority approves it, how long it takes and whether the licence is issued provisionally in the meantime. IFZA Dubai’s terms say a licence “will be cancelled” if required approvals are not obtained in the set time.

Regulated activities and who approves them

The approving body depends on the activity, not the zone. Common examples:

• Virtual assets: the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), under Dubai Law No. 4 of 2022, which IFZA Dubai’s terms cite. A crypto trading or brokerage business needs a VARA licence, not just a free zone activity.
• Education and training: training courses delivered in Dubai can need KHDA approval.
• Health-related services and products: Dubai Health Authority for practitioners and facilities; Emirates Drug Establishment for medicines and medical devices.
• Food and cosmetics trading: Dubai Municipality product registration.
• Media and publishing: the National Media Authority (which replaced the UAE Media Council in December 2025).
• Financial services: the Central Bank of the UAE or the federal capital markets regulator; a free zone licence does not permit regulated financial activity.

IFZA business setup process, step by step

IFZA Dubai publishes its registration process in six stages. We have kept its order and added the steps that follow the licence, because a company is not usable until it has an establishment card, a bank account and a tax registration. Where an official time exists, we quote it; where none is published, we say so.

1. Consultation and proposal. You tell IFZA or a partner your activities, shareholders and visa needs, and receive a proposal. IFZA calls this establishing the “licensee requirements”. Official time: not published.
2. Documentation. You complete the licence application form, which includes the ultimate beneficial owner details, and upload passport copies, a digital photo and, for UAE residents, Emirates ID and visa copies. Corporate shareholders add their corporate documents (see below). Official time: depends on you.
3. Payment and processing. IFZA Dubai lists “registration fees, rental costs and other obligations” as payable before issuance. Documents go on IFZA’s portal and the Authority issues “two E-legal forms” for signature.
4. Licence approval. The application is approved, subject to any external approvals for Amber activities. IFZA Dubai’s terms warn that an application “may be rejected at the discretion of the relevant authorities”.
5. Memorandum and articles. A digital memorandum and articles of association are sent for e-signature by the shareholders.
6. Licence issuance. A soft copy is emailed; the original can be collected. IFZA Dubai says it will “issue legal permits in around five working days” and that the whole process “usually takes around one week”.
7. Establishment (immigration) card. Needed before any visa can be applied for. It is applied for through IFZA’s system after the licence. Official time: not published by IFZA.
8. Residence visas. Investor or employee visas, one person at a time: entry permit or in-country status change, medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics, residence issued electronically. Official time for the IFZA stage: not published. GDRFA handles Dubai residence.
9. Beneficial owner filing. Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023 requires the beneficial owner register to be filed within 60 days of incorporation and changes within 15 days. DIEZA’s Regulation 22.2 also requires a UBO declaration “on an annual basis and on each renewal”.
10. Corporate tax registration. With the Federal Tax Authority on EmaraTax, within three months of incorporation (FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024). The penalty for missing it is AED 10,000.
11. Bank account. Opened with a UAE bank of your choice once you hold the licence, memorandum, share certificate and, usually, a residence visa. Official time: none; banks set their own.
12. VAT registration, if needed. Mandatory once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 in 12 months (or are expected to in the next 30 days); voluntary from AED 187,500.

Can IFZA company setup be done fully remotely?

The licence can. IFZA Dubai states “no physical presence required during the incorporation process”, and e-signatures replace in-person signing. What cannot be done remotely is the residence visa: the medical test and the Emirates ID biometrics happen in the UAE. Most banks also want to meet the signatory or verify them in person. So a founder abroad can hold an IFZA licence without travelling, but not a residence visa or, usually, a bank account.

Documents required for IFZA company setup

Individual shareholders, directors and managers

• Completed licence application form, including the beneficial owner section.
• Passport copy (clear, with at least the validity your partner asks for; six months is common).
• Digital passport-style photograph.
• For UAE residents: Emirates ID and residence visa copies.
• Specimen signature and contact details, as requested on the form.
• Any external approval for an Amber activity, or the details needed to apply for it.

Corporate shareholders

IFZA Dubai lists these for a company that will own shares:

• A board resolution approving the investment and naming the representative, “notarized and attested”.
• Memorandum and articles of association.
• Valid trade licence (or its foreign equivalent).
• Certificate of incorporation.
• Passport, photo and, where applicable, Emirates ID copies of the parent’s shareholders or signatories, and details of the ultimate beneficial owners.

Some partners also ask for a certificate of good standing or incumbency; IFZA’s published list does not include one, so ask before you order it.

What must be notarised or attested

The usual route for a foreign corporate document is: notarised in the country of issue, legalised by that country’s foreign ministry, attested by the UAE embassy there, then attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs after arrival. Our guide to apostille vs attestation in the UAE explains the difference, and our document attestation service handles the UAE end. Documents not in English or Arabic need a legal translation.

IFZA cost: what you pay and what the package leaves out

IFZA Dubai does not publish a price list on ifza.com. Its pages mention “registration fees, rental costs and other obligations” but no figures. Prices are issued through its partner network, which is why the IFZA cost you are quoted depends on who quotes it and which promotion is running. Never state a package price as “the IFZA fee” unless it is on IFZA’s own invoice.

What partner-advertised IFZA packages look like

Two IFZA partner websites we checked in September 2026 advertised a first-year, zero-visa licence from AED 12,900, and one of them priced each additional visa allocation at AED 2,000. These are partner prices, not an IFZA-published schedule; we have not verified them with IFZA and they change with promotions and licence terms (one, two, three or five years are advertised). Treat any figure as a quote to be checked against the invoice.

Hidden IFZA cost lines founders tell us they missed

• Empty visa slots at renewal. A package with four visas costs more every year, used or not. Buy the allocation you will use in the first 12 months and add later.
• Per-person visa costs. The package gives you the right to sponsor; each person’s visa, medical, Emirates ID and insurance is a separate cost.
• Attestation and translation of corporate documents, plus courier.
• Audit fees. DIEZA’s regulations require an annual auditor’s report, and a company claiming the 0% Qualifying Free Zone Person rate must have audited accounts.
• Accounting and tax filing. Corporate tax returns are due every year even at zero tax.
• Mainland access. If you serve Dubai mainland customers directly, the permit or branch licence is extra.

IFZA office options and how they affect the IFZA visa allocation

Every DIEZA company must lease premises in the free zone (Reg 18.1). IFZA meets this through the IFZA Business Park in Dubai Silicon Oasis. Its property pages describe five workspace levels.

IFZA Dubai does not publish a visa number for each workspace. Its terms say only that visa numbers depend on “the category of Licence you select” and that above a certain level “you will need to lease physical office space in IFZA Dubai”. Partner sites describe IFZA visa caps of about three visas on a flexi desk and more with dedicated space, but these are partner summaries. Get the cap for your workspace in writing before you commit.

IFZA’s property pages do not offer warehouses or industrial units. A business that must hold stock needs a logistics provider or a different zone such as JAFZA.

IFZA visa guide: residency for founders, staff and families

An IFZA visa is a Dubai residence visa sponsored by your free zone company. Because the company sits in Dubai Silicon Oasis, residence is issued in Dubai by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), and the first digit of the residence file number is 2, the Dubai code. Applications are lodged through IFZA’s own system rather than through an Amer centre.

How easy is it to get an IFZA visa?

For a clean applicant it is routine. The limits are your IFZA visa allocation, the establishment card and the normal security and medical checks. IFZA Dubai does not publish approval rates or step times, and we do not quote any.

The IFZA visa sequence

1. Establishment card. The company’s immigration file. No visa application can start without it.
2. Entry permit for someone outside the UAE, or a change of status for someone already inside on another visa.
3. Medical fitness test at a Dubai Health Authority-approved centre. The federal examination fee is AED 250; faster Dubai services cost more. See our medical fitness test process guide.
4. Emirates ID biometrics and issuance. ICP charges AED 100 per year of residence plus AED 100 smart services on its card; our Emirates ID typing service handles the application.
5. Residence issued electronically. Since 2022 there is no passport sticker; the Emirates ID is the proof of residence.
6. Health insurance is required for Dubai residence and must be in place for the visa.

Investor, partner and employee visas

• Investor or partner visa. A shareholder of the FZCO can be sponsored by the company as an investor or partner, using one of the allocation slots. This is how most IFZA founders get their residence and meet the resident-manager rule.
• Employee visas. Staff are sponsored by the company on the same allocation. Free zone employees are registered with the free zone rather than with MOHRE; see our free zone visa service for how that differs from a mainland work permit.
• Family visas. Once resident, a founder or employee can sponsor family through GDRFA, subject to income and tenancy rules.
• Golden Visa. Shareholders who meet investor, entrepreneur or other criteria can apply for a ten-year Golden Visa. See our Golden investor visa service.

Opening a bank account for an IFZA company

Banks treat an IFZA FZCO like any other Dubai free zone company: they look at ownership, source of funds and the real business.

• Licence, certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, share certificate and the register of beneficial owners.
• Passport, residence visa and Emirates ID of shareholders and signatories. Many banks will not open an account for a non-resident signatory, or will do so only after a visit.
• A business plan or profile, expected turnover, main clients and suppliers, and the countries you will send money to and receive it from.
• Proof of the premises: the IFZA lease or flexi desk agreement.
• For a corporate shareholder: the parent’s attested documents and its ownership chart to the individuals at the top.

Our corporate bank account guide covers what each type of bank expects. The single most common delay for IFZA companies is an activity on the licence that does not match the business described to the bank.

IFZA company tax: corporate tax, VAT and customs

The 50-year promise and federal corporate tax

Article 17 of Law No. 16 of 2021 gives licensed establishments a “zero (0) tax rate for fifty (50) years”, but the law’s own wording keeps federal tax law intact. Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 applies corporate tax to free zone companies: 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above, unless the company is a Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP). The Ministry of Finance’s FAQ is explicit that all free zone persons must register and file, “irrespective of whether they are a Qualifying Free Zone Person or not”.

Will an IFZA company qualify for 0%?

A QFZP pays 0% on qualifying income and 9% on the rest. To qualify, the company must keep adequate substance in the zone, earn qualifying income, not elect to be taxed normally, keep to transfer pricing rules, prepare audited financial statements, and keep non-qualifying revenue under the de minimis limit: the lower of 5% of total revenue or AED 5 million (Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2023).

Qualifying income depends on who you sell to and what you do. Income from other free zone persons can qualify; income from mainland or foreign customers qualifies only if it comes from a listed qualifying activity. Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025, which repealed and replaced Ministerial Decision No. 265 of 2023, lists those activities, including manufacturing, trading in qualifying commodities, holding shares, treasury and financing to related parties, headquarter services to related parties, fund and wealth management, and distribution and logistics services. Transactions with natural persons are generally excluded.

A QFZP cannot use Small Business Relief, and a company that fails a condition loses QFZP status for the current and following four tax periods. Our corporate tax registration guide sets out the deadlines.

VAT and designated zones

VAT designated zones are the fenced zones listed under Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017 as amended; goods moving within and between them can be outside the scope of VAT. Dubai Silicon Oasis does not appear on the list as published (Dubai’s entries include Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai Airport Free Zone, Dubai Aviation City and others), so an IFZA company charges and accounts for VAT like a mainland business once registered. Check the current FTA list before relying on it.

Customs

An IFZA commercial or trading company that imports goods needs a Dubai Customs client code and pays duty and import VAT under the normal rules. Because IFZA Dubai offers no bonded warehousing, goods are not held duty-suspended in the zone.

Trading with the Dubai mainland from IFZA

A free zone company’s licence covers activity in its zone and outside the UAE. Serving customers physically in the Dubai mainland needs extra permission. Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025 created two routes:

• A DET branch licence for the free zone company: AED 10,000 a year, giving an ongoing mainland presence.
• The Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit, launched by Dubai Media Office on 8 October 2025: AED 5,000, for temporary mainland activity up to six months.

A mainland distributor, agent or separate mainland company still works too. If mainland clients are your core market, compare an IFZA licence plus permit against a mainland company from day one.

IFZA licence renewal and ongoing compliance

IFZA Dubai does not publish its late-renewal penalty amounts on its website. Ask for them in writing, and diarise renewal at least 30 days ahead. Our UBO register guide explains what the beneficial owner filing must contain.

IFZA business setup: pros and cons

Who IFZA company setup suits, and who should look elsewhere

IFZA is a good fit for

• Consultants, agencies, developers and other service businesses billing clients outside the UAE or other free zone companies.
• Founders abroad who want a Dubai company first and residence later.
• Small trading and e-commerce businesses that use third-party logistics.
• Holding companies that need a Dubai vehicle with low running cost.
• Founders who need two unrelated activities, one commercial and one professional, on one licence.

Look elsewhere if you

• Need a warehouse, bonded storage or re-export logistics: JAFZA or Dubai South.
• Want a price published by the zone itself and a directly licensed technology ecosystem: Dubai Silicon Oasis or DMCC.
• Want the same kind of partner-sold, remote-friendly licence to compare against: Meydan Free Zone.
• Do not need a Dubai visa and want the lowest entry cost: SHAMS or RAKEZ.
• Sell mainly to Dubai mainland customers or need a government contract: a mainland company.
• Run a regulated financial business: DIFC or ADGM, not a general free zone licence.

The guide to all free zones in the UAE compares every zone by authority, visa basis and cost model. If you would rather have one adviser compare them for you, that is what our free zone company setup support is for.

IFZA 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.

1. A consultant abroad who wanted IFZA business setup before moving

A management consultant living in Europe wanted a Dubai company to invoice existing clients and planned to move within a year. We set out the IFZA route with a zero-visa package on a flexi desk and flagged Regulation 48.3: the company needs a UAE-resident manager. He took one visa allocation from the start so he could act as manager himself. Tax outcome: consulting to foreign clients is not a qualifying activity, so we planned for corporate tax at 9% above AED 375,000 and registration within three months of the licence date.

2. A founder with a spouse and two children

A software developer needed her own residence and then family visas. The IFZA part was one investor visa: establishment card, change of status inside the UAE, medical at AED 250 standard, Emirates ID and insurance. The family visas were GDRFA applications sponsored by her as a resident, which needed a tenancy contract and proof of income. The step that took longest was not the free zone: it was the attested marriage certificate from her home country. She started it the week she signed the IFZA proposal.

3. An online retailer who wanted to sell to Dubai homes

A small brand selling home goods online set up an IFZA commercial licence and used a third-party fulfilment centre. Sales to consumers are not qualifying income for the 0% rate, so the company was taxed like any other. For pop-up stands at mainland malls, we compared the Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit (AED 5,000) with a DET branch licence (AED 10,000 a year). With two short events a year, the permit won.

4. A UK company opening a Dubai subsidiary

A UK parent wanted an IFZA FZCO owned by the company, not the directors. The licence took days. The board resolution took weeks: notarised in the UK, legalised by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, attested by the UAE embassy and then by MOFA in the UAE. We also mapped the ownership chain to the individual beneficial owners, because the UBO section of the IFZA application and the bank both asked for it. The practical lesson: a subsidiary rather than a branch kept the UK parent’s balance sheet outside the Dubai liability.

5. A crypto start-up that assumed the free zone licence was enough

A founder wanted an IFZA licence for a virtual asset exchange service. The IFZA activity list flagged the activity as needing approval. In Dubai, virtual asset activities are regulated by VARA under Dubai Law No. 4 of 2022, and a free zone licence does not replace a VARA licence. We restructured the plan: an IFZA technology company for non-regulated software development now, and a separate VARA application only once the business model and capital were ready.

IFZA myths: what circulates online that is not true

How to verify every IFZA figure in this guide

IFZA Dubai: where the official sources are silent or disagree

• Prices, visa caps per workspace, late renewal fines and post-licence processing times are not published by IFZA Dubai. Partner summaries are the only public figures.
• Activities vs activity groups. Two IFZA pages describe the included scope differently.
• Terms editions. IFZA’s own server holds an October 2022 edition and a partner publishes a November 2023 edition. Both cite some replaced federal laws (the 1980 Labour Law, the 1973 immigration law) and the abolished ESR rules; the current laws apply regardless.
• Fujairah history is described only by secondary sources.

IFZA company setup: how MIRDXB PRO helps

MIRDXB PRO is an independent PRO and business-setup consultancy in Al Barsha 1, Dubai. We are not IFZA, not the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority and not listed as an IFZA partner. That independence is the point: we compare IFZA with the other zones and the mainland on your facts, and we tell you when IFZA is not the right choice.

What we do

• Check your activities on IFZA’s Green/Amber list and identify any external approval (VARA, KHDA, DHA, Dubai Municipality and others).
• Compare IFZA with Meydan, DSO, other zones and a mainland licence on visas, tax, mainland access and first-year cost.
• Review IFZA quotes line by line: activities, visa allocation, workspace, establishment card and what is missing.
• Prepare and check the application documents, including corporate shareholder packs and the attestation chain.
• Run investor, employee and family visas after the licence, including medical and Emirates ID steps.
• Arrange corporate tax registration, UBO filings and the mainland permit or branch licence where needed.

How it works

1. Message us on WhatsApp with your activity, shareholders, visa needs and where your clients are.
2. We reply in writing with the recommended structure, the approvals needed and the government and free zone fees to expect.
3. You approve our fee, quoted in writing before we start.
4. We prepare the file, you sign electronically, and we track the IFZA business setup, establishment card and visas to completion.
5. We diarise renewal, UBO and tax deadlines so the company stays in good standing.

What it costs

Free zone and government fees are passed on at cost, on the issuing body’s own invoice or receipt. Our professional fee is quoted in writing before we start and depends on the work involved. Our fees page explains how we price. For a wider view of our business setup service, including mainland options, see the service page.

Why founders use us

• We cite the official source for every rule and fee, as this guide does.
• We are independent of every free zone, so our comparison is not a sales pitch for one of them.
• We tell you when you do not need us.
• You can visit our Al Barsha 1 office, Monday to Thursday and Saturday 09:00 to 18:00 and Friday 09:00 to 12:00.

What we will and will not do

• We will give you the official source for every fee and rule we quote, and show free zone and government fees on the issuing body’s own invoice.
• We will tell you if another zone or the mainland suits your business better than IFZA.
• We will flag regulated activities before you pay for a licence.
• We will not claim to be IFZA, an IFZA partner or a government body.
• We will not promise visa approvals, bank accounts or processing times that the authorities do not publish.
• We will not set up a company whose real purpose is to sell visas or hide ownership. Entry permits issued for an establishment that does no business can bring an AED 20,000 ICP fine, and beneficial owners must be declared.

Related guides

• Free zones in the UAE: the complete guide
• Dubai free zones list
• Dubai Silicon Oasis company setup
• Meydan Free Zone company setup
• Dubai CommerCity company setup
• Free zone vs mainland: visas and costs
• Corporate tax registration in the UAE
• UBO register in the UAE
• Opening a corporate bank account in the UAE
• Establishment card explained

Handling visas, establishment cards, renewals and government paperwork for a free zone company after setup is what our PRO services in Dubai team handles.