Free tool · Business setup
Price a Dubai mainland company line by line from the published DET schedule, and compare four free zones on their own published prices.
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Most business setup calculators show one package price. This planner builds the Dubai mainland figure line by line from the published schedules, then sets it against four free zones that publish their own starting prices, so you can see what you are really comparing.
| Mainland line | Published amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| DET licence, plain (initial approval, trade name, issue, registration) | About AED 1,520 | Executive Council Resolution 13 of 2011 |
| General trading / contracting activity fee | AED 15,000 / AED 10,000 | Same schedule |
| Foreign-language trade name | AED 2,000 | Same schedule |
| Market fee | 2.5% of registered annual rent | Dubai Municipality |
| Ejari registration (online) | AED 177.75 | Ejari |
| Establishment card / MOHRE file | AED 280 / AED 406 | GDRFA card; MOHRE Ta'qeem fee |
| Each hire from abroad | AED 1,944 / 2,894 / 5,144 by MOHRE category | MOHRE, GDRFA and ICP cards |
Office rent is set by your landlord, and a local service agent's fee, bank charges, accounting and audit are set by the market or by contract. We name them but never invent numbers for them. Free zone packages differ in what they include, and most zones do not publish renewal prices, so the free zone figures are published starting prices, not totals.
It depends on the activity, the visas you need and whether you must trade on the mainland. A service company with no visas can start from a few thousand dirhams in some free zones, while a mainland licence needs registered premises, whose rent is usually the biggest single cost.
DET's published schedule charges AED 15,000 to issue a general trading licence, on top of the standard licence lines.
On the mainland: the licence lines, the market fee on your rent, Ejari and the Dubai Chamber membership. Residence visas renew every two years, without a new entry permit or status change.
No. They are each zone's own published starting prices, checked in September 2026. Packages change, and the zone's quotation is final.
Numbers are one thing
A calculator works from what you type. We work from what is actually recorded against your file — which is frequently different, and always the number that matters.
Grace period by emirate and category, chargeable days at AED 50 a day per person, and the figure in 30 days.
Open calculator → EmploymentArticle 51 by dates or years, unpaid leave excluded, the two-year cap and the 14-day payment deadline.
Open calculator → CostLine-by-line government fees from the published GDRFA, ICP and MOHRE cards, before anyone quotes you.
Open calculator → FamilySalary, housing and who you can sponsor, checked against the official rules, with the cost per dependant.
Open calculator → Golden VisaProperty, salary and entrepreneur routes against the official thresholds, with the Green Visa fallback.
Open calculator → CancellationEmployer not answering, company closed or sponsor deceased? Find your exact MOHRE, GDRFA or ICP route in six questions.
Open calculator → Re-entryOutside the UAE for months? Check if you can board, whether you need a return permit, the fee and your entry deadline.
Open calculator → DeadlinesOne date in, every deadline out: grace period, overstay, ILOE, gratuity, Emirates ID and newborn deadlines, straight into your calendar.
Open calculator → ComplianceExpired licence, establishment card or work permits, late WPS or corporate tax? See the fines building today and what each lapse blocks.
Open calculator → HiringVisa fees by MOHRE category, worker protection, insurance, salary and gratuity accrual over a two-year visa cycle.
Open calculator → AuthorityType your residence file number and see which emirate and authority hold your file, the helpline and where to apply.
Open calculator → Status changeCompare the published status change fee with the real cost of a border run, and check whether your file is ready.
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