UAE licence
finder.
Every major licence type across DMCC, IFZA, Meydan Free Zone, JAFZA, DIFC and ADGM in one place: what each covers, indicative cost, timeline, capital requirements and who it actually suits. Filter by what you want to do.
Trading Licence
Import, export, distribution and re-export of specified product lines from the world's largest free zone by member count.
- 100% foreign ownership
- Flexi desk satisfies the office requirement
- Strongest free zone brand for bank account opening
- Access to DMCC commodities ecosystems: gold, diamonds, tea, coffee
Best for: Product businesses that want the strongest free zone name on their letterhead and bank file.
General Trading Licence
Trading across multiple unrelated product categories under one licence, without listing each line separately.
- Broadest goods scope available in DMCC
- Same flexi desk and visa framework as the trading licence
Best for: Multi-category traders and sourcing houses that cannot be pinned to one product family.
Service Licence
Consultancy, management services, marketing, IT and other professional service activities.
- 100% foreign ownership
- Combine related service activities on one licence
Best for: Consultancies and agencies that want DMCC's banking reputation rather than the cheapest possible setup.
Industrial Licence
Light manufacturing, processing, assembly and packaging within DMCC facilities.
- Requires suitable physical premises
- Environmental and civil defence approvals apply by activity
Best for: Light manufacturers who want a Dubai address rather than heavy-industry infrastructure.
Crypto Centre Licence
Web3 and blockchain activities that are not regulated virtual asset services: proprietary trading, technology development, blockchain consultancy, mining governance tokens and similar.
- Not a substitute for VARA: regulated virtual asset services to clients in Dubai need a VARA licence
- Largest crypto business cluster in the region
Best for: Web3 builders and proprietary desks that do not touch client assets. Neo Legal advises on the DMCC versus VARA boundary before you commit.
Professional Licence
Consultancy and service activities: management, marketing, IT, design, training and some 1,000 other listed activities.
- No physical office required
- Mix professional and commercial activities on one licence, up to 7 activities
- 100% foreign ownership
Best for: Founders and consultants who want the lowest credible cost of entry into Dubai.
Commercial Licence
Trading, import, export and distribution of listed product categories.
- Up to 7 activities, mixable with professional activities
- No physical office required
Best for: Small and mid-size traders who do not need port adjacency or a commodities ecosystem.
General Trading Licence
Broad multi-category goods trading under a single activity heading.
- Broad scope without listing each product line
- Same light footprint as other IFZA licences
Best for: Traders who want general-trading scope at free zone entry pricing.
Holding Licence
Holding shares in other companies and passive ownership of assets.
- Passive scope only: no operating activity
- Pairs with UAE tax residence planning; substance rules apply
Best for: Simple personal or group holding vehicles where ADGM or DIFC formality is not needed.
Commercial Licence
Trading and e-commerce across a menu of some 2,500 activities, set up through a fully digital process.
- Up to 3 activities included in the base package
- No physical office required
- Dubai address at the Meydan Hotel
Best for: E-commerce and small trading businesses that value speed and cost above all else.
Consultancy Licence
Professional and advisory services, from management consultancy to technical services.
- Fully remote incorporation
- 100% foreign ownership
Best for: Solo professionals and boutiques that want the fastest possible Dubai licence.
Media Licence
Content production, marketing, publishing, social media and influencer activities.
- Influencer and content activities available
- Note: UAE Media Council permits apply to paid influencer content separately
Best for: Creators and agencies. Neo Legal's NMC influencer licence checker covers the separate media permit question.
Trading / General Trading Licence
Import, export, re-export and distribution with direct adjacency to Jebel Ali Port, the region's largest container port.
- Physical presence from flexi desk to warehouses and plots
- Best-in-region logistics for physical goods
- 100% foreign ownership
Best for: Import/export businesses moving real volume through Jebel Ali.
Logistics Licence
Freight forwarding, warehousing, distribution and supply chain services.
- On-port location cuts drayage cost and time
- Bonded storage options
Best for: 3PLs and distribution hubs serving the Gulf, Africa and South Asia.
Industrial Licence
Manufacturing, processing and assembly with purpose-built facilities, plots and utilities.
- Plots, pre-built units and heavy utilities available
- Customs advantages for import of inputs and export of finished goods
Best for: Manufacturers who need real industrial infrastructure, not a desk.
Service Licence
Professional and support services delivered to businesses within and beyond the zone.
- Suits services tied to the port and logistics cluster
Best for: Service providers whose client base sits in and around Jebel Ali.
Offshore Company
A non-resident company for holding assets, including Dubai real estate in approved areas, shares and investments.
- No visas and no physical presence
- One of the few offshore vehicles accepted by the Dubai Land Department for property
Best for: Holding Dubai property or investments without running an operating business.
DFSA Category 4: Advising & Arranging
Advising on financial products, arranging deals, arranging custody and insurance intermediation, without holding client assets.
- The entry-level DFSA licence
- Physical DIFC office required
- Compliance officer and MLRO required, outsourcing partly possible
Best for: Advisory boutiques, corporate finance houses and intermediaries. Neo Legal runs DFSA applications end to end.
DFSA Category 3C: Asset Management
Managing assets, managing collective investment funds, providing custody for funds.
- Fund platform access: DIFC funds, Qualified Investor Funds
- Real substance expectations: SEO, FO, CO, MLRO
Best for: Asset and fund managers building a Gulf hub.
DFSA Category 3A: Dealing as Agent
Dealing in investments as agent or matched principal, brokerage models.
- Client asset rules apply where money or assets are held
Best for: Brokers and matched-principal trading platforms.
DFSA Category 2: Dealing as Principal
Dealing in investments as principal, credit provision and market-making.
- Full prudential regime, IRAP and detailed financial modelling expected
Best for: Trading houses and credit providers taking balance sheet risk.
DFSA Category 1 / 5: Banking
Accepting deposits and full banking, conventional (Category 1) or wholly Islamic (Category 5).
- The heaviest DFSA authorisations
- Board, governance and home-regulator comfort all scrutinised
Best for: Banks establishing a DIFC presence.
Innovation Licence
Technology and innovation businesses inside the DIFC ecosystem at a fraction of standard DIFC cost.
- Up to 4 visas on co-working arrangements
- DIFC common-law jurisdiction and courts
- Not a financial services authorisation
Best for: Startups that want DIFC positioning and law without DFSA regulation.
Prescribed Company
A streamlined DIFC SPV for holding, structured finance and family-connected purposes, with qualifying criteria.
- No physical office needed: registered address through a corporate service provider
- Access to DIFC courts and common law
Best for: SPVs connected to DIFC entities, family offices or qualifying structures.
Foundation
A common-law foundation for succession, asset protection and family governance, within the DIFC Family Wealth Centre framework.
- No forced heirship: DIFC law governs succession
- Can hold UAE and foreign assets, including Dubai real estate with DLD arrangements
Best for: Families structuring succession over UAE and international assets. A core Neo Legal practice area.
FSRA Category 4: Advisory & Arranging
Advising on investments or credit and arranging deals, Abu Dhabi's equivalent of DFSA Category 4.
- English common law applies directly in ADGM
- Growing venue for wealth and fund advisory firms
Best for: Advisory firms comparing the two financial centres on cost and regulator fit.
FSRA Category 3C: Fund / Asset Management
Managing assets and collective investment funds under the FSRA.
- ADGM funds regime and venture capital manager framework, which can reduce capital to zero for qualifying VC managers
Best for: Fund managers, and especially venture capital managers using the VC manager concession.
FSRA Virtual Asset Framework
Regulated virtual asset activities: exchanges, custody, broker-dealers, under the FSRA's digital asset framework, the region's first.
- The Abu Dhabi alternative to Dubai's VARA
- Institutional reputation with global exchanges licensed
Best for: Institutional virtual asset businesses. Neo Legal advises on VARA versus ADGM venue selection.
Tech Startup Licence
Early-stage technology businesses with a heavily subsidised entry into the ADGM ecosystem.
- Access to ADGM's ecosystem and a pathway to FSRA regulation later
- Co-working satisfies premises requirements
Best for: Pre-seed and seed-stage tech founders.
Special Purpose Vehicle
The region's most used common-law SPV: holding shares, real estate, IP and investments, joint ventures and structured deals.
- Registered office through an agent or a group entity's ADGM address
- Popular for VC investments, JVs and family holdings
- Tax treaty access subject to substance
Best for: Almost any holding purpose. The default answer to 'where do I put the holdco' for common-law investors.
Foundation
A common-law foundation for succession planning, asset protection and philanthropy.
- Migration of foreign foundations possible
- Combines well with ADGM SPVs underneath
Best for: Families and founders building succession structures in Abu Dhabi.
Figures are indicative as at Q3 2026, rounded, and change with authority fee schedules, visa allocations and premises choices. Regulated financial licences carry application fees, professional costs and capital requirements beyond the base figures shown. Neo Legal confirms exact costs by written quotation before any engagement. This tool is general information, not legal advice.
The six jurisdictions at a glance.
Cost buys different things in each zone: speed in Meydan, banking strength in DMCC, port infrastructure in JAFZA, and a common-law legal system with its own courts in DIFC and ADGM.
| Jurisdiction | Entry cost | Speed | Office requirement | Strongest for | Regulator / law |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFZA | From about AED 12,900 | 3 to 5 days | None (flexi optional) | Lowest-cost credible Dubai licence; mixed activities | UAE federal and Dubai law |
| Meydan | From about AED 12,500 | 1 to 3 days | None | Fastest fully digital setup; e-commerce and creators | UAE federal and Dubai law |
| DMCC | First year from about AED 34,000 | 2 to 4 weeks | Flexi desk minimum | Banking recognition; commodities; crypto cluster | UAE federal and Dubai law |
| JAFZA | From about AED 20,000 plus facility | 1 to 2 weeks | Flexi desk to plots | Port-linked trade, logistics and manufacturing | UAE federal and Dubai law |
| DIFC | USD 1,500/yr (Innovation) to USD 10m capital (banking) | 2 weeks to 12 months by category | Required for regulated firms | Financial services; funds; foundations; family wealth | DIFC common law; DFSA; DIFC Courts |
| ADGM | USD 700/yr (tech) to USD 10m capital (banking) | Days (SPV) to 12 months (regulated) | Not required for SPVs | SPVs and holdcos; funds; virtual assets; foundations | English common law; FSRA; ADGM Courts |
Common questions.
Which UAE free zone is the cheapest to set up in?
Among the major zones, IFZA and Meydan Free Zone are consistently the cheapest credible options, with licences from roughly AED 12,500 to 12,900 with no visa allocation and no physical office requirement. DMCC and JAFZA cost more but carry stronger banking recognition and, for JAFZA, port infrastructure. Neo Legal advises that the cheapest licence is not always the cheapest structure once banking, visas and substance are counted.
What is the difference between DIFC, ADGM and ordinary free zones like DMCC or IFZA?
DIFC and ADGM are financial centres with their own English-language common-law legal systems, independent courts and dedicated financial regulators (the DFSA in DIFC, the FSRA in ADGM). Ordinary free zones such as DMCC, IFZA, Meydan and JAFZA are commercial licensing jurisdictions under UAE federal and emirate law. A business that carries on regulated financial services needs DFSA or FSRA authorisation (or an onshore licence from the CBUAE or SCA); a trading or consultancy business does not.
Do I need a DIFC or ADGM licence to give financial or investment advice in the UAE?
Yes, advising on financial products by way of business is a regulated activity. In DIFC that is DFSA Category 4 (base capital USD 10,000); in ADGM it is the FSRA equivalent. Onshore, the SCA regulates investment advice. Neo Legal structures and runs these authorisation applications end to end.
Which free zone is best for trading physical goods?
JAFZA if the goods move through Jebel Ali Port in volume, because warehousing, customs and drayage sit on top of the port. DMCC if banking strength and the commodities ecosystems (gold, diamonds, tea, coffee) matter more than port adjacency. IFZA or Meydan if the trade is light, documentary or e-commerce and cost is the deciding factor.
Can a free zone company do business on the UAE mainland?
Not directly, as a general rule. A free zone company sells to mainland customers through a mainland distributor, by opening a mainland branch, or under specific dual-licensing schemes some zones offer. Services delivered remotely are treated more flexibly in practice, but goods crossing into the mainland attract customs duty and require a mainland-licensed importer of record.
What licence do I need for a crypto business in Dubai or the UAE?
It depends on whether the activity is a regulated virtual asset service. Exchanges, brokers, custodians and similar client-facing businesses in Dubai need a VARA licence; in Abu Dhabi the ADGM FSRA framework is the equivalent. Proprietary trading, technology development and consultancy that never touch client assets can sit in the DMCC Crypto Centre or a tech licence. Neo Legal, which has advised on multiple VARA licences including for Animoca Brands, advises on venue selection before incorporation.
How much regulatory capital do I need for a DIFC licence?
Base capital depends on the DFSA category: USD 10,000 for Category 4 (advising and arranging), USD 500,000 for Category 3A and 3C (brokerage and asset management), USD 4,000,000 for Category 3B, USD 2,000,000 for Category 2 (dealing as principal) and USD 10,000,000 for Category 1 and 5 (banking). Expenditure-based requirements can push the real number higher.
How long does each licence take to obtain?
Meydan and IFZA issue commercial licences in roughly 1 to 5 working days. DMCC takes 2 to 4 weeks and JAFZA 1 to 2 weeks for standard licences. ADGM SPVs take days. Regulated financial licences are measured in months: typically 4 to 8 months for a DFSA or FSRA advisory authorisation and longer for dealing, custody or banking categories.
Do free zone companies pay UAE corporate tax?
Free zone companies are within the 9% UAE corporate tax regime but a Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on Qualifying Income, which turns on activity type, transaction counterparties, substance and de minimis rules. The analysis is fact-specific: two companies in the same zone can land on different rates.
Which vehicle is best for a pure holding company or SPV?
The ADGM SPV is the regional default for common-law holding structures: fast, inexpensive and no office requirement. The DIFC Prescribed Company is comparable where a DIFC nexus exists. JAFZA Offshore suits Dubai real estate holding, and IFZA's holding licence works for simple cases. Neo Legal matches the vehicle to the asset, the investors and the exit rather than defaulting to one zone.