ADGM Company Setup Cost Calculator
Estimated first-year cost to set up a company in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) — registration, licensing, visa, office, and bank account setup.
Cost breakdown
- ADGM fees (USD)AED 35,991
- Office spaceAED 30,000
- Visas × 2AED 10,000
- Bank account setupAED 2,000
- PRO / consultantAED 10,000
How to use
- 1
Pick the entity type — Tech Startup and SPV have lower licence fees than General LC.
- 2
All ADGM fees are in USD (the free zone trades in USD); the calculator converts using the AED/USD peg of 3.6725.
- 3
Year-one total includes one-off incorporation + first-year licence + office + visas + bank + consultant.
- 4
Year two onwards drops the one-off costs but keeps the recurring licence + office + visa renewal — shown separately.
Frequently asked questions
ADGM operates under English common law (rare in the region) and FSRA financial regulation, attracting funds, fintech, and crypto-asset firms. The premium pricing reflects regulatory infrastructure, not premium services. For pure trading or e-commerce without regulated activity, mainland or DMCC is usually cheaper.
Tech Startup licence (USD 1,500-2,500 vs USD 8,000 General LC) for early-stage tech companies, and SPV licences (USD 1,000-1,500) for holding-structure vehicles. The Tech Startup discount is bounded — typically expires after 2 years or a revenue threshold.
No — ADGM accepts 100% foreign ownership and foreign directors. You do need a designated 'Authorized Signatory' resident in UAE, but that can be a corporate-services-firm employee, not the beneficial owner.
ADGM-based 'Qualifying Free Zone Persons' (QFZP) earning qualifying income get 0% under the 2023 UAE Corporate Tax law. Non-qualifying income from mainland UAE customers is taxed at 9% over the AED 375k threshold. You also need to register with the Federal Tax Authority and meet substance rules.
Typical timeline: 4-8 weeks from application to operating bank account. Faster if all documents are pre-translated and notarised. The bottleneck is often the bank account — UAE banks have tight KYC and large initial balance requirements (often AED 25-100k).
Help us improve this calculator
What's missing or wrong? What would make this more useful for you? Every suggestion lands in our inbox.
Related tools
Source: ADGM Registration Authority fee schedule · Last verified 2026-06. ADGM Registration Authority. This tool provides estimates only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Always verify your specific situation with the relevant UAE authority or a licensed advisor before taking action.