UAE Trade License Cost Calculator
Compare Mainland, Free Zone, and Freelance permit options for starting a UAE business. See setup cost, renewal cost, and what's included.
How to use
- 1
Pick the jurisdiction you're considering. Each one is suited to a different kind of business. Free zones like IFZA and RAKEZ are cheap and let you work remotely; Dubai Mainland costs more but lets you sell freely across the UAE and serve government clients.
- 2
Enter how many visas you'll need. Include yourself if you'll be on the company visa. Note that some free zones include the first visa in the package — the calculator uses cost-per-additional-visa.
- 3
Choose how many years you want to project. The first year is always more expensive because of one-off setup costs (name reservation, notary, initial approval, etc). After that you pay renewal which is cheaper.
- 4
The result shows your first-year total, your renewal-year total (for years 2 onwards), and the total over your projected period.
- 5
Compare 2 or 3 jurisdictions side by side by changing the dropdown. RAKEZ at 6,500 AED might look cheapest, but if your customers are in Dubai you'll struggle to credibly serve them — Mainland or DMCC may be worth the extra cost.
Frequently asked questions
Free Zones are almost always cheaper in cash terms. A RAKEZ license costs around AED 6,500 vs Dubai Mainland's AED 12,500+. But the right answer depends on who you'll serve. Free Zone companies legally need an agent to sell to mainland UAE customers, which costs 5-10% of revenue. If 80% of your customers are in Dubai, Mainland often works out cheaper in total despite the higher license fee.
Mainland: yes, you need a physical office to register your trade license. Most free zones have a 'flexi-desk' option (a shared office address for license purposes) starting around AED 5,000-15,000 a year. IFZA, RAKEZ, Meydan, Ajman, and Shams all allow virtual offices included with the license. DMCC and JAFZA generally require at least a flexi-desk.
Sharjah Media City (Shams) at around AED 5,750 per year is currently the cheapest legitimate option. RAKEZ at AED 6,500 and Ajman Free Zone at AED 7,500 are close. All include virtual office and one visa quota. If you don't need any visas, your costs are just the license itself.
Free Zones: 3-10 working days for most options. Some (IFZA, Meydan) can issue an in-principle approval in 24 hours. Mainland: 2-3 weeks because you need to register the company name, get initial approval, notarize the Memorandum of Association, and rent an actual office. Freelance permits: 5-7 days typically.
Yes. Free Zones have a visa quota tied to your office size — a flexi-desk usually allows 1-3 visas. To add more, you upgrade to a larger office. Each new visa costs AED 3,200-5,800 depending on jurisdiction (medical test, EID, stamping). Mainland has no formal quota — pay per visa.
Yes if your taxable income exceeds AED 375,000. Free Zone companies meeting Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) criteria can keep their 0% rate on qualifying income — but mainland sales fall outside qualifying income and are taxed at 9%. Freelance permit holders are taxed as individuals; they're in scope for corporate tax if business turnover exceeds AED 1 million.
A Freelance Permit lets one person (no employees, no company structure) legally invoice clients in the UAE. It's the cheapest way to be a legitimate consultant or solo service provider — typically AED 7,500/year all-in. Trade-off: you can't hire staff under it, and you can't get a company bank account (just personal). Best for: writers, designers, developers, consultants who work alone.
Premium activities (banking, insurance, healthcare, asset management) are heavily regulated and have substantially higher license fees — often AED 50,000-500,000 plus capital requirements. This calculator covers standard professional, trading, and service activities. For regulated sectors, consult a specialist setup advisor.
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Source: Dubai DED, DMCC, JAFZA, Meydan Free Zone, IFZA, RAKEZ official fee schedules · Last verified 2026-06. Verify on Dubai DED (ded.ae). 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.