Free Zone Company Setup in the UAE
Want to open a company in a UAE free zone? 100% foreign ownership as standard, fast turnaround, and a jurisdiction built around your sector - the fastest route to UAE company incorporation for most trading, consulting and tech businesses.
Free zone company setup is the fastest and most common route into the UAE for import/export, consulting, media, tech and holding structures. Each free zone is its own licensing authority with its own activity list, fee schedule, and facilities - so "free zone setup" isn't one product, it's a choice between more than a dozen zones that each suit different businesses.
Why businesses choose a free zone
- 100% foreign ownership as standard, with no local partner or service agent required
- Faster incorporation than most mainland licences - often days, not weeks
- Potential 0% Corporate Tax on qualifying income as a Qualifying Free Zone Person
- Sector-specific infrastructure - e.g. DMCC for commodities, DIFC for financial services
- Full repatriation of capital and profits, no currency restrictions
The trade-off
Free zone companies generally cannot trade directly within the UAE mainland without appointing a distributor or obtaining an additional mainland licence/branch - they're built for international trade and operating within the zone, not local UAE retail. If direct mainland trading is central to your business, compare this against mainland company setup before committing.
FZE vs. FZCO
Free Zone Establishment (FZE)
A single-shareholder free zone company - the right structure when one individual or one corporate entity owns 100% of the business.
Free Zone Company (FZCO)
The multi-shareholder equivalent of an FZE, used whenever incorporation involves two or more shareholders within the same free zone.
Free zones we incorporate through
| Free Zone | Emirate | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| DMCC | Dubai | Commodities trading, general trading, crypto & Web3 |
| DAFZA | Dubai | Logistics, aviation-linked and air-freight trading businesses |
| DIFC | Dubai | Financial services, fintech, wealth management |
| JAFZA | Dubai | Industrial, logistics and large-scale trading operations |
| IFZA | Dubai (Fujairah-licensed) | Low-cost, fast-turnaround general trading and consulting |
| SHAMS | Sharjah | Media, creative, marketing and consulting businesses |
| SAIF Zone | Sharjah | Trading and light industrial activities near the airport |
| RAKEZ | Ras Al Khaimah | Industrial, trading and consulting at competitive cost |
Full national coverage - see our emirate-by-emirate breakdown for zones not listed above.
Setup process
Zone & activity match
We match your activity to the free zone with the right licence category and cost profile for it.
Trade name reservation
Reserved with the chosen free zone authority.
Application & documentation
Application form, passport copies, and Memorandum of Association submitted to the authority.
Licence issuance
The free zone trade licence is issued, often within days once documents are complete.
Office/flexi-desk & visa allocation
Facility package selected and visa quota allocated based on the licence tier.
Free zone setup questions, answered.
Not directly in most cases - free zone companies typically trade internationally and within their zone, and need a distributor or an additional mainland licence to sell directly into the UAE mainland market.
Cost varies by activity and visa allocation more than by zone alone; zones like IFZA, RAKEZ and Ajman Free Zone are generally positioned at the lower end. We compare actual quotes against your activity rather than ranking zones by sticker price.
They may qualify for 0% on qualifying income as a Qualifying Free Zone Person, but this requires meeting substance and income-type conditions - see our Corporate Tax page for details.
Start your free zone company setup.
Tell us your activity and we'll recommend the right free zone, licence tier, and realistic cost.