Ajman gives you two routes and they are not variations of each other. A free zone licence and an Ajman mainland licence differ on who you can sell to, and that difference decides the answer far more often than price does.
Through SwiftHub an Ajman free zone package starts at AED 4,499. An Ajman mainland licence is quoted per case, because Ajman's economic department prices by activity and legal form rather than from a single rate card.
The question that actually decides it
Who pays your invoices. If your customers are outside the UAE, or inside free zones, a free zone licence is usually right and usually cheaper. If your customers are UAE businesses and consumers on the mainland, a free zone company reaches them through a distributor or not at all, and the distributor costs more than the licence you saved on.
Free zone: what you get and what it costs
- Full foreign ownership, no local partner
- Trades inside the zone and internationally without restriction
- Visa allocation tied to the package rather than to premises, on some zones
- Cannot invoice mainland UAE customers directly in most cases
Ajman Media City is the zone we are asked about most, and it is the only one in our range that publishes renewal prices alongside setup prices. Its cost guide sets out the four published tiers. Ajman Free Zone is the other, older option.
Mainland: what you get and what it costs
- Sells directly to UAE businesses and consumers, anywhere in the country
- Can bid for government work
- Full foreign ownership on most activities since the 2021 reforms
- Needs premises with a registered tenancy, which is the cost most people forget
The tenancy is the structural difference. A free zone package can include a desk; a mainland licence generally needs a real lease registered with the authority, and that is an annual cost with a deposit attached. Mainland business setup covers the process; Dubai mainland formation costs covers the cost structure in the neighbouring emirate, which is comparable in shape if not in figure.
Where Ajman wins either way
Ajman is materially cheaper than Dubai on both routes, and the gap is largest on premises. For a business whose customers do not care where it is registered, that is money saved for nothing given up. For a business selling a Dubai address as part of its proposition, it is not.
The free zone comparison puts Ajman next to the Sharjah and Dubai zones on price, visas and premises.
Our fees, either route
| Line | Cost |
|---|---|
| Ajman free zone package, zero visas | From AED 4,499 |
| Corporate tax and VAT registration | AED 600 |
| Bank account assistance, standard activity | AED 1,000 |
| Residence visa, our fees per person | AED 200 typing, AED 300 unemployment insurance, AED 300 portal access, health cover from AED 500 |
Government and authority charges are billed at cost on top, and on the mainland route the tenancy is yours to pay directly.
Ajman free zone or mainland
The free zone, on licence price, and usually by more once premises are counted. Whether it is cheaper for your business depends on whether it can serve your customers, which is a different question.
Not directly to mainland customers, in most cases. It can sell internationally and inside free zones without restriction. Reaching mainland buyers means a distributor or a mainland licence.
Generally yes, with a registered tenancy. That requirement is the main structural cost difference between the two routes and it recurs annually.
Ask your bank rather than assume. Some banks are more comfortable with some jurisdictions, and it is one reason we handle the introduction rather than leaving it to the applicant.
It is a new licence rather than a conversion in most cases, with the costs that implies. That is an argument for settling the market question before you file, not after.
Prices last reviewed 29 August 2026. Authority figures are attributed to the authority; Ajman Free Zone and Ajman Media City publish different things and we do not merge them. Our figures are indicative and confirmed in writing before filing.
