Of the free zones inside Dubai, Meydan publishes the lowest entry price we could verify: AED 12,500 a year for a licence with company registration, with visas, medical tests and the Emirates ID added on top. IFZA publishes no price at all; through us its package starts at AED 12,900. DMCC, the best-known Dubai name, publishes AED 35,484 for its basic one-year package.
Outside Dubai the floor drops. Ajman Media City publishes AED 4,999 a year with no visa, SPC Free Zone starts from AED 5,750 and SHAMS from AED 5,760. Whether that saving is worth giving up a Dubai licence depends on who you invoice and what you need the company to do, which is what the rest of this page works through.
Cheapest free zone license in Dubai doesn’t mean the lowest advertised number you see online. In practice, it means the lowest total cost license inside Dubai that actually allows banking, visa eligibility, and smooth renewal. If you are weighing zones outside Dubai too, the UAE free zone comparison sets the five main ones side by side on published price, visas and premises.
Many “cheap” offers look attractive at first — then become expensive once hidden fees appear. That’s the difference between cheap on paper and cheap in reality.
What is the cheapest free zone license in Dubai 2026?
On the zones' own published prices, it is Meydan. Here is what the Dubai zones say themselves:
| Dubai free zone | What it publishes | What that price covers |
|---|---|---|
| Meydan Free Zone | From AED 12,500 a year | Licence and company registration, up to three activity groups; visa, medical tests and Emirates ID extra |
| IFZA | No price published | Quoted case by case; through us from AED 12,900 |
| DMCC | AED 35,484 | Basic Biz Package for one year, including VAT and the Knowledge and Innovation fees |
1. International Free Zone Authority (IFZA)
IFZA does not publish a rate card; its licence page carries an enquiry form where a price would be, so its figure always arrives as a quote. Through us the IFZA package starts at AED 12,900, and the IFZA cost guide works through what sits on top of it.
IFZA Best for:
- Consulting
- Digital services
- International trading structures
2. Dubai Meydan Free Zone
Meydan publishes its entry price on its own site: AED 12,500 a year for the licence with company registration. Up to three activity groups are included, there is no paid-up share capital and no office lease is required to start. Visas, medical tests and the Emirates ID are added as you need them, and Meydan quotes about 24 hours for a standard application.
Dubai Meydan Best for:
- Solo founders
- Online services
- Lean business models
3. Dubai South
Dubai South Business Hub advertises a low entry price too, but its figures sit in a calculator we could not read on 22 October, and its own articles quote different tier prices from one another. Ask for its package sheet in writing before you compare it with Meydan.
Why some businesses choose it:
- Strategic location
- Logistics and aviation ecosystem
- Long-term expansion potential
Best for:
- Trading
- Logistics-related services
- Scalable operations
Comparing the cheapest free zone license in Dubai vs other UAE emirates
Here are the five we are asked about most, with our price beside what the zone itself advertises. The two columns are different kinds of fact and adding them together produces a number that means nothing, which is why they are kept apart. Each zone links to its own cost guide, where the first-year maths is worked through in full.
| Zone | Emirate | Through SwiftHub, from | What the zone itself publishes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ajman Media City | Ajman | AED 4,499 | AED 4,999 a year with no visa, up to AED 22,999 with three; renewal prices published |
| SPC Free Zone | Sharjah | AED 4,999 | From AED 5,750; no cap on visas per licence |
| SHAMS | Sharjah | AED 5,750 | From AED 5,760 on its start page; other packages through its calculator |
| RAKEZ | Ras Al Khaimah | AED 6,000 | AED 6,000 for a company setup, AED 14,000 all-inclusive |
| IFZA | Dubai | AED 12,900 | Nothing. The licence pages carry an enquiry form |
Read the last column before the third. A zone that publishes its rates, and especially one that publishes what renewal costs, is easier to budget around than one that does not — and IFZA, the only Dubai entry on that list, publishes neither.
IFZA and Meydan are the lowest-cost free zones located inside Dubai
If the licence has to be from Dubai, Meydan's published AED 12,500 and IFZA's quoted packages are the low end. DMCC's basic package costs nearly three times as much. Neither low-cost zone is the cheapest in the UAE, but they are the cheapest ways to hold a Dubai free zone licence that we can put a number on.
Ajman, SHAMS, and UAQ are cheaper, but are not Dubai jurisdictions
Ajman, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain zones publish lower entry prices, as the table shows. The trade-off is the licence itself: it is issued by another emirate's free zone, and some clients and tenders ask for a Dubai one. If yours do not, the saving is real. For the mainland side, DET's own fees by legal form sit beside every zone's price on our business license cost page.
Banking access and credibility differ between Dubai and non-Dubai free zones
Banks decide each application on its own facts, and we have not seen a bank publish a rule that favours one free zone over another. What changes the conversation is substance: where the company trades, who pays it, and whether there is a desk or office behind the licence. A zero-visa licence with no workspace is the hardest case for any zone. The bank account page sets out what banks ask for.
Why swifthub.ae helps you choose the right location, not just the lowest price
The wrong zone costs more than the price gap: a bank that declines, an upgrade forced by the visa you did not plan for, an amendment to add an activity, a renewal that jumps. So we start from your activity, the clients you will invoice and the visas you need, and only then look for the cheapest zone that fits.
The question that settles most cases is where your money will come from. Answer that first and the wrong jurisdiction, the hidden compliance cost and the cheap start that doubles later mostly fall away.
If you’re considering long-term growth and access to the local market, you may want to explore the Dubai mainland company formation cost before deciding on a free zone setup
What fees are often NOT included in “cheapest free zone” ads?
Common exclusions:
- Establishment card
- Visa eligibility or visa allocation
- Immigration file opening
- Medical & Emirates ID
- Renewal price increases after year one
A licence that looks cheap today can become expensive at renewal, which is why Ajman Media City's published renewal prices are worth more than they look.
How visa quota, office/desk type, and activity category change the real cost of a “cheap” free zone license
A “cheap” free zone license in Dubai is usually priced for the lowest possible scenario, not for how you will actually use the company.
Three factors change the real cost immediately:
- Visa quota A zero-visa license is cheaper, but the moment you add one residence visa, costs increase with immigration, medical tests, Emirates ID, and visa processing.
- Office or desk type Virtual offices are the cheapest, but some banks and activities require a Flexi desk or physical space, which raises the price.
- Activity category Consulting and service activities cost less. Trading, multiple activities, or regulated sectors come with higher fees and extra approvals.
That’s why the cheapest license on paper is not always the cheapest license in reality.
How to get the cheapest free zone license in Dubai without hidden costs
Starting with a license-only or zero-visa package lowers initial cost
If you’re testing the market or running an online business, starting with a license-only or zero-visa package can significantly reduce your upfront cost.
It works well when:
- You don’t need UAE residency immediately
- Your business is fully remote
- You want flexibility in the first year
But it must be planned correctly, not chosen blindly.
Office and visa upgrades are the main reasons cheap licenses become expensive
This is a common scenario:
You start with a low-cost license → You need a visa → The bank asks for a desk → Your activity needs an upgrade
Suddenly, the “cheap” license costs more than a properly structured setup from day one.
Planning renewal costs is essential to keep the business affordable long term
The first year is easy. Renewal is where real costs appear.
Always ask:
- What is the renewal fee?
- Will the price jump next year?
- Are visas and desks renewed at the same rate?
Long-term planning is what keeps a business affordable, not just the initial offer.
Other cheapest free zone licenses in the UAE
Yes. On the zones' own figures, Ajman Media City (AED 4,999 with no visa), SPC Free Zone (from AED 5,750), SHAMS (from AED 5,760) and RAKEZ (AED 6,000) all start below any Dubai zone that publishes a price. They are not Dubai licences, and some clients require one; cheapest in the UAE is not always cheapest for your business.
FAQ: Cheapest Free Zone License in Dubai
Cheap has a shape worth knowing before you sign. We have written the honest version of it in the disadvantages of a free zone company, and if you want zones outside Dubai in the comparison, SPC and SHAMS both publish their rates.
Of the Dubai zones that publish a price, Meydan: AED 12,500 a year for the licence and company registration, visas extra. IFZA publishes none; through us it starts at AED 12,900.
Yes. It’s a good option for online businesses or founders who don’t need UAE residency immediately.
Our estimate is AED 20,000–22,000 for a realistic first year in a Dubai free zone with one visa. The licence is only part of that: the establishment card, e-channel registration, the visa itself and the medical and Emirates ID steps make up the rest. Estimate made in August 2026.
Not from the Dubai zones that publish a price: Meydan starts at AED 12,500. Under AED 10,000 means a zone outside Dubai. On their own websites, read 22 October 2026: Ajman Media City AED 4,999 with no visa, SPC Free Zone from AED 5,750, SHAMS from AED 5,760, RAKEZ AED 6,000. Ask what is excluded before comparing them: the establishment card, e-channel registration and the visa quota are the usual omissions.
Meydan and IFZA are the two we compare most for consultants. Meydan publishes its entry price and includes three activity groups in it; IFZA is quoted case by case. The better fit depends on your activities and how many visas you need, which is the comparison we run for you.
No. Residence visas are typically added separately.
Need help choosing the right low-cost free zone in Dubai?
Choosing the cheapest free zone license isn’t about picking the lowest number. It’s about choosing the right structure from the start.
Book a free consultation call with SwiftHub. We will review your activity, visa needs and banking goals, then recommend the lowest-cost free zone that works for them, with every fee in writing. Contact us.
Sources
- Meydan Free Zone, trade licence from AED 12,500: the entry price, what it includes and excludes, activity groups, share capital, office and timing. Read 22 October 2026.
- DMCC schedule of charges: the Basic Biz Package. Read 22 October 2026.
- Ajman Media City: the four packages and their renewal fees. Read 22 October 2026.
- SPC Free Zone: packages from AED 5,750. Read 22 October 2026.
- SHAMS start page: from AED 5,760. Read 22 October 2026.
- RAKEZ: AED 6,000 company setup and the AED 14,000 all-inclusive package. Read 22 October 2026.
- IFZA: no prices published. Read 22 October 2026.
