Reviewed 22 October 2026 by First Link Dubai.
A practical way to compare mainland and free zone quotes without mistaking an advertised licence price for the total cost.
What belongs in a business setup budget?
The cost of starting a business in Dubai depends on your activity, jurisdiction, premises and visa needs. Separate the legal entity and licence from the cost of running it. A low cost business setup offer may exclude items your business actually needs. Begin with the activity and operating model, then compare like-for-like scope.
| Component | What to check |
|---|---|
| Registration and licence | Trade name, initial approvals, registration and licence issue; check whether they are bundled. |
| Premises | Desk or office package, lease, tenancy registration and deposits where applicable. |
| External approvals | Activity-specific approvals, required evidence or inspections. |
| Company files | Establishment and immigration or labour files where needed. |
| Each residence applicant | Entry or status steps, residence charges, medical fitness, Emirates ID and insurance. |
| Professional assistance | The adviser’s scope and fee, separately identified from authority charges. |
Mainland and free zone quotes: compare the same assumptions
For a Dubai mainland company formation cost comparison, specify the activity, legal form, shareholders and premises. For a Dubai free zone company setup cost comparison, specify the zone, activity, workspace and visa allocation. Ask both advisers to state which documents, approvals and post-licence steps are included.
Use our mainland LLC service and free zone service to review the relevant scope. The structure comparison explains why the cheapest initial licence may not suit the intended operations.
IFZA, Meydan, RAKEZ and Ajman: compare the full scope
For a comparable quote, use one founder, the same proposed activity, an accepted workspace and one residence applicant. State whether that applicant is inside or outside the UAE. Ask for first-year and renewal totals, the licence term, any applicable taxes and our separately quoted professional fee. The four jurisdictions do not offer identical packages.
IFZA licence and company setup costs
An IFZA licence-cost enquiry should specify the activity, shareholders and visa allocation first. Request separate lines for registration/licensing, workspace, establishment-file items and each residence application. Check whether an advertised visa benefit covers the allocation, the application charges or both. No current itemised IFZA tariff has been verified for this guide, so we do not publish a package total.
For document preparation, IFZA’s official remote-setup checklist lists identification, a photograph, beneficial-owner application information and UAE resident records where applicable. Confirm any activity approval and corporate-shareholder additions before submission. See the IFZA and Meydan comparison for the selection questions.
Meydan Free Zone licence cost
On 22 October 2026, Meydan Free Zone advertised its trade licence from AED 12,500 per year. Its listed base inclusions are the licence, company registration, digital application and portal access. UAE residence visas, medical and Emirates ID are not included by default; office upgrades and later activity changes are also separate. This is an authority-advertised starting price, not a First Link Dubai quote or a complete one-visa setup total. Confirm current terms and any applicable tax or extra charges before payment.
When comparing Meydan company setup, also confirm your activity groups, accepted workspace, visa allocation, immigration-file charges and renewal terms. The official package page sets out the current base scope; our professional assistance is agreed separately. Do not add another licence charge to a quote that already includes it.
RAKEZ company setup costs
RAKEZ is in Ras Al Khaimah. Its official SME promotion reviewed on 22 October 2026 advertises an AED 14,000 business-setup package including a licence and a UAE residence visa, with coworking access. This is an authority promotion, not a First Link offer. Before comparing it with a licence-only quote, obtain written confirmation of the visa count, applicant status, medical/ID and insurance treatment, facility, payment period and renewal conditions. Additional visas or upgrades can change the total.
Ajman Free Zone company setup costs
For an Ajman quote, identify the licence activity, legal form, selected facility, shareholder count and visa needs. Separate incorporation/licensing, premises, immigration-file items and residence charges. Ajman Free Zone’s official FAQ directs renewal pricing to the company’s service request, so a generic advertised entry price should not be treated as your renewal amount. We have not verified a complete current one-visa setup total for publication.
Use the same scenario for all four quotes and record which items are included, extra or not applicable. For free zone setup with a visa, allocation, residence approval and personal appointments are separate decisions. Compare the jurisdictions before choosing the cheapest headline figure.
Two useful quote scenarios
Scenario A: a founder who needs a licence but no residence application. Compare registration, licence, accepted workspace, mandatory company-file items and assistance fees. Do not include a visa cost merely because the package offers a visa allocation.
Scenario B: the same founder also needs residence. Add the applicable company-file prerequisites, entry or status step, residence issuance, medical fitness, Emirates ID and insurance. Ask whether each is included, separately charged or not applicable. These two scenarios explain scope rather than promise a package total. Our professional fees are quoted separately from authority charges.
First year, renewal and cancellation
Ask for a separate renewal estimate using the same activity and workspace assumptions. Introductory discounts may not apply again. Keep licence renewal, lease renewal, establishment cards, visas and recurring compliance work on separate lines. Trade licence renewal support can review the authority record when your renewal approaches.
Before accepting a package, ask about deposit returns, amendment charges, cancellation terms and what happens if an external approval is refused. Do not treat company registration as automatic bank account or residence approval.
Questions to ask before paying
- Which authority issues the licence and what exact activity is covered?
- Which costs are authority charges and which are professional fees?
- Does the total include workspace, visas, medical fitness, ID and insurance?
- What is payable now, later and at renewal?
- What extra work triggers another charge?
For a scoped estimate, tell First Link Dubai your activity, jurisdiction preference, shareholders, visa needs and intended start date.
Official sources and review date
Official references, reviewed 22 October 2026: Dubai Government setup guidance, Invest in Dubai renewal guidance. Requirements are confirmed for the selected activity or applicant category before submission.
Discuss your requirements
First Link Companies & Establishment Management is a 100% Emirati-owned corporate services agency. Describe your requirement before sharing any sensitive documents.
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