If you are searching for company setup in Dubai price, the short answer is that a free zone licence typically starts around AED 12,500, a mainland licence starts around AED 13,900 in government fees alone, and most first-year budgets land between AED 12,000 and AED 40,000 depending on visas, office space and business activity. This guide breaks down every part of the company setup in Dubai price so you can plan with confidence in 2026.
Dubai remains one of the most attractive places in the world to start a business. It offers 100% foreign ownership in most sectors, a strategic location between Europe, Asia and Africa, world-class infrastructure, and a tax regime that is still competitive even after the introduction of UAE corporate tax. But anyone who has searched online knows the problem: quotes vary wildly. One adviser advertises a company setup in Dubai price of AED 5,750, another quotes AED 45,000 for what looks like the same thing.
The reason is simple. The company setup in Dubai price is not a single number. It is the sum of a licence fee, registration charges, visa costs, office or flexi-desk rent, approvals, and professional service fees. Some quotes include all of these; others hide half of them until you have paid a deposit.
All figures below are 2026 estimates compiled from public price guides and free zone publications (see the Sources section). Fees change, so always confirm the final amount with the licensing authority before paying.
What Determines the Company Setup in Dubai Price?
Before comparing quotes, you need to understand what actually drives the company setup in Dubai price. Five variables matter most.
1. Jurisdiction: mainland, free zone or offshore. This is the biggest driver. Free zones bundle licence, registration and a flexi-desk into one package, which keeps the entry price low. Mainland setups add separate government charges, a physical office lease and sometimes a local service agent. Offshore companies are cheapest to hold but cannot trade directly inside the UAE.
2. Business activity and licence type. A consultancy, a trading company, a manufacturer and a tourism operator all pay different fees. Dubai issues commercial, professional, industrial and tourism licences, and regulated activities such as healthcare, education or financial services need extra approvals that increase the company setup in Dubai price.
3. Number of visas. Each visa adds typical costs of AED 3,000 to AED 8,000 once you include the establishment card, Emirates ID and medical test. A solo founder needs one visa; a growing team may need five or ten.
4. Office type. A flexi-desk can cost almost nothing inside a free zone package. A mainland company usually needs a registered tenancy contract (Ejari), and a shared or private office can add AED 10,000 to AED 25,000 or more per year.
In short, the company setup in Dubai price depends on where you register, what you do, how many people you hire and how much support you buy. Two founders asking for “a Dubai company” can legitimately receive quotes AED 20,000 apart.
Free Zone Company Setup in Dubai Price
Free zones are the most popular route for startups, freelancers, consultants and e-commerce founders because the company setup in Dubai price is lower and more predictable. You get 100% foreign ownership, no local sponsor and, in many cases, a fully remote application process.
Published 2026 guides put a basic free zone licence between AED 5,750 and AED 15,000, and an all-in first-year budget with one visa between AED 11,000 and AED 25,000. Here is how the three best-known Dubai free zones compare.
Meydan Free Zone
Meydan Free Zone is a central Dubai free zone known for a prestigious address and a digital setup process. Reported government fees start at about AED 12,500 for a zero-visa licence and around AED 20,670 with one residence visa. The company setup in Dubai price at Meydan sits in the middle of the market: more than the cheapest options, far less than premium zones. It suits e-commerce, consulting and growing small businesses that want a credible Dubai address.
IFZA (International Free Zone Authority)
IFZA is based in Dubai Digital Park, Dubai Silicon Oasis, and is popular with consultants and small traders. Partner packages commonly start near AED 12,900 for a zero-visa licence and roughly AED 21,400 with one visa. IFZA does not publish a single official price list, so the figure you pay depends on the partner and package. IFZA works out cheaper than Meydan once you add two or more visas.
DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre)
DMCC is the premium option, home to more than 26,000 companies, and strong for trading, commodities, crypto and Web3. Its published packages are noticeably higher, with standard company setup packages listed from roughly AED 35,000 to AED 50,000 in the first year. You can check the latest fees on the official DMCC schedule of charges. The higher company setup in Dubai price buys global reputation, sector-specific ecosystems and access to a very dense business community.
One important caution: a free zone company cannot freely trade with customers on the Dubai mainland without a distributor or a mainland branch. If most of your clients are inside the UAE, the cheapest licence may not be the cheapest decision.
Mainland Company Setup in Dubai Price
A mainland licence is issued by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET, formerly DED). You can find official guidance and services through the Dubai Economy and Tourism portal. A mainland company can trade anywhere in the UAE and with government entities, which is why many service businesses, retailers and contractors choose it despite the higher company setup in Dubai price.
The cost is made up of several moving parts rather than a single bundled package:
- Government fees: about AED 13,900 to AED 16,200 for a zero-visa mainland company, according to a July 2026 fee guide
- Initial approval and trade name: typically a few hundred to a few thousand dirhams
- Office lease (Ejari): the largest variable, from a low-cost shared desk to a private office costing AED 25,000 or more per year
- Chamber of Commerce membership and municipality fees: several hundred dirhams
- Local service agent or sponsor fees: only for activities that still require one, often AED 7,000 to AED 15,000 per year
- Visa and Emirates ID costs: AED 3,000 to AED 6,000 per visa
Adding these together, 2026 guides show a realistic mainland company setup in Dubai price of AED 12,000 to AED 30,000 without a visa and AED 18,000 to AED 40,000 with a visa. Some providers quote AED 45,000 to AED 60,000 for a basic office, one visa and sponsor fees. Be cautious of anything advertised near AED 5,000: it almost always excludes mandatory charges.
Mainland licences also come with recurring costs. Budget for annual licence renewal, tenancy renewal and visa renewals, which together often exceed the first-year government fees.
Offshore Company Setup in Dubai Price and Side-by-Side Comparison
An offshore company is registered in a jurisdiction such as Ras Al Khaimah (RAK ICC) or Jebel Ali Free Zone and is used for holding assets, international trading structures and ownership planning. It cannot trade directly with UAE mainland customers. The company setup in Dubai price for an offshore entity typically starts around AED 6,500 to AED 10,000 and rises to roughly AED 18,000 with extra services, with renewals around AED 10,000 to AED 12,000 per year.
Here is a quick comparison of the company setup in Dubai price across the three structures, using mid-range 2026 estimates:
| Structure | First-year price (AED) | Visa cost per visa (AED) | Can trade inside UAE mainland | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free zone | 12,500 to 25,000 | 3,000 to 8,000 | Only via distributor or branch | Consultants, e-commerce, startups |
| Mainland | 18,000 to 40,000 | 3,000 to 6,000 | Yes, directly | Retail, services, government work |
| Offshore | 6,500 to 18,000 | Not applicable | No | Holding and asset protection |
Use this table as a starting point only. The final company setup in Dubai price depends on your activity, visa count and office choice, and every adviser’s quote will differ slightly.
Hidden Costs That Change the Company Setup in Dubai Price
The advertised company setup in Dubai price rarely equals what you actually pay. Watch for these extras before you sign anything:
- Establishment card and immigration fees: required before you can issue visas, and often missing from headline packages
- Emirates ID, medical test and visa stamping: charged per person, and the total can reach AED 3,000 to AED 6,000 per visa
- Activity-specific approvals: food, healthcare, education, security and financial activities require separate regulator permits
- Additional activities on one licence: each extra activity can add to the licence fee
- Corporate bank account costs: account opening support, minimum balance requirements and monthly fees
- PRO and typing services: ongoing paperwork handled by a public relations officer
- Share capital and document attestation: mainland LLCs may need attested documents from your home country
- Annual renewal: licence, registration, tenancy and visa renewals recur every year and often match or exceed first-year costs
A useful rule of thumb is to add 20% to 30% on top of any headline figure. That buffer protects you from surprises and makes your real company setup in Dubai price easier to forecast.
Corporate Tax and Compliance: The Ongoing Side of the Price
No discussion of company setup in Dubai price is complete without tax. Since June 2023 the UAE has applied a federal corporate tax of 9% on taxable profits above AED 375,000, with a 0% rate on profits up to that threshold. Free zone companies can still benefit from a 0% rate, but only if they qualify as a Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP). That means earning qualifying income, maintaining adequate substance in the free zone and not electing the standard regime. Income that does not qualify is taxed at 9%, and a company that loses its qualifying status may be taxed at the standard rate for several years.
Every company, including free zone companies and companies with no tax due, must register with the Federal Tax Authority and obtain a Corporate Tax registration number. Missing the deadline can trigger an administrative penalty of AED 10,000. You should also budget for bookkeeping, annual financial statements and tax return filing, which many small companies outsource for a few thousand dirhams per year.
If your annual turnover passes the mandatory threshold, you must also register for 5% VAT. These compliance costs are small compared to the setup fee, but ignoring them can quickly make your total company setup in Dubai price much larger.
How to Reduce Your Company Setup in Dubai Price
You do not need to compromise on quality to lower your company setup in Dubai price. These practical steps work for most founders:
- Request only the visas you need now. You can add visas later as the team grows.
- Choose a flexi-desk. If you do not need a physical workspace, a flexi-desk inside a free zone can reduce office costs to almost zero.
- Limit your business activities. Pick the activities that generate revenue today rather than licensing everything you might do someday.
- Compare at least three quotes line by line. Ask for government fees and service fees separately.
- Look for package promotions. Free zones often run discounts for first-year registrations.
- Model three years, not one. A cheap first year can hide expensive renewals, so compare the three-year company setup in Dubai price.
- Match the zone to your customers. If you serve UAE clients, pay for mainland access rather than losing sales later.
Frequently Asked Questions About Company Setup in Dubai Price
What is the cheapest company setup in Dubai price in 2026? A zero-visa free zone licence is usually the cheapest route, with published prices from about AED 5,750 to AED 12,500 depending on the zone and package. Remember that visas, renewals and service fees come on top.
How much is a mainland company setup in Dubai price compared with a free zone? Mainland setups generally cost AED 18,000 to AED 40,000 in the first year with a visa, compared with roughly AED 11,000 to AED 25,000 for a free zone company. The gap comes mainly from office and local agent costs.
Does my free zone company pay corporate tax? It can pay 0% on qualifying income if it meets all QFZP conditions; otherwise the standard 9% applies. Always confirm with a tax adviser and the Federal Tax Authority.
Conclusion
The company setup in Dubai price ranges from about AED 6,500 for a simple offshore structure to AED 40,000 or more for a mainland company with a visa and private office. Free zones such as Meydan and IFZA offer the best balance for small businesses, DMCC suits larger trading and crypto-focused firms, and mainland licences make sense when you must sell directly inside the UAE.
The best way to control your company setup in Dubai price is to define your activity, visa count and customer base first, request itemised quotes, add a 20% to 30% buffer for hidden costs and plan for renewals and corporate tax from day one. Verify every figure with the licensing authority before you pay, and consider speaking to a licensed adviser for your specific case.
Sources
Fee figures are 2026 estimates from published guides and may change; confirm with the authority before paying.
