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Tier 2 · Dubai

Dubai Healthcare City

Phase 1: Oud Metha (Bur Dubai); Phase 2: Al Jaddaf · Est. 2002 · Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA); independent regulatory arm: Dubai Healthcare City Authority - Regulatory (DHCR)

AED 18,500/ yr
high confidenceVerified 18 Jul 2026official ↗
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Best for

Hospitals, clinics, medical education providers, pharma and wellness businesses wanting a regulated healthcare campus with its own clinical regulator and direct access to Dubai's medical-tourism market.

Not ideal for

Non-healthcare businesses (activity scope is healthcare/wellness/support clusters only) and cost-sensitive startups needing cheap general trading licenses or large visa quotas.

01Capability profile

Six independent dimensions, scored from official zone data.

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Banking10/15
?
Visa scale15/15
?
Cost (lower=better)14/20
?
Activity breadth8/25
?
Workspace options6/15
?
Location9/10
02Where DHCC sits

Tick marks for every zone, DHCC highlighted. The shape of the field, not just the rank.

Year 1 cost← lower is better

DHCC: 23th percentile (AED 18,500) · Licence + registration, AED.

Setup time← lower is better

DHCC: 40th percentile (10 days) · Total estimated days from application to operational.

Visa caphigher is better →

DHCC: 40th percentile (50 visas) · Absolute maximum visa allocation. Values above 500 clipped to the right edge so the bulk of the distribution stays readable.

Banking ease← better
Easy
4
Moderate
73
Difficult
15
Very difficult
1

DHCC: Moderate · Corporate bank account opening difficulty. Each cell is one zone.

03Costs

Year-one license, renewals, and 5-year totals in AED.

18,500
Year 1 minimum · AED
AED 10,805 less than DMCC
mid tier
Show in
Base licence
AED 15,000
Registration
AED 3,500
Renewal (year 2+)
AED 15,000
3-year total
AED 48,500
2-year visa cost
AED 3,500
Hidden & one-off costs
Establishment card
AED 1,730
Minimum share capital
AED 50,000
Cancellation fee
AED 1,500
Visa renewal
AED 2,080
Visa cancellation
AED 425
Emirates ID (per visa)
AED 370
Dependent / spouse visa
AED 2,350
Year-on-year fee tracking begins 2026 — changes appear here as they accrue.
Indicative, from published ratesOfficial fee schedule ↗Verified 2026-07high confidence

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04Visas & workspace

Visa caps, workspace options, and family-sponsorship rules.

Visa allocation
Maximum visas
50
Flexi-desk cap
2
Office cap
3
Family sponsorship
Available
Freelancer permit
Not available
Medical required
Yes
Processing time
~14 days
Workspace options
Virtual office
No
Flexi-desk
Yes
Coworking
Yes
Dedicated office
Yes
Executive office
Yes
Warehouse
No
Industrial unit
No
Land plot
No
Ejari issued
Yes
Parking
Yes
05Banking & setup

Banking difficulty, partner banks, and setup timeline.

Banking
Difficulty
Moderate
Time to account
~21 days
Minimum deposit
AED 50,000
Corp tax rate
0%
Audit cost (est)
AED 8,000
UBO filing
Required
AML / KYC
enhanced
Partner banks
Emirates NBDADCBMashreq
Setup timeline
  1. Registration mode
    Fully online — no in-person visit required
  2. Documents & application
    Passport, visa, business plan — ~3–5 days
  3. Licence issued
    ~1 business day after submission
  4. Bank account active
    Additional ~21 days · Moderate banking
  5. Operational
    Typically ~10 days, up to ~45 days
06Package pricing

4 packages from official fee schedules.

All figures in AED, from official fee schedules. Visa and health-insurance costs are additional.

PackageVisasYear 1Renewal
SME Office – Consulting – 2 VisasBest value2AED 28,000AED 22,000
Clinic / Medical Facility – 3 Visas3AED 45,000AED 36,000
Healthcare Office – 5 Visas5AED 65,000AED 52,000
Healthcare Office – 8 Visas8AED 90,000AED 72,000
07Permitted activities

Activity categories, restrictions, and approval flags.

~200 permitted activities across 10 licensing clusters (Rule No. 1 of 2018 Appendix 1); 150+ medical specialties activitiesMainland selling: Yes

Hospitals and day surgery centres

telehealth

longevity and advanced pharmaceutical services (expanded 2026)

medical education (MBRU)

medical fitness centres

Categories
Healthcare (clinical inpatient/outpatientpatient supportpharmacylaboratories)EducationResearch & DevelopmentWellnessHospitalityRetailBusiness SupportSupport ServicesRegional HeadquartersProperty Services
Matched industry clusters
consultinghealthcare
Restricted
Certain activities restricted to Branch of UAE Company (e.g.architectural & engineering consultancyhealthcare architectural consultancyjewellery tradinglaundry); DHCA license does not authorize business outside DHCC
08Jurisdiction & ecosystem

Legal framework, tax status, audit requirements, and zone focus — every value sourced.

Common lawNo
VAT designated zoneNo
QFZP eligible (0% tax)Yes
Inferred · 2026-07-18
Mainland permitYes
Inferred · 2026-07-18
Audit requiredNo
Inferred · 2026-07-18
Economic substancestandard
Inferred · 2026-07-18

This zone offers physical-office options sufficient for a standard QFZP substance posture, though the bar still applies at the entity level (CTGFZP1).

Focus: Healthcare, Pharma, Medical Devices

487 active facilities and 12,941 workforce (DHCA press release, 9 Feb 2026, 2025 growth results); homepage counters (checked 2026-07-17): 10 hospitals, 168 clinical facilities, 4,425 healthcare professionals, 36 recreational facilities companiesmedium communityNetworking events: YesIncubator: Yes
Notable companies

Mediclinic City Hospital, Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, Johnson & Johnson, Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU); pipeline: Asan Medical Center gastroenterology hospital, Hamdan Bin Rashid Cancer Hospital, Prime Heart and Lung Hospital

QFZP, audit, mainland-permit and substance values are sourced where the zone authority or FTA publishes them, and inferred from published zone characteristics otherwise. How we determine these values.

09Strengths & limitations

4 strengths · 4 caveats.

Strengths
  • ...Established healthcare ecosystem: 10 hospitals
  • 168 clinical facilities
  • 4
  • 425 healthcare professionals...
Caveats
  • Premium costs: AED 15,000 license + mandatory operating permit (up to ~AED 46k/yr for hospitals) + AED 2,500/employee visa bank guarantee
  • Published fee schedule dates from 2018 - current prices need Masaar confirmation
  • License valid only inside DHCC; mainland trade requires separate DED licensing
  • Visa quota tight for small setups (2 on desk/Zawel, 3 on executive office)

Not ideal for: Non-healthcare businesses (activity scope is healthcare/wellness/support clusters only) and cost-sensitive startups needing cheap general trading licenses or large visa quotas.

10Recent developments

2 policy and pricing updates on record.

  1. 2025-Q2DHCC Phase 2 expansion opened an additional 250,000 sq ft of clinical and office space on the northern side of the campus, accommodating 60+ new healthcare businesses and specialist clinics.
  2. 2024-Q4Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA) introduced a unified digital licensing portal, enabling online submission and tracking of both DHCA and DHA approvals for new clinical entrants.
11Tax considerations

4 tax questions relevant to this zone.

Questions to raise with your tax advisor

  1. Does your planned revenue qualify under the QFZP qualifying-income rules?

    QFZP 0% only applies to qualifying income. Mainland trading or revenue from non-free-zone clients is generally non-qualifying and taxed at 9%.

  2. Will you need audited accounts even if this zone doesn't require them?

    FTA corporate-tax filing typically expects audited accounts for revenue above AED 50M, and banks often request them at much lower thresholds.

  3. How much of your revenue will come from mainland UAE customers, and how does that affect QFZP and 5% VAT obligations?

    Mainland revenue beyond ad-hoc levels can disqualify QFZP and triggers full 9% corporate tax plus standard VAT on supplies.

  4. Do any of your customers, suppliers, or shareholders meet the FTA's related-party definition?

    Related-party transactions need transfer-pricing documentation and may push otherwise-qualifying income into the 9% bracket.

These prompts are due-diligence questions, not tax advice. Confirm every answer with a UAE-licensed tax advisor before incorporating.

12Frequently asked

4 common questions specific to DHCC.

13Founder Q&A · 5 questions

Real questions from founders evaluating this zone.

I want to identify the best free zone for my activity in Dubai. Which is most suitable for this field?
Identify your business activity first, then select free zones specializing in that sector. For example, Dubai Silicon Oasis suits tech startups, Dubai Media City for media firms, and Dubai Healthcare City for medical ser…
I want to open a medical clinic in a free zone. Which free zones allow this, and what are the Ministry of Health requirements?
Medical clinics can be opened in specific free zones like Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) and Abu Dhabi's TwoFour54 (for media-related health services). The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) or the Dubai Health Auth…
Are there any specific freezones that are more suitable for medical or healthcare-related businesses, and what are the licensing requirements?
Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) are highly suitable for medical and healthcare businesses. DHCC offers specific licenses for hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and medical education, requirin…
Which are the 23 VAT-exempt free zones distributed across the 7 emirates?
The 23 VAT-exempt (more accurately, 'Designated Zones' for VAT purposes) free zones are: Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone, Khalifa Port and Industrial Zone, Abu Dhabi Global Market, Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai Cars and Automot…
What are the most common sectors Filipino OFW workers are employed in within UAE freezones?
Filipino OFW workers in UAE freezones are commonly employed in sectors like hospitality, healthcare, retail, IT services, and logistics. Freezones such as Dubai Healthcare City and Dubai Internet City have higher concent…
14Similar zones in Dubai

3 comparable zones in the same emirate.

15About this data

Last verified 2026-07-18 · high confidence.

DHCC data is sourced from official zone authority publications, government fee schedules, and where available, verified against direct communications with the zone. All figures in AED.

Location
Phase 1: Oud Metha (Bur Dubai); Phase 2: Al Jaddaf
Established
2002
Authority
Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA); independent regulatory arm: Dubai Healthcare City Authority - Regulatory (DHCR)
Last verified
2026-07-18
Confidence
high
Methodology
How we score →
Cited source
Fee data sourced from the official fee schedule, fetched 2026-07-18. View source ↗
Per-field citations
How we verify every zone →
16Founder reviews

What founders who've registered here say.

4★Google

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17Take the next step

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