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Tier 2 · Dubai

International Free Zone Authority

Dubai Silicon Oasis / Dubai Digital Park · Est. 2017 · IFZA (IFZA FZCO) - operates under Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority umbrella per Oct 2020 agreement; DSOA now part of DIEZ

AED 12,900 – AED 36,100/ yr
high confidenceVerified 18 Jul 2026official ↗
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Best for

Cost-conscious SMEs, consultants and e-commerce founders who want a genuine Dubai (DSO) address, 1-6 residence visas and fast remote setup without premium-zone pricing.

Not ideal for

Businesses needing VAT designated-zone goods treatment, premium brand positioning, very large visa headcounts, or regulated financial/healthcare activities requiring external licences.

01Capability profile

Six independent dimensions, scored from official zone data.

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Banking10/15
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Visa scale15/15
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Cost (lower=better)16/20
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Activity breadth4/25
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Workspace options9/15
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Location9/10
02Where IFZA sits

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

Year 1 cost← lower is better

IFZA: 40th percentile (AED 12,900) · Licence + registration, AED.

Setup time← lower is better

IFZA: 83th percentile (5 days) · Total estimated days from application to operational.

Visa caphigher is better →

IFZA: 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

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

03Costs

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

12,900
– 36,100
Year 1 range · AED
AED 16,405 less than DMCC
mid tier
Show in
Base licence
AED 12,900
Registration
AED 0
Renewal (year 2+)
AED 12,900
3-year total
AED 38,700
2-year visa cost
AED 3,750
Hidden & one-off costs
Establishment card
AED 2,000
Cancellation fee
AED 2,000
Visa renewal
AED 3,750
Visa cancellation
AED 750
Emirates ID (per visa)
AED 370
Dependent / spouse visa
AED 3,500
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
6
Office cap
9
Family sponsorship
Available
Freelancer permit
Not available
Medical required
Yes
Processing time
~14 days
Workspace options
Virtual office
Yes
Flexi-desk
Yes
Coworking
Yes
Dedicated office
Yes
Executive office
Yes
Warehouse
No
Industrial unit
No
Land plot
No
Ejari issued
Yes
Parking
Yes
Dedicated office cost
AED 20,000/yr
05Banking & setup

Banking difficulty, partner banks, and setup timeline.

Banking
Difficulty
Moderate
Time to account
~14 days
Minimum deposit
AED 25,000
Corp tax rate
0%
Audit cost (est)
AED 499
UBO filing
Required
AML / KYC
standard
Partner banks
Emirates NBDADCBWio BankMashreqRAKBank
Neo-bank options
Wio BusinessMashreq NeoEMIs via IFZA partnerships (e.g., 3S Money)
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
    ~2 business days after submission
  4. Bank account active
    Additional ~14 days · Moderate banking
  5. Operational
    Typically ~5 days, up to ~14 days
06Package pricing

7 packages from official fee schedules.

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

PackageVisasYear 1Renewal
Business Activity – 0 VisasBest value0AED 12,900AED 12,900
Business Activity – 1 Visa1AED 17,500AED 14,500
Business Activity – 3 Visas3AED 23,500AED 18,500
Virtual – 1 Activity – 0 Visas0AED 11,900AED 9,500
Flexi Desk – 1 Activity – 2 Visas2AED 15,900AED 12,500
Flexi Desk – 3 Activities – 3 Visas3AED 21,900AED 17,500
Office – 5 Activities – 6 Visas6AED 32,900AED 26,000
07Permitted activities

Activity categories, restrictions, and approval flags.

2000+ (IFZA cites 'thousands'; partner sources cite 2,000-2,500) activities

Import and export trading

Professional consultancy and multiple types of services including technical and lifestyle

Categories
Commercial (incl. General Trading)Professional/ConsultancyIndustrialBranch
Matched industry clusters
consulting
Restricted
BankingInsuranceFinancial Services (unless specific license)Healthcare (unless specific license)Heavy ManufacturingGamblingSecurity ServicesReal Estate Brokerage (without DLD approval)

Some activities require additional approval from the zone authority.

08Jurisdiction & ecosystem

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

Common lawNo
VAT designated zoneNo
QFZP eligible (0% tax)Yes
Source: Official · 2026-07-18
Economic substancestandard
Source: Official · 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: General Business, E-commerce, Services

15000 companieslarge communityNetworking events: YesIncubator: No
Notable companies

Primarily SMEs, startups, and international consultancies rather than publicly listed corporations.

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

5 strengths · 4 caveats.

Strengths
  • Low Dubai entry price: 0-visa license AED 12,900, 1-visa AED 14,900, with price locked for 3 renewals and multi-year discounts up to 30%
  • Generous visa quota for the price: up to 6 visas on a flexi-desk package
  • Fully remote incorporation in 3-5 working days; no minimum share capital and 100% foreign ownership
  • 1 Residence Visa FREE for Life promotion on 1+ visa packages (covers visa fee for one person)
  • Own banking desk (IFZA Money) with Wio, Mashreq and CBD partnerships speeds up account opening
Caveats
  • Mandatory financial statement at every renewal since Jan 2024 - simplified (~AED 499) only for companies <= AED 3M turnover and <9 staff, otherwise audited accounts
  • Not a VAT designated zone - standard 5% VAT rules apply to all transactions
  • No public schedule of charges: must buy through Professional Partners, so final quotes vary by agent
  • Late renewal penalty is a steep fixed AED 1,000/month on license plus AED 1,000/month on the establishment card

Not ideal for: Businesses needing VAT designated-zone goods treatment, premium brand positioning, very large visa headcounts, or regulated financial/healthcare activities requiring external licences.

10Recent developments

4 policy and pricing updates on record.

  1. August 2025IFZA launched a Mastercard corporate debit card partnership for license holders, reducing reliance on traditional business bank accounts for day-to-day transactions.
  2. January 2025IFZA introduced new e-commerce and marketplace activity categories following increased demand from Amazon FBA and Noon sellers.
  3. February 2026IFZA introduced a new e-commerce bundle package including fulfilment partnership with Aramex, targeted at Amazon.ae and Noon sellers.
  4. October 2025IFZA crossed 40,000 active licences, making it one of the UAE's largest free zones by company count.
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

9 common questions specific to IFZA.

13Founder Q&A · 5 questions

Real questions from founders evaluating this zone.

Which free zones are known for easier bank account opening for foreign owners?
Free zones such as DMCC, DAFZA, and JAFZA are known for relatively easier bank account openings for foreign owners due to their established banking ecosystems and streamlined documentation processes.…
How much does a basic flexi-desk package cost in a free zone like IFZA or Meydan?
A basic flexi-desk package in free zones like IFZA or Meydan typically costs between AED 5,000 to AED 10,000 annually. This usually includes a shared workspace, a mailing address, and limited access hours. It's important…
How to choose a free zone (RAKEZ, IFZA, DMCC, ADGM, etc.)?
Choose a free zone based on your business activity, budget, and location preference. DMCC and ADGM suit financial and trading firms with premium infrastructure but higher costs. RAKEZ and IFZA offer affordable packages a…
How long does registration in the UAE take?
Company registration in UAE free zones typically takes between 5 business days to 4 weeks, depending on the zone and business activity complexity.…
I am confused about whether I should file corporate tax or not. I registered a free zone company with IFZA in Sept 2023 providing management consulting services. I am essentially an independent contractor for a US company, paying myself a salary monthly without generating revenue. Do I need to file taxes?
Yes, you must file UAE corporate tax if your free zone company generates taxable income. Since you pay yourself a salary without company revenue, corporate tax filing may still be required, but with zero taxable income, …
14Similar zones in Dubai

3 comparable zones in the same emirate.

15About this data

Last verified 2026-07-18 · high confidence.

IFZA 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
Dubai Silicon Oasis / Dubai Digital Park
Established
2017
Authority
IFZA (IFZA FZCO) - operates under Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority umbrella per Oct 2020 agreement; DSOA now part of DIEZ
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.

4.9★2,139 reviewsGoogle

Founder reviews

4.5 · 2 reviews
February 2026

“Best value in Dubai. Mashreq Neo account opened in 3 weeks. No issues with clients — they just see a Dubai address.”

— SaaS founder
December 2025

“Smooth process. Visa took 5 weeks total. Banking was easier than expected — applied to Mashreq and Emirates NBD simultaneously.”

— Freelance consultant
17Take the next step

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