UAE Free Zone

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Guide Published 23 October 2026 7 min read

What a 1-visa free zone company really costs in year 1

Year-1 cost of a one-visa free zone company at SHAMS, SPC, RAKEZ and Meydan, from the zones' own prices plus the costs people forget. Verified Oct 2026.

A one-visa free zone company costs roughly AED 13,000 to 24,000 in zone and visa fees in year 1, depending on the zone. Once you add health insurance, bookkeeping, an audit and bank charges, a realistic all-in range is about AED 23,000 to 52,000. The licence price on the advert is usually less than half of what you will spend.

All figures below were last verified 23 October 2026. They come from each zone's own published price or online calculator unless we say otherwise. Zones change prices and promotions often, so treat this as a planning guide and get a written quote.

Which zones did we compare, and why?

We picked four zones that publish enough of their own prices to build a year-1 total:

We left out IFZA. Its website did not show licence or visa prices when we checked. Consultancy sites quote about AED 12,900 for an entry IFZA licence, but we could not confirm that with IFZA, so it is not in the table.

Year 1: the zone and visa fees

This table assumes one shareholder, one investor (partner) visa, a one-year licence, the cheapest standard package and flexi-desk or co-working space. "Status change" applies only if you are already in the UAE on another visa.

Item (AED) SHAMS SPC RAKEZ Meydan
Licence or package 6,510 (standard) or 5,385 (media) from 5,760 14,000 all-inclusive 12,500
Desk or co-working 375 included included included in 12,500
Establishment or immigration card 640 640 included 2,000
E-channel registration 2,280 2,280 included not shown separately
Visa quota or allocation 1,600 1,600 included 1,850
Investor visa processing 2,200 2,895 included 4,000
Emirates ID 330 included in processing included (see note) 2,250 with medical
Medical test paid to medical centre, not priced included in processing included (see note) included in 2,250
Status change (if inside UAE) not priced on calculator 700 not confirmed 1,500
Zone and visa total about 12,800 to 14,500 about 13,200 to 13,900 from 14,000 about 22,600 to 24,100

How we built each column:

  • SHAMS. These are the line items the SHAMS calculator uses for one investor visa. The calculator says medical fees are paid directly to the medical centre and that its prices are estimates. Our upper figure allows for an unpriced medical test and status change.
  • SPC. The licence price depends on your activity, and AED 5,760 is the lowest rate plus a AED 10 knowledge fee. SPC says the visa processing fee includes the medical test (AED 365) and Emirates ID (AED 330). Each activity beyond your five included groups adds AED 2,200.
  • RAKEZ. RAKEZ says the AED 14,000 package covers everything from the licence to a residence visa, with no hidden costs. We could not find an itemised list on its page. A consultancy breakdown from Osome lists the immigration card, medical, Emirates ID and e-channel as included. That is a consultancy reading, not a RAKEZ statement. Ask RAKEZ whether a status change is included.
  • Meydan. Meydan's calculator prices the investor visa at AED 5,850: AED 4,000 one-off plus AED 1,850 a year for allocation. It adds an immigration card at AED 2,000 a year and sells medical and Emirates ID at AED 2,250 per visa. Its licence page states that visas, medical and Emirates ID are not part of the AED 12,500.

Meydan costs more mainly because it is a Dubai zone. Its licence and visa fees are higher than those of the Sharjah and RAK zones. Some people pay this for a Dubai address. Others pay it because they want the Dubai mainland operating permit, which is open only to Dubai licence holders.

What do people forget to budget for?

These costs apply whichever zone you choose. Most are estimates, and the source is shown next to each one.

Item Year-1 range (AED) Basis
Health insurance for the visa holder 320 to 5,000 MOHRE basic plan is 320 a year; broader cover is a consultancy estimate
Bookkeeping about 4,800 to 7,200 Consultancy pricing
Audit (needed for the 0% QFZP rate) about 5,000 to 10,000 Consultancy estimate
Bank account fees 0 to about 3,000 Consultancy estimate; depends on bank and balance
Corporate tax registration help 0 to 1,200 Optional; Meydan and SPC sell it for 1,200
National Media Authority advertiser permit 0 to 1,000 Only if you post paid or promotional content
Typical extra in year 1 about 10,000 to 27,000

Health insurance

You need health insurance before a residence visa is issued or renewed. MOHRE's basic plan for private-sector employees costs AED 320 a year. Rules for investor visas, and for Dubai, can differ, so ask your zone what it accepts. Consultancy figures for fuller cover run from about AED 2,500 to 5,000 a year (Osome).

Bank account minimums

No zone can promise you a bank account, because the bank makes that decision. Minimum balance rules vary a lot. A July 2026 consultancy round-up (Avyanco) put Emirates NBD at about AED 50,000 average balance and RAKBANK at about AED 10,000. It listed Wio with no minimum but a monthly plan fee of about AED 99 to 249. Check these figures with the bank, because they are not official.

Corporate tax registration

Every free zone company must register for corporate tax, even if it expects to pay 0%. Companies formed since 1 March 2024 have three months from incorporation to register. The late registration penalty is AED 10,000, though the FTA has waived it for businesses that file their first return within seven months of their first tax period ending.

Accounting and audit if you want 0% tax

To claim Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) status, you must keep audited financial statements (KPMG). A consultancy puts audit fees for small, low-volume companies at about AED 5,000 to 10,000 a year (BCL Globiz). QFZP status is not automatic. You must also meet the de minimis rule and other conditions. Our QFZP audit guide explains when the audit is needed.

Media permit for content creators

If you post advertising or promotional content, you also need an advertiser permit from the National Media Authority, which replaced the UAE Media Council. Pinsent Masons reports a fee of AED 1,000 a year, with the first three years free for residents who registered early. See influencer licences in free zones and SHAMS vs SPC for content creators.

E-invoicing

From mid-2027, most small companies will need an Accredited Service Provider for business invoices. One provider estimated about AED 2,500 to 3,000 a year. Read our e-invoicing guide for the deadlines.

So what is the realistic year-1 total?

Here are rounded ranges for each zone, combining the two tables:

Zone Zone and visa fees All-in estimate, year 1
SHAMS about 12,800 to 14,500 about 23,000 to 42,000
SPC about 13,200 to 13,900 about 23,000 to 41,000
RAKEZ from 14,000 about 24,000 to 41,000
Meydan about 22,600 to 24,100 about 33,000 to 52,000

The low end assumes basic insurance, a cheap digital bank and the lowest bookkeeping and audit fees. The high end assumes fuller insurance, more bank fees and paid help with tax registration.

What changes in year 2?

Year 2 is usually cheaper, because one-off fees fall away and free zone residence visas last up to two years (Dubai Eye 103.8). The visa renewal cost then lands in year 3.

  • Meydan. Based on its calculator, the recurring costs are the licence (12,500), the visa allocation (1,850) and the immigration card (2,000), or about AED 16,350.
  • SHAMS. The calculator charges the licence, desk and visa quota every year, or about AED 8,500. We could not confirm the establishment card renewal fee.
  • RAKEZ. RAKEZ advertises the same renewal price for the package. Ask what the renewal covers in a year with no visa renewal.
  • SPC. The licence renews from about AED 5,760. SPC's calculator lists the visa quota as a one-off fee. We could not confirm its card renewal fees.

In every zone, bookkeeping, audit, insurance and bank fees continue. Multi-year licences can cut costs: Meydan advertises up to 15% off, and the SPC and SHAMS calculators show smaller discounts. If you might move to another free zone later, think twice before you prepay several years.

What to check before you act

  1. Run your exact activity through the zone's own calculator. Activity choice changes the licence price at SPC and the number of included groups everywhere.
  2. Ask for a written, itemised quote that lists the establishment card, e-channel, visa quota, medical, Emirates ID and status change.
  3. Ask what the renewal will cost in year 2 and year 3, line by line.
  4. Check whether a promotion has an end date or is limited to new customers.
  5. Ask two banks for their current minimum balance and fees before you pick a zone.
  6. Price bookkeeping and an audit before you assume the 0% rate. Confirm QFZP status with a registered tax agent.
  7. Put the corporate tax registration deadline (three months from incorporation) in your calendar on day one.

uaefreezone.com is independent and has no link to any free zone authority or government body. This is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. No zone can guarantee a visa, a bank account or a 0% tax rate.

General information only, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Free zone fees and rules change; confirm the current figures with the free zone authority before you commit. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Sources