Cheapest Free Zone in the UAE (2026): Published Fees, Visas and Tax

Only some authorities print a price on their own site. These are the figures we could read at source in October 2026; treat each as the published fee at that date and check the authority before paying.

• SPC Free Zone (Sharjah): E-Publishing from AED 4,999; E-commerce AED 5,750; Standard (professional, commercial, general trading) AED 6,875. SPC says government fees are not included and are billed when you use a visa or service.
• RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah): Basic Package AED 6,000 for one shareholder, one activity and co-working access.
• Meydan Free Zone (Dubai): standard digital licence from AED 12,500 with up to three activity groups and a flexi-desk; visas priced separately.
• SHAMS (Sharjah Media City): Media and Standard packages (up to five activities, flexi-desk and lease agreement) are shown without fixed prices; the site uses a cost calculator and says its prices are estimates.
• Ajman Free Zone: no package prices on the main site; pricing is through its cost calculator.
• UAQ FTZ, Fujairah Creative City, IFZA: no fixed licence-only schedule on the main pages we checked. Fujairah Creative City has announced a new 2026 fee schedule; ask for it in writing.

Consultancy websites quote figures for the zones without a published schedule, but they disagree with each other, so we do not repeat them here.

The licence-only price is rarely what a founder pays, because most people need at least one residence visa to open a bank account and live in the UAE. The published one-visa numbers look very different:

• RAKEZ: Lite package AED 12,000 with one residence visa, up to five shareholders and up to five activities; SME all-inclusive package AED 14,000 with one visa, plus up to three extra visas at AED 4,000 each.
• SPC: itemised government charges include visa allocation AED 1,600, investor visa with Emirates ID AED 2,530, establishment card AED 640 (two years), e-channel registration AED 2,280, change of status AED 700 and medical test AED 365. SPC's own budget example for a solo founder with one investor visa is roughly AED 14,000 to 15,000 in year one.
• Meydan: investor visa from AED 4,000 and immigration establishment card from AED 2,000; Meydan says a first investor visa typically adds around AED 7,850, so licence plus first visa is roughly AED 20,350 on its own figures.

On these published numbers, the gap between the cheapest zones narrows sharply once one visa is added. Compare quotes on a like-for-like basis: same number of visas, activities and shareholders.

Entry prices are often promotional. The figure that decides your three-year cost is the renewal, and few authorities print it:

• RAKEZ states 'same renewal price guaranteed' for its AED 14,000 SME package, but says renewal fees on its instant licence vary by entity type.
• SPC's package page does not state a renewal fee; its establishment card is issued for two years, so that charge recurs in year three, not year two.
• Meydan publishes no renewal price but offers 15% off multi-year licences.

Ask every zone for a written quote showing year-one and year-two costs separately, including visa renewals, the establishment card, e-channel, the flexi-desk or office, and any knowledge or innovation fees. Then total three years. A zone that is AED 1,000 cheaper in year one can be more expensive by year three if its renewal is not fixed. Also check whether a promotional price is tied to a multi-year commitment or paid upfront.Our business setup cost calculator helps you total real quotes rather than headline prices.

Four items regularly turn a cheap licence into an average one:

1. Visa chain. Allocation, entry permit or change of status, medical, Emirates ID and health insurance. SPC lists health insurance from AED 450 a month.
2. Establishment card and e-channel. Needed before the first visa. They are not always shown in the headline package.
3. Office. Free zone packages usually include a flexi-desk and the zone's own lease agreement. Ejari is the Dubai tenancy registration system, and it applies to mainland premises, not to a free zone flexi-desk. If you need a real office, SPC publishes per-square-metre rates (storage from AED 480, shell and core from AED 550, furnished up to AED 900).
4. Audit. A company that wants Qualifying Free Zone Person status must keep audited financial statements at any revenue level under Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025, and many free zones ask for audited accounts at renewal. Check the free zone audit rules before you compare prices. The annual audit fee can be more than the licence saving.

Every free zone company is a taxable person for corporate tax and must register with the FTA. The late-registration penalty is AED 10,000. The 0% rate under Article 18 of Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 applies only to a Qualifying Free Zone Person that meets every condition each period. Those conditions include adequate substance, qualifying income, audited accounts and keeping non-qualifying revenue within the de minimis limit: the lower of 5% of total revenue or AED 5,000,000 under Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025.

Failing a condition moves the company to the standard regime (0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income, 9% above) for that period and the next four. The zone's price has no effect on this test. A low-cost licence used mainly to invoice UAE mainland clients or individual consumers will usually earn non-qualifying income. A QFZP also cannot claim Small Business Relief. Before choosing the cheapest zone, map who your customers are. The Dubai free zone comparison covers the Dubai zones in more detail.