Setting up a company in the UAE involves more than just a licence fee — and that licence fee itself isn't one number. Mainland trade licences are issued per emirate, and each emirate's Department of Economic Development sets its own fees; free zones are even more distinct, since each authority (DMCC, IFZA, SHAMS, RAKEZ, and dozens more) runs its own pricing entirely. Pick your emirate or free zone below for a realistic estimate, not a generic average.

Business Setup Cost Calculator

Estimate the first-year cost of setting up a company in the UAE.

These are estimated costs only, based on published headline fees for each emirate and free zone. Real prices vary by business activity, share structure, and current promotions — always confirm the exact fee with the authority or with us before budgeting.
Trade licence and office/rent costs vary significantly by emirate.
Include yourself if you need an investor/partner visa.
License & government feesAED 0.00
Office / EjariAED 0.00
Visa costsAED 0.00
Estimated first-year costAED 0.00
Mainland licenses require a physical Ejari tenancy — a business centre desk is the cheapest way to satisfy that.
This calculator uses researched, emirate- and free-zone-specific license, office, and visa figures as a planning estimate — but exact fees still depend on your business activity, share structure, and current promotions, and change periodically. For a quote you can rely on, talk to our team — book a consultation.

Frequently asked questions

It depends on which emirate or free zone you compare, not "Mainland" or "Free Zone" as single categories. A Sharjah or Ajman mainland licence can cost less than a Dubai-based free zone package like DMCC — while a budget free zone like SHAMS or RAKEZ can undercut every mainland option. Pick your actual emirate and free zone above rather than assuming either category wins by default.

Each emirate's Department of Economic Development (or equivalent authority) sets its own trade licence fees, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi — with higher demand and running costs — price noticeably higher than Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, or Umm Al Quwain. Office rent follows the same pattern, which is why the total gap between the cheapest and priciest emirate can run into tens of thousands of dirhams.

Mainland licences require an Ejari-registered tenancy, though a shared business centre desk satisfies this at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated office. Many Free Zones allow a flexi-desk package instead, which is usually the cheapest compliant option.

Budget roughly AED 5,500 per visa on Mainland, and AED 4,000–6,000 on Free Zone depending on the specific authority — both covering the establishment card share, entry permit, status change, medical test, Emirates ID, and visa stamping. This is separate from the licence fee and scales with how many employees (and yourself, if you need an investor visa) you're sponsoring.

Some do, bundling a small visa quota into the licence package. Beyond that quota, or if your chosen package doesn't include one, each additional visa is a separate cost — worth confirming with the specific free zone authority you're considering.

Renewal costs are typically lower than year one, since one-time items like name reservation and initial approval don't repeat — but licence renewal, office renewal (Ejari or flexi-desk), and visa renewals every 2–3 years continue. Budgeting for renewal, not just setup, avoids surprises.