Set up a free zone company in the UAE

What it is

A free zone is an economic area with its own licensing authority. The UAE has more than forty of them, many built around a sector such as media, technology, logistics or commodities. A free zone company is fully owned by you, pays no customs duty on goods inside the zone, and can often run from a flexi-desk rather than a full office.

Who it suits

• Consultants, freelancers and professional service firms
• Technology, software and digital businesses
• E-commerce brands and online sellers
• International trading, import and export
• Founders who want a residence visa through their own company

Choosing your activities

Your licence lists the activities you may carry out, and most free zones allow several related activities under one licence. Getting them right at the start matters: activities are hard to explain to a bank if they do not match what you actually do, and changing them later is an amendment with its own fee.

• Professional services: management, HR, accounting and engineering consultancy
• Trading and e-commerce: general trading, specific product trading, online selling
• Technology: software, SaaS, IT services, and fintech or virtual assets, which need extra approvals
• Media and events: marketing agencies, content and production, event management
• Logistics and industry: freight forwarding, warehousing, light manufacturing
• Health, education and hospitality: regulated activities that need the relevant authority's approval

Regulated activities, such as health, education, finance, crypto and real estate, need a no-objection letter from their regulator, which can add weeks or months. We tell you before you commit.

What the setup covers

• Choosing the free zone and the licence package for your activities
• Trade name reservation and the company documents
• The trade licence and the establishment (immigration) card
• Residence visas for owners and staff, including medicals and Emirates ID
• Corporate tax registration
• Support with your corporate bank account application

Documents you'll need

• A passport copy for every owner, valid for at least six months
• A passport-style photo for every owner
• Your current UAE visa and Emirates ID, if you have them
• A no-objection letter from your employer, if you are employed in the UAE
• For a company shareholder: its incorporation documents, attested

How it works

1. 1Pick the zone and packageWe compare free zones for your activity, visas and budget.
2. 2Reserve the nameWe reserve the trade name and submit your application.
3. 3Licence issuedThe licence and company documents are usually issued within a few working days.
4. 4VisasEntry permit, medical, Emirates ID and residence visa for each person.
5. 5Bank and taxWe support the bank account application and register you for corporate tax.

Pricing

Free zone costs depend on the zone, the licence package, the number of visas and the kind of office. Visa allocations are tied to the package and the office, so a flexi-desk usually carries fewer visas than a leased office.

Start your order online, or message us, and we send an itemised quotation: the licence, the registration, any visas and the office, with the government fees shown as their own lines. It is in writing before anything is filed, and it does not change afterwards unless you change what you ask for.

FAQ

A note on scope: DocuGulf is a documentation facilitation service. Licences, registrations and visas are issued by the relevant UAE authorities and free zones, and filed through licensed partners. Reach us at info@docugulf.com or +971 58 569 3628.