Cost of Business Setup in Dubai (2026 Breakdown)

Documented Dubai authority package examples — checked 17 October 2026

These two examples were checked directly against the authorities' live pages on 17 October 2026. They are published package offers, not customer invoices, a market-wide minimum or a complete launch budget. Neither source itemises a separate amount for every bundled component; no component prices have been inferred. The hypothetical budgets below remain separate from this source evidence.

Meydan's Fawri licence page publishes AED 15,000 for a solo founder, with one person holding the shareholder, manager, director and UBO roles. Its stated inclusions are the trade licence, lease agreement, digital application and portal access. UAE residence visa, medical and Emirates ID, office lease upgrades and later activity changes are not included by default. Confirm your exact activity eligibility, VAT treatment, additional approvals and renewal in writing; this page does not establish a price-validity period.

DMCC's Schedule of Charges publishes AED 43,780 for the one-year Jump Start Package — Standard Flexi Desk, marked as inclusive of VAT and Knowledge & Innovation Dirhams and non-refundable. This is the named package charge, not a licence-only comparator. The schedule does not assign separate prices to its bundled components or establish the cost of every applicant's residence and operational requirements. Confirm exact inclusions, eligibility, external approvals, additional charges and renewal with DMCC. DMCC states that its charges may change without prior notice.

Use Dubai business setup packages to compare published offers for the same activity, visa count and workspace. Then compare first-year costs and exclusions side by side before requesting a written quotation; a headline price is not a complete launch budget.

Free zone year-one cost, itemised

The following amounts are hypothetical planning inputs, not the official package examples above or verified current authority tariffs. Do not add every line to a package price: registration or workspace may already be bundled. Obtain an activity-specific quotation before deciding.

What one residence visa costs — illustrative budget

Methodology: this is an illustrative budget for one adult applicant changing status inside the UAE, with a two-year Emirates ID and the assumed insurance and service fees shown above. The seven assumed line items sum to AED 5,690 (1,150 + 790 + 530 + 390 + 660 + 1,400 + 770). Company formation, rent, dependants and renewals are excluded. No archived quotation sample or independently checked authority fee schedule supports these inputs, so they must not be treated as observed market rates or a statistical sample. Obtain a current itemised quotation for your circumstances.

Mainland extras free zones do not have

• Ejari-registered tenancy contract — from about AED 15,000 per year for a small office.
• Notarised Memorandum of Association — AED 1,200–2,500 depending on share capital.
• DED initial approval and trade name fees.
• Municipality fee of 5% of annual rent, billed with the licence.

Where founders overspend

• Buying visa quota they will not use in year one — quota can usually be upgraded later.
• Paying for a private office when a flexi-desk satisfies the free zone.
• Accepting bundled 'PRO retainers' that duplicate work already in the package.
• Committing without written confirmation of renewal costs and recurring authority and provider fees.

• Meydan Free Zone licence cost explained — A single zone's fees, visas and renewal, itemised
• The cheapest trade licence in the UAE — What the lowest published fee actually buys