IFZA Business Setup Cost: Licence, Visa and Renewal Fees

How much does an IFZA licence cost?

Across 13 verified IFZA packages listed here, published prices run AED 10,062 to AED 48,136. Visa count explains most of that range; activity groups explain much of the rest.

IFZA sells through authorised partners rather than a single public price list, which is the source of most reader confusion. Two quotes for an identical licence can differ because the partner's service fee differs, not because the zone changed its fee.

Every AED figure in the tables below is either a provider-published package price read from that provider's own source and re-verified on 2026-09-13, or an indicative Business Setup AE cost model clearly labelled as such. Where an authority or provider does not publish a figure, this page says "Not stated" instead of estimating one.

• verified IFZA packages and prices — Every listed IFZA package with provider, price basis and source

IFZA licence fees by visa allocation

Visa tiers are the clearest way to read IFZA pricing, because packages are structured around them. A tier is a quota — permission to apply — and the per-person government costs still follow separately.

What changes the price: activity groups, visas and office type

• Visa quota — the single largest driver, since each tier changes the package price and each visa then carries government costs.
• Activity groups — combining activities from more than one group typically raises the licence fee.
• Office type — a flexi-desk is bundled in most packages; a physical office is a separate annual cost and can raise visa eligibility.
• Partner service fee — the same licence quoted by two authorised partners can differ on this line alone.
• One-off versus recurring — incorporation work is year one only; the licence and facility elements recur.

• UAE business activity lists explained — How activity groups work and how many activities one licence can hold

IFZA visa costs

Verified IFZA listings state the number of visas a package allows, not the cost of issuing each one. The build-up below is this site's indicative model, used identically across the Cost Calculator, and it is not an IFZA rate card.

• UAE investor visa — The visa class most shareholders use

IFZA renewal cost

No verified IFZA package listed on this marketplace states a renewal price, and IFZA does not publish a single public renewal schedule. Any specific renewal figure you read elsewhere should be treated as an estimate unless it is in your own written quotation.

What is predictable is which lines return. The licence fee and the facility or flexi-desk element are annual. Incorporation, registration and initial document work are not.

• Renewal versus first year: expect the recurring lines only, but confirm the figure in writing at quotation stage.
• Cancellation: not published on any verified IFZA source reviewed here. Cancellation normally requires clearing visas and closing the immigration file before the licence is struck off.
• Late renewal: penalties are applied by the authority; the scale is not published on the sources verified here.
• Partner change at renewal: because pricing runs through partners, the service-fee element of renewal is negotiable in a way the government element is not.

• trade licence renewal — What renewal requires and when it must be filed

Buying through IFZA authorised partners: how pricing actually works

IFZA licences are sold through a network of authorised partners. The zone sets the licence and registration elements; the partner adds a service fee for handling the file, PRO work, translation and visa processing. That structure is why a single "IFZA price" does not exist.

The practical consequence is that you should compare quotes on two lines, not one: what goes to the authority, and what goes to the partner. A quote that presents a single undifferentiated total is impossible to compare, and this marketplace records the price basis for exactly that reason.

It also means the cheapest quote is not automatically the best. A slightly higher service fee that includes visa processing and document handling can be cheaper in total than a low headline fee with those items billed later.

• free zone packages — Compare IFZA against other zones on identical cost lines

Step-by-step IFZA setup process

Timelines are the working ranges published across this site for free zone formation and assume a complete, attested document set.

• 1. Confirm your activity and how many activity groups it spans — this sets the licence tier (1 day).
• 2. Choose your visa tier now rather than later; upgrading afterwards costs more.
• 3. Reserve the trade name and submit the incorporation file (1–2 days).
• 4. Receive initial approval and settle the licence and registration fees.
• 5. Licence issuance, typically within a few working days on a complete file.
• 6. Apply for the Establishment Card, required before any visa application (2–3 days).
• 7. Process each residence visa: entry permit, status change, medical, Emirates ID, stamping (7–14 days per person).
• 8. Open the corporate bank account — commonly 2–6 weeks and outside your provider's control.

• opening a corporate bank account — What banks require after the licence is issued

IFZA compared with Meydan and other zones on cost

As with any zone comparison, only published prices verified on the same date are worth putting in a table.

• Meydan Free Zone licence cost — The same breakdown for Meydan, including renewal gaps
• best free zones in the UAE compared — Zone comparison on price, quota and premises
• RAKEZ as an alternative — Broader activity range across service, trading and industrial licences

Who IFZA suits — and who it does not

• Suits consultants, service businesses and e-commerce operators who want a Dubai licence with a clear visa tier structure.
• Suits founders who want a zero-visa entry point with the option to add visas at a defined tier.
• Suits applicants comfortable comparing partner quotes rather than buying from a single price list.
• Does not suit businesses needing direct mainland trading rights without a distributor or branch.
• Does not suit regulated activities requiring a specific regulator's approval — check eligibility first.
• Does not suit anyone who will not ask for the renewal figure in writing, since it is not published.

• UAE free zone company formation — The parent guide to free zone licensing

Key takeaways

• Published IFZA packages on this marketplace run AED 10,062 to AED 48,136, verified 2026-09-13.
• Visa tier and activity groups are the two variables that move the price.
• IFZA is quoted through authorised partners, so compare the authority element and the service fee separately.
• No verified IFZA listing states renewal or cancellation cost — request both in writing.
• Each residence visa adds roughly AED 5,690 on this site's indicative model, plus the Establishment Card.