Is there an official price for setting up a company in Dubai?
No. The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) does not publish a fixed fee for a standard mainland license. It states that fees vary depending on the type of license and the specific activities.
DET does publish two fees on Invest in Dubai, checked in September 2026. Booking a trade name costs AED 620 in total. The eTrader license costs AED 1,070, plus AED 300 for Dubai Chamber membership.
Among the mainland authorities we checked in September 2026, the only one that publishes a total is the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD). Its FAQ gives an approximate first year licensing cost of AED 15,000 to AED 30,000.
DET also publishes service times of 10 minutes for a normal license and 5 minutes for an instant or eTrader license. Those are times for the license issue step, not for the whole setup.
Which government fees are published?
The four mainland authorities we checked publish at least part of their fee list. Abu Dhabi and Ajman publish line items, Sharjah's SEDD publishes a range and Dubai's DET publishes the trade name fee.
| Authority | What it publishes |
|---|---|
| Dubai, DET (Invest in Dubai) | Trade name booking: AED 620 in total. License fee: not fixed, varies with license type and activities |
| Abu Dhabi, ADRA | Standard Economic License: basic cost of AED 1,200 including 6 activities, then AED 100 for each extra activity |
| Abu Dhabi, TAMM (commercial economic license) | Line items include an AED 790 entities fee, AED 2,500 Ministry of Economy fees, AED 1,500 social contributions, AED 315 establishment card request and Abu Dhabi Chamber fees of AED 150 to AED 2,200 |
| Ajman, Department of Economic Development | AED 600 license issue or renewal, AED 200 commercial register, AED 200 unified economic activities register, AED 350 signboard permit, AED 1,500 CSR UAE Fund contribution, AED 3,000 LLC document publication |
| Sharjah, SEDD | About AED 15,000 to AED 30,000 for the first year. Trade name: AED 250 for an Arabic name, AED 2,250 for a foreign name |
Good to knowTAMM describes the total for an Abu Dhabi commercial license as varying as incurred. Line items are not a quote.
What do free zone authorities publish?
Some free zone authorities publish package prices and some do not. IFZA showed no license or visa prices on the pages we opened in September 2026. JAFZA and Ajman Free Zone offer a cost calculator and display no fixed prices.
| Free zone | Published price |
|---|---|
| DMCC, Dubai | Initial setup costs typically range from AED 10,345 to AED 84,515 |
| Meydan Free Zone, Dubai | Standard license from AED 12,500. Instant license from AED 15,000 |
| RAKEZ, Ras Al Khaimah | All inclusive package at AED 14,000 a year, with a trade license and one residence visa |
| Masdar City Free Zone, Abu Dhabi | From AED 7,000 with no visa and no office, to AED 27,000 with three visas |
| Ajman Media City Free Zone | From AED 4,999 with no visa, to AED 22,999 with three visas |
Good to knowThese are the authorities' own published prices, read in September 2026. They can change, so check the authority's page on the day you decide.
What moves the final number?
The published fees vary with four things: the activity, the legal form, the office and the visas. Every figure below was checked in September 2026.
- Activity. DET states that license fees vary with the license type and the specific activities. In Abu Dhabi, ADRA charges AED 100 for each activity beyond the six in its basic cost.
- Legal form. The Ajman Department of Economic Development lists AED 3,000 for publishing the official documents of a limited liability company.
- Office. Every mainland business needs a physical address. SEDD's FAQ sets Sharjah license fees as a percentage of the lease or site area value. Masdar City Free Zone publishes AED 6,000 a year for a virtual desk and AED 10,000 a year for a flexi desk.
- Visas. RAKEZ charges AED 4,000 for each additional visa on its all inclusive package, up to three. Masdar City Free Zone publishes AED 3,050 for a two year employment visa.
Good to knowRenewal is a separate cost. Ajman Media City Free Zone publishes renewal fees of AED 4,999 to AED 14,999, and RAKEZ prices its all inclusive package at AED 14,000 a year (both checked in September 2026).
What do Links packages cost?
Links publishes eight packages, priced from AED 11,000 to AED 19,900. Prices are indicative. The license fee differs by business activity, and the final cost varies with the number of visas and government fees.
| Package | Price | What the price excludes |
|---|---|---|
| RAKEZ free zone | AED 11,000 | Office space, visa cost, market fees, municipality fees, foreign trade name, SEWA deposit |
| Ajman free zone | AED 12,121 | Foreign trade name, accommodation fees, SEWA deposit, visa cost, municipality fees |
| UAE business setup, one investor visa | AED 12,500 | No exclusions itemised. Confirmed in your written quote |
| DWTC free zone | AED 12,500 | No exclusions itemised. Confirmed in your written quote |
| IFZA free zone | AED 14,900 | No exclusions itemised. Confirmed in your written quote |
| Cayman Islands offshore | AED 16,500 | No exclusions itemised. Confirmed in your written quote |
| Dubai mainland | AED 19,500 | Immigration card and visa charges, foreign trade name, medical insurance, e-channel registration deposit |
| Dubai free zone, one visa package | AED 19,900 | Foreign trade name, accommodation fees, SEWA deposit, visa cost, municipality fees |
Good to knowThe Dubai free zone package lists one visa among its inclusions and visa cost among its exclusions. Ask us to confirm in writing which visa charges the price covers.
How should you compare two quotes?
Compare what each quote leaves out as well as the headline price. The Links packages above show why: four of the eight list exclusions such as visa cost, office space or municipality fees.
Ask each provider for the same four lines in writing: the authority's license fee for your activity, the office, each visa and the renewal cost in year two. Then ask which of those the headline price covers.