Business Setup Calculator

Choose from 11 business categories — Trading, Consultancy, Ecommerce, Logistics, Holding, and more.

Enter the number of shareholders and UAE residence visas you need. Visa count decides which published packages apply.

Year-1 totals for Dubai (Meydan, DMCC), Sharjah (SPC, SRTIP), Ajman Media City, RAKEZ, UAQ FTZ, Abu Dhabi (KEZAD, Masdar City), Dubai Mainland and RAK ICC Offshore where your inputs allow — sorted by total cost.

Every published cost line with its official source, plus anything the authority sets at application.

Verify your email to download an indicative PDF estimate — no obligation.

How much does it cost to set up a business in a UAE free zone?

Using only the fees each free zone publishes, the calculator's year-1 totals for one owner with one residence visa are: UAQ FTZ AED 12,500, RAKEZ AED 14,000, SPC AED 13,165–AED 14,290 (by license tier) and Meydan AED 22,620. Without a visa, free zone totals start at AED 4,999. Health insurance, extra activities and extra shareholders are added where the zone charges them. This is an estimate only. All prices are finalised after we discuss your requirements. Our service fee is not included; it is set out in your final quotation.

What is the difference between free zone and mainland company setup cost?

In a free zone, the zone's published license or package fee covers most of the cost. On the Dubai mainland, DET sets the license fee for your activity and legal form and publishes no flat price, so the calculator shows the fixed published items (Dubai Chambers membership AED 300–2,200, Ejari registration AED 177.75, and per-visa GDRFA, DHA and ICP fees) and lists the DET fee as set at application. A mainland company also needs an Ejari-registered office, whose rent is set by the landlord.

What does the UAE business setup cost include?

Each estimate itemises the fees the authority publishes: the license or package fee, the workspace where it is part of the package, the establishment card, visa allocation, residence visa, medical test and Emirates ID. Items an authority does not publish, such as the DET license fee, registered-agent fees or health insurance premiums, are listed separately as set at application. Every estimate names the official fee pages it uses. This is an estimate only. All prices are finalised after we discuss your requirements. Our service fee is not included; it is set out in your final quotation.

Can I set up a UAE company without visiting Dubai?

Yes. Free zone company formation can be completed 100% remotely for most nationalities. Documents can be notarised and attested in your home country. Physical presence in the UAE is only required when applying for your Emirates ID and residence visa.

How accurate is this business setup cost calculator?

It uses only fees published on each authority's own website, checked on 8 October 2026, and lists those sources with every estimate. Fees change and some depend on your activity, so the figure is indicative; the authority's invoice at application is final. IFZA is not included because it publishes no price list. Where an authority publishes renewal or multi-year prices, they are shown beside the estimate but not added to the year-1 total.

How long does UAE company formation take?

The calculator shows a processing time only where the authority publishes one: Meydan states a standard license is ready in 24 hours, SPC states 1-day license issuance and UAQ FTZ states its license is issued in 1 working day. Residence visas are processed after the license, on the timeline of the issuing immigration authority.