DIFC company setup: AED 29,380 to incorporate, AED 44,070 a year
DIFC company setup costs AED 29,380 to incorporate a private company in Dubai's financial free zone and AED 44,070 a year for its license. Our packages from AED 2,150.
DIFC Dubai
- AED 44,070 Commercial license a year, non-retail
- 2–4 Weeks to a non-financial company
- AED 4,040 Prescribed holding company, first year
What DIFC is: a financial free zone with its own courts
110 acresA free zone in central Dubai
DIFC is the Dubai International Financial Centre, a free zone of 110 acres in central Dubai, established in 2004. More than 10,000 active companies are registered there: banks and funds alongside law firms, consultancies, technology firms, shops and restaurants.
0%On qualifying income: DIFC counts as a free zone
For corporate tax DIFC counts as a free zone, so a company that qualifies pays 0% on its qualifying income. Financial services are licensed and supervised by the DFSA, the Dubai Financial Services Authority. Every other company deals with the DIFC Registrar of Companies alone.
A DIFC company follows DIFC's own companies law, written in English, and its disputes go to the DIFC Courts, which work under common law.
DIFC legal structures and the fee for each
| Structure | To register | License a year | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private company, non-retail | AED 29,380 | AED 44,070 | Consultancies, holding and operating companies, financial firms |
| Private company, retail | AED 12,487 | AED 18,730 | Shops, restaurants and services to the public |
| Branch, called a recognised company | AED 29,380 | AED 44,070 | A foreign company working under its own name |
| Prescribed company | AED 367 | AED 3,673 | Passive holding of shares and other assets |
| Foundation | No fee | AED 1,285 | Family wealth and succession |
| Innovation or fintech firm | AED 367 | AED 5,509 in the first 2 years | Technology startups |
| Limited liability partnership | AED 29,380 | AED 44,070 | Professional firms |
What clients write about Legarithm
4.8 on Google from 26 reviews.
We had long been looking for someone to register a company in the UAE and help with the account. With Legarithm it went as it should: a clear process, help with the documents, no red tape.
Everything is well coordinated and clear. Half an hour of the first meeting was more useful than two weeks of trying to work it out myself.
DIFC company formation and license cost: AED 29,380 once, AED 44,070 a year
Our three packages, Smart, Business and VIP, and the accounting are our prices, before VAT, the same on every license: Smart is AED 2,150 for the company, AED 1,450 for a visa and AED 1,800 for the bank account. Every other line is one of DIFC's own fees, paid to DIFC at cost, as updated on 30 July 2026. A private company's first year is AED 76,204 to DIFC, office apart, plus AED 2,150 for our Smart incorporation: AED 78,354.
Our packages for a DIFC company, DIFC's fees apart
from AED 2,150Get a quote- Private company: incorporation, once
- AED 29,380
- Commercial license, at incorporation and each year
- AED 44,070
- Data protection notification, non-financial firm
- AED 2,754
- Confirmation statement, each year
- AED 1,102
- Establishment card, before the first visa
- AED 2,270
- Deposit under the personnel sponsorship agreement
- AED 2,497
- Knowledge and innovation fee on a filing
- AED 20
- Accounting, a month
- from AED 1,300
What a holding company costs in DIFC
AED 367A prescribed company costs the least
A holding company costs the least in DIFC when it is a prescribed company. That is a passive company: it owns shares, property or other registrable assets anywhere in the world and runs no business. DIFC charges AED 367 to incorporate it and AED 3,673 a year for the license.
AED 4,040A first year in DIFC fees, with no lease
A prescribed company is set up through a corporate service provider licensed in DIFC. It uses the provider's address or shares the office of an affiliate in the centre, so it signs no lease, and its first year comes to AED 4,040 in DIFC fees.
AED 44,070A year for a private company's license
From the second year a private company pays the AED 44,070 license and AED 1,102 for the confirmation statement, a prescribed company AED 3,673 and the same AED 1,102. The license is renewed each year with that statement.
| First year, DIFC fees | Prescribed company | Private company |
|---|---|---|
| Incorporation | AED 367 | AED 29,380 |
| License | AED 3,673 | AED 44,070 |
| Data protection notification | No fee if it holds no personal data | AED 2,754 |
| Office | The provider's address | A leased desk or office |
| Total paid to DIFC | AED 4,040 | AED 76,204 |
Who sets up in DIFC, and who is better off elsewhere
Managers of funds and investment advisers. A manager of venture capital funds pays no license fee at incorporation, and its renewals step up from nil to AED 14,690 and AED 29,380 before the full AED 44,070.
A technology startup takes the innovation license at AED 5,509 a year for its first 2 years, with a desk in the Innovation Hub.
A foundation holds the family's assets and sets the order of succession under common law, for a license of AED 1,285 a year.
Professional firms take a non-retail private company or a limited liability partnership inside the financial district. A consultancy that needs central Dubai without DIFC's fees takes DWTC Free Zone, where a one-year license costs AED 12,000.
A company that buys and sells goods has no use for a financial regulator. Its first year with a desk costs AED 35,484 at DMCC.
ADGM, the financial centre of the capital, registers a non-financial company for AED 20,199 and renews it for AED 18,363 a year.
DIFC rules: regulator, office, visas, accounts
- Regulated or not
- Fund management, investment advice, payments and crypto tokens need a DFSA license, and that review takes 3 to 6 months. Holding, consulting, technology and retail companies register without it.
- One shareholder, one director
- A private company needs 1 shareholder, 1 director, an authorised signatory and share capital of any amount above zero. A company secretary is optional.
- An address inside the centre
- A leased office, a desk in a co-working space or the office of an affiliate in DIFC serves as the registered address.
- Visas through the establishment card
- The company obtains an establishment card for AED 2,270 and signs a personnel sponsorship agreement with DIFC. Its staff then receive residence visas, and the office sets their number.
- Accounts and yearly filings
- A small private company, with up to 20 shareholders or turnover up to AED 18.4 million, files accounts within 9 months of its year end. Others file audited accounts within 7 months. The license is renewed each year with a confirmation statement.
- Workplace savings for staff
- An employer in DIFC pays 5.83% of basic salary into the DEWS savings plan for each employee, and 8.33% after five years of service.
DIFC compared with ADGM and DMCC
| Compared | DIFC | ADGM | DMCC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Central Dubai | Al Maryah and Al Reem islands, Abu Dhabi | Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai |
| Kind of zone | Financial centre with its own courts | Financial centre with its own courts | Commodities and trade zone |
| Financial regulator | DFSA | FSRA | None of its own |
| Non-financial company, first fees | AED 29,380 and AED 44,070 | AED 20,199 | AED 35,484, Basic Biz package |
| License renewal, a year | AED 44,070 | AED 18,363 | AED 20,285 |
| Holding company | Prescribed company, AED 367 and AED 3,673 a year | Special purpose vehicle, AED 6,978 | Holding company license |
| Startup license | AED 5,509 a year for 2 years | AED 5,509 a year for 3 years | AED 31,000 in a sector centre |
DIFC company setup, step by step: how to set up a business in DIFC
- 1–3 days1
Structure and license category
You tell us what the company will do. We settle whether it is financial, non-financial or retail, choose the structure and check the name against DIFC's naming policy.
- then2
Register with DIFC
You upload passports, CVs and bank statements in your account. We complete the single application on the DIFC portal, and no fee is due at this stage.
- 3–5 working days3
Initial approval
DIFC reviews the application and sends its initial approval by email.
- with the approval4
Registered address
We sign the desk or office and, for a lease outside DIFC's own buildings, register it with the Registrar of Real Property.
- then5
Signature and payment
You sign the articles of association through DocuSign, and the incorporation, license and data protection fees are paid.
- 2–4 weeks in all6
License and certificate
DIFC issues the license and the certificate of incorporation. We go on to the business bank account in the UAE, the establishment card and the visas.
Documents for a DIFC application
Documents
Each shareholder and director
- Passport copy, certified or verified in the portal
- CV or short biography
- Address proof under 3 months old
- Bank statements for 6 months, if you fund the company
A company as shareholder
- Certificate of incorporation, certified
- Memorandum and articles
- Board resolution to incorporate in DIFC
- Audited accounts for 2 years, if it funds the company
- Details of each owner of 25% or more
You send them in your account. We check each document the day it arrives and tell you what is missing.
See the platformQuestions about DIFC company setup
How much does a DIFC license cost?
AED 44,070 a year for a non-retail company and AED 18,730 for a retail one, after AED 29,380 or AED 12,487 to incorporate. An innovation firm pays AED 5,509 a year in its first 2 years, a prescribed company AED 3,673 and a foundation AED 1,285.
How long does DIFC company setup take?
2 to 4 weeks for a non-financial company, with DIFC's initial approval 3 to 5 working days after the application. A financial firm also needs the DFSA's licence; we register the company once that is in hand.
How much does it cost to set up a holding company in the DIFC?
AED 4,040 in DIFC fees for a prescribed company: AED 367 to incorporate and AED 3,673 for the first year's license, with our incorporation package from AED 2,150 on top. A holding company that employs people or trades is a private company, at AED 29,380 and AED 44,070.
Is DIFC a free zone?
Yes. DIFC is one of the two financial free zones of the UAE, and the other is ADGM in Abu Dhabi. A company registered in it is a free-zone company: 100% foreign-owned, under DIFC's own laws and courts. Our guides compare the two centres, DIFC vs ADGM by fees, law and regulators, and the two kinds of company, free zone vs mainland in the UAE.
Does every DIFC company need a DFSA license?
No, only a financial firm, and the DFSA's review takes 3 to 6 months. A holding, consulting, technology or retail company deals with the DIFC Registrar of Companies alone.
What tax does a DIFC company pay?
0% on qualifying income as a Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) and 9% on other income. It files the return within 9 months of the year end, and our guide to corporate tax in the UAE lists the conditions. VAT is 5%, and VAT registration in the UAE is compulsory from AED 375,000 of turnover.
Can a DIFC company do business on the Dubai mainland?
It serves clients across the UAE and abroad from its office in the centre. For premises or retail on the mainland we add a mainland company, and zones with lower fees are listed under free zones in the UAE.
Get a quote for your UAE company
Book a 30-minute call about your company
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- We email you the Google Meet link.
- 30 minutes, free, no obligation to order.
- After the call we email you the checklist of documents for your country.
We reply by the end of the next working day with the cost and the dates for your case. The first call is free and confidential.
Other free zones and emirates
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AED 35,484 Basic Biz package: license and flexi-desk
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from AED 12,000 DWTC license, valid one year
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Updated 9 November 2026. Reviewed by Vladyslav Drapii, Founder.
