DIFC company setup: $8,000 to incorporate, $12,000 a year
DIFC, Dubai's financial free zone, incorporates a private company for $8,000 and licenses it for $12,000 a year. We set yours up for a fee of our own, fixed in your quote.
DIFC Dubai
- $12,000 Commercial license a year, non-retail
- 2–4 Weeks to a non-financial company
- $1,100 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 | $8,000 | $12,000 | Consultancies, holding and operating companies, financial firms |
| Private company, retail | $3,400 | $5,100 | Shops, restaurants and services to the public |
| Branch, called a recognised company | $8,000 | $12,000 | A foreign company working under its own name |
| Prescribed company | $100 | $1,000 | Passive holding of shares and other assets |
| Foundation | No fee | $350 | Family wealth and succession |
| Innovation or fintech firm | $100 | $1,500 in the first 2 years | Technology startups |
| Limited liability partnership | $8,000 | $12,000 | Professional firms |
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What a DIFC license and company setup cost
Our fee and the accounting are our prices, before VAT. Every other line is one of DIFC's own fees, as updated on 30 July 2026.
DIFC company and its license, our fee
Fixed in your quoteYou get the figure in writing by the end of the next working day.
Get a quote- Private company: incorporation, once
- $8,000
- Commercial license, at incorporation and each year
- $12,000
- Data protection notification, non-financial firm
- $750
- Confirmation statement, each year
- $300
- Establishment card, before the first visa
- $618
- Deposit under the personnel sponsorship agreement
- $680
- Knowledge and innovation fee on a filing
- AED 20
- Accounting, a month
- from $350
What a holding company costs in DIFC
$100A 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 $100 to incorporate it and $1,000 a year for the license.
$1,100A 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 $1,100 in DIFC fees.
$12,000A year for a private company's license
From the second year a private company pays the $12,000 license and $300 for the confirmation statement, a prescribed company $1,000 and the same $300. The license is renewed each year with that statement.
| First year, DIFC fees | Prescribed company | Private company |
|---|---|---|
| Incorporation | $100 | $8,000 |
| License | $1,000 | $12,000 |
| Data protection notification | No fee if it holds no personal data | $750 |
| Office | The provider's address | A leased desk or office |
| Total paid to DIFC | $1,100 | $20,750 |
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 $4,000 and $8,000 before the full $12,000.
A technology startup takes the innovation license at $1,500 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 $350 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 $5,500 and renews it for $5,000 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 $618 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 $5 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 | $8,000 and $12,000 | $5,500 | AED 35,484, Basic Biz package |
| License renewal, a year | $12,000 | $5,000 | AED 20,285 |
| Holding company | Prescribed company, $100 and $1,000 a year | Special purpose vehicle, $1,900 | Holding company license |
| Startup license | $1,500 a year for 2 years | $1,500 a year for 3 years | AED 31,000 in a sector centre |
DIFC company formation: 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?
$12,000 a year for a non-retail company and $5,100 for a retail one, after $8,000 or $3,400 to incorporate. An innovation firm pays $1,500 a year in its first 2 years, a prescribed company $1,000 and a foundation $350.
How much does it cost to set up a holding company in the DIFC?
$1,100 in DIFC fees for a prescribed company: $100 to incorporate and $1,000 for the first year's license. A holding company that employs people or trades is a private company, at $8,000 and $12,000.
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
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Other free zones and emirates
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from $7,000 Company formation in Dubai
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from AED 1,200 ADDED license with 6 activities
ADGM company formation
$1,900 ADGM's fees to register a holding SPV
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AED 4,999 Business Club license for a year
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AED 4,888 Zero-visa package for a year
Ajman Free Zone
from AED 5,555 E-commerce license package a year
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In your quote Company with its license
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AED 3,999 Media package for a year, no visa
Dubai Airport Free Zone
from AED 15,000 Trade or service license a year
DMCC Free Zone
AED 35,484 Basic Biz package: license and flexi-desk
Dubai South Free Zone
AED 12,500 License with a flexi-desk, a year
DWTC Free Zone
from AED 12,000 DWTC license, valid one year
Fujairah Free Zone
from $7,000 Company with its license, through us
Hamriyah Free Zone
AED 11,000 Basic cost of a license, as the zone states
IFZA Free Zone
about AED 12,500 License a year with a flexi-desk
JAFZA offshore company
AED 10,000 JAFZA fee to register, paid once
JAFZA Free Zone
from AED 5,000 JAFZA license fee a year
KEZAD Free Zone
from AED 9,450 Start-up package a year, VAT included
Masdar City Free Zone
AED 7,000 Startup package: license, 2 activities
Meydan Free Zone
AED 12,500 Meydan's license fee a year, desk included
RAK ICC offshore company
AED 3,250 Registry fee to incorporate, first year
RAKEZ Free Zone
AED 6,000 Basic license a year: 1 activity, no visa
SAIF Zone
In your quote Company with its license
Shams Free Zone
AED 5,760 Media license a year, VAT included
Sharjah free zones
from AED 5,750 Free-zone license a year
SPC Free Zone
from AED 5,750 SPC license fee a year
Umm Al Quwain Free Zone
AED 5,500 UAQ LYTE: license a year, no visa
Compare the free zones
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Investor visa in Dubai and the UAE
A 2-year residence visa through your company, from AED 3,000, 1 to 3 weeks after the license
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Six accounts compared by balance and fee, 2 to 4 weeks from a complete application
OpenAccounting services in Dubai and the UAE
IFRS books, VAT and corporate tax returns from $350 a month
OpenCompany formation in the UAE
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OpenGuides to a company in the UAE
All guides to a company in the UAE
Updated 13 October 2026. Reviewed by Vladyslav Drapii, Founder.
