Dubai South Free Zone company setup: license from AED 12,500 with a flexi-desk
At Dubai South Free Zone, beside Al Maktoum International Airport, a license with a flexi-desk costs AED 12,500 a year. Formation with us starts at $7,000, license included.
Dubai South Dubai
- AED 12,500 License with a flexi-desk, a year
- 1 day License issue once documents are approved
- 20 min Fastest bonded run, airport to seaport
Which area is called Dubai South, and who runs its free zone
145 sq kmA district around Al Maktoum airport
Dubai South is a district of 145 square kilometres in the south of Dubai, built around Al Maktoum International Airport: an aviation and logistics hub with homes planned for 1 million residents.
2015Who regulates the free zone
The free zone inside Dubai South is regulated by Dubai Aviation City Corporation under Law No. 10 of 2015. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum chairs the corporation, and its Registration and Licensing Department registers the companies.
20 minutesThree districts and the bonded corridor
Companies sit in three districts. The Logistics District is joined to Jebel Ali Port, 30 km away, by a customs-bonded corridor that carries cargo between seaport and airport in as little as 20 minutes. The Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub serves aviation, and the Business Park leases offices and desks.
Company names here end in DWC-LLC, after Dubai World Central, which is why people also search for the DWC free zone.
Dubai South licenses: Business Hub, DWC-LLC, branch or freelancer
Business Hub license
License and flexi-desk in one online application, AED 12,500 a year. Five activity groups are included, chosen from more than 3,500 activities.
DWC-LLC with its own premises
A limited liability company with 1 to 50 shareholders, share capital of AED 300,000 or more and at least one director. Its license costs AED 10,000 a year in the tariff, on leased premises.
Branch
An existing company registers a DWC-Branch in its own name, with a manager and no directors, and answers for the branch's debts.
Freelancer license
One person offers professional services under their own name as a sole establishment, DWC-S.E. The license costs AED 5,000 a year and needs no lease.
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Who sets up in Dubai South, and the premises each takes
The Freight Forwarding Zone opens onto the cargo terminals of Al Maktoum International Airport. A Freight House is 2,600 square metres of warehouse with 550 of offices.
EZDubai is the e-commerce district: fulfilment centres, last-mile units from 5,000 square metres and return-and-repair units from 250. The e-commerce zone beside Dubai International Airport is Dubai CommerCity.
The Contract Logistics Zone stands on the bonded corridor. A Logistics House is 2,630 square metres, 11 metres high, with 570 of offices.
The aerospace hub is a free zone of 7 square kilometres for business aviation, aircraft maintenance, training and suppliers.
The Business Hub license needs a flexi-desk and no more. Fitted offices of 28 to 300 square metres follow when the team grows.
Cargo through Dubai International Airport fits DAFZA. A consultancy with no goods to move pays the same AED 12,500 at Meydan Free Zone, where one license carries 6 visa places.
What a Dubai South Free Zone company costs
Our fee is quoted before VAT. The dirham lines are taken from the zone's Business Hub and from its tariff of May 2025.
Formation of a Dubai South company, license included
from $7,000Get a quote- Business Hub license with a flexi-desk, a year
- AED 12,500
- DWC-LLC license in the tariff, a year
- AED 10,000
- Initial application fee
- AED 1,000
- General trading activity
- AED 10,000
- Freelancer license, a year
- AED 5,000
- Establishment card, first year
- AED 2,060
- Employment visa for 2 years
- AED 2,580
- Accounting, a month
- from $350
Business setup in Dubai South Free Zone, step by step
- day 11
Route and activities
You tell us whether the company moves goods or sells services. We choose the Business Hub license or a DWC-LLC with premises, pick the activity groups and test the name under the zone's rules, which bar the words Dubai and UAE.
- 1–3 days2
Application and premises
A passport copy of each owner, director and manager goes into your account. We file through the zone's portal and, for a DWC-LLC, reserve the office or warehouse once the zone gives its first approval.
- 1 day3
License
The zone issues the license, the certificate of incorporation, the share certificate and the articles. A Business Hub license is expected the same day once the documents are approved.
- 1–3 weeks4
Establishment card and visas
The establishment card comes first, then each visa. The holder visits Dubai for the medical test and the biometrics of the Emirates ID.
- usually 2–4 weeks5
Tax number and bank
Our accountants file the corporate tax registration, and the bank receives a complete application from us.
Dubai South Free Zone fees: first year and renewal, line by line
With the Business Hub license, a company with no visa pays AED 12,500 in its first year. A company on premises of its own follows the zone's tariff.
| Line in the tariff | First year | At renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Initial application | AED 1,000 | Nothing |
| License, 1 year | AED 10,000 | AED 10,000 |
| Establishment card, 1 year | AED 2,060 | AED 2,260 |
| Employment visa, 2 years | AED 2,580 | AED 1,740 |
| Medical fitness test | AED 550 | AED 550 |
AED 16,190First year, one employee visa, before the lease
In all, a DWC-LLC with one employee visa pays the zone AED 16,190 in the first year, before the lease. An owner's visa adds the investor category fee of AED 350, and anyone applying from inside the UAE adds AED 810 for the change of status.
AED 12,260For the license and the card in year two
The second year costs AED 12,260 for the license and the establishment card. A visa lasts 2 years before its renewal, and a late license renewal costs AED 500 on top, so we file ahead of the date. The other Dubai zones are priced in what a Dubai free zone license costs.
Dubai South compared with DAFZA, Meydan and IFZA
| Compared | Dubai South | DAFZA | Meydan | IFZA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Al Maktoum International Airport | Dubai International Airport | Nad Al Sheba | Dubai Silicon Oasis |
| License a year, from | AED 12,500 with a flexi-desk | AED 15,000 | AED 12,500 with a flexi-desk | about AED 12,500 |
| On the license | 5 activity groups | By license type | 3 activity groups | 3 activities |
| Warehouses | Beside the cargo terminals | Inside the airport boundary | None | None |
| To the license | Same day | 14 to 21 working days | 1 to 3 working days | 5 to 7 working days |
DAFZA company setup in Dubai Airport Free Zone Meydan Free Zone company setup IFZA free zone company setup
Corporate tax, audit, VAT and banking for a Dubai South company
0% and 9%The corporate tax return
Each year a Dubai South company sends the Federal Tax Authority a corporate tax return. The first AED 375,000 of taxable income carries 0% and everything beyond it 9%. For free-zone companies that meet its conditions the Ministry of Finance sets 0% on qualifying income. The conditions are in corporate tax in the UAE.
IFRSAccounts audited every year
The zone's regulations require accounts under IFRS, audited each financial year by an auditor licensed in the UAE. The books and the audit file are our accountants' work, described on accounting in the UAE.
5%The VAT rate, and registration from AED 375,000
VAT stands at 5%. VAT registration in the UAE is compulsory when a company's taxable turnover for the year exceeds AED 375,000 and open to it above AED 187,500.
IBANIssued with an eligible Business Hub license
An eligible Business Hub license is issued with a business account number and an IBAN. For a full business bank account in the UAE we file the application, and the bank usually takes 2 to 4 weeks.
Documents for Dubai South Free Zone company formation
Documents
Each shareholder, director and manager
- Passport copy
- Home or service address
- Residence visa and Emirates ID, if you live in the UAE
- Sponsor's no-objection letter, where one applies
- Details of each beneficial owner (UBO)
A company as shareholder
- Resolution to incorporate in the free zone
- Certificate of incorporation
- Memorandum and articles of association
- Commercial register extract or certificate of incumbency
- Details of its beneficial owner
You send them in your account. We check each document the day it arrives and tell you what is missing.
See the platformQuestions about Dubai South Free Zone company setup
Is the DWC free zone the same as Dubai South Free Zone?
Yes. DWC stands for Dubai World Central, and company names in Dubai South Free Zone end in DWC-LLC, DWC-Branch or DWC-S.E.
Where are the free zones in Dubai?
At both airports, DAFZA and Dubai South, and across the city: Meydan in Nad Al Sheba, IFZA in Dubai Silicon Oasis, DMCC in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, DIFC in the financial centre. The table on free zones in the UAE sets them side by side.
Is Dubai South a good free zone?
For cargo that moves by air and sea and for e-commerce fulfilment, yes: the cargo terminals of Al Maktoum airport and the bonded corridor to Jebel Ali Port are on its ground. A company that works from a desk weighs it against IFZA and Meydan: see which free zone is best in the UAE.
Can a Dubai South company work on the Dubai mainland?
Yes, with the Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism: AED 5,000 for six months, renewable, for activities such as consulting, technology, design and trading. Revenue earned on the mainland is taxed at 9%.
Can I get a residence visa through a Dubai South company?
Yes. The zone has its own visa and licensing authority. An employment visa for 2 years costs AED 2,580 in its tariff, and the zone also processes the 10-year golden visa in the UAE for AED 5,050.
Does a Dubai South company need an office?
A Business Hub company needs a flexi-desk and no more, and a freelancer license needs no lease. A DWC-LLC leases its office or warehouse from the zone.
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Updated 13 October 2026. Reviewed by Vladyslav Drapii, Founder.
