JAFZA free zone company setup in Jebel Ali: license from AED 5,000 a year
JAFZA, the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai, licenses a company from AED 5,000 a year and registers it for AED 5,000. Our fee starts at $7,000, license included.
JAFZA Jebel Ali, Dubai
- from AED 5,000 JAFZA license fee a year
- AED 5,000 JAFZA registration fee, paid once
- 3–14 Working days to register the company
What JAFZA, the Jebel Ali Free Zone, is and who runs it
59 sq kmThe free zone around Jebel Ali Port
JAFZA is the free zone around Jebel Ali Port, at the western end of Dubai. It covers 59 square kilometres on both sides of Sheikh Zayed Road, on the Red Line of the Dubai Metro. DP World, the port's operator, is the zone's parent company. The Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority registers the companies, issues their licenses and leases them premises.
11,000Companies since 1985, and 150 ports by sea
JAFZA opened in 1985 with 19 companies and has since passed 11,000. By its own count they provide 130,000 jobs and generated $190 billion in trade in 2024. The port has 80 weekly services to 150 ports, and a customs-bonded corridor links it to Al Maktoum International Airport.
Foreign founders own 100% of a JAFZA company and repatriate capital without restriction.
JAFZA company formation: FZE, FZCO, branch and four licenses
One shareholder, a person or a company, forms an FZE, a Free Zone Establishment. Two to fifty form an FZCO, a Free Zone Company. An existing company opens a branch that it owns 100%, and a PLC lists its shares on a stock exchange.
JAFZA prescribes no minimum share capital: the capital must be sufficient for the licensed activity. Until 2017 an FZE needed AED 1,000,000. Director, manager and secretary are aged 21 or older.
A trading license covers import, export, stock and distribution. The fee covers 7 activities from one group or 12 from two, and each extra activity adds AED 500. Three groups make it general trading, with no limit on activities.
A service license is for a firm with no stock. An industrial license covers production in the zone, a logistics license the storage and clearing of other firms' goods.
JAFZA also registers offshore companies, which own property and shares with no license, premises or visas: see JAFZA offshore company.
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JAFZA warehouses, offices and plots: sizes, rents and visas
A JAFZA company leases premises from the zone before the license is issued, and the lease sets its visa quota.
| Premises | Size | Rent JAFZA publishes | Visa quota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workstation | Furnished desk, trading or service license | None | 2 per workstation |
| Office | 25 to 5,000 sq m | None | By floor area |
| Warehouse | 313 to 1,110 sq m | From AED 400 per sq m | By floor area |
| Showroom with warehouse | 264 and 348 sq m | None | 5 |
| Plot of land | From 5,000 sq m | From AED 40 per sq m a year | 20, more on approval |
A shareholder's visa requires a share of AED 50,000 or more. Where JAFZA publishes no rent, its sales offer for the unit sets the price, and your quote names it.
What a JAFZA license and company setup cost
JAFZA publishes the registration, license and immigration card fees. Our fee, the visa and the accounting are quoted before VAT. The license renews yearly at the same fee while the lease is valid, and a late renewal costs AED 1,000 more.
JAFZA company with its license, our fee
from $7,000Get a quote- Registration of an FZE, FZCO or branch, once
- AED 5,000
- Trading, service or industrial license, one group, a year
- AED 5,000
- Trading or industrial license, two groups, a year
- AED 8,500
- General trading or logistics license, a year
- AED 15,000
- Immigration card, first year
- AED 1,975
- Rent of the desk, office, warehouse or plot
- in your quote
- Residence visa, each
- from AED 3,000
- Accounting, a month
- from $350
Who the JAFZA free zone suits, and when another zone fits better
Goods land at Jebel Ali Port, wait in a bonded warehouse and go on to your buyers. Import and re-export duty in JAFZA is 0%, with customs on site.
JAFZA counts 650 logistics companies from 60 countries. Its logistics license covers storing, forwarding and clearing other people's goods.
The industrial license needs a production facility inside the zone: a light industrial unit of 313 to 619 sq m, or a plot to build on.
Cargo that flies belongs at DAFZA, inside Dubai International Airport. A consultancy with no stock skips the lease at Meydan Free Zone: AED 12,500 a year includes the desk. For a port in Sharjah, see Hamriyah Free Zone, and for a port in Abu Dhabi, KEZAD free zone at Khalifa Port.
Corporate tax, VAT and audit for a company in the Jebel Ali Free Zone
0%On qualifying income in JAFZA, a qualified zone
JAFZA states that it is a qualified free zone under the Corporate Tax Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022. A company that meets the conditions pays 0% on qualifying income and 9% on the rest.
2025The decision that lists qualifying activities
Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 lists the qualifying activities, among them manufacturing, processing and logistics. The distribution of goods qualifies in or from a designated zone, when the goods enter the UAE through it for buyers who resell or process them.
5%VAT inside the zone
For VAT, goods sold inside the zone for resale stay outside UAE VAT, services carry 5%, and goods released to the mainland are an import. Our accountants file the VAT registration in the UAE.
1 a yearAudit report every FZE and FZCO sends JAFZA
Every FZE and FZCO sends JAFZA 1 audit report a year from an auditor licensed by Dubai's economic department, and our accountants prepare the file.
Jebel Ali Free Zone (North-South) heads Dubai's list of designated zones under Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017.
JAFZA compared with DAFZA, Dubai South and Hamriyah
| Compared | JAFZA | DAFZA | Dubai South | Hamriyah |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stands at | Jebel Ali Port | Dubai International Airport | Al Maktoum International Airport | Its own port in Sharjah |
| License and registration, from | AED 5,000 a year, AED 5,000 once | AED 15,000 a year, AED 12,000 once | AED 12,500 a year, desk included | AED 11,000 |
| Warehouses | 313 to 1,110 sq m | Inside the airport boundary | Units of 2,600 sq m | 200, 400 and 600 sq m |
| To the license | 3 to 14 working days | 14 to 21 working days | Same day | 1 to 5 working days |
DAFZA company setup in Dubai Airport Free Zone Dubai South Free Zone company setup Hamriyah Free Zone company setup
Business setup in JAFZA, step by step
- day 11
Form, license and premises
You tell us what the company trades and how many people it employs. We choose the form, the license and the premises.
- then2
Application and unit
We file JAFZA's online application with the KYC and beneficial-owner form. JAFZA screens the owners and offers a unit, and a booking fee holds it.
- 3–14 working days3
Registration, license and keys
You sign the lease and the articles. JAFZA issues the certificate of formation, the share certificate, the license, a letter for the bank and the keys.
- 1–3 weeks4
Immigration card and visas
JAFZA issues the immigration card in one working day and an employment entry permit in two. The medical test and Emirates ID follow in the UAE.
- usually 2–4 weeks5
Tax number and bank account
We register the company for corporate tax, and the bank receives the license, the lease and JAFZA's letter from us.
Documents for Jebel Ali Free Zone company setup
Documents
Each shareholder and officer
- Passport copy, valid 6 months or longer
- UAE visa page and sponsor's no-objection letter, for residents
- KYC and beneficial owner (UBO) form
- Specimen signature
- One-page business plan
A corporate shareholder or parent
- Certificate of incorporation or good standing
- Memorandum and articles
- Board resolution and power of attorney
- Notarised and attested by a UAE embassy
- Parent's trade license, for a branch
You send them in your account. We check each document the day it arrives and tell you what is missing.
See the platformQuestions about JAFZA free zone company setup in Jebel Ali
What does JAFZA stand for?
Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority, the body that licenses the zone's companies. The zone itself goes by Jebel Ali Free Zone, or Jafza.
Is JAFZA in Jebel Ali, and how far is it from Dubai?
Yes: in Jebel Ali, in the emirate of Dubai, 40 km from Dubai International Airport and 24 km from Al Maktoum International Airport.
How do I set up a company in JAFZA?
Choose the form and the license, lease a unit, then pay the registration and license fees. JAFZA estimates 3 to 14 working days from complete documents, and we file each step.
How much does a JAFZA trade license cost?
From AED 5,000 a year, plus AED 5,000 once to register. With the immigration card and one 2-year employment visa, JAFZA's own lines come to AED 14,653 in the first year, before rent, and AED 6,910 in the second. Other zones are priced on free zones in the UAE.
How much does a JAFZA free zone visa cost?
JAFZA charges AED 2,678 for a 2-year employment visa in its normal package and AED 3,048 in the urgent one. Through us a residence visa is quoted from AED 3,000.
Can a JAFZA company sell on the Dubai mainland?
Yes, with Dubai's mainland operating permit for free-zone companies. It costs AED 5,000 for six months and covers trading, consultancy, technology, design and professional services. Mainland revenue carries 9% tax.
Get a quote for your UAE company
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- 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.
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Updated 19 October 2026. Reviewed by Vladyslav Drapii, Founder.
