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Headline prices for UAE free zone licences look lower than ever. On startwith.ae, the lowest published zero-visa licences currently start from AED 3,500 at Fujairah Creative City, AED 4,888 at Ajman NuVentures and AED 4,999 at Ajman Media City (checked November 2026). Ajman Media City has also confirmed to us a promotional Kickstarter zero-visa package at AED 4,444 (20% off), plus an AED 10 innovation fee at payment.
If you only need a legal company to invoice clients, run a website or hold shares, and you already have a UAE residence visa, a zero-visa package can do the job. You usually get the trade licence, a co-working or flexi-desk lease and your Memorandum of Association (MOA), the document that states who owns the company and each shareholder’s percentage. Ajman Media City’s zero-visa package, for example, also includes name approval, commercial registration, the certificate of incorporation and share certificates.
Where the price jumps: your first residence visa
If you need a UAE residence visa through your new company, the cost is more than one visa fee. Your company first has to be registered with the immigration system. At Shams, for example, visa procedures can’t begin until the company’s new immigration card application is complete. That adds several layers of cost:
- Establishment card (immigration card). Registers your company as a visa sponsor. At SPC Free Zone it costs AED 640, one-off. At Shams the card is valid for two years and is then renewed, and amending it later costs AED 605.
- E-Channel registration. Outside Dubai, for example in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, companies register on the federal e-Channel system for visas. At SPC Free Zone this is AED 2,280, one-off. In many zones this step includes a refundable deposit, so ask what part you get back.
- Visa allocation and the visa itself. You pay for a place in the company’s visa quota (AED 1,600 per visa at SPC Free Zone), then for the residence visa and Emirates ID.
- Medical test and change of status. Every applicant takes a UAE medical fitness test (AED 365 at SPC Free Zone). If you are already inside the UAE when the visa is issued, a change-of-status fee (AED 700 at SPC Free Zone) saves you from leaving and re-entering the country.
Zero-visa vs 1-visa prices, side by side
| Free zone | Zero-visa licence | With 1 visa |
|---|---|---|
| Fujairah Creative City | AED 3,500 | AED 9,000 |
| Ajman NuVentures | AED 4,888 | from AED 10,800 |
| Ajman Media City | AED 4,999 | AED 12,999 |
| UAQ Free Trade Zone | AED 5,500 | AED 12,500 |
| RAKEZ | AED 6,000 | AED 14,000 |
Each free zone’s own published prices, checked November 2026. Fujairah Creative City’s 1-visa price includes the establishment card and e-channel; Ajman NuVentures’ includes the Emirates ID, establishment card and e-channel. UAQ’s prices are its LYTE and START packages; UAQ confirmed that START includes the residence visa, co-working space and lease, medical test, Emirates ID, change of status, medical insurance, establishment card, e-channel and bank account opening assistance.
A 1-visa package often costs less than buying the zero-visa licence and adding the visa steps one by one, so compare the all-in figure, not the headline price.
Documents you usually need
- A clear colour copy of your passport (front and back, or the full page).
- A passport-size photo on a white background.
- Your UAE visa or Emirates ID if you have one, or your entry stamp or tourist visa if you are new to the UAE.
- Your proposed company names (UAQ asks for three, in order of preference), your chosen activities and each shareholder’s percentage.
- Your home address, with a recent utility bill as proof (UAQ asks for this), plus your email and mobile number.
3 questions to ask before you pay
- Does the price include the establishment card and e-channel registration, or are they billed separately?
- Does the licence renew at the same price in year 2, or is year 1 a promotional price? Ajman Media City confirmed its AED 4,999 package renews at AED 4,999, while a 20%-off promotion may not.
- Are an innovation fee, other government service charges or VAT added at checkout? Ajman Media City, for example, adds an AED 10 innovation fee at payment.
Compare free zone prices with and without a visa, or search your business activity to see which zones allow it.
Sources
- SPC Free Zone – official fees
- Fujairah Creative City – packages
- Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone
- Ajman Media City Free Zone
- UAQ Free Trade Zone – UAQ START and LYTE
- RAKEZ – business setup packages
- Written confirmations to startwith.ae from Ajman Media City, Shams and UAQ Free Trade Zone, November 2026
startwith.ae is independent and not a government body. Prices are each free zone’s own published or quoted figures, checked on the date shown; fees and offers change, so always confirm with the free zone before you pay.