Cheapest Free Zone in the UAE (2026): Real Licence and Visa Prices

Most lists of cheap free zones compare headline prices that nobody actually pays. We ranked zones using the starting prices on our own packages page, the same amounts you can pay online today. Each one already includes the 3% card fee, so the figure on this page is the figure at checkout.

We separated two questions because they give different answers. The first is the lowest price for a licence on its own. The second is the lowest price for a licence that comes with a residence visa. Zones with a low licence price do not always have a low visa price, and the visa is where the larger costs sit.

Prices are starting points for the simplest version of each package: a small number of activities, a flexi-desk or similar facility and a one-year licence. More activities, more shareholders, special approvals or a real office raise the price. Check the live figure on our packages and offers pages before you decide, because zones adjust their tariffs and promotions during the year.

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone is our featured partner, and on current prices it leads both lists. The Basic licence plan starts from AED 4,120 against a RAKEZ published price of about AED 6,010 for the equivalent Biz 0 package. The licence + 1 visa Basic plan starts from AED 7,731, compared with about AED 12,010 for RAKEZ's own Biz Saver One package.

The licence-only plan allows up to 10 business activities and up to 50 shareholders, which is generous for a starter licence. The visa plan is a smaller licence, with up to 5 activities and up to 2 shareholders, but it includes a 2-year residence visa and a coworking facility. If you need more activities with your visa, the Biz Saver Plus plans start from AED 9,276 for one visa and AED 12,360 for two.

Price is not the only reason clients pick RAKEZ. It is a large, established authority that banks see often, and it offers offices, warehouses and industrial land in the same zone. A business that starts on a desk can later rent a warehouse or factory unit without changing licensor, which saves the cost and paperwork of moving.

A low headline price can hide costs that arrive later. The most common are the government medical test and Emirates ID for each visa holder, health insurance, which every residence visa holder needs, and the cost of changing visa status if you are already in the UAE on another visa. Our Basic visa plan leaves these out to keep the starting price low; the Standard plan, from AED 9,064, adds work protection insurance, basic health insurance and help with the bank account and tax registrations.

Activities matter too. Some activities need approval from an outside authority, which adds fees and time, and adding activities after the licence is issued costs an amendment fee. Choose the full list at the start, even if you will not use every activity in the first month.

Finally, look at the renewal. First-year prices are often promotional. On our zone list, RAKEZ renewals start from AED 6,180, higher than the first-year licence plan. That can still be cheap compared with Dubai, but it should be in your budget for year two.

A free zone company can trade within its zone and outside the UAE, and it can work with mainland companies in many ways. If your main customers are walk-in buyers in Dubai, or you need government contracts, a mainland licence may suit you better even though it costs more.

Regulated activities such as financial services, virtual assets, healthcare or education need extra approvals and are often limited to specific zones. In those cases the cheapest licence is the one that is actually allowed to do the work, not the lowest number on a list.

A Dubai address can also matter. Some clients, landlords and banks prefer a Dubai licence, and for them the extra cost of IFZA or a similar zone can pay for itself. If nobody will look at the address, the northern emirates usually give you the same legal company for far less.