IFZA Company Formation: 2026 Costs and Visa Tiers
An IFZA (International Free Zone Authority) license in 2026 starts at AED 12,900 per year for a zero-visa package and scales by visa quota: about AED 14,900 with 1 visa slot, AED 19,900 with 3, and AED 26,900 with 6. A realistic first year with one residence visa lands at AED 25,000 to 31,500 once the establishment card, visa processing, medical, Emirates ID, and insurance are added. IFZA is based in Dubai Silicon Oasis.
IFZA License Cost Table (2026)
IFZA prices its 2026 licenses by visa quota: AED 12,900 with no visa slots, about AED 14,900 with one, AED 19,900 with three, and AED 26,900 with six; the table adds the true first-year figure of AED 25,000 to 31,500 with one visa.
| Package | License (AED/yr) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0 visa slots | 12,900 | Consultancy / trading, virtual presence |
| 1 visa slot | ~14,900 | Most common founder setup |
| 3 visa slots | ~19,900 | Small team |
| 6 visa slots | ~26,900 | Larger team; flexi-desk upgrade usually required |
| True first year, 1 visa | 25,000–31,500 | License + establishment card + visa + medical + Emirates ID + insurance |
2026 tiers per SafeLedger and Emirae; true-first-year range per JSB's 2026 review. IFZA prices change with promotions; confirm the current package sheet at application.
What IFZA Is Good At
IFZA issues licenses fast (days), accepts a very wide list of consultancy, trading, and e-commerce activities on one license, and does not force a physical office on small licenses. That combination is why Dubai setup consultants commonly quote IFZA first to solo founders and small international-service businesses.
IFZA Limitations to Price In
Three IFZA cost factors surprise founders who budget from the headline price: per-visa costs, full-price renewals, and the onshore-trade restriction shared by every free zone.
- Visas are extra: each residence visa adds roughly AED 3,000 to 5,000 all-in (permit, medical, Emirates ID, stamping) on top of the tier's license fee, which is how the AED 14,900 one-slot license becomes a AED 25,000+ first year.
- Renewal is full price: IFZA renews near the year-one license fee, unlike DMCC where the premium is front-loaded. Budget the same license fee every year.
- Banking screening is slower than DMCC: UAE banks accept IFZA companies, but compliance reviews for a new IFZA consultancy with no UAE resident signatory take longer; see the bank account guide.
- Onshore trade needs a distributor: like every free zone company, an IFZA entity cannot invoice mainland UAE customers directly outside the QFZP-permitted routes; a mainland license covers that case.
IFZA vs Meydan vs Dubai South
The three budget-to-mid Dubai zones price similarly at entry: IFZA at AED 12,900, Meydan at AED 12,500 (virtual office included, visas AED 3,500 each), and Dubai South from AED 8,500. Choose by secondary criteria: Meydan bundles the address and prices visas per head, Dubai South wins for logistics near Al Maktoum airport, IFZA wins on activity breadth and processing speed. The full side-by-side table is on the free zone comparison page.