Starting from AED 28,000*
Dubai has 40+ free zones but DAFZA is the one built around the airport
Right Next to DXB Airport
Operate minutes from Dubai International’s cargo terminal and global routes.
Government-Backed Free Zone
Governed by the Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority, not a private operator.
Built for Logistics & Trade
Purpose-built for freight, pharma, electronics and high-value goods trading.
Offices, Warehouses & More
Choose from flexi-desks, offices and warehouses as your operations grow.
Gateway to E-commerce
DAFZA co-owns Dubai CommerCity, the region’s first e-commerce free zone.
Your license estimate
Zero myHQ feeBest for:
International invoicing, Operating remotely
Includes:
License · Flexi-desk · Digital bank account opening
DAFZA setup in just 5 days with expert guidance
1. Choose your setup
Pick the package and activities that fit your business:
myHQ confirms your activities are permitted before you pay.
Get UAE business bank account with myHQ in ~3–5 weeks
Air freight, cargo handling, freight forwarding and supply chain services.
Minutes from DXB’s cargo terminal.
Pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare product distribution.
Short transit for time-sensitive goods.
Gold, diamonds, jewellery, watches and other high-value goods trading.
Secure, airport-linked logistics.
Consumer and industrial electronics, components and gadget import-export.
Fast air routes to regional markets.
MRO support, aviation spares, ground services and aviation supply chains.
Located inside Dubai’s aviation district.
Wholesale, import-export and multi-category product trading businesses.
Broadest trading scope on one license.
Logistics & Freight Forwarding
Air freight, cargo handling, freight forwarding and supply chain services.
Minutes from DXB’s cargo terminal.
Pharma & Healthcare Distribution
Pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare product distribution.
Short transit for time-sensitive goods.
Jewellery & Precious Metals
Gold, diamonds, jewellery, watches and other high-value goods trading.
Secure, airport-linked logistics.
Electronics Trading
Consumer and industrial electronics, components and gadget import-export.
Fast air routes to regional markets.
Aviation Services
MRO support, aviation spares, ground services and aviation supply chains.
Located inside Dubai’s aviation district.
General Trading & Distribution
Wholesale, import-export and multi-category product trading businesses.
Broadest trading scope on one license.
Trading License
Most popularWhat it covers:
Import, export and distribution of specific goods
Know exactly what you’ll need before you apply and what we provide.
Documents required
Required documents for a DAFZA free zone setup
What’s included
Everything in your myHQ setup package
Most flexible
IFZA
From AED 12,900
World’s #1 Free Zone
DMCC
From AED 20,000
Port Logistics
JAFZA
From AED 12,900
Digital First
Meydan
From AED 12,900
Backed by ANAROCK - India’s Largest Real Estate Company
I set up my IFZA company entirely from Mumbai. Never went to Dubai once. myHQ handled the apostille on my Indian documents, submitted the application, and my licence arrived by courier. Total cost AED 14,500 all-in.
Rahul Mahajan
Runs IT consulting business
We had a trade name conflict with an existing DET business. myHQ suggested three alternatives the same day and we were approved within 48 hours. The process I thought would take weeks took 3 days.
Priya Singh
Founder of Management Consulting Firm
I was confused between registering as a freelancer and setting up a company. myHQ walked me through the pros and cons, helped me choose the right structure, and had everything sorted without me having to figure out Dubai regulations on my own.
Ananya Gulati
Content Creator
Every consultant was pushing a different free zone. myHQ actually started by understanding my business, hiring plans, and future goals before recommending the right setup. It saved me from paying for things I didn't need and gave me confidence I was making the right decision.
Karan Gupta
SaaS startup founder
I only wanted to serve international clients and invoice professionally. myHQ recommended a setup that matched my needs instead of the most expensive option. The entire process was transparent, and I always knew what came next.
Neha Bhasin
Corporate Legal Consultant
From DECISION to DONE
Talk to a DAFZA setup expert
Complete your setup with expert guidance tailored for you
DAFZA, the Dubai Airport Free Zone, is one of Dubai’s earliest purpose-built free zones, established in 1996 directly adjacent to Dubai International Airport’s cargo terminal. Company formation in Dubai Airport Free Zone differs meaningfully from setting up in a budget-focused free zone like IFZA or SHAMS. DAFZA was never built around being the cheapest entry point into the UAE: it was built around physical proximity to air cargo infrastructure, and its pricing, activity mix and company base reflect that positioning consistently.
The Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority that governs the DAFZA free zone is a government entity, not a private free zone operator. That distinction matters to founders in logistics, pharmaceuticals and high-value trading, sectors where dealing with a government-backed authority (rather than a private company running a free zone as a commercial product) carries real weight with banks, clients and regulators. DAFZA also owns Dubai CommerCity, a dedicated e-commerce free zone developed with Wasl Asset Management, giving it a foothold in digital commerce that most logistics-focused free zones don’t replicate.
DAFZA (Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority) was established in 1996 in the Al Garhoud area of Dubai, immediately adjacent to Dubai International Airport’s cargo terminal. The authority operates as a government entity under Dubai’s broader economic development framework, distinguishing it from privately operated free zones that function more like commercial real estate products.
DAFZA headquarters and its operational facilities sit within walking distance of DXB’s cargo handling infrastructure, a deliberate design choice rather than an incidental location. The location puts DAFZA-based logistics and freight operators minutes from air cargo handling infrastructure, a genuine operational advantage over free zones located elsewhere in Dubai. Deira and Bur Dubai are a short drive away, and Dubai’s wider road network connects DAFZA efficiently to Jebel Ali Port for businesses that combine air and sea freight in their supply chain.
The “airport free zone” name isn’t marketing shorthand. The zone’s entire activity mix, warehouse infrastructure and client base reflect genuine specialisation around aviation-adjacent commerce, distinguishing it clearly from free zones in Dubai built around trading prestige (DMCC), cost efficiency (IFZA, SHAMS) or financial services (DIFC).
A Dubai Airport Freezone licence suits businesses where air cargo proximity is a genuine operational requirement, not a nice-to-have. Freight forwarding and logistics companies choose DAFZA to minimise the distance between cargo arrival and warehouse processing: every hour saved in transit matters when freight volume and time-sensitivity drive the business model.
Pharmaceutical distributors and healthcare product importers choose DAFZA for similar reasons. Proximity to air cargo minimises the time temperature-sensitive shipments spend in transit between arrival and controlled storage, a factor that matters both operationally and for maintaining the product integrity standards regional health authorities require. Businesses in both sectors should evaluate DAFZA’s warehouse facilities against their actual storage and handling needs before committing to a licence and office tier, since warehouse specification (temperature control, security level, loading dock access) varies across DAFZA’s industrial zone.
Jewellery, precious metals and electronics traders, businesses dealing in high-value, low-volume goods, favour DAFZA’s security infrastructure and established insurance and logistics relationships built around handling valuable cargo. General trading businesses that deal in air-freighted goods (rather than bulk sea-freighted commodities, which favour JAFZA) also find DAFZA well matched to their needs.
DAFZA is a weaker fit for remote-first consultants, e-commerce businesses without physical inventory, or founders whose main decision criterion is minimising annual licence cost. Those businesses are generally better served by IFZA, SHAMS or a comparable budget-focused free zone, since DAFZA’s premium pricing reflects infrastructure and prestige that a purely digital or low-capital business won’t fully use.
DAFZA’s activity list covers four broad licence categories, each mapped to specific business models. Activity approvals lean toward businesses with a genuine physical trade component, a meaningfully different profile from IFZA’s broad 2,000+ activity list, which skews heavily toward services, consulting and digital businesses that need no warehouse or physical goods handling at all.
The choice between the two trading licences matters at registration. A standard trading licence restricts activity to specific product categories defined at registration (for example, electronics or pharmaceuticals), while a general trading licence suits businesses whose product range spans several categories or is likely to expand.
DAFZA licence cost sits meaningfully above IFZA, SHAMS or RAKEZ’s entry tiers, reflecting its airport-adjacent location and government-authority backing. Adding visa allocation increases cost predictably:
| Package | Typical annual cost |
| No-visa licence | AED 28,000–32,000 |
| 1-visa package | AED 34,000–38,000 |
| 2-visa package | AED 40,000–46,000 |
| 3-visa package (requires a larger office footprint) | AED 47,000–55,000 |
Costs vary further by activity: industrial licences requiring dedicated warehouse space generally cost more than service licences using a standard office arrangement, given the additional real estate commitment. Optional add-ons (larger warehouse leasing, additional visa allocations beyond the standard tiers, and PRO service retainers) are priced separately and should be itemised upfront rather than bundled into a vague “premium package” quote.
Annual renewal costs are generally close to the initial registration fee, with DAFZA’s audit requirement, more commonly enforced than at some budget free zones, adding a modest recurring compliance cost most founders should plan for from year one. Government fee components can shift independently, so confirm current published rates before budgeting.
DAFZA company formation typically completes in 5–7 working days, from initial activity selection to an active licence, for standard trading and service activities. Industrial licences requiring warehouse allocation can take slightly longer.
Both are logistics-oriented free zones in Dubai, but DAFZA specialises in air cargo proximity while JAFZA specialises in sea freight, sitting adjacent to Jebel Ali Port. Choose DAFZA if your supply chain depends on air freight speed; choose JAFZA if you’re moving bulk goods via sea freight or need access to Jebel Ali’s larger industrial land plots.
DMCC positions itself as Dubai’s premier trading and commodities hub, with a broader activity list and higher overall prestige recognition, particularly in commodities and crypto-adjacent trading. DAFZA’s narrower but deeper specialisation in air-freighted goods (pharma, electronics, jewellery) makes it the stronger choice for businesses where physical cargo proximity outweighs DMCC’s broader trading-hub brand recognition.
IFZA is built around cost efficiency and breadth of activity approval, with entry pricing roughly half of DAFZA’s typical starting cost. For remote-first consultants, e-commerce operators or founders with no physical goods to move, IFZA is generally the more rational choice. DAFZA only wins this comparison for businesses that need the airport-adjacent infrastructure IFZA doesn’t offer.
Indian founders setting up a DAFZA company should plan for the standard apostille requirement on documents issued from India – board resolutions and any Power of Attorney need apostille, not just notarisation, before submission to DAFZA’s authority desk. Most of the application process can proceed remotely, though bank KYC may still require a video call or, in some cases, an in-person visit depending on the specific bank’s risk policy for the business activity involved.
FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act) governs how Indian residents may hold and fund a foreign company, including a DAFZA entity, primarily through the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, which currently permits remittance up to USD 250,000 per financial year for permitted transactions including equity investment abroad. RBI reporting for overseas direct investment applies alongside this, and myHQ builds FEMA disclosure guidance and RBI notification support into every DAFZA engagement as standard. The India-UAE Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) governs how dividends and business profits flowing between an Indian tax resident and the DAFZA entity are treated, preventing the same income from being taxed twice.
myHQ is backed by ANAROCK Group and has helped set up more than 10,000 companies across India and the UAE. Our DAFZA engagements run through a direct relationship with DAFZA’s own registered partner desk rather than a layered reseller arrangement, meaning faster application turnaround and a genuine escalation path when a file needs attention at a government-run authority. Every DAFZA quote from myHQ is itemised on Day 1, with licence fee, establishment card, office or warehouse costs and visa processing shown as separate line items. For Indian founders, apostille coordination and FEMA/RBI guidance are included as standard, and our team continues supporting your company past registration – handling annual renewals, the audit process DAFZA requires, banking introductions, and visa renewals so you never have to re-brief a new provider each year.
A DAFZA companies list typically refers to the roster of businesses registered within the free zone, dominated by logistics, freight forwarding, pharmaceutical distribution, jewellery and precious metals trading, and electronics trading companies. It reflects DAFZA’s specialisation around air cargo-adjacent commerce rather than a general SME mix.
DAFZA hosts a substantial and long-established company base built up since 1996, concentrated heavily in logistics, pharma and high-value trading activities rather than the broader SME mix seen at budget-focused free zones. Exact current registration figures should be confirmed directly with DAFZA or myHQ for the latest count.
DAFZA itself is less commonly chosen for pure e-commerce given its trading and logistics specialisation, but its affiliated Dubai CommerCity zone is purpose-built for e-commerce businesses, offering a more tailored fit than DAFZA’s core trading and service licences.
Yes. Indian residents and NRIs can both hold a DAFZA company. Indian residents must observe FEMA’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme limits and RBI overseas investment reporting requirements; NRIs generally face fewer domestic reporting obligations but should confirm treatment under the India-UAE DTAA for any repatriated income.
It depends on whether the business needs to trade directly within the UAE local market. DAFZA offers lower relative cost than the mainland for a pure export or import operation, plus the air cargo proximity the mainland doesn’t offer, but Dubai mainland wins for businesses needing unrestricted UAE market access or government tender eligibility.
