Starting from AED 12,900*
Dubai has 40+ Free zones but IFZA stands out for the right reasons
Dubai silicon oasis (DSO) address
Your company is based in DSO, a recognised technology and business area.
Multi-business license
Flexibility of multiple activities under one license.
100% Remote setup
Digital documentation & signature process.
Flexible workspace options
Fixed office not required for basic license package. Scale when you need to.
Support beyond day 1
Highest rated in dedicated support, throughout your business journey.
Your license estimate
Zero myHQ feeBest for:
International invoicing, Operating remotely
Includes:
License · Flexi-desk · Digital bank account opening
IFZA 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
Software development, managed IT, cloud consulting & SaaS businesses.
Flexible tech activities available
SEO, paid media, content, influencers & social media management.
Remote setup for digital businesses
Online retail, dropshipping, digital products & marketplace operations.
Global reach without mainland overheads
Strategy, operations, HR & organisational development consulting.
Professional setup with premium address
Media creation, publishing, licensing & video production.
Multiple creative activities under 1 license
Training institutes, coaching, eLearning & corporate L&D.
Build client base within the community
IT Consulting & Software Development
Software development, managed IT, cloud consulting & SaaS businesses.
Flexible tech activities available
Digital & Performance Marketing
SEO, paid media, content, influencers & social media management.
Remote setup for digital businesses
E-Commerce & Online Trading
Online retail, dropshipping, digital products & marketplace operations.
Global reach without mainland overheads
Business & Management Consulting
Strategy, operations, HR & organisational development consulting.
Professional setup with premium address
Media & Content Production
Media creation, publishing, licensing & video production.
Multiple creative activities under 1 license
Education & Corporate Training
Training institutes, coaching, eLearning & corporate L&D.
Build client base within the community
Professional license
Most popularWhat it covers:
900+ service activities · Multiple related activities
Know exactly what you’ll need before you apply and what we provide.
Documents required
Required documents for an IFZA free zone setup
What’s included
Everything in your myHQ setup package
Financial capital
DIFC
From AED 39,900
Best value
Meydan
From AED 12,900
Digital First
SHAMS
From AED 5,750
Solo Founder
RAKEZ
From AED 6,500
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 an IFZA setup expert
Complete your setup with expert guidance tailored for you
IFZA, the International Free Zone Authority, is one of the UAE’s largest and fastest growing free zones. Established in 2018 and operated at Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), it has become a popular choice for Indian founders, digital entrepreneurs and international service businesses seeking a Dubai company at a budget friendly price point, one of several established options across Dubai’s free zone landscape. As of 2026, IFZA hosts over 50,000 active licensed companies, one of the highest entity counts among Dubai free zones.
What sets IFZA apart from other budget free zones is the combination of address quality, activity breadth and documentation simplicity. The Dubai Silicon Oasis address places a company’s registered address in the heart of Dubai’s government backed technology district, and the activity list covers 2,000+ permitted categories, among the broadest available in the AED 12,000 to 15,000 per year licence fee range.
For Indian individual shareholders, the licence application requires no apostille, just a scanned passport and a signed declaration.
IFZA full form: International Free Zone Authority. IFZA is a UAE licensed free zone regulator, established in 2018 and headquartered at Dubai Silicon Oasis, the same district that gives IFZA incorporated companies their registered address.
IFZA is not an emirate level authority like DMCC or JAFZA. It operates as a licensed free zone authority within the Dubai Silicon Oasis special development zone. Companies registered with IFZA are IFZA Free Zone Establishments (FZE) for single shareholders, or IFZA Free Zone Companies (FZ-CO) for multiple shareholders.
The IFZA address on trade licences and company documents reads: Dubai Silicon Oasis, PO Box (assigned at registration), Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The PO Box is unique to each entity and assigned upon registration.
Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) is a dedicated technology free zone established by the Government of Dubai under the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA). DSO spans over 7.2 square kilometres off Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and hosts the UAE’s largest concentration of semiconductor companies, electronics manufacturers and technology startups.
For IFZA companies, the DSO address places the company within a recognised technology district rather than a generic business park, a distinction that matters for client facing service businesses, IT companies and consulting firms where address credibility influences client perception, particularly for the Indian founder segment billing international clients.
IFZA’s location at Dubai Silicon Oasis makes it a natural choice for technology founders. The professional licence covers software development, mobile application development, IT consulting, managed IT services, cloud computing consulting, cybersecurity advisory, SaaS business models, data analytics and AI consulting.
An Indian software founder setting up a Dubai entity for international USD invoicing will find IFZA’s 2,000+ activity list covers every standard IT service category without custom activity additions, and the DSO address is a more credible claim in client conversations than a generic free zone address.
Digital marketing is the second highest volume activity category at IFZA. The professional licence covers SEO, performance marketing, paid media, social media marketing, content creation, graphic design, branding and video production. Indian digital marketing founders invoicing UAE and GCC based brand clients particularly benefit, since a Dubai address on invoices signals local presence to enterprise clients who prefer UAE registered vendors.
IFZA’s e-commerce licence category covers online retail, dropshipping, digital product sales and marketplace operations. For Indian founders operating direct-to-consumer businesses targeting GCC markets, an IFZA e-commerce entity enables invoicing from a UAE entity and UAE payment gateway integration. The GCC e-commerce market reached $50B+ in 2024, with the UAE the highest per-capita online spending market in the region.
Goods physically warehoused in the UAE require a separate storage arrangement, the licence itself is a virtual licence.
Management consulting, HR consulting, strategy consulting and operational advisory are among the most commonly licensed IFZA activities. UAE based corporate clients (banks, developers, government entities, hospitals) increasingly prefer UAE registered vendors for procurement, so an IFZA professional licence positions an Indian consulting firm as a UAE based entity for client procurement processes, even where the team remains India based.
Blockchain consulting sits within IFZA’s IT activity cluster alongside software development and cloud consulting, making the professional licence a workable route for blockchain advisory, Web3 development and crypto adjacent consulting services.
Regulated activity such as running a crypto exchange or securities style token offering falls outside a standard IFZA licence and would require separate approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) or Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), the same restriction that applies to regulated financial services generally.
IFZA is one of the most popular choices for Indian founders who want a UAE entity without relocating. The application is fully remote, no apostille is required for individual shareholders, and a digital bank account (Wio Bank) can be opened without a UAE visit.
Indian freelancers on international platforms who want to invoice through a corporate entity rather than as individuals find IFZA’s no-visa professional licence (AED 12,900 to 14,500 all-in) a practical entry point.
Compliance under India’s Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), overseen by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), is required, and if primary clients are Indian companies, place-of-supply rules may affect the expected tax outcome.
IFZA maintains one of the broadest activity lists among Dubai free zones, with 2,000+ permitted activities spanning:
A single licence can hold multiple activities within the same cluster; activities across clusters may carry a small incremental fee.
| Licence Type | Best For | Cost |
| Professional | Knowledge economy and service businesses | From AED 12,900/year |
| Commercial | Trading in physical goods | AED 13,500–14,000/year |
| E-Commerce | Online-first businesses | AED 13,000–13,500/year |
The most commonly issued IFZA licence type, covering knowledge economy and service businesses. Permits 900+ individual activity categories within the professional services umbrella, with multiple related activities held on one licence within the same cluster at no additional fee. Adding activities from a separate cluster carries an AED 500 to 1,500 incremental fee per cluster.
For businesses trading in physical goods: import, export, wholesale distribution, re-export, general trading. For goods physically stored in the UAE, a warehouse lease or 3PL arrangement is required alongside the licence.
Purpose built for online-first businesses, explicitly covering online retail transactions, digital product sales and marketplace-based selling. Increasingly popular with Indian founders running dropshipping or DTC operations targeting GCC consumers. Companies with activities spanning multiple clusters can request a multi-activity licence at setup or renewal, subject to the incremental fee noted above.
The IFZA licence fee is the foundational cost, but not the all-in cost. The table below shows the complete cost breakdown for 2026.
| Cost Item | Amount (AED) | Notes |
| IFZA trade licence (professional) | 12,900 | Annual fee |
| IFZA trade licence (commercial) | 13,500–14,000 | Annual fee |
| IFZA trade licence (e-commerce) | 13,000–13,500 | Annual fee |
| IFZA establishment card | 1,500 | Annual, mandatory |
| E-channel registration | 2,200 | Per company, required for visa activities |
| Investor visa, government fees | 3,500–4,500 | Entry permit + biometrics + stamping |
| Emirates ID | 370 | Per person |
| Medical fitness test | 320–500 | Per person, location dependent |
| No-Visa Package (all-in) | 14,500–16,000 | Licence + establishment card, no visa |
| 1-Visa Package (all-in) | 20,000–23,000 | Licence + est. card + e-channel + visa |
| 2-Visa Package (all-in) | 25,500–29,000 | All above × 2 visas |
| 3-Visa Package (all-in) | 30,500–35,000 | All above × 3 visas |
| Year 2 Renewal (no visa, no changes) | 14,400–16,000 | Licence renewal + est. card renewal |
| Year 2 Renewal (with visa renewal) | 17,000–20,000 | Licence + est. card + visa renewal |
| Free Zone | No-Visa Licence (base) | 1-Visa All-In | Address |
| IFZA | AED 12,900 | AED 20,000–23,000 | Dubai Silicon Oasis |
| Meydan | AED 12,500 | AED 19,500–22,000 | Nad Al Sheba, Dubai |
| DMCC | AED 18,500+ | AED 30,000–40,000 | JLT, Dubai |
| SHAMS | AED 5,750 | AED 12,500–15,000 | Sharjah |
| RAKEZ | AED 14,000+ | AED 20,000–24,000 | Ras Al Khaimah |
SHAMS is significantly cheaper on the base licence, the practical trade-off is a Sharjah business setup address versus IFZA’s Dubai Silicon Oasis one. For client-facing professional services, the Dubai address typically justifies the premium.
IFZA is approximately 40 to 50% cheaper than DMCC on an annual all-in basis, and DMCC’s paid-up capital deposit of AED 50,000 does not apply at IFZA. For most professional service and IT businesses, IFZA delivers equivalent legal standing at a fraction of DMCC’s cost.
Determine licence type, business activities, company name (3 options in preference order), shareholder count and visa requirement. myHQ’s IFZA partner desk conducts a pre-screening call to confirm activity eligibility and name availability before initiating the application.
Individual shareholders need:
No apostille or attested documents required.
Corporate shareholders need Certificate of Incorporation, MOA and Board Resolution, apostilled and attested from the country of incorporation, plan 3 to 4 extra weeks for attestation.
myHQ submits through IFZA’s licensed partner portal, which receives a dedicated processing queue. Initial Approval Letter issued within 24 to 48 hours of complete submission.
After Initial Approval, the licence fee is paid and IFZA issues the trade licence PDF within 3 to 5 business days, delivered via the MyIFZA portal and email.
Investor visa filed with IFZA: entry permit issued, medical fitness test in the UAE, Emirates ID biometrics, visa stamping. Timeline from entry permit to visa stamp: 2 to 4 weeks.
myHQ provides a bank introduction letter and business profile review before application.
UAE corporate tax registration (mandatory, free) with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA). Value Added Tax (VAT) registration mandatory if taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000/year, voluntary from AED 187,500/year. Bookkeeping arrangement required under UAE corporate tax rules.
DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre) is the UAE’s largest free zone by company count (26,000+).
For most professional service and IT founders, IFZA is the more cost-effective choice; for commodities traders, regulated fintech and prestige-sensitive businesses, DMCC’s premium is often worth it.
Meydan Free Zone is IFZA’s closest competitor in the Dubai budget free zone segment. Both launched between 2018 and 2019, both are virtual-licence zones, and both price no-visa licences below AED 15,000.
For activities within Meydan’s list, it’s a legitimate lower-cost alternative; for IT and tech businesses where the DSO address is relevant, or for the broader activity list, IFZA is the stronger choice.
Issued to shareholders named on the trade licence, grants UAE residency and the ability to sponsor dependents and acquire UAE tax residency (183+ days/year).
Cost:
Process:
Total timeline from entry permit to visa stamp: 2 to 4 weeks.
Issued to employees of an IFZA-licensed company, subject to Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) labour regulations, with an employment contract registered before applying.
Investor and employee visa holders can sponsor dependants. For a spouse and children under 18, the sponsor’s monthly income must meet an AED 4,000+ threshold (AED 10,000+ for some banks and schools).
A 5 or 10 year residency option requiring a qualifying investment of AED 500,000 in eligible assets (paid-up capital, real estate, or approved financial instruments). Applications are processed directly through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), independent of IFZA, and the visa does not expire alongside the trade licence.
As of 1 June 2023, the UAE levies a 9% Corporate Income Tax (CIT) on taxable profits above AED 375,000 per financial year, and all IFZA companies must register regardless of revenue.
Companies with annual revenue below AED 3,000,000 can typically elect Small Business Relief and pay 0% CIT for financial years ending on or before 31 December 2026. Qualifying Free Zone Person status, offering 0% CIT on qualifying income, is available to companies that meet specific substance and income conditions.
For the full corporate tax picture across free zones and mainland structures, see myHQ’s company formation in the UAE guide.
Indian residents who own or co-own an IFZA company are making an Overseas Direct Investment (ODI) under RBI/FEMA regulations, the same filing obligations that apply across business setup in Dubai from India more broadly.
IFZA reviews across business setup forums and founder communities consistently highlight:
Common criticisms include slow bank account opening at traditional banks (a UAE-wide banking challenge, not IFZA-specific) and renewal reminders that can be inconsistent for solo operators. Among Indian founder communities specifically, the no-apostille requirement for individual shareholders comes up most often as the practical differentiator.
IFZA trade licences renew annually and must be completed before expiry. Late renewal carries an AED 1,500 penalty per month, plus visa status complications. IFZA sends a renewal notice via the MyIFZA portal approximately 60 days before expiry; the updated licence PDF is issued within 3 to 5 business days of renewal payment.
Licence validity can be verified at any time through the MyIFZA portal using the licence number, the standard due diligence check used by banks and UAE authorities.
Annual renewal items:
UAE law also requires all companies to maintain an up to date Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) register, with ownership changes reported promptly.
myHQ is a registered IFZA Professional Partner, filing applications directly through IFZA’s licensed partner portal into its dedicated processing queue, with a direct escalation path to IFZA’s partner desk for any document query or approval delay.
myHQ’s IFZA setup service includes activity pre-screening, complete document preparation, portal submission and approval tracking, trade licence delivery management, investor visa coordination, bank account introduction (Wio Bank and Mashreq), UAE corporate tax registration and FEMA ODI-1 guidance for Indian shareholders.
myHQ is backed by ANAROCK Group, India’s largest property advisory, with an established track record supporting UAE business setups. Fixed pricing means the quote issued on Day 1 is the price on invoice day, with government charges itemised separately at cost.
IFZA is a strong fit for budget-conscious founders who want a genuine Dubai address, virtual operations and a broad activity list. It suits IT, digital marketing, e-commerce and consulting businesses particularly well; for regulated financial services or prestige-sensitive commodities trading, DMCC or DIFC are more appropriate.
IFZA stands for International Free Zone Authority, a Dubai-licensed free zone authority established in 2018 at Dubai Silicon Oasis, one of the UAE’s largest free zones by registered company count (50,000+).
Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai. The physical address for the IFZA Authority is IFZA Business Park, DSO-IFZA, PO Box 341041, Dubai, UAE. Most company formation processes are conducted digitally through the MyIFZA portal.
Dubai Silicon Oasis, (company-specific PO Box), Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The PO Box is unique to each company and assigned at registration.
Through the MyIFZA portal using the company’s trade licence number, the standard due diligence check banks, clients and UAE authorities use.
5 to 7 business days from complete document submission to trade licence issuance, with Initial Approval typically issued within 24 to 48 hours. Total time from first enquiry to an operational bank account is 3 to 5 weeks, accounting for bank account opening.
Approximately AED 14,500 to 16,000 all-in for a no-visa professional licence. Adding one investor visa brings the Year 1 all-in cost to AED 20,000 to 23,000.
Yes, an IFZA Free Zone Company (FZ-CO) can have 2 or more shareholders, up to 50. A single shareholder entity is structured as an IFZA Free Zone Establishment (FZE). Corporate shareholders require apostilled incorporation documents.
Yes, the commercial licence covers general trading, import/export, wholesale distribution and re-export at AED 13,500 to 14,000/year. For businesses trading directly with UAE mainland consumers, a Dubai mainland company setup is typically the more practical route.
IFZA companies can transact with UAE mainland companies but cannot directly conduct retail trade or provide physical services to end consumers on the mainland without a mainland licence or approved distribution arrangement. Free zone-to-mainland B2B transactions are generally permitted.
The company enters non-compliant status: AED 1,500/month late renewal fee, sponsored visas may be invalidated, and banks may freeze accounts upon licence expiry.
All IFZA companies must register for UAE Corporate Income Tax with the FTA regardless of revenue. Small Business Relief is available for revenue under AED 3M, Qualifying Free Zone Person status for companies with qualifying free-zone income. The annual return is due 9 months after financial year end.
The standard licence is virtual with a registered address only. IFZA offers optional flexi-desk and office space upgrades within Dubai Silicon Oasis for companies that want physical workspace.
RAKEZ is typically AED 1,000 to 2,000 cheaper annually, with a Ras Al Khaimah business setup address as the trade-off against IFZA’s Dubai Silicon Oasis one. IFZA is usually preferred where client-facing address matters, RAKEZ where pure cost minimisation is the priority.
