What is IFZA and who does it suit?
IFZA, the International Free Zone Authority, suits founders who want a fully foreign-owned Dubai company for consulting, services, trading or e-commerce, set up online without a local sponsor. It is based at IFZA Business Park in Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO). IFZA states that its companies can be 100% foreign-owned and can repatriate all of their capital and profit.
How IFZA fits into Dubai's free zones
DSO is governed by the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ). Dubai Law No. 16 of 2021 created DIEZ and made it the legal successor of the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority. That authority signed an agreement with IFZA in October 2020 so that new and existing IFZA companies could work from DSO.
Who it suits
- Consultants, agencies, software developers and other service firms that need a Professional License and a few visas.
- Traders and online sellers who need a Commercial License to import, export or trade goods.
- Founders abroad: IFZA says company formation needs no visit to the UAE.
- Foreign companies that want a Dubai branch carrying the parent's activity.
In IFZA data reported in May 2023, Indian nationals were the largest group of its shareholders over the previous five years, at 27%.
When to look elsewhere
- Your customers are mainly mainland UAE businesses or consumers. A mainland licence, or a Dubai mainland permit for free zone companies, may suit you better.
- You need industrial land or factory space. Zones such as RAKEZ market industrial land and warehouses.
- You want a published fixed price before speaking to anyone. IFZA quotes its packages through partners.
How much does IFZA company setup cost in 2026?
IFZA company setup costs the licence package plus IFZA's add-on fees, and IFZA quotes the package itself rather than posting a price online. It prices each package by visa allocation and licence term and sells through its Professional Partners. Its schedule of fees covers everything around the package. The latest public edition we found is dated 1 September 2024, so some figures below may have changed. IFZA's partner help centre still gave AED 3,750 as the basic visa fee when we checked in October 2026. Ask for the current schedule with your quote.
| Item | IFZA fee (AED) | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Licence package | Quoted | Set by visa allocation and term; confirm whether a flexi desk is included |
| Pre-approval and name reservation | 500 per shareholder | Deducted from the package price |
| Extra business activity | 1,000 each | Three included, seven maximum |
| Commercial plus professional activities | 2,000 | Cross-activity fee |
| General trading | 10,000 | Added to the package |
| Extra individual shareholder | 350 each | Three included; more need IFZA approval |
| Corporate shareholder | 750 each | Attested documents needed |
| Establishment card | 2,000 | Renewal 2,200 every year |
| Residence visa, valid two years | 3,750 per person | Renewal also 3,750 |
| Investor or partner visa add-on | 1,000 | On top of the visa fee |
| Change of status inside the UAE | 1,600 | For applicants already in the UAE |
| Late licence renewal | 1,000 | Once the grace period ends, then 1,000 a month |
Source: IFZA Schedule of Fees dated 1 September 2024, the latest edition found (checked 22 Oct 2026).
What sits outside these fees
The AED 3,750 is the basic visa fee. Each visa holder must also complete a medical test and Emirates ID in the UAE; IFZA offers a VIP medical and Emirates ID service for AED 3,500. Health insurance, office upgrades, bookkeeping and tax filing are separate costs. IFZA notes that most of its companies are required to hire an accounting firm.
Visa for Life promotion
IFZA's Visa for Life promotion covers the basic AED 3,750 fee for the first visa and its renewals, for companies incorporated in eligible months. Status change and investor or partner fees are not covered, so ask whether your month qualifies.
What licence types and activities does IFZA offer?
IFZA issues two main licence types, the Commercial License and the Professional License, and it also registers branches of foreign companies. A Commercial License lets you import, export or trade goods in the UAE, including general trading. A Professional License covers service businesses such as consultancy, social media marketing, AI development, branding, photography and accounting.
IFZA says founders can choose from thousands of activities, and the full list is on its activity search. These rules drive the cost:
- Every package includes three activities, and you can add more up to seven in total.
- Activities should come from one licence type. Mixing commercial and professional activities is allowed for an AED 2,000 fee.
- General trading carries an extra AED 10,000.
- Some activities need approval from a Dubai or federal authority, and the licence is issued only after that approval arrives.
Adding, changing or removing an activity later costs AED 2,000 under IFZA's schedule.
How many visas can an IFZA company get, and what office does it need?
The number of visas depends on the package you buy, and you can upgrade the allocation later. IFZA's 2024 schedule prices the upgrade at the difference between packages, from AED 2,000. IFZA's terms state that higher visa entitlements may require leasing a physical office in IFZA Dubai. IFZA's setup guide adds registered office space costs from four visa allocations.
Office options
IFZA Property offers a Flexidesk, Flexidesk +, Dedicated Office, Private Office and Personalized Office at IFZA Business Park, plus meeting rooms. It does not publish prices for them.
Investor and employee visas
- A residence visa is valid for two years, and shareholders add the investor or partner fee shown in the cost table.
- The company needs an establishment card first, renewed every year. IFZA's terms say a late renewal stops further visa applications.
- Approval of the licence does not mean any visa will be approved.
Ownership, share capital and legal form
An IFZA company is incorporated as a Free Zone Company (FZCO), and it can be 100% foreign-owned by individuals, companies or both. A foreign company can instead register a branch, provided the branch carries the same activity as the parent.
- Shareholders: three individual shareholders are included; more need IFZA approval.
- Officers: the application form requires one manager, one secretary and at least one director.
- Share capital: IFZA has no paid-up capital requirement. Its application form asks for proposed share capital of at least AED 10,000, in shares of AED 10 or multiples. If you later want a share certificate (AED 800), IFZA asks for bank or auditor confirmation that the capital has been deposited.
- Beneficial owners: the application includes an Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) declaration. Under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023, anyone owning or controlling 25% or more is a beneficial owner. You must update the data within 15 days of a change, and keep registers of beneficial owners and shareholders.
Renewal and ongoing compliance
An IFZA licence must be renewed on or before its renewal date. Since 30 September 2025, every renewal also needs financial statements for the last completed financial year. Renewed licences are typically valid for one to three years.
Financial statements at renewal
| Your company | Accounting basis | What to submit |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover up to AED 3 million and nine or fewer employees | Cash basis | Simplified statement on IFZA's template |
| Turnover up to AED 3 million and more than nine employees | Cash basis | Audited statements |
| Turnover above AED 3 million and below AED 50 million | IFRS for SMEs | Audited statements |
| Turnover above AED 50 million | IFRS | Audited statements |
Late renewal of the licence or the establishment card costs AED 1,000 once the grace period ends, plus AED 1,000 for each further month. IFZA's terms add that a licence left unrenewed can be suspended or cancelled.
Corporate tax
Every IFZA company must register for UAE corporate tax within three months of incorporation, or pay an AED 10,000 penalty. It then files a return within nine months of the end of each tax period. A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on qualifying income and 9% on other taxable income. To qualify, the company must:
- keep adequate substance in the free zone and earn qualifying income;
- follow the arm's length principle and keep transfer pricing records;
- keep audited financial statements, whatever its revenue;
- keep non-qualifying revenue below the lower of AED 5 million or 5% of total revenue.
Failing a condition moves the company to standard rates for that tax period and the next four.
Qualifying income comes mainly from transactions with other free zone persons and from the Qualifying Activities in Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025. That list covers areas such as manufacturing, trading qualifying commodities, holding shares, fund management, headquarter services to related parties, treasury and logistics. It does not name consulting, marketing or IT services, so an IFZA service company with clients outside the free zones should check its position with an adviser. Under the standard regime, the first AED 375,000 of taxable income is taxed at 0% and the rest at 9%. Small Business Relief, for revenue up to AED 3 million in tax periods ending by 31 December 2029, is not open to a Qualifying Free Zone Person.
The 50-year zero tax period in Dubai Law No. 16 of 2021 applies without prejudice to federal tax law, so it does not remove UAE corporate tax.
VAT
Register for VAT once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 a year. You may register voluntarily from AED 187,500. The standard rate is 5%.
IFZA compared with Meydan, RAKEZ and DMCC
IFZA offers a Dubai address, a broad activity list and an online process. Unlike Meydan, RAKEZ and DMCC, it does not publish a starting price. Each figure below comes from the zone's own website, checked on 22 October 2026.
| Point | IFZA | Meydan Free Zone | RAKEZ | DMCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emirate and base | Dubai, Dubai Silicon Oasis | Dubai, Meydan City | Ras Al Khaimah | Dubai, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Uptown Dubai |
| Activities | Thousands | 2,500+ | Over 1,800 free zone activities | 1,000+ |
| Published starting price | Quoted through partners | Licence from AED 12,500, no visa | Package from AED 6,000, no visa | Basic Biz package AED 35,484 |
| Stated setup time | A few business days | Standard licence typically within 24 hours | Instant Licence online in minutes | Around 10 working days |
| Office options | Flexidesk to private office | Flexi-desk included with the licence | Coworking to warehouses and land | Registered DMCC address required |
Read our guides to Meydan Free Zone, RAKEZ and DMCC, or compare every option on our UAE free zones page.
Setting up an IFZA company from India
An Indian founder can own an IFZA company outright but has three India-side tasks: attestation for corporate shareholders, FEMA overseas investment rules, and a banking plan that fits the visa timeline.
Documents and attestation
IFZA's document list for an individual shareholder, in the checklist below, asks for no attested papers. If an Indian company is the shareholder, its board resolution must be notarised and attested. Indian documents are first attested by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The UAE Embassy in New Delhi then attests them digitally, through the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs website using UAE Pass. One application covers both the Embassy and the ministry in the UAE.
FEMA and overseas direct investment
Investing in an IFZA company from India is overseas direct investment (ODI) under FEMA's Overseas Investment Rules, Regulations and Directions of 2022. You route it through your authorised dealer (AD) bank.
- File Form FC with the AD bank to get a Unique Identification Number before the first remittance.
- A resident individual may make ODI only in an operating business, and not in one engaged in financial services.
- Submit evidence of the investment to the AD bank within six months, or bring the money back.
- File an Annual Performance Report, certified by a chartered accountant where no statutory audit applies.
- Individual remittances also sit within the Liberalised Remittance Scheme limit of USD 250,000 per financial year.
An investment through your Indian company needs its own ODI review. For one brand in both countries, see our pages on private limited company registration and trademark registration in India.
Bank account
IFZA's banking service works with Wio, Mashreq and electronic money institutions. For companies with individual shareholders, it asks for the signatory's Emirates ID and UAE mobile number, the licence, the signed MoA and the lease agreement. Plan the account for after the signatory's residence visa and Emirates ID are issued.
Tax residency
The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals. Whether India taxes your salary or dividends from the IFZA company depends on your Indian residential status and where the company is managed from, so confirm both with a tax adviser.
How Ofin helps with IFZA setup
Ofin's UAE desk supports IFZA setup from choosing activities to visas and the bank account. It knows the process first-hand: Ofin's UAE arm is itself registered in IFZA.
What the desk does for IFZA clients:
- A free consultation on licence type, activities, visa count and office.
- Document collection and IFZA filings, with remote onboarding for founders abroad.
- The establishment card, investor and employee visas, Emirates ID and PRO support.
- Corporate bank account support.
- VAT and corporate tax registration, and accounting for the renewal financial statements.
- Attestation of Indian documents, and advice on India-UAE tax and FEMA rules.
Ofin Legal has served 5,000+ clients since 2019 and holds a 4.9★ Google rating. Ask for IFZA's fees and Ofin's service fee as separate lines in your quote. Call or WhatsApp the UAE desk on +971 50 523 5779.
