Licence, visa and renewal fees read off the authorities' own pages, each one dated and linked.
Most founders in the UAE choose between a free zone licence and a mainland one. Of the five free zones we track, two print a starting price on their own site; the rest ask you to request a proposal. Dubai's mainland licensing department did not let us read its fee pages automatically, so no mainland licence figure appears on this site yet.
The difference shows up again when you hire. Mainland companies pay the labour ministry for each work permit; free zone companies pay the zone for a visa quota and the visa itself.
A visa is quoted as one number. On the authorities' own pages it is always several.
ICP, federal service card
1,720AED
An application fee of AED 100◆, AED 100 per year◆ across the permit's term, a smart service fee of AED 100◆, a security deposit fee of AED 20◆ and AED 500◆ for adjusting status in the country. The medical test and any Emirates ID card charge are not in this total.
Line by line, with the Dubai figuresMoHRE, for mainland companies
250-3,450AED
For a company registered with the ministry, issuing or renewing a permit costs AED 250 to AED 3,450◆, depending on its class. Free zone staff sit outside this fee: their hiring and visas are handled by the free zone authority◆.
Mainland against free zone hiringMeydan Free Zone
3,500AED
Meydan lists AED 3,500◆ for the visa itself, and a quota fee of AED 1,850 per visa◆ before it, so every hire shows up as two lines.
Estimate it for your teamUAE free zones print their own prices. In Qatar, the Financial Centre's setting-up guide lists its licensing fees; in Kuwait, the direct investment authority publishes its schedule as a ministerial decision.
9%
Corporate tax on taxable income above the threshold
500
US dollars: the QFC application fee for non-regulated activities
300
Kuwaiti dinars: the KDIPA licence application fee
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