Set up your company in the DIFC

It is the entry route for tech startups into the DIFC: USD 1,500 per year instead of the standard fee, co-working at the Innovation Hub from USD 250 per month, up to 4 visas on the first workstation and a discount on visa fees. It is reserved for newly registered companies in technology sectors (AI, fintech without holding client funds, SaaS, HealthTech, EdTech, GreenTech and more) and excludes trading in physical goods. After the subsidised period, the fee evolves with the size of the team: we model that cost with you before you commit.

Not always. A regulated financial activity requires the appropriate DFSA authorisation. Some holding companies, technology firms and wealth structures can fall under a non-regulated regime, but that depends on the services actually provided. The scope of the activity must be checked before selecting a licence.

The DIFC covers 110 hectares along Sheikh Zayed Road, between the World Trade Centre and Downtown Dubai, at the heart of the city's business district. Its landmark building, The Gate, houses the centre's administration, and the district concentrates offices, courts, hotels, galleries and restaurants. It is the most prestigious business address in the Emirates.

For a non-regulated company, the Registrar of Companies processes the incorporation in around 5 working days once the file is complete; allow 2 to 4 weeks end to end including the lease and the establishment card. For a financial activity regulated by the DFSA, it is another world: 4 to 6 months of authorisation process in practice, with business plan review, interviews with senior management and regulatory capital. We tell you on the first call which category you fall into.

The UAE federal framework applies: 0% personal income tax, Corporate Tax at 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income then 9%, and QFZP status allowing 0% on qualifying income, subject to substance in the zone and filing conditions. The DIFC also requires a genuine physical presence (a lease in the district), which directly supports your substance file. The 5% VAT follows federal rules.

Meydan and IFZA target services and trading companies in particular. The DIFC stands apart with its common law framework, its courts and its financial ecosystem. Compare the full cost, the authorisations and investor expectations: an eligible Innovation Licence does not carry the same budget as a regulated financial activity.

It is the most reputable jurisdiction in the Emirates: created in 2004, the DIFC hosts 8,844 active companies and more than 50,000 professionals according to its official 2025 results, including the largest international banks, funds and law firms. Its licences are recognised everywhere, and its common law framework is precisely why institutional investors often require it.

The DIFC is an autonomous jurisdiction: its civil and commercial laws are written in English on the model of English common law, and disputes are heard before the DIFC Courts, with judges drawn from London, Singapore and Hong Kong. For an international investor or fund, that means contracts, shareholder agreements and security interests interpreted to standards they already know. It is a decisive argument for raising funds or structuring wealth.

The quota depends on the space you occupy: as a rule, one visa per workstation in a business centre, more with a private office. The Innovation Licence is the exception, with up to 4 visas on the first desk. DIFC visas are valid for a maximum of 2 years and follow the standard federal pathway: establishment card, entry permit, medical test, biometrics and Emirates ID, with a refundable deposit per sponsored person.

The cost, without ambiguity: between the standard licence, the incorporation and the mandatory office in the district, a company not eligible for the Innovation Licence invests several times the budget of a classic free zone in the first year alone. The DIFC makes sense when common law, prestige or the financial ecosystem earn more than they cost. We run that calculation with you honestly, backed by the centre's own figures thanks to our channel partner status, and we point you towards Meydan or IFZA if the DIFC does not pay off in your case.