Last reviewed 4 Oct 2026Reviewed by Jerry Williams2 min read
Choosing a free zone is easier in the right order. Start with your own business and work forwards, rather than starting with a zone's name and working backwards.
1. Start with your activity
Free zones license particular activities, so check that a zone licenses yours. The UAE Government portal's advice for starting in a free zone is to choose the sector first and then the free zone. Settle which of the activity groups on this site describes your business, then filter the directory by that group. The filter applies to zones whose data is verified; zones still being verified have no activity data to filter on.
2. Think about where your customers and suppliers are
Where the work and the customers are shapes what a licence needs to allow. A free zone company can trade internationally with generally no restrictions. To sell goods or services inside the UAE it must generally work through a licensed mainland distributor or set up a mainland branch or company, and direct mainland sales are generally not permitted, according to the UAE Government portal. In Dubai, a free zone company may also operate outside its zone with a licence or permit from the Department of Economy and Tourism. Other emirates may differ. See Free zone, mainland or offshore.
3. Count the visas you will need
Packages state a visa allowance. Check it for the first year and again for the years after. A quota is a ceiling on how many visas a package allows, not a cost: each visa issued for a named person has its own steps and fees. Use the visas filter in the directory.
4. Check the office requirement
Packages differ in the workspace they include: a flexi desk, an office or a warehouse. Check that the workspace fits how you will work, and compare it between packages.
5. Compare first-year and renewal costs
The first year includes one-off costs. Later years do not. Compare both, line by line, in the calculator, and read What a UAE company really costs.
6. Think about banking early
Banks make their own decisions about company accounts. A zone cannot promise one, and neither can we.
What this guide does not do
It does not recommend a zone. It gives an order in which to ask the questions.