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Ajman Free Zone is often presented as one of the lowest-cost free zones in the UAE, and many consultancy pages put it at the top of their cheapest-zone lists. What none of them can show you is a price list on AFZA’s own website, because AFZA does not publish one there: its cost calculator does not show a figure on screen, and AFZA emails the estimate after you submit your name, email and phone. AFZA does issue an all-inclusive package list, and we use it below. On those figures AFZA is competitive but not the cheapest: its one-visa packages (AED 12,131 on the freelancer track, AED 13,141 on a virtual office) sit above Ajman NuVentures’ published “from AED 10,800” and below RAKEZ’s AED 14,000.
One thing to clarify before you read any headline price elsewhere. “Ajman Free Zone” (AFZA) is the main authority. “Ajman NuVentures” (ANCFZ) and “Ajman Media City” are separate free zones in the emirate with their own published pricing. The famous AED 4,888 headline belongs to Ajman NuVentures, which lists it on its own packages page, not to AFZA, and we flagged this same distinction in our full AFZA overview guide. When you compare, make sure you are comparing the right zone.
AFZA’s product pages tell you how many residence visas its main facilities carry, without prices. On those pages the visa count depends on the facility you lease, not on the licence category.
| AFZA facility | Residence visas (AFZA product page) |
|---|---|
| Sole Professional Licence (co-working) | 1 + family sponsorship |
| Freelancer & Pioneers Hub | 2 + family sponsorship |
| Business Center (investor, partner, manager and employee visas) | Not stated |
| Offices | 2 |
| Executive Offices | 2 |
| Warehouses | Minimum of 14 |
| Land | Tailored |
AFZA’s FAQ adds that the quota follows the location and that visas beyond it need approval from immigration. AFZA’s own package price list goes further than the product pages: its virtual-office (coworking lease) and physical-office (Al-Jurf) packages are priced for up to 10 visas. Treat the product-page numbers as the starting quota and ask AFZA how many visas your package can carry.
There is no AFZA product called a “flexi desk”; the closest options are the Freelancer & Pioneers Hub, the Business Center (shared co-working) and the package AFZA’s price list calls a “virtual office” (a coworking lease). If a quote uses another name, ask which AFZA facility it means.
Who a zero-visa setup works for: a founder already on a spouse visa, a golden visa holder, or someone testing a side business before committing to residency through the company.
The trap: many banks want the account signatory to hold a UAE residence visa. If you are a non-resident hoping to bank remotely, check with the bank before you choose a zero-visa setup — some banks will decline outright.
AFZA does not post prices on its website, but it does issue an all-inclusive package list. The figures below come from AFZA’s all-inclusive package list, obtained from AFZA in September 2026, not published online. The list carries no date, so confirm current prices in a written quote before you pay. All prices are for one year.
| Freelancer package | Visas | AED, 1 year |
|---|---|---|
| Permit | 0 | 6,010 |
| Visa | 1 | 12,131 |
The freelancer track is one sole professional activity under a sole professional permit, with one shareholder (the freelancer) and a lease agreement. Its visa package lists the establishment card, eChannel, security approval and the UAE residence visa, medical test, Emirates ID and status change.
| Visas | Virtual office (coworking lease), AED | Physical office (Al-Jurf), AED |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 5,565 | No 0-visa option |
| 1 | 13,141 | 21,760 |
| 2 | 17,181 | 24,760 |
| 3 | 23,242 | 29,760 |
| 4 | 26,272 | 35,510 |
| 5 | 31,323 | 42,740 |
| 6 | 36,898 | 49,981 |
| 7 | 42,898 | 57,221 |
| 8 | 49,898 | 64,462 |
| 9 | 56,898 | 71,702 |
| 10 | 63,898 | 78,942 |
What both company tracks cover, per the list: up to 10 mixed activities excluding General Trading (General Trading is AED 2,000 extra), plus AED 1,000 for each additional activity, and up to 10 shareholders. The virtual-office packages include the business licence, a lease agreement for coworking space, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Commercial Registry Certificate and the Certificate of Incorporation. The physical-office packages swap the coworking lease for an office lease agreement and also list a share certificate. Every visa package adds the establishment card, eChannel, investor security approval, and the UAE residence visa, medical test, Emirates ID and status change.
Three notes from the same list. Renewal is annual at the same package price; the list does not say what the renewal covers for visas, so ask. A medical test in Dubai instead of Ajman costs an additional AED 105 on every track. And health insurance is not included: visa applicants buy it from an authorised insurance provider.
Two things the list changes compared with the product pages. Visas can sit on a virtual office, so you do not have to rent a physical office to get residence visas through the company (the list does not say which visa types the packages cover, so ask). And the steps between visa counts are uneven — on a virtual office, AED 4,040 for the second visa, AED 6,061 for the third and AED 3,030 for the fourth — so get your exact count quoted rather than multiplying a per-visa figure.
Don’t want to figure this out alone? Sarmat is a KHDA-certified training provider and registered typing centre in Deira, Dubai. Message us on WhatsApp — we answer questions like this every day.
Part of every visa cost is set by federal and health authorities and is the same for every AFZA company. In Ajman, entry permits and residence permits are issued by ICP (the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security), not by GDRFA, which covers Dubai only. Your company files them through the AFZA customer portal. The medical test is run by Emirates Health Services (EHS) at its Ajman centres, Musheirif and Al Nuameia.
If you buy an AFZA all-inclusive visa package, these fees should already be inside the package price. AFZA’s package list includes the establishment card, eChannel, the residence visa, medical test, Emirates ID and status change; it does not name the entry permit separately, so confirm in the quote that it is covered, and do not add the figures below on top of a package price. The table is the breakdown of the fixed government part: use it to check a quote that is not all-inclusive, or to see how much of a package is government fees.
| Government fee for one visa | AED |
|---|---|
| Work entry permit (ICP: application, issuance and smart fee) | 300 |
| Medical fitness test, standard category (EHS, Ajman) | 250 + printing fee |
| Residence permit, 2 years (ICP: application, 100 per year, smart fee, deposit) | 420 |
| Emirates ID, 2 years (ICP: 100 per year plus smart fee) | 300 |
| In-country status change, if you are already in the UAE (ICP) | 500 |
| Total, 2 years: without / with status change | ~1,270 / ~1,770 |
Before the first visa, the company also needs an ICP establishment card. ICP lists AED 100 for the application, AED 100 per year and AED 100 in smart service fees, plus a AED 2,000 subscription to its electronic system for establishments, a AED 1,000 system subscription guarantee and a AED 20 deposit fee. Health insurance is extra either way. On a quote that is not all-inclusive, AFZA’s own charges for handling the card and the visa, and typing fees, also come on top.
When you compare quotes from any Ajman zone, each of these lines should be covered somewhere. If a quote has no line for the entry permit, medical test or Emirates ID and does not say it is all-inclusive, ask whether they are included. The standard medical for an Ajman visa is the EHS test at its Ajman centres, at EHS’s own published rate; AFZA’s package price list adds AED 105 if you take the medical test in Dubai instead.
AFZA’s package list is undated and not published online, so get a written quote before you pay and check it against the list. Ask for:
If you are genuinely three people on day one, the real decision is whether you need a physical office, not which free zone: on AFZA’s list, three visas cost AED 23,242 on a virtual office and AED 29,760 in Al-Jurf.
Emiratisation note: MOHRE announced in January 2024 that private companies with 20–49 employees in 14 economic sectors must hire at least one UAE citizen in 2024 and another one in 2025. That announcement does not mention free zone companies, so check the current position with your zone before you hire. For a deeper look at overall Dubai costs across both mainland and free zone, our Dubai-specific business setup cost breakdown runs the numbers side by side.
The lowest headline price we found on a zone’s own website is Ajman NuVentures (ANCFZ), from AED 4,888 for a zero-visa licence — and its own 1 to 10 visa all-inclusive package starts from AED 10,800. Comparison articles quote the first number and stop. The table below shows both numbers wherever a zone publishes them, as listed on each zone’s website in October 2026, adds AFZA’s package list, and says so plainly where a zone does not list a price.
| Free zone (emirate) | Entry price as listed (no visa) | With one residence visa, as listed | What the zone says is included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ajman NuVentures / ANCFZ (Ajman) | from AED 4,888 | from AED 10,800 (1 to 10 visa all-inclusive package) | No-visa package: licence, unlimited shareholders, up to 10 mix-and-match activities, lease agreement, MOA/AOA, commercial registry, share certificate, certificate of incorporation, bank letter. The visa package adds the establishment card, e-channel registration, investor security approval, entry permit, status change if applicable, medical test in Ajman, residency visa and Emirates ID |
| AFZA / Ajman Free Zone (Ajman) | from AED 5,565 (virtual office) | AED 12,131 (freelancer) / AED 13,141 (virtual office) | AFZA’s all-inclusive package list, obtained from AFZA in September 2026, not published online. Virtual office: licence, coworking lease, MOA/AOA, commercial registry, certificate of incorporation, up to 10 activities and 10 shareholders; the visa package adds the establishment card, eChannel, investor security approval, residence visa, medical test, Emirates ID and status change. Freelancer: one activity, one shareholder. Health insurance extra |
| RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah) | AED 6,000 (Biz Starter, for UAE-based entrepreneurs) | AED 14,000 per year (all-inclusive package) | Biz Starter: up to 50 shareholders, up to 10 activities, coworking membership. All-inclusive: trade licence and a UAE residence visa, 10 activities, up to 50 shareholders, same renewal price guaranteed, up to 3 additional visas at AED 4,000 each |
| UAQ FTZ (Umm Al Quwain) | Not listed as a one-off price | AED 2,266 a month (“All Inclusive” homepage offer) | Business licence, UAE investor visa, Emirates ID, medical fitness test, basic medical insurance and co-working space. The offer page does not state the number of months or a total |
| Meydan Free Zone (Dubai) | from AED 12,500 | No visa package. Meydan says a first investor visa typically adds around AED 7,850, with medical and Emirates ID assistance from AED 2,250 | Digital trade licence, up to 3 activity groups, flexi-desk. The visa figure covers the visa fee, allocation and a one-time immigration establishment card |
| SHAMS (Sharjah) | Not listed (cost calculator on site) | Not listed (cost calculator on site) | The packages page lists a Standard Package (any 5 activities, flexi desk and lease agreement) and a Media Package (up to 5 media activities) with no price shown |
| IFZA (Dubai) | Quote on request | Quote on request | IFZA works through its Professional Partners and publishes no price list on its website |
Read the table by column, not by row. ANCFZ has the lowest one-off figure in both the no-visa and the one-visa column, and its visa package costs more than twice its headline. AFZA’s list puts its one-visa packages at AED 12,131 (freelancer) and AED 13,141 (virtual office): above ANCFZ, below RAKEZ’s AED 14,000. UAQ FTZ advertises a monthly price rather than a one-off total, so ask for the total over the term before you rank it. SHAMS and IFZA cannot be placed on this table without a quote, which is why league tables that rank them by price are guesswork.
A note on Meydan, because founders ask about it constantly. Meydan lists AED 12,500 for its licence with a flexi-desk and up to three activity groups, then prices visas separately: its website says a first investor visa typically adds around AED 7,850, and medical and Emirates ID assistance starts from AED 2,250. It buys a Dubai address, which for some businesses is worth the premium and for many is not. We coordinate Meydan incorporations alongside AFZA, IFZA, DMCC and JAFZA, so if you want the two costed side by side against your actual activity list rather than against a brochure, ask us for the comparison.
These are the four zones founders shortlist most often. RAKEZ publishes a one-visa package price on its own website, and AFZA’s package list gives its own. For IFZA and SHAMS, the honest comparison is a list of what you need in writing before you sign.
| Zone | 1-visa price |
|---|---|
| AFZA (Ajman) — AFZA’s all-inclusive package list, obtained from AFZA in September 2026, not published online | AED 12,131 (freelancer) / AED 13,141 (virtual office) |
| IFZA (Dubai) — sells through its Professional Partners; no price list on its website | Quote on request |
| SHAMS (Sharjah) — Standard and Media packages listed without prices | Not listed (cost calculator on site) |
| RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah) — all-inclusive package on its website: 1 visa, up to 10 activities, up to 50 shareholders, same renewal price guaranteed | AED 14,000 per year |
On the list figures, AFZA’s one-visa packages come in below RAKEZ’s AED 14,000: by about AED 860 on a virtual office and about AED 1,870 on the freelancer track, though the freelancer package allows one activity and one shareholder against RAKEZ’s 10 activities and 50 shareholders. At three visas the order flips: RAKEZ’s AED 14,000 plus two additional visas at AED 4,000 each is AED 22,000, about AED 1,240 below AFZA’s virtual office at AED 23,242, though RAKEZ’s page does not say what the AED 4,000 covers. For SHAMS and IFZA, get a written one-visa quote and compare it line by line: activities, shareholders, visa quota, what each visa line covers, the renewal price and whether health insurance is included.
If a Dubai address is non-negotiable — clients will not take you seriously without one, or your industry expects it — the only Dubai zone in this comparison that publishes a starting price is Meydan, from AED 12,500 before visas. IFZA quotes through its partners. Meydan’s starting price alone is above every no-visa price from Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah in the table, so before you commit, check the Dubai-specific breakdown linked above to see whether the premium translates into more revenue for your business. For a lot of consultants and e-commerce founders, it does not.
AFZA’s FAQ says instalment plans of up to 6 months are available depending on your business package, but it does not publish the schedule, so ask which plan applies to your package when you request the quote, and get it in writing. Other zones advertise them too: Ajman NuVentures accepts Tabby, which splits the payment into four instalments; RAKEZ lists split payments with Tabby on its all-inclusive package; and UAQ FTZ advertises its all-inclusive offer at AED 2,266 a month. For a founder before the first revenue, that cash-flow cushion is real money.
Beyond the licence and the visa, budget for: business bank account fees, which vary by bank; health insurance for each visa holder where the package does not include it; notarisation of shareholder agreements if you have partners; refundable guarantees or deposits the zone or ICP may ask for; and employment paperwork if you hire staff. Ask for each of these in writing, because none of them shows up in a headline price, and they are real spend in your first 90 days.
One visa for AED 12,131 on the freelancer track or AED 13,141 on a virtual office, per AFZA’s all-inclusive package list, obtained from AFZA in September 2026, not published online. Not the lowest published price (Ajman NuVentures starts lower), but below RAKEZ on one visa, with up to 10 activities and 10 shareholders on the company tracks and visas on a virtual office without renting a physical one. Fits bootstrapped founders, consultants, small traders and e-commerce operators who do not need a Dubai postcode. Confirm current prices in a written quote.
Dubai address, prices through IFZA’s partners. Wins when your clients are Dubai-centric and the location itself is a sales asset.
Lists a dedicated Media Package alongside its Standard Package. Worth a quote for content creators and agencies.
The only one of these four with a one-visa package published on its own website (AED 14,000 per year); with extra visas at its AED 4,000 rate it comes in below AFZA’s virtual office at three or four visas. RAKEZ also markets warehouse space, which suits light manufacturing and logistics.
You can read every pricing page on every free zone website, run the calculator five times, and still arrive at day one of trading holding the wrong licence category for your actual activity. That is the single most expensive mistake a cost-focused founder makes — paying for a professional license when commercial was needed, or the other way round, and then paying to amend it later.
Sarmat is a KHDA-certified training provider and registered typing centre in Deira, Dubai, and our team can handle the AFZA application, the visa paperwork and the bank introduction for you. If you would rather learn the entire process yourself — license categories, residence visa issuance, Emirates ID, MOHRE contracts, tax registration — our 100-Step Business Accelerator walks you through it with live mentorship.
Ready to move? Send your activity and visa headcount to our team via business setup consultation or WhatsApp us at wa.me/971506395245 for a same-day itemized quote. No “from” pricing — just the number you will actually pay.
Among the zones that publish prices on their own websites (checked October 2026), Ajman NuVentures (ANCFZ) lists the lowest: from AED 4,888 for a zero-visa licence and from AED 10,800 for its 1 to 10 visa all-inclusive package. Ajman Free Zone (AFZA) publishes no licence or package prices on its website, but AFZA's all-inclusive package list, obtained from AFZA in September 2026, not published online, starts at AED 5,565 with no visa (virtual office) and AED 12,131 (freelancer) or AED 13,141 (virtual office) with one visa. That puts AFZA above ANCFZ and below RAKEZ's AED 14,000 one-visa package. The list is undated, so confirm current prices in a written quote.
On AFZA's all-inclusive package list, obtained from AFZA in September 2026, not published online: AED 12,131 on the freelancer track (one activity, one shareholder), AED 13,141 on a virtual office (coworking lease, up to 10 activities excluding General Trading, up to 10 shareholders) and AED 21,760 with a physical office in Al-Jurf, all for one year. The visa packages include the establishment card, eChannel, security approval, the residence visa, medical test, Emirates ID and status change, so the ICP and EHS visa fees should be inside the price (the list does not name the entry permit separately, so confirm it in the quote). Not included: health insurance, which visa applicants buy from an authorised insurance provider, AED 105 extra for a medical test in Dubai, and AED 2,000 for General Trading. AFZA does not publish these prices on its website and the list is undated, so confirm them in a written quote.
Against RAKEZ, on one visa, yes. RAKEZ lists an all-inclusive package with one residence visa at AED 14,000 per year on its website, while AFZA's package list (obtained from AFZA in September 2026, not published online) puts one visa at AED 13,141 on a virtual office or AED 12,131 on the freelancer track. At three visas the order flips: RAKEZ's published figures add up to AED 22,000 against AED 23,242 for AFZA's virtual office. SHAMS and IFZA do not list package prices on their websites, so get written quotes and compare them line by line: activities, shareholders, visa quota, what each visa line covers, the renewal price and health insurance.
AFZA's product pages tie the visa quota to the facility: one residence visa for the Sole Professional Licence, two for the Freelancer & Pioneers Hub, two for Offices, two for Executive Offices and a minimum of 14 for warehouses. AFZA's FAQ says visas beyond the facility's quota need immigration approval. AFZA's package price list goes up to 10 visas on its virtual-office and physical-office packages, so ask how many your package allows. AFZA has no product called a flexi desk; the closest options are the Freelancer & Pioneers Hub, the Business Center and the package AFZA's price list calls a virtual office (a coworking lease).
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