Pricing

Real prices. On the page.

Most UAE agencies hide pricing behind a call. Here’s ours — real 2026 from-prices per route, in AED, VAT included. The exact number depends on your situation; once we quote it, it doesn’t move.

Free zone

The default for international and online business. 0% on qualifying income, full ownership, visas included in the setup path.

Most popular

RAKEZ free zone

The cost-effective free zone for international business.

fromAED 9,150

≈ $2,493 · year 1, incl. VAT

With 1 visa allocation: from AED 15,150

  • RAKEZ trade licence, year 1
  • Company incorporation, filed for you
  • Visa channel ready — add visas as you need them
  • Business bank account introduction
  • Compliance reminders from day one
Book a call about RAKEZ

Solo founders and lean teams selling outside the UAE.

IFZA free zone

Dubai-issued licence with a broad activity list.

fromAED 16,575

≈ $4,516 · year 1, incl. VAT

With 1 visa allocation: from AED 16,925

  • IFZA trade licence (Dubai), year 1
  • Company incorporation, filed for you
  • Visa channel ready — add visas as you need them
  • Business bank account introduction
  • Compliance reminders from day one
Book a call about IFZA

Founders who want a Dubai address on the licence.

Mainland

Required when you trade inside the UAE — local customers, local contracts, physical premises.

Dubai mainland (DED)

Required when you trade inside the UAE.

fromAED 20,200

≈ $5,504 · year 1, incl. VAT

  • DED trade licence, year 1
  • Registration + initial approval handled
  • Authority liaison throughout
  • Business bank account introduction
  • Compliance reminders from day one
Book a call about Dubai

Businesses selling to UAE customers or taking local contracts.

Holding structures

SPVs and Foundations sit on top of an operating company or hold assets directly — property, equity, succession.

DIFC SPV

The common-law holding vehicle for property and equity.

fromAED 23,090

≈ $6,292 · year 1, incl. VAT

Annual management: from AED 10,500/yr

  • DIFC SPV incorporation, end to end
  • Structuring advice from a senior advisor
  • Registered office + agent arranged (pass-through)
  • Asset-transfer guidance
  • Annual management available
Book a call about DIFC

Property portfolios, equity holdings, succession planning.

DIFC Foundation

Succession and asset protection, sitting above everything else.

fromAED 31,358

≈ $8,544 · year 1, incl. VAT

Annual management: from AED 15,750/yr

  • DIFC Foundation incorporation, end to end
  • Structuring advice from a senior advisor
  • Council + guardian setup guidance
  • Registered office + agent arranged (pass-through)
  • Annual governance available
Book a call about DIFC

Family wealth, succession, and multi-entity structures.

From-prices, year 1, incl. VAT. Your exact quote depends on activity, visas, and add-ons — we confirm it on the call and it doesn't move after that.

Add-ons

Visas, accounting, tax. Same transparency.

Visas

Standard 2-year employment/residence visa, processed end to end.

Visa via RAKEZ2-year residence
from AED 6,375
Visa via IFZA2-year residence
from AED 6,625
Visa via Dubai2-year residence
from AED 7,625
Investor / Golden Visa (2Y)Investor route, processed end to end.
from AED 15,250
Medical + Emirates IDGovernment pass-through, at cost
AED 730
Establishment cardNew / renewal
AED 3,050 / AED 3,250

Accounting & tax

One finance partner from day one. Annual packages, banded by volume.

Accounting Light0–2 transactions/month.
AED 6,300/yr
Accounting StarterUp to 15 transactions/month.
AED 11,550/yr
Accounting Growth16–50 transactions/month.
AED 21,000/yr
Accounting Scale51–100 transactions/month.
AED 37,800/yr
VAT registrationOne-time FTA registration.
AED 2,100
Corporate tax registrationOne-time FTA registration.
AED 1,575
VAT filingReturns filed for you.
AED 3,675/yr
Corporate tax filingAnnual return filed for you.
AED 2,625/yr

Fixed-quote assurance

The price we quote is the price you pay. No hidden fees — government costs pass through at cost. How it works →

Common questions

Pricing, answered straight.

Why “from” prices and not exact totals?

Because your exact cost depends on the licence activity, visa count, and add-ons you actually need. The from-price is the real year-1 starting point for that route, VAT included. We confirm your exact number on a short call — and once quoted, it doesn't move.

Is the quote really fixed?

Yes. The price we quote is the price you pay. Government and authority costs pass through at cost — never marked up. If anything changes in scope, it goes through you first. See our fixed-quote assurance for the full terms.

What's included in the licence from-price?

The year-1 licence, company incorporation, filing, and our liaison with the authority — government fees and VAT included. Visas, establishment card, and accounting are itemised separately so you only pay for what you need.

What happens in year 2?

Year 1 covers the setup. Year 2+ is renewal only — licence renewal plus whatever ongoing services you use, typically well below year 1. We send your renewal quote 60 days before the licence expires.

Can I take a 2 or 3-year licence?

Yes — most free zones offer discounted multi-year terms. We quote those on the call once the route is confirmed, because the promotional rates change frequently.

Which route do I actually need?

Free zone is the default for international business. Mainland only if you trade inside the UAE. SPVs and Foundations are holding layers, not operating companies. Run the 5-minute diagnostic and we'll map your situation to the right route.

Want the exact number?

Five minutes in the diagnostic, one short call, and you have a fixed quote. It doesn’t move after that.

Client stories

150+ setups. Here’s what a few of them say.

One challenge we ran into as a Dutch IT consultancy was that our end client refused to pay directly to a UAE entity. StartSmart arranged an intermediary party that receives the payments in the Netherlands and pays them out to our UAE company — clean, simple, and our client was immediately comfortable with it. For any IT consultancy serious about operating from the UAE, StartSmart is the partner you want by your side.
AortaIT Consulting · Netherlands
They didn't just try to sell a package — they genuinely advised us on what would work best for our business. Thanks to StartSmart, ProjectPro Solutions was able to become operational much faster than expected, without unnecessary stress or delays.
ProjectPro SolutionsIT Consulting
StartSmart made our company formation in Dubai a smooth and stress-free experience. Thanks to their support, LensMarketing was up and running far quicker than we expected. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.
LensMarketingMarketing
StartSmart helped us turn our business idea into a registered UAE company faster than we thought possible. The whole experience was organized and transparent from start to finish — we felt supported every step of the way.
The Bean QueenCoffee Company