How much does an Ajman Free Zone visa cost?

Government fees run about AED 3,800 to 5,500 per visa, plus AED 1,200 to 1,600 for the medical test and Emirates ID for each person. On top of that the company pays a one-off establishment card fee of roughly AED 1,200 to 2,000 before any visa can be issued. So the realistic all-in cost for a first investor visa is about AED 6,000 to 9,000 including the establishment card.

How much does an Ajman Free Zone licence cost?

From about AED 5,750 for a zero-visa licence, AED 10,000 to 15,000 for a smart office package with one or two visas, and AED 15,000 to 24,000 for three to six visas. A dedicated office pushes it to AED 20,000 to 35,000. Renewal is roughly 85 to 100% of the year-one licence fee, so compare the two-year total rather than the first-year headline price.

What is a smart office in Ajman Free Zone?

A smart office is a shared or virtual workspace that satisfies the zone's premises requirement without you leasing a physical unit. It gives you a registered address and a visa quota, usually one to six depending on the tier, at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated office. It is the normal choice for consultancies, e-commerce sellers and service companies that do not need staff on site.

How do I open a company in Ajman Free Zone?

Choose your activity and reserve a trade name, submit passport copies with the KYC forms and pay the initial fee, then receive the licence and incorporation documents and sign your smart office or facility agreement. After that you open the immigration file, collect the establishment card and apply for visas. Expect 3 to 7 working days for the licence and one to two further weeks before a visa is in hand.

What activities are allowed in Ajman Free Zone?

AFZ lists roughly 1,500 approved activities spanning commercial and general trading, e-commerce, professional and consultancy services, industrial manufacturing, logistics, and media through Ajman Media City. Trading, consultancy, IT and e-commerce are the most common. Some regulated activities need an extra approval beyond the trade licence, so confirm your specific activity before you pay.

How many visas can I get with an Ajman Free Zone licence?

Zero on a licence-only package, one to six on a smart office depending on the tier you buy, four to eight with a dedicated office of 15 to 25 sqm, and roughly one per 9 sqm above that. Your own investor visa normally counts as one of the allocation, so a package sold as three visas means you plus two staff.

Is Ajman Free Zone cheaper than Dubai?

Yes, substantially. A comparable Dubai free zone licence runs AED 12,500 to 35,000 against AED 5,750 to 15,000 in Ajman, and per-visa costs are lower too. Ajman is about 25 minutes from Dubai, so for a consultancy or e-commerce business that does not need a Dubai address the saving is real with little practical downside.

Can I do business in Dubai with an Ajman Free Zone licence?

You can sell to customers anywhere, but a free zone company cannot trade directly into the mainland UAE market without a mainland distributor, agent or branch. Note also that revenue from mainland UAE customers is generally non-qualifying income for corporate tax, so it is taxed at 9% and counts against the de-minimis limit that protects your 0% rate.

Ajman Free Zone (AFZ)

An Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) licence starts around AED 5,750 for year one with no visas, and roughly AED 10,000 to 15,000 on a smart office package that carries one or two visas. Each visa then costs about AED 3,800 to 5,500 in government fees, plus AED 1,200 to 1,600 for the medical and Emirates ID. The licence is normally issued in 3 to 7 working days, which makes AFZ one of the fastest and cheapest routes to a UAE company.

Starting from: AED 5,750 for year one

Why choose Ajman Free Zone (AFZ)?

One of the lowest-cost free zone licences in the UAE, with genuine zero-visa options
Smart office packages give you a visa quota without leasing a physical office
Fast, mostly digital process with e-signature; licence often issued inside a week
Around 1,500 approved activities across trading, services, industrial, media and e-commerce
Twenty-five minutes from Dubai, so you keep access to the Dubai market at Ajman prices
100% foreign ownership, full profit repatriation and no personal income tax

How much does a Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) licence cost?

A licence here typically runs AED 5,750 - 24,000 for year one. The licence is normally issued in 3 - 7 working days once documents are ready, and entry package tiers carry 0 - 6 visas. The low end is a single-activity licence with no staff visas; the high end reflects extra activities, a dedicated office or a higher visa quota.

Among the lowest-cost entries in the UAE; smart office gives visa quota with no physical premises.

Estimate. Indicative market range for planning, not confirmed with the authority. Check current figures before you apply.

Indicative year-one cost — reviewed October 2026
Item	Indicative cost	Notes
Licence only, zero visas	AED 5,750 - 8,500	Cheapest entry point; no residency for anyone
Smart office package, 1-2 visas	AED 10,000 - 15,000	The most common starter package
Smart office package, 3-6 visas	AED 15,000 - 24,000	Higher tier; no physical office needed
Dedicated office (from about 15 sqm)	AED 20,000 - 35,000	Moves you to a space-based visa quota
Warehouse or industrial unit	from AED 28,000	Priced per sqm; Civil Defence approval applies
Visa government fees, per person	AED 3,800 - 5,500	Charged per visa, on top of the licence
Medical test and Emirates ID, per person	AED 1,200 - 1,600	Payable for each person you sponsor
Establishment / immigration card	AED 1,200 - 2,000	One-off per company, required before any visa
Investor or partner visa (2 years)	AED 3,500 - 5,500	Includes medical, Emirates ID and status change
Employee visa (2 years)	AED 4,000 - 6,500	Per employee
Annual licence renewal	85 - 100% of year-one fee	Excludes one-off formation items

Indicative ranges for planning, not a quote. Zone packages and government fees change — confirm current figures with the authority before you apply.

How many visas do you get?

Quota follows the facility you take, not the licence itself.

What you lease	Typical visa quota	Notes
Licence only (zero-visa)	0	Trade licence with no residency
Smart office / flexi desk	1 - 6	Set by the package tier; your own investor visa counts as one
Dedicated office (15 - 25 sqm)	4 - 8	First step up when the smart office quota runs out
Larger office or warehouse	about 1 per 9 sqm	Subject to AFZ approving the allocation

Full detail, including how to increase your allocation: free zone visa quota explained.

Licence types available

Commercial / trading licence — buying, selling, importing and exporting goods
E-commerce licence — online retail and marketplace selling
Professional / services licence — consultancy and service activities
Industrial licence — manufacturing, processing and assembly
Media licence — advertising, production and digital media (via Ajman Media City)
Freelance permit — a single practitioner working under their own name

How to set up, step by step

Pick your activity from the AFZ list and reserve a trade name (same day to 1 working day)
Submit the application with passport copies and KYC, then pay the initial fee (1 working day)
Licence and incorporation documents issued; sign the smart office or facility agreement (1-3 working days)
Open the immigration file and collect the establishment card (1-2 working days)
Apply for the entry permit, then complete medical test and Emirates ID (1-2 weeks after entry)
Open the corporate bank account and register for corporate tax with the FTA

Documents you need

Passport copy and recent photograph for every shareholder and manager
UAE entry stamp or visa page, if you are already in the country
NOC from your current sponsor, if you hold a UAE residence visa
Two or three preferred trade names
Completed KYC form and a short description of the planned activity
Degree certificate or CV for regulated professional activities
Proof of address or a recent utility bill for some nationalities

Popular activities

Related guides

Compare before you commit

Last updated: October 2026

General information, not advice. Fees, packages and visa quotas are set by the free zone authority and change without notice — confirm current terms before applying.