Dubai Business Setup Costs 2026 — Mainland vs Free Zone

Year-one setup cost is more than the licence fee alone.

Budget for: trade licence, establishment card, immigration file, visas, medical, Emirates ID, Ejari if mainland, and PRO services.

IFZA and Meydan free zones often offer lower entry for solo founders — packages from roughly twelve to twenty thousand dirhams with zero or one visa.

Mainland LLC general trading may run twenty-five to thirty-five thousand dirhams including initial visa and local service fees.

DMCC and DIFC target premium activities with higher desk and visa costs.

Choose structure based on where your customers are: nationwide UAE sales often favour mainland or dual structure.

Compare options with our Business Setup Calculator and mainland vs free zone tool on kpmglobal.ae.