EAU Zona franca company package hidden costs

A flexi-desk should not be confused with a private office, warehouse or unrestricted virtual address.

Office costs can include:

The Zona franca may restrict tenants to approved buildings or impose a minimum area.

Trading, logistics and manufacturing businesses should budget beyond the licencia.

Potential costs include:

The company should confirm whether the facility must be leased before the licencia is issued or can be added later.

Some Free Zones prescribe minimum capital, nominal share values or capital-deposit procedures.

The quoted package may not explain whether:

Share capital is not the same as a government fee. It belongs to the company when properly contributed, but it must still be funded and recorded.

A company owned by another legal entity normally requires more documentation than an individual-shareholder company.

Additional costs may arise for:

The quotation should specify which country's documents are assumed and whether attestation is included.

Adding accionistas can create costs for:

The fundadores should disclose the intended ownership structure before requesting a final quotation.

Adding a shareholder after incorporation may cost more than including that person from the beginning.

Some legal forms require particular officers. A package may include only one manager or director.

Additional charges may apply for:

The fundadores should not appoint unnecessary officers merely because a foreign template uses them.

Authority requirements and the company's governance needs should determine the structure.

Possible requirements include:

The cost depends on:

This can become a material expense for an international group with several holding companies.

Professional or regulated activities may require:

A founder should confirm whether qualification approval is required before purchasing a licencia.

A Zona franca may accept the company application but another regulator may still reject or restrict the professional activity.

EAU companies must maintain and submit applicable beneficial-owner and shareholder information.

Formation charges may not include:

Simple individual ownership is usually easier to document than a multi-layered international group.

The company should not use an artificial ownership structure merely to avoid disclosure. Ultimate ownership and control must be assessed under the applicable rules.

A EAU juridical person incorporated on or after 1 March 2024 generally must apply for Impuesto de sociedades registration within three months from its date of incorporation, establishment or recognition, subject to the applicable decision and any subsequent changes. Federal Tax Authority

The setup package may exclude:

A company with no revenue may still have registration and return obligations.

Impuesto de sociedades returns and payment are generally due within nine months from the end of the relevant Tax Period. Federal Tax Authority

Even a company with limited transactions should keep reliable accounting records from incorporation.

Reconstructing a year of transactions immediately before a filing deadline can cost more than maintaining the records monthly or quarterly.

A company that meets all conditions to be a Qualifying Zona franca Person may receive:

Relevant conditions include:

The Federal Tax Authority's Zona franca Persons Guide explains the framework.

The hidden cost may therefore be more than cumplimiento fees. It can include unexpected Impuesto de sociedades where the business model does not generate Qualifying Income.

A Qualifying Zona franca Person must prepare and maintain audited financial statements.

Audit cost depends on:

An audit is more expensive when records are incomplete or marketplace, inventory and bank balances have not been reconciled.

Transactions with accionistas, directors, parent companies, subsidiaries and other related parties can require transfer-pricing analysis.

Potential costs include:

A one-person company can still have related-party or Connected Person transactions.

An international group should include transfer-pricing work in its annual cumplimiento budget rather than treating it as a problem only for multinational corporations with very high turnover.

A EAU-resident business must generally register for IVA when taxable supplies and imports exceed AED 375,000 over the previous 12 months or are expected to exceed that threshold within the next 30 días.

Voluntary registration may be available from AED 187,500, subject to the applicable conditions. Federal Tax Authority

IVA costs may include:

Only specified areas are Designated Zones, and their special treatment mainly concerns qualifying transactions involving goods.

A trading company may require customs registration in addition to its Zona franca licencia.

Potential expenses include:

The licencia package may contain the words "import and export" without including any customs-registration or shipment-related costs.

A licencia comercial does not automatically authorise every product to be imported or sold.

Additional costs can apply to:

Product cumplimiento may involve laboratory testing, manufacturer certificates, Arabic labels, artwork review, conformity certificates and annual renewals.

A Zona franca company may require an additional structure to operate physically or commercially in mainland Dubái.

Potential routes include:

Dubái's Zona franca Mainland Operating Permit was announced in 2025 for eligible non-regulated activities. The initial announcement stated a six-month permit costing AED 5,000, renewable for the same fee, subject to eligibility and current conditions. Dubái Government Media Office

The permit cost is separate from the original Zona franca package and does not remove customs, regulatory or tax requirements.

Corporate bank-account assistance may be quoted separately from constitución de empresa.

The buyer should determine whether the service includes:

The bank may require:

The cost of maintaining the account should be considered separately from assistance fees.

After approval, the business bank account may involve:

A nominally free account can become expensive for a company making frequent international transactions.

The fundadores should compare account economics against the expected transaction profile.

Potential costs include:

The provider may require a live website, refund policy, privacy policy, business bank account and approved activity.

Formation packages rarely include the systems required to operate the company.

A business may need:

The EAU's phased move towards electronic invoicing makes structured transaction records increasingly important.

A business should avoid building its records entirely around unconnected spreadsheets and bank statements.

The Zona franca package may state a visa allocation but include none of the employee's actual immigration or employment expenses.

Travel-related costs may include:

The founder should ask which stages can genuinely be completed remotely.

Company-formation advisers may charge for services in addition to official Zona franca fees.

Potential professional services include:

The quotation should identify:

A transparent adviser should not describe professional charges as government fees.

The buyer should confirm:

First-year promotional pricing can make a package appear cheaper than it will be over time.

Ask for the expected renewal cost of:

A company should maintain a cumplimiento calendar rather than assuming everything renews with the licencia.

If a licencia expires, additional costs may include:

A company should decide whether to renew or close before the expiry date.

Common amendments include:

Each amendment may involve authority, document, translation and professional fees.

Changes may also require updates with banks, tax autoridades, customs, regulators and customers.

A discount is valuable only if the company is likely to use the structure for the full period.

Closing a Zona franca company is not normally achieved by allowing the licencia to expire.

Proper closure may require:

Cancellation can cost substantially more when the company has expired licences, active visas, debts, tax penalties or incomplete accounts.

Cancelling the Zona franca licencia does not automatically cancel tax registrations.

The company may need to complete:

Missing tax-deregistration deadlines can create penalties even after commercial operations have stopped.

The fundadores should keep the bank account and records accessible until all final obligations are completed.

Restructuring can involve:

Then request separate figures for:

A quotation that does not identify these categories is difficult to compare reliably.

Ask the provider:

What exact legal entity will be incorporated?

Which activity codes will appear on the licencia?

Is registro de empresa included?

Is the trade-name fee included?

Is a facility included for the full year?

Does the package include visa eligibility or actual visa processing?

Is the establishment card included?

Are medical, Emirates ID and insurance included?

Is Impuesto de sociedades registration included?

Does the company require an audit?

What is the second-year renewal price?

What does it cost to add an activity or shareholder?

Can the company operate in mainland Dubái?

Is bank-account assistance included?

Is approval guaranteed or merely supported?

What costs apply if the application is rejected?

What does cancellation cost?

Which fees are refundable?

Is IVA included in the quotation?

What will I need to pay during the first 90 días?

The answers should be recorded in the final proposal or engagement letter.

The real cost should still include registro de empresa, licencia, workspace, Impuesto de sociedades registration, bookkeeping, annual return, possible audit and renewal.

The buyer should add the establishment card, entry or status process, medical fitness, Emirates ID, residence issuance and insurance.

A package described as "one-visa eligible" may exclude all of these items.

The seller may also need product-specific activities, customs registration, product approvals, marketplace onboarding, IVA, accounting software and payment processing.

The company may require a warehouse, customs code, shipment declarations, import IVA, insurance and audited accounts.

The cost can increase through legalisation, translation, ownership verification, board resolutions and related-party tax cumplimiento.

External approval, specialised premises, capital, senior personnel, insurance and annual regulatory fees may far exceed the ordinary Zona franca licencia cost.

Document activities, customers, suppliers, products, employees and operating locations.

Determine whether the business needs a flexi-desk, office, warehouse or industrial unit.

Separate visa allocation from actual visa processing for every shareholder and employee.

Add customs, product, marketplace, payment and regulatory requirements.

Assess Impuesto de sociedades, Qualifying Zona franca Person eligibility, IVA and transfer pricing.

Calculate the annual cost based on expected transactions, inventory and reporting requirements.

Include account-maintenance, minimum-balance and international-transfer costs.

Obtain the expected second- and third-year costs without assuming the promotional rate continues.

Consider foreseeable ownership, activity, office and visa changes, as well as eventual closure.

Do not pay based only on a verbal summary or social-media advertisement.

One quotation may include a facility and immigration card while another includes only the licencia.

The business may be committed to a structure that costs substantially more from year two.

Impuesto de sociedades, IVA, banks, audits and company law all depend on reliable financial records.

The facility may not support employees, private meetings, inventory or regulated operations.

The proposed service or product may require a different activity, authority or jurisdiction.

A sound decision should reflect the total cost over the company's expected life.

Before paying for a Zona franca package, confirm:

KPM Global Services can support investors through:

The objective is to identify the complete cost before incorporation—not after the company becomes dependent on a licencia, visa, bank account or customer contract.

Not necessarily. Some include only registration and a licencia, while others include workspace, immigration facilities or limited visa eligibility. Every included and excluded item should be confirmed in writing.

Common exclusions include visas, establishment cards, medical tests, Emirates ID, insurance, dedicated offices, tax registration, accounting, audit, banking support, customs and renewal.

3. What does "zero-visa package" mean?

It generally means the company is formed without eligibility to sponsor a residence visa under that package. Adding visas may require an upgrade, facility change or additional immigration charges.

Not always. "One visa included" may mean one visa allocation. Entry processing, medical fitness, Emirates ID, residence issuance and insurance may remain payable.

It depends on the package. The buyer should verify validity, usage limits, renewal price, mail handling and whether the facility supports the required visas and activity.

A company sponsoring visas generally requires an establishment or immigration card. It may be charged separately and can have its own renewal cycle.

EAU Zona franca companies are generally within the Impuesto de sociedades system and must register within the applicable deadline unless a specific exception applies.

A registered taxable company can still have filing obligations even when it has no revenue or taxable profit. Its exact position should be confirmed for the relevant Tax Period.

No. It must satisfy the Qualifying Zona franca Person conditions, and 0% applies only to Qualifying Income.

A Qualifying Zona franca Person must prepare and maintain audited financial statements. Some Free Zones and regulated activities also impose their own audit requirements.

No. Registration depends on the applicable rules and thresholds. A EAU-resident business generally registers mandatorily when taxable supplies and imports exceed AED 375,000.

No. Zona franca and Designated Zone status are different, and the special Designated Zone rules mainly concern qualifying transactions involving goods.

Usually not unless specifically stated. Customs codes, declarations, brokers, duty, import IVA, handling and storage can be separate.

Generally not unless expressly listed. Regulated products may require separate government registration, testing and label approval.

A package may include application assistance, but bank approval remains independent. Account-maintenance and minimum-balance requirements are also separate.

No. Banks conduct their own cumplimiento assessment and can approve, reject or request additional information.

The first year may include a promotional discount or bundled registration. Subsequent renewals can apply standard licencia, facility, immigration and service fees.

Potentially, subject to authority approval and compatibility. Amendment, new licencia, document and external-approval fees may apply.

Potentially, but the process may involve share transfers, revised constitutional documents, due diligence, beneficial-owner updates and authority fees.

Penalties and immigration or regulatory consequences can arise. The company should be renewed or formally cancelled rather than abandoned.

Usually not unless expressly stated. Liquidation, visa cancellation, tax deregistration, audit and authority clearance can be separately chargeable.

Refund policies differ. Application, initial-approval and professional fees may be non-refundable. The policy should be obtained in writing before payment.

It may reduce annual licencia costs, but the buyer should examine refund restrictions, amendment flexibility, early closure and future fee increases.

Give both providers the same activities, accionistas, visa requirements and facility needs. Then compare official fees, professional fees, third-party costs, renewal and cancellation separately.

KPM Global can assess the business model and quotation, identify omitted cost categories and compare alternative mainland or Zona franca structures before the client commits.