100% ownership, fast licensing and access to world-class business ecosystems, yet choosing the wrong free zone costs money every year in fees, restrictions and a weaker tax position. Cressford Chartered Accountants is zone-neutral: the free zone that genuinely fits the business is recommended, followed by licensing, visas, banking and the tax setup that keeps the 0% qualifying status intact from day one.
Describe your plans and receive a zone recommendation and setup quotation within one working day. Your details remain confidential.
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Free zones are purpose-built to make setup fast and ownership simple, particularly for internationally-focused businesses:
Full ownership with no local partner; free zones have offered this for decades.
Where the Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions are met, qualifying income is taxed at 0%.
Streamlined licensing, flexi-desk options and packaged visa allocations, frequently quicker and cheaper than mainland.
100% of capital and profits may be repatriated, with no currency restrictions.
Each zone is built around an industry, commodities, media, logistics, events, with the infrastructure and community to match.
There are over 40 free zones in the UAE, each with its own authority, activities, costs and visa rules. The right one depends on the activity, the budget and where the clients are. A brief orientation to the popular zones:
Every zone company also requires an approved auditor, and the 0% tax status depends on audited accounts; both are factored into the recommendation.
Freezone Approved Auditors →Free-zone cost depends on the zone, the licence package, the number of visas and whether physical office space is required, so there is no single price. Zones such as IFZA, Meydan, SHAMS and RAKEZ are known for cost-efficient packages, and setup in one of them is readily arranged where it fits. The cheapest headline price, however, is not always the cheapest over time: a zone that does not permit the activity, limits the visas, or complicates banking can cost far more to fix later. The real, all-in cost is quoted in advance, and the recommendation rests on fit and total cost, not the sticker price.
A free zone company's 0% rate is not automatic; it depends on qualifying as a Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) every year. That means earning qualifying income, keeping non-qualifying income within the de minimis limit, the lower of AED 5 million or 5% of revenue, maintaining real substance in the zone, and holding audited financial statements. Structured or invoiced wrongly at setup, the company can pay 9% on everything.
Because Cressford Chartered Accountants acts as the accountant, not merely the setup agent, the structure is built to protect the 0% rate from the first invoice.
No commissions are earned from free zones, so the recommendation rests on the client's numbers, not on which zone pays most.
The company is set up and its books, VAT, tax and audit then run by the same firm, so it is structured to protect the 0% status and remains compliant, not merely incorporated.
Zone selection, licensing, visas, banking and tax registration handled by the same people, quoted in advance.
Office 2514, DAMAC Smart Heights, Barsha Heights (Tecom), Dubai. Engagements conducted in person or fully remotely.
It depends on the activity, budget, visa needs and where the clients are. IFZA and Meydan suit cost-conscious service firms, DMCC suits commodities and trading, JAFZA and Dubai South suit logistics, DWTC suits events, exhibitions and trading, SHAMS suits media, RAKEZ suits industrial, and Abu Dhabi Free Zone serves businesses operating from the capital. A zone-neutral recommendation is given against those factors.
IFZA, Meydan, SHAMS and RAKEZ are known for cost-efficient packages. The cheapest headline price, however, is not always the cheapest over time: activity restrictions, visa limits and banking complications can cost more later. The all-in cost is quoted before anything is filed.
Qualifying income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person is taxed at 0%; income outside the qualifying rules is taxed at 9%. The status depends on qualifying income, the de minimis limit, real substance and audited financial statements, every year.
Not directly. Mainland trade requires a distributor or agent, a mainland branch, or in some cases specific permits. Where the customer base is primarily the UAE mainland, a mainland licence is usually the better structure.
Most zones require audited financial statements from an approved auditor for licence renewal, and audited accounts are a condition of the 0% QFZP rate. Both are handled within the same firm.
It depends on the zone and the licence package; flexi-desk packages typically carry a small allocation, with more available as office space increases. Visa needs are part of the zone recommendation.
The licence itself is often issued within days for straightforward activities; the full setup with establishment card, visas and bank account typically runs two to four weeks depending on the zone and the bank.
Zone-neutral advice, full licensing and a tax-ready structure, quoted in advance.