Company formation in DIFC.
DIFC operates under English common law with its own courts and regulator, the DFSA. That is the entire point: for family offices, funds, and regulated financial activity, the legal environment is the product. Company formation here is a different exercise from a free zone licence — it involves regulatory approval, real office space, and a cost base an order of magnitude higher.
What it actually costs
| Item | AED |
|---|---|
| Licence, per year | 50,000+ |
| Desk or office | office required, from 40,000 |
| Establishment card | ~1,500 |
| Immigration card | ~1,500 |
| Each visa (permit, medical, Emirates ID, stamping) | 4,000–5,000 |
| Basic health insurance, per person per year | ~1,500 |
| Realistic first year | 120,000+ |
Year two is the number nobody quotes: licence renewal, office renewal, card renewals, visa renewals, insurance, accounting, audit where required, and corporate tax filing. Budget from AED 20,000 for a single-shareholder service company.
Timeline
| Stage | Duration |
|---|---|
| Name and activity approval | 1–2 days |
| Licence issue | 4–8 weeks, subject to DFSA where regulated |
| Establishment and immigration cards | 3–5 days |
| Residency for the shareholder | 3–6 weeks |
| Corporate bank account | Strong |
Who this zone suits
Family offices, funds, wealth management, regulated financial services, holding structures for substantial estates.
What to watch
Prestige is expensive and slow. If the business does not genuinely need common law, a regulator or the address, the same result is achievable elsewhere for a fifth of the cost.
The broader point holds for every zone: choosing on licence price alone is the most expensive mistake in this market. Banking reception varies enormously between zones and appears in no price comparison. Saving AED 7,000 on the licence regularly costs two months without a working account.
What I do
- Establish whether DIFC is genuinely the right zone before anything is registered
- Draft the activity list so it matches the transactions the company will actually run
- Design the shareholding for tax treatment, succession and bank acceptance
- Coordinate registration, cards and visas through licensed providers
- Prepare the banking file so it answers compliance questions before they are asked
- Hand over a company that is ready for a bank, not one that merely exists on paper
I do not execute the paperwork — licensed specialists do. What I sell is that one person designs the whole thing, chooses who does what, and answers for the outcome.
From AED 15,000
Jurisdiction selection, activity structuring and coordination of registration in DIFC. Zone fees, government charges and third-party costs are separate and paid directly by the client.
Common questions
How much does it cost to set up a company in DIFC?
The licence itself starts at around AED 50,000+ per year. A realistic first year — including the desk or office, establishment and immigration cards, one visa and basic insurance — runs AED 120,000+. Coordination and structuring from my side starts at AED 15,000; government and zone fees are paid by you directly.
How long does a DIFC licence take to issue?
4–8 weeks, subject to dfsa where regulated for the licence itself, plus three to five days for the establishment and immigration cards. The company exists within one to two weeks. The bank account is the longer part.
Will a bank open an account for a DIFC company?
Strong — DIFC entities are read as institutional. The deciding factors are whether the activity wording matches the actual business, how the ownership is structured, and whether the source of funds can be evidenced. An estimated 30–40% of new corporate account applications in the UAE were rejected or stalled in 2025.
How many visas does a DIFC package include?
Tied to office size, depending on the package selected. This is worth establishing before registration: founders who plan to bring family and staff regularly discover the ceiling afterwards.
Is DIFC the right zone for my business?
It fits: Family offices, funds, wealth management, regulated financial services, holding structures for substantial estates. If your requirements differ — particularly on banking speed, visa quota or physical premises — another zone may serve you better, and that comparison should happen before anything is registered.
Can a free zone company invoice clients on the UAE mainland?
Not directly. A free zone entity generally needs a distributor, branch, service agent or dual licence to serve mainland customers. If most revenue will come from UAE corporate clients, retail or government tenders, mainland may be the correct structure despite the higher cost.
Reviewed by Denis Chernikov, Private Client Advisor, nine years in the UAE private client sector.
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