You form a free zone company (FZCO) with between one and fifty shareholders, or register a branch of an existing company, and choose a trade, service, industrial or general trading licence.
Every application includes a declaration of the ultimate beneficial owners. NXTSTAR prepares the application and the ownership documents with you.
Last reviewed: by the NXTSTAR team.
Rules are set by the authority and can change. Confirm the current position before you apply.
Who Dubai Airport Freezone suits
Dubai Airport Freezone suits businesses that move high-value or time-sensitive goods by air, such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, luxury goods and aviation, and regional offices that want to be next to Dubai International Airport.
A low-overhead solo business will usually find it more than it needs.
Company structures
- Free Zone Company (FZCO): 1 to 50 shareholders, individuals or companies.
- Branch of a foreign company, with no share capital required.
Licences and activities
- Trade licence, for import, export, re-export, distribution and storage of specific products.
- General trading licence, for trading across general activities.
- Service licence, for the services named on the licence.
- Industrial licence, for light manufacturing, packaging and assembly.
- Single-family office and multi-family office licences.
Documents
- Ultimate beneficial ownership declaration form
- Certified passport or national identity copies for each beneficial owner, with English translation if needed
- Passport copies for shareholders, directors and the secretary
- For a branch: the parent company's corporate documents
The process, step by step
- Choose FZCO or branch.
- Choose the licence type and activities.
- Submit the application with the ownership declaration.
- Secure premises, then receive the licence and continue to visas.
What is particular to Dubai Airport Freezone
It is one of the few zones that licenses single-family and multi-family offices, which manage the finances and affairs of wealthy families. A company here also needs directors and a secretary in place.
What NXTSTAR does, and what we do not
- We help you choose the structure, licence and activities.
- We prepare and submit the application.
- We handle the visa and bank account steps afterwards.
- We do not decide approvals. The authority does, and banks decide on accounts.
- We are an independent consultancy and are not part of Dubai Airport Freezone.
Common questions
How many shareholders can a DAFZ company have?
An FZCO can have between 1 and 50 shareholders, who can be individuals, companies or both.
Does a branch need share capital?
No. DAFZ states that no share capital is required for a branch.
Can I set up a family office in DAFZ?
Yes. DAFZ offers single-family office and multi-family office licences.
How much does Dubai Airport Freezone setup cost?
We do not publish prices. Ask us for a written quote that separates authority fees from our service fee.
Sources
The rules on this page come from the authority's own published material, checked on 7 October 2026.
Talk to NXTSTAR about Dubai Airport Freezone
Tell us what you want to do and we will tell you which route fits, what it involves and what we would need from you.