You form a free zone company with the International Free Zone Authority (IFZA), which is based in Dubai Silicon Oasis. You choose a licence type and up to three business activities, reserve a trade name, submit your documents and sign the incorporation forms electronically.
IFZA states that it requires no paid-up capital and that owners do not need to be in the UAE during formation. NXTSTAR helps you choose the licence and activities, prepares the application and handles the steps after the licence is issued.
Last reviewed: by the NXTSTAR team.
Rules are set by the authority and can change. Confirm the current position before you apply.
Who IFZA suits
IFZA suits founders who want a Dubai free zone company for services, consultancy or trading, with full foreign ownership and without having to be in the country to form it. That covers consultants, online businesses and small trading companies.
It is less suitable if your customers are mainly in the UAE mainland and you need to contract and invoice there directly, or if your activity is regulated and needs a specialist authority.
Licence types
- Professional licence, for consultancy and professional services.
- Commercial licence, for trading, importing, exporting, storing and distributing goods.
- General trading licence, a commercial licence for trading a wide range of goods.
- Branch office, for a company that is already incorporated abroad.
IFZA says a standard licence offers a choice of up to three business activities, with the option to apply for more.
Documents
For individual shareholders IFZA asks for:
- Passport copy
- Passport-size photograph
- Emirates ID and residence visa copies, if you already hold them
For a corporate shareholder it asks for:
- A notarised board resolution
- Memorandum and articles of association
- A valid trade licence and certificate of incorporation
- Passport, photograph and Emirates ID copies for the shareholders behind it
The process, step by step
- Decide the legal entity, licence type and activities.
- Apply for a trade name.
- Submit the documents for approval.
- Sign the two electronic legal forms.
- Receive the licence and company documents.
- After the licence: establishment card, visas if your package includes them, and a bank account.
IFZA does not publish a fixed processing time, so we do not quote one. How long it takes depends on your documents, your activities and whether any of them needs extra approval.
Visas
The number of residence visas available depends on the licence category you select. IFZA structures its packages by visa allocation, and you can start with fewer visas and upgrade later without applying for a new licence.
A visa is never automatic. Each one is an application to the immigration authorities, with medical testing and Emirates ID steps, and it has to be renewed.
Ongoing obligations and renewal
The licence is renewed every year. Keep your company records, lease or address arrangement and visas current, and plan for UAE corporate tax registration and filing. Your accountant can confirm what applies to your activity.
What an IFZA licence does not cover
- It is not a mainland licence. A free zone company has limits on trading directly in the UAE mainland.
- It does not cover regulated activities such as financial services.
- It does not guarantee a bank account. Banks make their own decisions.
- For creators, it is not an advertiser permit. That is a separate permit from the UAE Media Council.
What NXTSTAR does, and what we do not
We help you pick the licence type and activities, prepare and submit the application, and take you through the establishment card, visa and bank account steps afterwards.
We do not decide approvals. IFZA and the immigration authorities do. We are an independent consultancy and are not part of IFZA.
Common questions
Do I need to be in the UAE to set up an IFZA company?
IFZA states that business owners do not need to be in the UAE during the company formation process. Residence visa steps afterwards, such as medical testing and biometrics, are done in the UAE.
Is there a minimum share capital?
IFZA states that it requires no paid-up capital.
How many activities can one licence have?
IFZA says a standard licence offers up to three business activities, and you can apply for more.
Can I add visas later?
Yes. IFZA lets you upgrade to a package with more visa allocations without applying for a new licence.
How much does it 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 6 October 2026.
Talk to NXTSTAR about an IFZA company
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.