World's #1 free zone — the premium choice for commodity traders and global brands
DMCC Free Zone is world's #1 free zone — the premium choice for commodity traders and global brands, and it has become one of the most practical choices for founders who want a UAE licence without a large upfront budget. If you are weighing up where to register in the UAE, DMCC Free Zone deserves a close look for its world's #1 free zone (Fitch) and straightforward renewal process. A DMCC Free Zone company can be owned entirely by foreign nationals, needs no local sponsor and can start trading internationally as soon as the licence is issued.
DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre) is the world's most interconnected free zone and Dubai's leading hub for trade and commodities, headquartered in Almas Tower, Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT). Over 20,000 member companies work across 87 towers in a freehold community where offices can be rented or bought from private landlords. Company setup is 100% digital — pre-approval, registration and licensing are completed online in around 2–3 weeks without visiting Dubai. Facilities start with a flexi desk (up to 3 visas), serviced offices (4–5 visas) and physical offices (1 visa per 9 sqm). GoldenKey manages the whole DMCC process for you: application, name reservation, activities, e-signing, office selection and visas.
DMCC Free Zone licences are renewed annually with a simple online payment and updated passport copies, and GoldenKey sends a reminder 60 days before the due date. One of the reasons we suggest DMCC Free Zone is its world's #1 free zone (Fitch), which matters more than most founders realise once the business is running. Unlike some zones, DMCC Free Zone does not require a large paid-up capital to be blocked in a bank account before the licence is issued.
Crucially, use the table below to compare packages for costs of setting up in DMCC Free Zone; we will confirm the exact total for your case in a written quotation. Put simply, all prices for costs of setting up in DMCC Free Zone are indicative, shown in AED and confirmed in writing before any payment.
1 residence visa · 1-year licence
Licence only · upgrade to visas anytime
3 residence visas · 1-year licence
3 residence visas · 1-year licence
3 residence visas · 1-year licence
Licence only · upgrade to visas anytime
3 residence visas · 1-year licence
3 residence visas · 1-year licence
Prices are indicative, in AED, exclusive of 5% VAT where applicable, and confirmed in writing before payment. Last updated 2026-10-27.
DMCC Free Zone lets you combine related activities on one licence. Search by what your business does — in English or Arabic — and quote the GK code when you ask for a quotation.
GK-DMCC-001Oil & Natural Gas Well DrillingServicesGK-DMCC-002Oil & Natural Gas Well Reinforcement ServicesServicesGK-DMCC-003Onshore & Offshore Oil & Gas Fields ServicesServicesGK-DMCC-004Repairing Oil & Natural Gas Well Equipment AbroadServicesGK-DMCC-005Well Drilling & Oil & Natural Gas Development AbroadServicesGK-DMCC-006Dairy Products Manufacturing & PackingIndustrialApproval requiredHere is what you will need for costs of setting up in DMCC Free Zone; GoldenKey checks every item before submission.
Scanned colour copies are enough to start. We check every item before anything is submitted.
Straight answers about DMCC Free Zone. Anything else — ask GK AI or message us.
View all FAQsOnce your documents are complete, the authority typically issues the licence within 7 working days. Visas and bank account opening follow afterwards.
Yes, it can. DMCC Free Zone allows activity additions and changes through a licence amendment, which GoldenKey can process in a few working days (Monday to Friday) for a small authority fee.
Visa quota is tied to the package and office you choose. DMCC Free Zone packages as a rule start from a zero-visa option and scale to five or more visas with a physical office, and additional visas can be added later for the per-visa fee shown in our pricing.
A DMCC Free Zone company can sell to mainland customers through a mainland distributor, invoice services to mainland customers in most cases, and apply for a dual-licence arrangement where the emirate offers one. Direct retail or on-site contracting on the mainland needs a mainland licence.
Most DMCC Free Zone licences can be issued remotely with scanned documents and a signed power of attorney. You will need to enter the UAE for the medical test and Emirates ID biometrics when your residence visa is processed.
Start your DMCC Free Zone journey with a free consultation: share a few details about your business and we will map out the fastest route to your licence.
Crucially, three things move the total for DMCC Free Zone: the number of visas in the package, the office option, and whether your activity needs an external approval. The licence fee itself is fixed by the authority; everything else is a choice you make with GoldenKey, and we show the effect of each choice on the written quotation.
Put simply, the dirham has been pegged to the US dollar since 1997, which removes currency risk for costs of setting up in DMCC Free Zone and makes international pricing simple. In our experience, the UAE's reputation as a trading hub means international customers and suppliers already trust a UAE licence, which shortens sales cycles for costs of setting up in DMCC Free Zone.
GoldenKey's consultants have handled costs of setting up in DMCC Free Zone for traders, consultants, tech entrepreneurs and family offices, which gives us a realistic view of what each authority approves quickly. From day one, if a document is missing or an approval is delayed on your DMCC Free Zone file, we tell you immediately and explain the fix, rather than letting the application sit. Our quotations for costs of setting up in DMCC Free Zone list every government fee and our service fee on one page, in writing, before you pay anything.
Every DMCC Free Zone package quoted by GoldenKey includes the trade licence, company registration, the lease for the office option in the package and our full service. Residence visas are priced per person at AED 3,270 covering the entry permit, status change, medical test and Emirates ID. Annual renewal of the licence is currently AED 42,801, and our bank account introduction service is on request. Government fees change from time to time; the figures on this page are drawn from our live price list and confirmed in writing before you pay.
