UAE Free Zone: IFZA
International Free Zone Authority: Dubai's most popular zone for foreign-owned tech, e-commerce, and consulting companies. Zero-visa entry tier; visa packages add on top. 100% foreign ownership. Banking acceptance is moderate; Virtuzone available as a banking-introduction upgrade.
- Tier
- REPUTABLE
- Formation
- up to 14 business days
- KYC
- Tier 1
- Renewal
- $2899/yr
What is the UAE Free Zone: IFZA and what does it cost?
Dubai's most popular tech free zone. It is $4,499 all-in / ₿0.05652010 / 5,652,010 sats, paid in Bitcoin or USDT, and formation takes 14 business days.
- Tier
- REPUTABLE
- All-in price
- $4,499 all-in / ₿0.05652010 / 5,652,010 sats
- Year-2 renewal
- $2,899/yr
- KYC tier
- Tier 1
- Formation time
- 14 business days
- EU / FATF status
- off both EU lists, off the FATF lists
What's included
- IFZA Free Zone Authority license fee: we file and pay it on your behalf
- Memorandum of Association (UAE Free Zone variant)
- Establishment Card
- Share Certificate and Register of Members
- Initial Resolution appointing director and manager
- First-year corporate-services support from our licensed UAE partner
- Sanctions screen + Tier 1 KYC
What's NOT included
- UAE residence visa packages (zero-visa entry tier is the default; visa add-ons start at $1,499 per visa and are sold separately)
- Office or flexi-desk lease (IFZA zero-visa tier requires no office; if you want a visa, lease costs are separate)
- Year-2+ license renewal (~$2,899/yr)
- UAE corporate-tax registration with the FTA (the 9% UAE CT applies above AED 375K taxable profit; separate compliance SKU)
- Local bank account opening (separate post-formation flow; UAE banking is 4-12 weeks)
- Mail forwarding
We list what's not included on every product page so there are no checkout surprises.
Operator-grade use case
The default Dubai pick for a foreign-owned tech, consulting, e-commerce, or media business that wants a credible Middle East presence with 100% foreign ownership and no local Emirati sponsor. IFZA is Dubai's most popular free zone by volume, and the UAE is REPUTABLE tier: off every EU and FATF list as of February 2026, with no public UBO register. The license files through a licensed free-zone corporate-service provider, grants an establishment card and a path to a residency visa through the company, and ships at the zero-visa entry tier, so you can stand the entity up without leasing an office or taking a visa until you actually need one.
Most appropriate for operators who want a bankable UAE entity for invoicing GCC and Asian clients, and for founders genuinely planning to spend time in Dubai over the next 12 to 24 months who want a visa-ready vehicle. The residency visa through the company is the real prize: it makes you eligible to sponsor your own 2-year investor visa, an Emirates ID, and a UAE base, in a jurisdiction with no personal income tax. The license settles in BTC or USDT via BitSettle, and a banking-introduction upgrade is available on this SKU because UAE corporate banking is genuine, selective, and wants real substance before it approves a non-resident-owned company.
Less ideal for operators chasing the old tax-free fantasy or a pure paper shell. The UAE is no longer zero-tax: a 9% federal corporate tax applies to taxable profit above AED 375,000, and a free-zone company reaches 0% only on qualifying income that meets the qualifying-free-zone-person substance conditions, which is a question for a UAE corporate-tax advisor, not a guarantee we make. A free-zone license also does not authorize regulated virtual-asset activity: custody, exchange, and brokerage in Dubai require separate VARA licensing. If you only need a private holding wrapper with no UAE footprint, a RAK ICC IC or a Seychelles IBC is cheaper; if you need broad multi-activity scope, Meydan is the step up, and if budget is the constraint, RAKEZ is the cheaper UAE entry.
What you'll need to hand us
- Email address
- Country of residence
- Intended use statement (free-text)
- Government-issued photo ID (passport or national ID)
- Proof of address (utility bill, bank statement, or government letter, dated within 90 days)
- Source-of-funds attestation (drop-down + free text)
- Optional: PEP and adverse-media screening consent
- Everything in Tier 1
- Beneficial owner declaration for every party with 25%+ ownership
- Source-of-wealth documentation (tax return, employment letter, salary, asset proof)
- Manual enhanced-due-diligence reviewer notes from our KYC partner
Operators usually pair this with
UAE Free Zone: RAKEZ
Budget UAE free zone, e-commerce and service.
UAE Free Zone: Meydan
Top-tier Dubai zone, broadest activity catalog.
UAE Residence Visa (with formation)
2-year investor visa attached to your free-zone company.
Apostille + Good Standing
Apostille + Good Standing for international banking.