Overview
IFZA is a Dubai free zone known for a broad activity list and a competitive cost base. It is frequently chosen for consultancy, technology and advisory companies that do not need a specialised digital-asset activity code.
What the licence does, and does not do
A free-zone licence does three things: it incorporates the company, it permits the activities printed on it, and it supports residence visas against the office arrangement.
It does not authorise a regulated virtual-asset activity. That is the single most expensive misunderstanding in this market, and it is usually discovered after the office has been leased and the visas issued.
IFZA is in Dubai, so VARA holds the virtual-asset perimeter. An IFZA company carrying on a regulated virtual-asset activity needs a VARA licence as well.
Activities
Consultancy, software development, IT services, marketing and management activities. The list is broad and general rather than crypto-specific.
IFZA is a sensible home for the parts of a group that are not regulated: the development company, the marketing entity, the advisory arm. It is the wrong home for the licensed operating company if the activity list does not reach the activity.
Substance and cost
Licence and renewal, company registration, establishment card, an office arrangement ranging from a flexi-desk to dedicated premises, and a visa quota tied to that office. Indicative amounts are listed below and are not yet verified.
Note that a flexi-desk sufficient for the zone may be insufficient for the regulator. Where a virtual-asset licence is in contemplation, the substance required by the regulator should drive the office decision, not the other way round.
How we help
We choose the zone on the activity the business actually needs, not on the headline package price. We incorporate, run the attestation chain for foreign shareholder documents, and sequence the zone licence against the regulatory application so the company is not paying rent on a licence it cannot yet use.
- 01
Structuring
Activity mapping, regulator selection, group and holding structure.
لم يُتحقق منه بعد
- 02
Entity incorporation
Trade name, initial approval, lease, corporate documents.
لم يُتحقق منه بعد
Incorporation alone. It does not confer permission to carry on a virtual-asset activity.
الرسوم
هذه هي التكاليف التي يتحملها المرخَّص له فعلياً. وتُترك المبالغ فارغة إلى حين مطابقة كل منها بجدول الرسوم المعتمد لدى الجهة — فالرقم غير المتحقَّق منه أسوأ من غيابه.
Free-zone commercial licence (year one)
لمرة واحدة
لم يُتحقق منه بعد
Licence renewal
سنوي
لم يُتحقق منه بعد
Company registration and incorporation
لمرة واحدة
لم يُتحقق منه بعد
Establishment card
سنوي
لم يُتحقق منه بعد
Flexi-desk or shared workspace
سنوي
لم يُتحقق منه بعد
Residence visa, per person
متغيّر
لم يُتحقق منه بعد
المستندات
فئات استرشادية. وتختلف الحزمة الدقيقة باختلاف النشاط، وقد تطلب الجهة التنظيمية مستندات إضافية.
- Passport copy, valid at least six months
- Passport photograph, white background
- Proof of residential address, dated within three months
- Curriculum vitae
- Bank or professional reference letter
- Police clearance or good conduct certificate — يلزم استكمال سلسلة التصديق
- Source of wealth and source of funds evidence
- UAE entry stamp or visa page
- Certificate of incorporation — يلزم استكمال سلسلة التصديق
- Memorandum and articles of association — يلزم استكمال سلسلة التصديق
- Certificate of incumbency or good standing — يلزم استكمال سلسلة التصديق
- Board resolution approving the UAE entity — يلزم استكمال سلسلة التصديق
- Register of members and directors
- Ultimate beneficial owner declaration
- Group structure chart to natural persons
- Audited financial statements, most recent two years
- Power of attorney for the UAE representative — يلزم استكمال سلسلة التصديق
التداخل مع الجهات التنظيمية الأخرى
أسئلة متكررة
Is a IFZA licence enough to run a crypto business?
No. A free-zone licence incorporates the company and permits the activity printed on it. Carrying on a regulated virtual-asset activity is a separate permission from a separate authority, and both must be held.
Why does IFZA show a grey status pip rather than a brass one?
Because the pip marks a dedicated virtual-asset framework in force. Commercial free zones incorporate companies; they do not operate virtual-asset regimes. The pip is a statement about the zone's role, not about its quality.
المصادر
- International Free Zone Authority — activity list and licensing
- Free-zone incorporation does not confer regulatory authorisation — Confirm the current activity list and any zone-specific digital-asset conditions