IFZA Free Zone: Packages, Activity List, Visas and Licence Renewal

The IFZA free zone is run by the International Free Zone Authority and based in Dubai Silicon Oasis. First Idea Consultant LLC sets up IFZA companies on four packages. The full package most buyers want is Premium: IFZA company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance, AED 28,436. Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next. Company only is Basic, AED 12,900. Company and one residence visa is Standard, AED 23,436. Gold, AED 48,436, adds premier local business bank account opening assistance and twelve months of corporate services support. The IFZA activity list section below covers how many activities one licence holds and which can be combined.

By First Idea Consultant. Reviewed by Amir Aslam, Founder. Updated October 2026.

Company + visa + bank account

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IFZA free zone packages: Basic, Standard, Premium and Gold

Each IFZA license package with First Idea Consultant has one stated cost: Basic for the company only, Standard with one residence visa, Premium with one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance, Gold with a year of corporate services. Here is the IFZA cost for each, and what it includes.

Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.

Premium with a standard local business bank account (physical presence required) instead of the digital account: AED 33,436 at IFZA, as itemised on cost of setting up a business in Dubai.

The AED 0 fee on Basic and the AED 2,000 fee on Standard are promotions, not permanent prices. Government fees and requirements may change without prior notice.

Two or more visas, a leased office or a corporate shareholder sit outside the four packages. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.

IFZA package with zero visa

Basic covers the trade license, Memorandum of Association, flexi-office address, Certificate of Registration, share registry where applicable, and formation assistance. It has no residence visa, establishment card, bank account opening assistance or corporate tax registration, so it suits an owner who does not need UAE residency. Compare zones on price in cheapest free zone license in UAE.

What is not included and costs extra

Normal biometrics appointment timing is generally 5 to 7 days, subject to appointment availability.

IFZA’s multiple activities guide says a licence includes up to three business activity groups within the standard fee, and that the first three activities are included. IFZA charges each additional activity separately and its guide gives no figure, so extra activities go into your written quote, as does a leased office or a warehouse. How IFZA counts and combines activities is in the IFZA activity list section below.

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What IFZA is and where it sits

IFZA is the International Free Zone Authority, a Dubai free zone. IFZA Dubai lists its headquarters in Dubai Silicon Oasis, with its reception at IFZA Business Park, Building A2 (ifza.com About Us, checked 21 October 2026). Companies in the IFZA freezone are incorporated as FZCOs, as the international free zone authority IFZA states in its licence guide. For the other zones, see Dubai free zone company setup.

IFZA lists four licence types: commercial, for importing, exporting, storing and distributing goods; professional, for consultancy and expert services; general trading, a specialised commercial licence; and a branch office of a foreign company (ifza.com, “How to get your free zone license with IFZA?”, published 21 November 2022, checked 21 October 2026). On an IFZA UAE licence, cross business licensing combines commercial and professional activities (ifza.com multiple activities guide, 18 February 2026). IFZA states that no paid-up capital is required and that owners need not be in the UAE during registration.

0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward. The rates match the UAE Government portal’s corporate tax page (updated 30 March 2026, checked 21 October 2026). More in our UAE corporate tax guide.

IFZA activity list: groups, limits and combining rules

The IFZA activity list is IFZA’s own searchable catalogue at activities.ifza.com, and every activity on it carries a code, a licence type, a regulation type and any approval or condition IFZA attaches. When we checked on 22 October 2026, IFZA’s activity search showed 827 activities. This section sets out how IFZA groups activities, how many fit on one licence, which ones can be combined, selected activities by sector, and how to check your own. Everything here was read on IFZA’s own websites on 21 October 2026.

How does IFZA group its business activities?

IFZA sorts every activity two ways: by licence type, commercial or professional, and by regulation type, Green (non-regulated) or Amber (regulated). Its licence guide also names general trading, a specialised commercial licence, and the branch of a foreign company, whose activity must be consistent with the parent company’s.

IFZA’s fee rule speaks of “business activity groups”, but none of the IFZA pages we read defines a group, and the activity search has no group column. So treat three activities as the safe reading, and get the count for your exact list confirmed in writing before you file. Extra activities go into your written quote.

How many activities can one IFZA licence hold?

An IFZA licence can hold up to seven activities, according to the FAQ on IFZA’s licence mapping guide page, and the first three are included in the incorporation cost. Each activity beyond those is charged separately, and IFZA’s guides give no figure for it.

IFZA’s multiple activities guide suggests planning amendments close to your renewal, which it says reduces administrative steps. IFZA’s guide to adding or removing activities (published 27 February 2026) treats either change as a licence amendment. The steps and each zone’s published fees are in our guide on how to add activities to a trade licence.

Which IFZA activities can be combined on one licence?

Most IFZA activities can share a licence, including commercial with professional, which IFZA calls cross business licensing. A short list of activities carries its own rule in the “Notes” column of IFZA’s activity search: some must stand alone, some need another activity on the same licence, and some are only for branches.

If your plan includes one of these, it shapes the whole licence, so check it before you choose the rest of your activities.

IFZA business activities list by sector

The table lists 61 of the 827 IFZA business activities by sector, with the code, the licence type and any approval or note, as IFZA’s activity search showed them on 21 October 2026. The sectors are our own grouping for easier reading; IFZA’s list has no sector column, and it holds the full list.

Source: IFZA activity search at activities.ifza.com, checked 21 October 2026, which holds the full list. For activity lists outside IFZA, such as Dubai mainland, DMCC, Meydan and SPC, see our UAE business activities list.

Who approves a regulated IFZA activity?

A regulated IFZA activity is approved by the Dubai or UAE federal government entity that IFZA’s activity search names for it, such as the Knowledge & Human Development Authority for training. IFZA calls these Regulated Business Activities, or Amber Activities, and says securing the approval is the licensee’s duty, with a copy to the Authority on request. Non-Regulated Business Activities, which IFZA calls Green Activities, need no external approval. Either type may carry property requirements. IFZA’s activity search names the approving entity and marks whether the approval comes before or after licence issuance:

Choosing a regulated activity without planning for its approval is one of the common UAE free zone setup mistakes.

Which IFZA activities carry other conditions?

Some IFZA activities carry a condition in the “Notes” column that is not an outside approval: a retail space or an office, an undertaking letter, a business plan or an insurance policy, or a limit on where the activity can be carried out. A retail space or a leased office sits outside the four packages and goes into your written quote.

How do you check an activity on IFZA’s list?

You check an IFZA activity on activities.ifza.com, IFZA’s own activity search, in five steps:

1. Open activities.ifza.com and type a word, a code or part of a description into the search box.
2. Read the “Type” column: Commercial or Professional. If your list mixes both, the licence uses cross licensing.
3. Read the “Regulation Type” column: Non-Regulated or Regulated. For a regulated activity, the “Classification” column says whether the approval comes before or after licence issuance, and the “Approving Entity” columns name the authority.
4. Read the “Notes” column for conditions such as “Cannot be combined with any other activity”, a retail space or an undertaking letter.
5. Star the activities you want, open “Saved”, and send us the codes on WhatsApp. We check the combination against IFZA’s list before filing.

Example: an online skincare brand with a social media side line

Example: you plan to sell skincare products online through an IFZA company, with one residence visa for yourself, and you also want to run social media campaigns for other brands. The case is made up to show how the rules work; it is not a real client.

On IFZA’s list (checked 21 October 2026), that is three activities: Ecommerce (1122352, commercial, with an undertaking letter), Perfumes & Cosmetics Trading (4772007, commercial, which IFZA describes as including body creams and lotions) and Marketing Services Via Social Media (6202101, professional). None of the three is regulated. The commercial and professional activities sit on one licence through cross licensing, and three activities is the number IFZA’s guides include in the standard fee.

With First Idea, the company and one residence visa is Standard, AED 23,436 at IFZA, and whether your three activities sit within that price is confirmed in your written quote. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.

Add Food Supplements Trading (4721016, commercial, not regulated) a year later and it is a fourth activity. IFZA’s guides say each extra activity is charged separately and give no figure, so it goes into your written quote. Pick Snack Food Trading (4721037) instead and the activity is regulated: IFZA’s list names the Department of Food Control, with approval after licence issuance.

How to pick an activity a bank will accept

The activity on the licence must match what the company actually does, because banks read the licence during KYC. Pick activities for your business model, customers and suppliers, not the longest list. A consultancy that also resells software needs both activities, which cross licensing allows. We check the combination against IFZA’s list before filing.

IFZA’s own guide on choosing the wrong business activity (published 6 February 2026) makes the same point: a company that sells one kind of product under a General Trading activity may face a strict bank check, and a licence that names what is traded is typically easier for authorities and banks to assess.

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IFZA package with a visa

The IFZA package with a visa is Standard: AED 23,436 for the company and one residence visa.

The visa is a UAE residence visa, and corporate tax registration is included from Standard upward. Sponsoring family is a separate visa application. Send your visa count and the family members you want to sponsor on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.

Two or more visas: the IFZA package with 2 visas

There is no fixed IFZA package with 2 visas. Each extra visa adds its own visa allocation, residence visa, medical and Emirates ID. How many visas a company can hold depends on its office or desk, and raising the quota means a larger office or an application to the authority. If the extra visas are for employees, our employment visa costs for Dubai companies page sets out the GDRFA and ICP fees for each staff visa. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.

Documents and timeline

1. You choose the activity and the package.
2. You send the documents and three trade name options.
3. IFZA approves the name and issues the licence. If an activity is regulated, its outside approval comes before or after issuance, as IFZA’s activity search marks it.
4. The establishment card is issued.
5. The residence visa is e-issued and you enter the UAE on it, or change status inside the country where that applies.
6. You complete the medical.
7. You attend biometrics, and the Emirates ID is processed.
8. For Premium and Gold, the bank account application goes in.

Licence timing depends on the activity, any external approval and complete documents, so we give no fixed number of days.

IFZA company, visa and bank account assistance: the Premium package

Premium is the IFZA package for buyers who want the company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance in one purchase: AED 28,436. Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.

Both versions include the digital company stamp. Gold adds premier local business bank account opening assistance and a year of corporate services support:

The first row sits below the Standard total because the AED 5,000 Gold professional service fee replaces the AED 2,000 standard fee rather than adding to it. Gold includes limited bank compliance support during initial account opening and onboarding; ongoing compliance support is a separate annual Banking Compliance Package, quoted separately. Relationship Manager availability depends on the selected bank and bank approval.

Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.

What banks ask an IFZA company for

Banks ask for the trade licence, MOA, office lease or flexi-desk agreement, a business profile and the source of funds. The local bank version of Premium and Gold’s premier local business bank account require physical presence. Existing licence holders can use our bank account opening assistance on its own, quoted separately.

IFZA compared with Meydan free zone

If you are weighing Meydan free zone vs IFZA vs DMCC, start with the two zones that have stated package totals.

IFZA and Meydan are separate free zones with separate packages. The two columns are alternatives, not figures to add together. The packages are AED 400 apart at Basic and AED 300 apart at Standard, Premium and Gold. Our Meydan free zone page covers Meydan in full.

DMCC has no fixed package with us. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote. Background is in our DMCC business setup guide.

IFZA licence renewal

No professional service fee on licence renewals; government and authority fees still apply.

Send your IFZA licence expiry date and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.

What comes up at renewal:

• The IFZA licence renewal, for which IFZA issues its own quotation by package and tenure.
• The establishment card, when it is due.
• Residence visas expiring in the same period, quoted separately.

The steps are on our trade license renewal Dubai page.

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Other yearly obligations

The corporate tax return, accounting and bookkeeping, and any audit are quoted separately. At renewal, IFZA asks for updated documents, including the latest passport copies of company members, third party approvals for regulated activities, and certificates of good standing or their equivalent for corporate shareholders where required (IFZA renewal guide, published 15 July 2026, checked 21 October 2026).

IFZA business setup with First Idea Consultant

• First Idea Consultant LLC, in business since 2015, handles business setup in IFZA; all our Dubai company setup packages are on one page.
• Office: Park Regis, ParkLane Tower, Office 812, Business Bay, Dubai.
• Phone and WhatsApp: +971 56 500 6694.
• Amir Aslam, Founder.

FAQ

How much does an IFZA free zone licence cost?

Basic is AED 12,900 for the IFZA company only, Standard is AED 23,436 with one residence visa, Premium is AED 28,436 for IFZA company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance, and Gold is AED 48,436; the Basic and Standard professional service fees are promotions, and government fees can change. Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.

Where can I see the full IFZA activity list?

IFZA publishes the full list at activities.ifza.com, where you can search by name, code or description and see each activity’s licence type, regulation type, approving entity and notes; it showed 827 activities when we checked on 22 October 2026. The IFZA activity list on this page shows selected activities by sector, IFZA’s combination rules and the conditions IFZA attaches. We check your activity against IFZA’s list before filing.

How many business activities can I put on one IFZA licence?

Up to seven, according to the FAQ on IFZA’s licence mapping guide page, with the first three included in the incorporation cost. IFZA’s multiple activities guide words the included allowance as up to three business activity groups within the standard fee, and says each additional activity is charged separately. IFZA’s guides give no figure for an extra activity, so it goes into your written quote (checked 21 October 2026).

Can I combine commercial and professional activities on one IFZA licence?

Yes. IFZA calls it cross business licensing, and one licence can combine commercial and professional activities. A few activities in IFZA’s list cannot be combined with any other activity, including the virtual asset activities, Services Provision Brokerage Via Electronic Media and Facilities Management Services, and Representative Office is only for branch companies (checked 21 October 2026). We check the combination against IFZA’s list before filing.

Which IFZA activities need an outside approval?

Regulated activities, which IFZA calls Amber Activities, need approval from a named Dubai or UAE federal government entity, such as the Knowledge & Human Development Authority for training, the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority for virtual assets or the Department of Food Control for food trading. IFZA’s activity search marks each approval as before or after licence issuance, and IFZA says securing it is the licensee’s duty (checked 21 October 2026).

Do I need to be in the UAE to set up an IFZA company?

IFZA states that owners do not need to be in the UAE during registration, so the licence stage can run as business setup remotely. Visa entry, the medical and biometrics for the Emirates ID need you in the country. The local bank version of Premium and Gold’s premier local business bank account also require physical presence.

Can I open a business bank account with an IFZA licence?

Premium and Gold include business bank account opening assistance, and banks ask an IFZA company for its licence, MOA, lease or flexi-desk agreement, business profile and source of funds. Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.

What does it cost to renew an IFZA licence?

No professional service fee on licence renewals; government and authority fees still apply. IFZA quotes its own renewal by package and tenure, and visas or the establishment card due in the same period are quoted separately. The steps are on our trade license renewal Dubai page. Send your IFZA licence expiry date and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.

Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp. We usually reply within a couple of hours.

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Sources and how we checked

Every IFZA rule on this page was read on IFZA’s own websites on 21 October 2026, and every First Idea figure was checked on our price hub on that date too. We read IFZA’s activity search again on 22 October 2026 for its total of 827 activities, and its data had not changed. Rules and fees change, so check the source before you file.

• IFZA: IFZA Business Activities, the activity search (codes, licence type, regulation type, approving entities and notes), checked 21 October 2026 and again on 22 October 2026
• IFZA: Can You Operate Multiple Activities Under One License?, published 18 February 2026, checked 21 October 2026
• IFZA: UAE Business Activity and Licence Mapping Guide (the FAQ on the page), checked 21 October 2026
• IFZA: UAE Business Activity and License Mapping Guide (regulation types), last updated 31 August 2026, checked 21 October 2026
• IFZA: How to Get Your Free Zone License with IFZA, published 21 November 2022, checked 21 October 2026
• IFZA: Adding or Removing Activities After Licence Issuance, published 27 February 2026, checked 21 October 2026
• IFZA: What Happens If You Choose the Wrong Business Activity in the UAE?, published 6 February 2026, checked 21 October 2026
• IFZA: What Happens If You Miss Your Trade License Renewal in the UAE? (the IFZA renewal process), published 15 July 2026, checked 21 October 2026
• IFZA: About Us (headquarters and reception), checked 21 October 2026
• UAE Government portal: Corporate tax, updated 30 March 2026, checked 21 October 2026
• First Idea Consultant: cost of setting up a business in Dubai (package totals and rows), checked 21 October 2026