Dubai free zone
IFZA: The Dubai Licence You Buy Through a Partner
The short answer
IFZA is a Dubai free zone based in Dubai Silicon Oasis that issues commercial and professional licences across a broad activity list, allows commercial and professional activities to be combined on a single licence, and is distributed through a network of authorised Professional Partners rather than sold directly to applicants. It suits consultants, service firms, and small traders who want a Dubai address on a desk-based footprint. It is not a logistics, warehousing, or manufacturing base, and activities controlled by a Dubai or federal regulator still need that regulator's approval.
IFZA is chosen more often for what it does not demand than for what it offers: a wide activity list, a desk-based footprint, and a licence that can carry both trading and service work at once. That combination fits a large number of small Dubai businesses, which is why it appears on almost every shortlist. When considering setting up a business in Dubai, it's important to decide between a compare free-zone and mainland routes setup.
The part that surprises people is the commercial model. You will almost certainly buy an IFZA licence through an authorised partner, not from IFZA. That changes who you are actually dealing with, and it is the single most useful thing to understand before you compare quotes.
At a glance
- Indicative cost
- Priced within your setup plan — every component itemised.
This is for you if
- You provide consultancy or professional services and want a Dubai address without a physical office commitment.
- You need trading and service activities on one licence rather than two.
- Your activity is mainstream enough to sit on a broad free-zone list.
- You are comfortable buying and renewing through an intermediary rather than the authority.
This may not be the right route if
- You move physical goods and need bonded warehousing or port access.
- You need light industrial or manufacturing premises.
- Your activity is regulated by a financial, health, or education regulator.
- You want to deal with the licensing authority directly at every step.
At a glance
- Indicative cost
- Priced within your setup plan — every component itemised.
Prefer to start in writing? Send the details through the contact form.
Start with a structure assessment
In an initial consultation you receive a plain-language decision summary, a document-preparation list, and the next actions for your situation. Current figures are confirmed within your adviser-reviewed route comparison.
Activity register
What the IFZA register licenses
The authority groups its 824 registered activities under its own licence classifications. Each directory page explains what one family covers, names activities from it, and sets out what changes the answer, as captured on 25 August 2026.
IFZA in detail
What IFZA licences, and how activities are counted
IFZA issues two licence categories: commercial and professional. The commercial licence covers importing, exporting, and trading, and IFZA publishes a set of named commercial variants underneath it — general trading, e-commerce, motor vehicles trading, travel agency and tourism, food supplements trading, and flavours and fragrances trading among them. The professional licence covers consultancy and other expertise-based services.
The activity mechanics matter more than the category. A standard IFZA licence carries a defined number of business activities with the option to apply for more, and IFZA permits commercial and professional activities to be combined under a single licence. For a business that both advises clients and resells something, that removes the usual choice between a second licence and a mis-described activity.
Breadth is not permission. IFZA notes that some activities require third-party approvals from Dubai or UAE federal regulatory authorities, and that approval sits outside the licensing process. If your activity is one of them, the regulator, not the zone, sets your timeline.
The Professional Partner model, and what it means for you
IFZA describes its own model plainly: it provides business setup through a global network of Professional Partners and authorised partners, alongside government authorities. In practice you contract with a partner, the partner files with IFZA, and the licence is issued by IFZA in your company's name.
Two practical consequences follow. First, the price you are quoted is a partner's price, so two quotes for an identical IFZA licence can differ materially — compare them on the same activity set, the same premises format, and the same visa count, or you are not comparing anything. Second, your service quality and continuity at renewal come from the partner rather than the authority, which makes the partner's track record part of the decision.
- Get the activity list, premises format, and visa allocation written into the quote before you compare prices.
- Confirm who handles renewals, amendments, and immigration, and what those cost in year two.
- Check whether the entity is registered as an FZCO and who is named as manager on the licence.
Premises and the Dubai Silicon Oasis footprint
IFZA sits in Dubai Silicon Oasis, with its business park and reception at IFZA Business Park. Alongside the licence, IFZA offers real-estate options inside that park, so a company can move from a desk arrangement to leased space without leaving the zone.
Workspace is not a cosmetic choice. The premises format is what the authority prices the visa allocation against, so the desk-versus-office decision needs to be made against your real headcount plan rather than your first-year one. We confirm the current allocation for your chosen format with the authority in writing before you commit; we do not publish a number here, because it is set by IFZA and changes.
IFZA compared with Meydan
These two are the usual final pair for a Dubai service company, and they differ in three ways that actually matter.
Distribution: IFZA is bought through authorised partners; Meydan sells direct and fully online. Activity model: IFZA counts individual business activities on the licence, while Meydan sells activity groups, with everything inside a chosen group included. Location: Dubai Silicon Oasis on the Dubai–Al Ain corridor, against Nad Al Sheba near the Meydan Grandstand.
If your business spans several unrelated trades, Meydan's group model tends to be the cheaper description of reality. If you want a named partner accountable for the file, IFZA's model is a feature rather than a friction.
Before you commit
What to verify with IFZA specifically
These are the IFZA-specific checks. The generic questions that apply to any free zone are covered in the setup-process guide linked below.
The IFZA-specific checks worth completing before any payment is made.
Activity on the live list
- Why it matters at IFZA
- Breadth is wide but not unlimited, and lists change
- How it is settled
- Written confirmation of the exact activity codes from IFZA
Combined commercial + professional
- Why it matters at IFZA
- Avoids a second licence where you both advise and sell
- How it is settled
- Confirm both activity types are accepted on one licence
Third-party approval
- Why it matters at IFZA
- Some activities need a Dubai or federal regulator first
- How it is settled
- Identify the regulator before applying, not after
Which partner you are buying from
- Why it matters at IFZA
- Price, service, and renewal handling vary by partner
- How it is settled
- A written scope naming the partner and what year two costs
Premises format
- Why it matters at IFZA
- It is what the visa allocation is priced against
- How it is settled
- Allocation confirmed by the authority for your chosen format
Mainland exposure
- Why it matters at IFZA
- Free-zone licences do not automatically reach the mainland market
- How it is settled
- Assess distributor, agent, or a second entity before launch
| Check | Why it matters at IFZA | How it is settled |
|---|---|---|
| Activity on the live list | Breadth is wide but not unlimited, and lists change | Written confirmation of the exact activity codes from IFZA |
| Combined commercial + professional | Avoids a second licence where you both advise and sell | Confirm both activity types are accepted on one licence |
| Third-party approval | Some activities need a Dubai or federal regulator first | Identify the regulator before applying, not after |
| Which partner you are buying from | Price, service, and renewal handling vary by partner | A written scope naming the partner and what year two costs |
| Premises format | It is what the visa allocation is priced against | Allocation confirmed by the authority for your chosen format |
| Mainland exposure | Free-zone licences do not automatically reach the mainland market | Assess distributor, agent, or a second entity before launch |
How setup works
The process is the same wherever you incorporate
Structure options, what an engagement covers, and the stages a licence goes through are common to every free zone. They are set out once, in full, rather than repeated on each zone page.
Read the free-zone setup process
Every route is planned against how the business will actually operate in the UAE.
Questions
Frequently asked
- Do I have to use an IFZA partner?
- In practice yes. IFZA describes its model as providing business setup through a network of authorised Professional Partners, so the commercial relationship normally sits with a partner even though the licence is issued by IFZA.
- Can one IFZA licence cover both trading and consultancy?
- IFZA permits commercial and professional activities to be combined under a single licence, which is one of the more useful features of the zone for businesses that both advise and resell. The exact combination has to be confirmed against the live activity list.
- Is IFZA suitable for a business that holds stock?
- Not usually. IFZA is a desk-and-office zone in Dubai Silicon Oasis rather than a bonded logistics estate. A business holding and moving goods at volume is normally better served by JAFZA, Dubai South, or DAFZA.
- Where is IFZA actually located?
- In Dubai Silicon Oasis, with the business park and reception at IFZA Business Park. That places it inland on the Dubai–Al Ain corridor rather than in central Dubai.
Sources
- IFZA — official free-zone authority website
- IFZA — about, partner model and location
- IFZA — commercial licence categories
- IFZA — business activity search
Regulations, fees, and eligibility can change. Every regulatory statement is re-checked before publication and dated above.
Legal notes and scope
Velarozone provides setup and operational-readiness coordination. This page is general information, not legal, tax, immigration, or banking advice.
This page is general information about UAE business setup, not legal, tax, immigration, or banking advice. Rules, fees, permitted activities, and bank policies can change. Final eligibility depends on your facts and the applicable rules at the time of application.
We prepare and coordinate corporate bank-account applications. We do not open accounts and cannot guarantee approval, a particular bank, or a timeline. Each bank applies its own KYC, AML, and risk assessment.