Setting up a DAFZA company follows a structured five-step process. Because DAFZA requires physical office presence, the setup is more paperwork-intensive than virtual-office zones like MEYDAN or IFZA.
Prerequisites — Who Can Set Up a DAFZA Company
- Any nationality (100% foreign ownership permitted).
- Minimum 1 shareholder (individual or corporate).
- Minimum 1 director (can be the shareholder).
- Share capital: AED 50,000 ($13,600) must be paid before license issue — not blocked, usable for business immediately after opening bank account.
Step 1: Choose Package Tier
DAFZA offers four physical presence tiers, each mapping to a different price band:
- Business Center Bronze — shared seat, 1 activity, 1 visa. Year-1 $8,000-9,500.
- Business Center Silver — dedicated desk, 3 activities, 3 visas. $13,000-15,000.
- Business Center Gold — private office 12sqm, 5 activities, 5 visas. $18,000-22,000.
- Own office lease — 25sqm+, unlimited activities. $25,000-40,000.
Step 2: Reserve Company Name
DAFZA name reservation takes 24-48 hours. Rejected names typically involve UAE government terminology, misleading claims about services, or conflicts with existing DAFZA entities.
Step 3: Submit Application Package
Required documents:
- Passport copies (shareholders and directors).
- CV or professional bio.
- Business plan (2-4 pages; DAFZA reviews for activity fit).
- Board resolution (if corporate shareholder).
- Bank reference letter (any bank; must be dated within 60 days).
- Signed office lease agreement (for own-office tier).
Step 4: Pay Fees & Receive License
Pay license fee (AED 22,500 for 1 activity), registration ($1,500), immigration card ($545), e-channel ($625), and office rental. DAFZA issues license within 5-10 business days of receiving payment.
Step 5: Post-License Setup
Investor visa: 15-20 business days. Corporate bank account: DAFZA companies have among the highest bank approval rates in the UAE (~90% Wio, ~75% Emirates NBD, ~85% Mashreq). Budget 2-3 weeks for account opening.