IFZA (International Free Zone Authority), Dubai: licences, setup and what it offers

If someone has suggested IFZA as an affordable way to open a company in Dubai, here is what it actually is, in plain terms. IFZA is one of Dubai's free zones: a designated area with its own licensing authority, set up to welcome overseas founders who want to own their company outright. In its own words it exists "to attract international investors to Dubai, to contribute to its economic prosperity, to optimize the benefits of its business-friendly environment and to serve the wider community of the United Arab Emirates". It "operates on a unique Business to Business (B2B) Model" and works "hand-in-hand with our Professional Partners", which simply means you apply through an advisor rather than at a government counter.

The zone is physically located in IFZA Business Park inside Dubai Silicon Oasis, described on ifza.com as part of Dubai Digital Park. A 2020 agreement with the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority allows IFZA companies to work from Dubai Digital Park, the Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus and DSOA headquarters, and in July 2026 IFZA announced the acquisition of IFZA Towers, a two-tower development at the entry to Dubai Silicon Oasis with flexible offices from 93 square metres.

The operator of this platform works with IFZA as a professional partner. That relationship does not change what this page publishes: only what IFZA states on its own website or in its 2024 brochure, labelled accordingly, and only the federal rules on tax and residence from the official sources cited across this site.

IFZA states that "Professional and Commercial activities can be combined under one IFZA License", which is not the case in every zone. Its licence guide says a standard licence "offers a choice of up to 3 business activities under one License with the option to apply for more", and its earlier material describes a maximum of three activities as selected by the shareholders. IFZA also notes that "some business activities may require third party approvals from related Dubai- or UAE-federal regulatory authorities", and distinguishes regulated from non-regulated activities in its FAQ.

Two rules from ifza.com on trade names: no indecent, political or religious references; personal names only if they are a shareholder's full name; names cannot begin with "international", "global" or "Middle East"; and no special characters other than an ampersand.

IFZA states that "IFZA-registered companies are incorporated as FZCO companies" and that business licences are available "through the incorporation of FZCOs or the registration of branch offices". On capital, ifza.com says "IFZA requires no paid-up capital" and that property ownership is not required. The Companies Law gives every free zone company UAE nationality, so an IFZA FZCO is a UAE company governed by IFZA's regulations.

IFZA explains that it "splits its company formation packages into categories based on visa allocations", so a shareholder can "start with the least number of visa allocations and later upgrade". At upgrade, "IFZA only charges the difference in fees between the current and upgraded packages, with no need to reapply for a new trading license". Companies "with basic visa allocation are not required to have offices in the area; they can operate through virtual offices".

The residence visas themselves are issued by the federal and Dubai immigration authorities under the rules on our investor and partner visa page; IFZA's role is the establishment file and the visa process support it lists under post-incorporation services. The number of visas per package, per-visa fees and the office-to-visa formula are not stated on the pages we read. Ask a Professional Partner for the current schedule rather than relying on figures on third-party sites.

The IFZA brochure and ifza.com describe the same four stages.

1. Consultation and proposal. A Professional Partner establishes your requirements and issues a proposal covering the type of licence, business activities, visa package and office solution.
2. Documentation and processing. You send the licence application form, which includes ultimate beneficial owner details, a passport copy, a digital passport photo and, for UAE residents, Emirates ID and visa copies. The partner's support team registers the shareholders on the IFZA portal, after which IFZA issues two electronic legal forms for signature.
3. Licence approval, MOA and AOA, issuance. Once approved, the memorandum and articles of association are issued digitally for e-signature and the incorporation documents are shared by email; hard copies can be collected for an additional fee.
4. Continuing support. Visa processes, office solutions, medical insurance, bank account opening support, licence upgrades and downgrades, amendments and renewals.

IFZA blog posts from 2021 and 2022 still describe "0% business and personal tax" and "tax-free earnings". Those pages carry IFZA's own disclaimer that they may not reflect later developments, and the Corporate Tax Law has applied to financial years beginning on or after 1 June 2023. An IFZA FZCO is a taxable person that must register with the FTA. It pays 0% only on qualifying income if it meets the Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions, and it is then not entitled to the AED 375,000 0% band. Whether IFZA is on the Ministry of Finance list of qualifying free zones, or a designated zone for VAT, is not stated on the pages we read; confirm it before you plan around a 0% outcome.

The 2024 brochure and ifza.com list: IFZA Property (real estate in IFZA Business Park), IFZA Life (health insurance packages for IFZA companies), the IFZA Academy for Training FZCO, IFZA Banking Services (support with corporate account opening), IFZA Fit Out, IFZA Motors (vehicle services for Professional Partners), IFZA Events, IFZA Cares (CSR), IFZA Loyalty (IFZA Elite for partners, IFZA Rewards for licensees), IFZA Mentorship and IFZA Corporate Consulting. These are IFZA's own service lines; they are not government services and do not replace the FTA, ICP or MOHRE steps.

If IFZA's activity list carries your activity and your customers are outside the UAE mainland, send us the activity, your visa count and the office option you have in mind. We will confirm the licence type, the documents and the sequence, and tell you what IFZA and the immigration authorities will each ask for. If you are comparing zones, the free zones hub sets out the criteria.