Why Choose JAFZA?
- Direct port access. Companies that import, export, store, or distribute physical goods gain a genuine logistics advantage from proximity to Jebel Ali Port that most free zones can't offer.
- Scale and maturity. As one of the world's largest and oldest free zones, JAFZA has an established ecosystem of manufacturers, traders, and logistics providers.
- Customs benefits. Import and export goods without customs duties, with the ability to store, manufacture, and distribute products under customs exemptions.
- Structure flexibility. Three distinct structures — FZE, FZCO, and offshore — cover everything from a solo trading company to a multi-investor joint venture to a pure holding vehicle.
JAFZA Structures: FZE, FZCO & Offshore
| Structure | Shareholders | Best For |
|---|
| Free Zone Establishment (FZE) | 1 (individual or corporate) | Sole founders, family businesses, wholly-owned subsidiaries |
| Free Zone Company (FZCO) | 2–50 | Joint ventures, partnerships, multi-investor ventures |
| JAFZA Offshore Company | 1 or more | Holding structures and asset protection — cannot trade within the UAE |
Both FZE and FZCO are onshore structures with limited liability protection, requiring registered facility space and letting you sponsor visas. A JAFZA offshore company is different: it sits under the Jebel Ali Free Zone Offshore Companies Regulations, gives you a clean holding vehicle for assets or shareholdings in other companies, but cannot lease office or warehouse space, cannot sponsor staff visas, and cannot obtain a UAE tax residency certificate. Offshore registration commonly costs around AED 10,100 initially with roughly AED 2,500 in annual renewal — a materially different, lower-cost product from a trading or service licence, and the right choice only if you specifically need an offshore holding structure rather than an operating company.
On capital: JAFZA doesn't prescribe a fixed minimum share capital for an FZE or FZCO, but requires that declared capital be sufficient for the licensed activity — a more precise standard than a blanket "no minimum" claim.
JAFZA Licensing Options
| Licence | Covers |
|---|
| Trading Licence | Import, export, re-export, distribution, storage, wholesale and retail trading |
| Industrial Licence | Manufacturing, processing, assembly, production, and handling of hazardous materials where approved |
| Service Licence | Professional consultancy, technology and IT, business support, tourism, hospitality, and education services |
| E-Commerce Licence | Companies selling goods or services online |
| Logistics Licence | Warehousing, distribution, transportation, and goods-in-transit handling |
Companies can combine multiple activities under a single licence or hold multiple licences depending on business requirements.
- Select your structure and activity. Choose FZE, FZCO, or offshore, and confirm your business activities fall inside JAFZA's approved scope.
- Reserve your trade name. A unique name is checked against JAFZA naming guidelines and reserved.
- Prepare and submit documentation. Passport copies, visa pages, business plan, and shareholder information are compiled, attested where required, and submitted.
- Receive initial approval and licence issuance. JAFZA reviews the application; once approved, your business licence is issued.
- Secure facility space (onshore structures only). A flexi-desk, office, or warehouse is arranged — the facility fixes your visa allocation and is the main driver of total cost.
- Complete post-incorporation setup. Corporate banking, visa processing, Emirates ID, and — for trading/industrial companies — warehouse and logistics setup follow licence issuance.
With documents and facility choice settled, the JAFZA trade licence itself typically issues within 7–10 business days. A full setup including visa processing more commonly takes 6–8 weeks — worth planning for the longer timeline if your business needs visas and warehouse space, not just the licence.
- Passport copies of all shareholders and managers
- Visa or entry stamp pages
- Recent passport-sized photographs
- Business plan outlining activities and objectives
- Proof of address for shareholders
- Educational certificates, for certain regulated activities
- Professional references or experience letters, where applicable
- No Objection Certificate from a current sponsor, for UAE residents
- Ultimate beneficial owner details, filed and kept current through the Dubai Trade portal
Facility & Visa Allocation
Onshore JAFZA companies (FZE and FZCO) must hold registered premises — a flexi-desk, shared space, dedicated office, or warehouse — and the leased area sets how many residence visas the company can sponsor. Flexi-desk arrangements typically allow 1–2 visas, while larger offices and warehouse facilities support significantly higher quotas. Offshore companies cannot lease facility space or sponsor visas at all, which is the key operational trade-off for that structure's lower cost and simplicity.
JAFZA cost splits into two genuinely different scenarios: standard service or trading formation, and warehouse/industrial operations.
| Package | Price | Includes |
|---|
| Free Zone Company Setup | From AED 4,888 | Free zone licence, multiple business activities, multiple shareholders, full legal documentation, guided expedited process |
| Setup + One Visa | AED 10,800 | Unlimited shareholders, multiple activities, streamlined setup, one visa included |
| Setup + Two Visas (Designated Zone) | AED 17,181 | Up to 10 shareholders, all legal documentation, business licence and lease agreement, end-to-end visa processing for two visas including change of status |
These are Takween Advisory's real, fixed packages — the same standard-tier pricing structure used for JAFZA and other standard commercial free zones. They fit straightforward service or trading formation well.
If your business needs Jebel Ali warehouse or industrial space — which is what draws a large share of JAFZA's client base — facility rent dominates the total, not the licence. A realistic all-in first-year budget covering warehouse or office space, visas, and incorporation commonly runs AED 40,000–150,000, with the trade licence itself typically representing only around 10–15% of that total. Offshore company registration is a separate, lower-cost path at roughly AED 10,100 initially plus AED 2,500 annual renewal, but doesn't include any facility or trading capability.
A note on pricing: if you've seen a "from AED 4,888" figure used elsewhere on this site to describe standard free zones like IFZA, that's the same pricing tier that applies here for standard JAFZA formation — it's a real, current price, not a lowball comparison figure. Book a free consultation and we'll confirm the exact current cost for your structure, activity, and facility needs.
JAFZA vs. Other Free Zones
| Standard Free Zone (e.g. IFZA) | JAFZA |
|---|
| Best for | General trading, consulting, ecommerce, any activity | Port-based trading, warehousing, industrial and logistics operations |
| Physical presence | Flexible, often desk-based | Warehouse and industrial facilities widely available, port-adjacent |
| Offshore option | Not typically offered | Dedicated JAFZA offshore company structure |
| Standard licence-only cost | From AED 4,888 | From AED 4,888 (same standard tier) |
| Realistic warehouse/industrial cost | Not applicable | AED 40,000–150,000 all-in |
Banking, Tax & Compliance for JAFZA Companies
JAFZA companies open UAE corporate bank accounts the same way as other free zone entities — see our corporate bank account opening in Dubai guide for what banks assess. On tax: contrary to a flat "0% corporate tax" claim sometimes repeated online, JAFZA companies fall under the standard UAE corporate tax framework — 0% on qualifying income for a Qualifying Free Zone Person, 9% on non-qualifying profit above AED 375,000. One detail worth knowing: a company that fails to meet Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions doesn't just lose the 0% rate for that year — it loses it for five consecutive tax periods, making ongoing compliance monitoring genuinely important, not a one-time check. See our investor visa in Dubai guide for the shareholder visa route.
- Budgeting from the licence package alone. For warehouse or industrial operations, facility rent is the real cost driver — the licence itself is typically only 10–15% of total first-year spend.
- Confusing FZCO's shareholder limit. An FZCO supports up to 50 shareholders, not 5 — a common source of confusion when sizing a multi-investor structure.
- Choosing offshore when you need to trade in the UAE. A JAFZA offshore company cannot lease space, sponsor visas, or conduct UAE business — it's a holding vehicle only, not a formation shortcut.
- Treating Qualifying Free Zone Person status as a one-time check. Falling short costs five tax periods of the 0% rate, not just one — ongoing compliance matters.
Takween Advisory helps you choose the right JAFZA structure — FZE, FZCO, or offshore — based on whether you're building an operating company or a holding vehicle, and the right facility tier if you need port-adjacent warehouse space. We manage documentation, licence application, facility arrangement, and the follow-on banking and visa setup end to end, and we give you an honest cost picture from day one — not a licence-only figure that leaves out what warehouse or industrial operations actually cost.
