On this page 8 sections
- Incorporation and licence, side by side
- DIFC company formation, in the order the Registrar charges for it
- The fintech discount, and the cheap structures
- The charges that sit outside the headline
- What a DIFC licence does not give you
- Opening a business bank account
- DIFC against ADGM, on published registry fees
- One limit on this page
Most write-ups of DIFC company formation quote one headline number. It is almost always wrong, because Dubai International Financial Centre bills incorporation and the operating licence separately, halves both for retail, and adds annual filings no headline mentions. Below is the Registrar of Companies table of fees, document DIFC-CS-GL-03 Rev. 16, in its edition updated 30 July 2026 (file difc-cs-gl-03-rev-16-roc-table-of-fees_aug-2026.pdf), rechecked on 3 October 2026. DIFC’s own figures are unchanged from the 31 December 2024 edition we first read on 14 August 2026.
Incorporation and licence, side by side
Read across, not down. The first columns apply to non-retail entities, regulated or not; the rest apply where the business is retail. AED 20 for Knowledge and Innovation fees is added to the licence line.
| Entity | Incorporation, non-retail | Licence, non-retail | Incorporation, retail | Licence, retail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private or public company | $8,000 | $12,000 | $3,400 | $5,100 |
| Recognised company (a branch) | $8,000 | $12,000 | $3,400 | $5,100 |
| Limited liability partnership | $8,000 | $12,000 | $3,400 | $5,100 |
| General or limited partnership | $4,000 | $12,000 | $1,700 | $5,100 |
| Representative office | $2,000 | $4,000 | not available | not available |
| Prescribed company | $100 | $1,000 | not available | not available |
| Fintech or innovation firm | $100 | $1,500 | not available | not available |
| Foundation | nil | $350 | not available | not available |
| Non-profit incorporated organisation | $100 | $1,000 | not available | not available |
Renewal repeats the licence line, not the incorporation line: USD 12,000 for a private company, USD 5,100 for a retail one, plus the same AED 20.
DIFC company formation, in the order the Registrar charges for it
The fee table is not an application guide, but it does show the sequence of chargeable events.
- DIFC company formation begins with the entity choice, because the entity sets the price. A private company and a Prescribed Company differ by a factor of eighty on the incorporation line alone.
- Fund the portal wallet first. Every fee is drawn from a balance topped up in advance, in AED only. Transfers and cheques take two working days to appear; cash is immediate but capped at AED 20,000.
- Pay incorporation, then the operating licence. Two charges, not one, and the licence is the larger of the two for an operating company.
- Notify the Data Protection Commissioner. Unavoidable in year one: even declaring that you do not process personal data is a required filing, though that declaration is free.
- Renew annually: the licence line again, plus the confirmation statement, plus data protection where personal data is processed.
The fintech discount, and the cheap structures
The USD 1,500 licence for a fintech or innovation firm is discounted, and the discount is conditional in a way that catches growing teams. It is unconditional for two years. From year three to year seven it holds only at ten employees or fewer; cross that and the normal USD 12,000 applies. From year eight the full fee applies to everyone. Budget for both cliffs, not just the first.
A Prescribed Company and a Foundation are cheap for a different reason: they exist for holding and structuring, not trading, and cannot run an operating business. If a quote offers a DIFC presence for a few hundred dollars, check which entity is being sold.
The charges that sit outside the headline
These lines turn a quoted USD 20,000 into something larger. All are from the same Rev. 16 table.
| Item | What it is | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data protection notification | Telling the Commissioner the entity processes personal data | $750 non-financial, $1,250 financial, $250 retail | Year one and every renewal |
| Confirmation statement | Annual filing confirming the register is accurate | $300 | Every year; nil for investment funds |
| Commercial permission, dual licence | Permission to trade beyond the standard licence | $1,000 | Only if you need it |
| Certificate of good standing | Proof the entity is current, often asked for by banks | $100 | On request |
| Extract from the public register | A certified extract of a registered entity | $100 | On request; searching the register is free |
| Voluntary strike off | Closing the entity by strike off | $200 | Winding up itself is nil |
What a DIFC licence does not give you
- A DIFC licence does not authorise financial services. The Registrar charges regulated and non-regulated entities identically, which is why the fee table cannot tell you what authorisation costs. That sits with the Dubai Financial Services Authority, on a separate schedule.
- A DIFC licence does not let you trade on the Dubai mainland. Trading beyond the centre needs a commercial permission, priced at USD 1,000 in the same table.
- DIFC company formation fees do not include visas or premises. Establishment cards, residence visas, medical screening, Emirates ID and office space appear nowhere in the Registrar’s table.
- The renewal is not the whole annual cost. The confirmation statement and the data protection notification are charged on top, every year.
- The published table is not the final word. Its own disclaimer states that where the table and DIFC law disagree, the law prevails.
Opening a business bank account
A bank account does not come with a DIFC licence: the bank opens it separately, after its own review of the company, its owners and the expected transactions. For a new small company, two common starting points are the Wio Bank business account, which costs AED 99 a month on the Essential plan, with no minimum balance, and ADCB SmartStart, which costs AED 131.25 a month including VAT, with no minimum balance, for UAE nationals and residents (banks’ own fee schedules, checked October 2026). Compare all of them on our UAE business banks page.
DIFC against ADGM, on published registry fees
Abu Dhabi Global Market is the closest comparison DIFC has: another financial centre with its own courts and registry. On price the two are not close. ADGM figures read from its own fee announcement on 14 August 2026.
| Registry charge | DIFC | ADGM |
|---|---|---|
| Standard company, year one | $20,000 ($8,000 plus $12,000) | $5,500 |
| Standard company, annual renewal | $12,000 | $5,000 |
| Retail, year one | $8,500 ($3,400 plus $5,100) | $2,500 |
| Retail, annual renewal | $5,100 | $2,000 |
| Financial firm, registry charge | same as non-financial | $16,700 initial, $16,200 renewal |
| Data protection, annual | $750 non-financial, $1,250 financial | $300 |
| Ordinary free zone, for scale | Licence, desk and visas bundled in dirhams: 12 zones compared side by side | |
On year-one registry cost ADGM is roughly a quarter of DIFC, and the two price regulated firms in opposite ways: ADGM charges a financial licence three times the non-financial one, while DIFC charges the same and leaves the regulatory cost to the DFSA. Both differ from an ordinary free zone, which bundles licence, desk and visa allocation in dirhams: Meydan from AED 12,500, while RAKEZ starts at AED 6,000 and DMCC charges AED 35,484 for its Basic Biz package; IFZA publishes no price. Those give you a UAE company; DIFC and ADGM give you one under a separate commercial law with its own courts.
One limit on this page
Every DIFC figure comes from the Registrar’s own table of fees, control number DIFC-CS-GL-03 Rev. 16, first read on 14 August 2026 and rechecked on 3 October 2026 against the edition updated 30 July 2026, linked from DIFC’s operating handbook fees page. Check the revision number and update date on the document you are quoted from.
Other Dubai free zones we cover: JAFZA, Dubai Airport Freezone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai South, DWTC, Dubai Development Authority zones, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Design District and Dubai Healthcare City.
A firm offering financial services also needs a DFSA licence on top of these fees; the lightest one is explained in DFSA Category 4 licence.
Frequently asked questions
What are the DIFC registration and licence fees?
A private or public company pays USD 8,000 to incorporate and USD 12,000 for the operating licence, so USD 20,000 in year one and USD 12,000 on each renewal. A retail entity pays USD 3,400 and USD 5,100. Both lines carry an extra AED 20 for Knowledge and Innovation fees.
What is the cheapest entity in DIFC?
A Foundation: nil to incorporate and USD 350 for the licence. A Prescribed Company is USD 100 and USD 1,000. Both are holding and structuring vehicles, not operating businesses.
Does DIFC charge less for retail businesses?
Yes, by a large margin: USD 3,400 plus USD 5,100 against USD 8,000 plus USD 12,000. Retail rates are not offered for representative offices, Prescribed Companies, Foundations or fintech firms.
What is the DIFC fintech licence discount?
A fintech or innovation firm incorporates for USD 100 and licenses for USD 1,500. That rate is unconditional for two years, then holds from year three to seven only at ten employees or fewer. From year eight the normal USD 12,000 applies to everyone.
Is a DIFC branch cheaper than a new company?
No. A branch is registered as a recognised company at the same rates: USD 8,000 and USD 12,000, or USD 3,400 and USD 5,100 for retail.
Do these fees include DFSA authorisation?
No. The Registrar table covers registration and the operating licence only, and prices regulated and non-regulated entities the same. Authorisation by the Dubai Financial Services Authority sits on a separate schedule.
What does DIFC company formation cost in the first year in total?
For a non-retail private company: USD 20,000 to the Registrar, plus USD 300 for the confirmation statement and USD 750 for data protection (USD 1,250 if financial). Visas, premises and DFSA authorisation sit outside the table entirely.
Comparing DIFC against a cheaper zone for the same activity? Compare free zone formation providers or send the entity type you need and collect quotes.
Official references used for context in this article.
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