IFZA Activities List

IFZA (the International Free Zone Authority in Dubai) lets you license more than one business activity under a single company, but the rules on which activities you can combine, which license type each needs and how many you get for free are where founders get confused. This guide is a catalog and a decision aid, not a price list.

If you are here to compare packages and fees, see our IFZA cost and license guide. This page focuses on the activities themselves.

IFZA Activities by Category (Master Table)

The table below is the spine of this guide: it maps common activity categories to the license type they fall under, gives example activities and flags whether the category typically includes regulated activities that need extra approvals. Treat the regulated column as a prompt to check, not a final answer – individual activities within a category can differ.

IFZA License Types Explained

Every activity you pick sits under a license type, and the license type determines what your company is allowed to do. IFZA works with a handful of core types.

• Commercial license. For trading physical goods – buying, selling, importing and exporting products. A general trading variant lets you trade a wider, unrelated range of goods under one license.
• Professional license. For services and expertise: consultancy, marketing, IT services, design and similar knowledge-based work.
• Industrial license. For manufacturing, assembly, packaging and production, usually requiring physical facilities and extra permits.
• General trading license. A broader commercial license for trading many unrelated product categories without listing each separately.
• Holding license. For holding shares, assets or investments rather than operating a trading business.
• Freelance permit. For solo professionals operating under their own name in a single professional activity, at a lower cost than a full company license.

How Activity Groups Affect Cost

The single most important cost mechanic at IFZA is the activity group. Activities are clustered into groups (for example trading, consultancy, media, tech), and your base license fee typically includes a number of activities drawn from the same group. Combining activities within one group is the economical path.

Adding an activity from a different group is where extra charges usually appear. So a company that lists five trading activities may pay nothing extra, while adding one consultancy activity on top can trigger an additional fee because it crosses into another group. IFZA does allow cross-category combinations – it just prices them separately.

Practical takeaway: decide your primary group first, list the activities you genuinely need within it, and only cross into a second group when the business case justifies the added cost. To model how different activity mixes move your total, run the numbers in the free zone comparison tool and see the fee detail in our IFZA cost and license guide.

Regulated (Amber) vs Non-Regulated (Green) Activities

IFZA activities broadly split into non-regulated activities, which you can license without external sign-off, and regulated activities, which need approval from an outside UAE authority before the license issues. Free zone shorthand often calls the clear ones Green and the approval-required ones Amber.

If your activity is regulated, budget for extra documents, longer timelines and possible additional fees. IFZA can tell you which of your chosen activities are regulated and what each approval requires.

Which License Type for My Activity

Use this picker to shortlist the right license type before you get into individual activity codes. The first sentence of your business plan usually points you straight to one row.

How to Add or Change Activities

You can add activities when you first apply or amend the license later. The steps are broadly the same.

1. List your activities. Write down every activity you need and note which group each belongs to.
2. Check the included allowance. Confirm with IFZA how many activities your chosen package includes and whether they must sit in one group.
3. Flag regulated activities. Identify any Amber activities that need external approval and prepare for the extra step.
4. Price the extras. Ask IFZA to quote any additional or cross-group activities before you sign.
5. Amend if needed later. To change activities after issuance, submit a license amendment through IFZA; a reissued license and a fee usually apply.

Popular IFZA Activities for Startups

Certain activities come up again and again for new IFZA companies because they are non-regulated, broadly useful and easy to combine within one group. Common picks include management consultancy, marketing and advertising services, software development and IT services, e-commerce trading, and general trading. These let a young company operate across several revenue lines without immediately crossing into regulated territory. If you are weighing IFZA against other Dubai and Sharjah options, our IFZA vs Meydan vs SHAMS comparison and cheapest free zones in the UAE guide put the activity flexibility in context, and the free zone comparison table lines the zones up side by side.

FAQ

How many activities can one IFZA license hold?

An IFZA license can hold multiple activities, and a figure of around 7 within the included allowance is commonly cited. The exact number included in your package and whether there is a hard cap are set by IFZA and change with their packages, so confirm the current allowance directly with IFZA before you apply.

Can I combine professional and commercial activities on one IFZA license?

Yes, IFZA allows you to combine activities from different categories, including professional and commercial, on one company. However, activities are organised into groups, and crossing from one group to another usually adds an extra charge on top of your base fee. Confirm the added cost with IFZA before finalising a mixed activity list.

What is the difference between a commercial, professional and general trading license?

A commercial license is for trading physical goods in a defined category. A professional license is for services and expertise such as consultancy or IT. A general trading license is a broader commercial license that lets you trade many unrelated product categories under one license without listing each one separately.

What is an IFZA activity group?

An activity group is a cluster of related business activities, such as trading, consultancy, media or tech. Your base license fee typically includes a set number of activities drawn from the same group. Staying within one group is the cheapest option, and adding activities from a different group usually triggers an additional fee.

Which IFZA activities are regulated?

Regulated activities are those needing approval from an external UAE authority before the license issues, such as education (KHDA), healthcare (DHA or MOHAP), travel and tourism, real estate (RERA) and financial services. Non-regulated activities like general trading, consultancy and software development clear without external sign-off. IFZA can confirm which of your chosen activities are regulated.

How do I add a new activity to my existing IFZA license?

To add an activity after your license is issued, submit a license amendment through IFZA. If the new activity sits in a different group or is regulated, extra fees and approvals may apply, and the license is reissued to reflect the change. Confirm the amendment fee with IFZA before you proceed.

How many business activities does IFZA offer in total?

IFZA advertises a catalog of more than 800 business activities across categories such as trading, consultancy, media, tech, industrial and holding. The exact number changes as IFZA updates its catalog, so verify the current activity count with IFZA at the time you apply rather than relying on a fixed figure.

Do I need a different license type for each activity?

No. A single IFZA license type can cover several related activities, and you choose the license type based on the nature of your core business. You only need to consider a different arrangement when your activities span very different categories, such as combining trading goods with regulated professional services, which can affect cost and approvals.

Which IFZA activities are best for a startup?

Common startup choices are non-regulated and easy to combine within one group, including management consultancy, marketing and advertising, software development, IT services, e-commerce and general trading. These let a young company operate across several revenue lines without immediately crossing into regulated activities that need external approvals.

Does adding more activities increase my IFZA license cost?

It can. Your base fee usually includes a number of activities from the same group at no extra charge. Adding activities beyond that allowance, or from a different group, typically adds cost. Because packages and promotions change, confirm current pricing with IFZA or a consultant, and see our IFZA cost and license guide for the fee detail.