This table is a fact sheet for eight jurisdictions Lexoford Services works with. It is not a ranking. Rows for IFZA, Meydan, DMCC, SHAMS, RAKEZ, Expo City Dubai and Dubai mainland restate points already tied to the authority URL on the matching Lexoford Services jurisdiction page. IFZA was checked on 2026-10-09. Those other six were checked on 2026-10-14. The SPC row was checked on 2026-10-15 against spcfz.ae only. Chinese: 阿联酋自由区事实对照.
General information for founders. Not legal, tax, or immigration advice. This page does not copy a free-zone fee schedule, a package price, or a commission. Visa and bank approval are not guaranteed.
Comparison
| Jurisdiction | Licence and legal form | Office or premises | Visa allocation the authority states | Lexoford Services | Official source and check date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFZA, Dubai | The setup page lists a professional licence for consultancy and services, a commercial licence for trade and for import and export of compliant goods, and branch registration for a foreign incorporated company. The terms define an FZCO as a free-zone limited liability company incorporated and licensed in IFZA Dubai. The setup page states that different activities can be combined under one licence, and that free zones offer 100% ownership for foreign entities and individuals, with 100% repatriation of capital and profit. | The terms say a higher visa entitlement may also require a physical office lease in IFZA Dubai. They do not name one office product for every licence. IFZA publishes its headquarters as IFZA HQ, Dubai Silicon Oasis, and its reception as IFZA Business Park, Building A2, Dubai Silicon Oasis. | The terms say the number of visas depends on the licence category. Raising that number requires upgrading the category. A visa application requires an Establishment Card first. That card is renewed annually, and its cost is in addition to company setup. Approval of the company is not approval of a visa for a named person. These sources do not state one visa count for every licence. | IFZA Authorized Professional Partner (Partner ID 11215-7490). | IFZA — business setup; IFZA — About; IFZA Dubai terms (PDF). Checked 2026-10-09. |
| Meydan Free Zone, Dubai | Meydan publishes Fawri and a Regular business licence. Fawri is an instant LLC for one person, who is the shareholder, manager, director and UBO. A branch is not permitted on Fawri, and only one individual shareholder is permitted at formation. The Regular licence is the route Meydan points to for startups, teams and more than one shareholder. The FAQ states a maximum of 50 shareholders, a maximum of 4 directors, and one manager on the licence. Up to three activity groups can sit on one licence. Fawri’s published pool is more than 1,800 activities. The Regular pool is more than 2,500. The Fawri page and the business-proposal page state 100% foreign ownership and that no local sponsor is required. | The business-proposal page states that business licences include a shared desk at Meydan Hotel, Meydan Grandstand, 6th Floor. The Fawri page states that a facility lease agreement is included, and that a dedicated office or flexi-desk can be added later. | The FAQ states that a 0-visa licence is available. It includes a lease agreement and an LLC-FZ trade licence with three activity groups. A visa application comes after incorporation and needs an immigration card and a visa allocation. Meydan states that eligibility for an investor or partner visa starts at share capital of AED 50,000 or more. Sole shareholder: investor visa. Not the sole shareholder: partner visa. That figure is Meydan’s condition, not a Lexoford fee. These sources do not state one visa count for every licence. | Can assist with company registration in Meydan Free Zone. Not an authorized or official partner. Lexoford Services’ own Meydan licence, 2651822.01, is not a partner appointment. | Meydan — Fawri; Meydan — FAQ; Meydan — business proposal. Checked 2026-10-14. |
| DMCC, Dubai | The setup page lists individual, subsidiary and branch. A free zone company must have at least one shareholder, individual or corporate. A director and a company secretary must be appointed. One person may hold both roles. The Licensing Rules, effective 10 October 2024, list trading, service, commercial, industrial and freelance licences. The commercial category is for a special purpose vehicle, a holding company, a single family office and a multi family office. A freelance licence is for a natural person. The setup page states 100% business ownership, capital repatriation, and that a free zone company can be fully foreign owned without a local partner. | DMCC states that a company must have a registered address inside the free zone, and that the company must lease or own space in Jumeirah Lakes Towers. The same page lists a flexi-desk, a serviced office and a dedicated workspace. The districts named on the page are Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Uptown Dubai. | DMCC states that the number of visas depends on the size of the office and the type of licence. These sources do not publish one visa count for every company. A residence visa through the company requires a visit for the medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics. Company approval is not visa approval. | Can assist with company registration in DMCC. Not an authorized or official partner. | DMCC — set up a new business; DMCC Licensing Rules (PDF). Checked 2026-10-14. |
| SHAMS, Sharjah | The 2024 regulations define a company as a limited liability company with separate legal personality, at least one shareholder and no more than 50. A company or a foreign entity may apply for a branch. A branch has no separate legal personality. A valid licence is required, and only for the activity named on it. The licensing page states that up to five activities, including across industries, can sit on one licence. The FAQ states that a local partner is not required and that the owner has 100% ownership. | The regulations require the entity to keep a registered address in the zone. The contact page publishes Sharjah Media City (Shams), Al Messaned, Al Bataeh, Sharjah. These sources do not name one desk product as mandatory for every licence. | The licensing page states that a licence can carry up to 50 visas, with the allocation based on business needs and structure. That is a published maximum. It is not an approval for a named person, and it is not a count that every licence receives. | SHAMS Authorized Partner. No partner number is published. | SHAMS Companies and Licensing Regulations 2024 (PDF); SHAMS — licensing; SHAMS — FAQ; SHAMS — contact. Checked 2026-10-14. |
| RAKEZ, Ras Al Khaimah | The legal-entities page offers a free-zone entity and a non-free-zone entity. For the free-zone entity it states 100% ownership and profit repatriation. Free zone: an FZ-LLC with 1 to 50 shareholders. Non-free zone: an individual establishment with a sole owner, and an LLC with 2 to 50 shareholders, described as establishment in association with a UAE partner. It also lists a branch of a UAE company and a branch of a foreign company. The licence-types page lists commercial, educational, e-commerce, general trading, individual/professional, industrial, media, professional, service, and a freelancer permit. A dual licence is described as combining commercial and professional activities. Those sentences are RAKEZ’s statements. | The getting-started page lists flexi facilities, shell and core offices, standard offices, warehouses, executive offices, and land. The contact page lists business zones, an academic zone, and the Al Hamra, Al Ghail and Al Hulaila industrial zones. This row does not state a rent. | The getting-started page states that the visa application starts after the licence, a registration set and a bank letter are issued. The Al Hamra Industrial Zone page states eligibility to apply for UAE residence visas for investors and employees. Eligibility to apply is not an approval. The pages cited here do not publish one visa quota for every licence. | Can arrange company registration in RAKEZ. Not an authorized or official partner. | RAKEZ — legal entities; RAKEZ — licence types; RAKEZ — getting started; RAKEZ — Al Hamra. Checked 2026-10-14. |
| SPC Free Zone, Sharjah | SPC's homepage states 100% foreign ownership and offers furnished and unfurnished offices. Legal forms and the year the authority was set up are not stated here, because the source used could not be opened on 2026-10-15. | SPC Free Zone (Sharjah Publishing City) is at E311, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Al Zahia, Sharjah, per SPC's website. SPC's appointment page states that all business licences include a shared desk facility at SPC Free Zone, Al Zahia. This row does not state SPC fees or rent. | The same page states "Unlimited Visas on flexi desk". That is SPC's own claim. It is not an immigration approval and not a Lexoford allocation; each visa remains subject to approval. | Lexoford can assist with company registration in SPC Free Zone. Lexoford is not an authorized or official SPC partner. | Sources: SPC Free Zone homepage (https://www.spcfz.ae/); SPC appointment page (https://www.spcfz.ae/business-appointment/). Checked 2026-10-15. |
| Expo City Dubai Free Zone | Companies Regulations No. (1) of 2024 recognise a Company and a Branch. A Company has a separate legal personality. A Branch does not. Article 6.1 says any one or more persons may apply to register a Company. The June 2024 guide names the same routes as an FZ-LLC and a Free Zone Branch. Licensing Regulations Article 4.1 lists a Commercial Licence, a Service Licence, a Manufacturing Licence, an E-commerce Licence, a Holding Company Licence, a Logistics Licence, and any other category the Authority makes available. The June 2024 guide’s benefits table states 100% foreign ownership and does not state a tax rate. Article 21.4 says there is no prescribed minimum share capital unless the Registrar specifies one. | Licensing Regulations Article 5.12 says a licence application needs a valid lease or freehold unless the Registrar determines otherwise. The June 2024 guide calls a signed lease offer letter optional at initial approval and puts the final lease at a later step. This row does not resolve that difference, and it does not state a rent. | The June 2024 guide says the company card is issued with an employee allocation. The appendix says the allocation may vary with the activity, the layout, and health and safety. It states one employee per 9 square metres of office space, one per 15 square metres for food and beverage or retail, and two employees per shared desk. Those ratios are the guide’s method. They are not an approval for a named person. | Expo City Dubai Free Zone Channel Partner. No channel-partner number is published. | Companies Regulations No. (1) of 2024 (PDF); Licensing Regulations No. (2) of 2024 (PDF); Setup guide, version 02, June 2024 (PDF). Checked 2026-10-14. |
| Dubai mainland | The Department of Economy and Tourism’s mainland business licensing page lists industrial, commercial, professional, e-trader and dual licence types. It states that foreigners can own 100% of a mainland company in most sectors, and that some activities are restricted. It tells a new licensee to make an ultimate beneficial owner declaration and to register for corporate tax within three months. That three-month sentence is the Department’s instruction. It is not a tax rate. | The Department page used for this row does not state a premises rule. This row does not add one. | The Department page used for this row does not state a visa quota. This row does not add one. | Can assist with company registration on Dubai mainland. Not an authorized or official partner of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism or of Invest in Dubai. | Dubai DET — mainland business licensing. The Department footer records a site update of 09/05/2026. Checked 2026-10-14. |
How Lexoford Services relates to each row
Lexoford Services is an IFZA Authorized Professional Partner (Partner ID 11215-7490).
Lexoford Services is a SHAMS Authorized Partner.
Lexoford Services is an Expo City Dubai Free Zone Channel Partner.
Can assist with company registration in Meydan Free Zone, DMCC, RAKEZ and SPC Free Zone, and on Dubai mainland.
No SHAMS partner number is published. No Expo City Dubai channel-partner number is published.
Lexoford service fees
The amounts below are Lexoford Services’ public service fees. They are not a zone fee. 0–1 visa: Starter AED 3,999. 2–3 visas: Business AED 4,999. 5 visas: Premium AED 7,999. Each additional visa adds AED 1,000 service fee beyond the visas your tier includes. Customer pays = government and free-zone fees at cost + the Lexoford service fee. The cost calculator is an itemised estimate. It is not a copy of this table.
What this page leaves out
- No dirham figure for a zone licence, a visa, or an office, other than Meydan’s published share-capital condition of AED 50,000 for an investor or partner visa. That condition is not a Lexoford fee.
- No processing-time promise. Where an authority prints more than one timing sentence, the jurisdiction page records the difference and this table does not pick one.
- No score, and no sentence that one jurisdiction is the right one.
- No guarantee of a licence, a visa, or a bank account. What Lexoford Services does not guarantee.
Jurisdiction pages: IFZA, Meydan, DMCC, SHAMS, RAKEZ, Expo City Dubai, Dubai mainland. Decision questions, not a ranking: how to choose a Dubai free zone.
FAQ
Does this page rank UAE free zones?
No. It lines up licence form, premises and visa allocation as each authority publishes them, with the source and the check date. It does not score a zone, and it does not say which zone fits a company.
Does this page list free-zone package prices or commissions?
No. Free-zone and government fees are quoted by the authority and passed through at cost. This page does not copy a fee schedule, a package price, or a commission. The only Lexoford Services amounts on this page are the public service fees. 0–1 visa: Starter AED 3,999. 2–3 visas: Business AED 4,999. 5 visas: Premium AED 7,999. Each additional visa adds AED 1,000 service fee beyond the visas your tier includes. Customer pays government and free-zone fees at cost, plus the Lexoford service fee.
Is Lexoford Services an authorized partner of every jurisdiction in the table?
No. Lexoford Services is an IFZA Authorized Professional Partner (Partner ID 11215-7490). Lexoford Services is a SHAMS Authorized Partner. Lexoford Services is an Expo City Dubai Free Zone Channel Partner. Can assist with company registration in Meydan Free Zone, DMCC, RAKEZ and SPC Free Zone, and on Dubai mainland. No SHAMS partner number is published. No Expo City Dubai channel-partner number is published.
Does a visa figure in the table mean a named person will be approved?
No. A maximum, a ratio, or a sentence that visas depend on the office is the authority’s rule. Immigration decides each application. Approval of the company is not approval of a visa.
Is this legal, tax, or immigration advice?
No. Lexoford Services is not a law firm and is not the Federal Tax Authority. Confirm the current authority page before you apply. A later rule can change a sentence on this page.