Fujairah Free Zone License: FFZA and Creative City Compared

What free zones are there in Fujairah?

Two free zones are listed for Fujairah: the Fujairah Free Zone Authority (FFZA) and Creative City. Both appear on the u.ae list of free zone authorities (updated 27 October 2026) and the Ministry of Economy and Tourism list of registrars (updated 30 October 2026).

A free zone is an area whose own authority licenses companies and processes their visas. FFZA covers about 4 million square metres and is served by Fujairah Port and Fujairah International Airport. Creative City says its licensing can be completed remotely, and every package lists a flexi desk, a shared workspace address.

Which licence and company type can you get in Fujairah?

In a Fujairah free zone, your activity decides the licence and your ownership the company form. FFZA's fields of investment run from trading, logistics and consultancy to manufacturing, marine, aviation, mining and petrochemicals; some need another authority's prior approval.

Creative City says it offers more than 2,000 activities, and its packages list 10. u.ae names the National Media Authority and the Fujairah Culture and Media Authority among the bodies that govern media organisations.

Branch or new company? See our guide to a branch or a subsidiary.

How much does a Fujairah free zone licence cost?

A Fujairah licence costs what its authority charges, and of the two zones only Creative City publishes package prices; FFZA's website lists no licence prices (checked 31 October 2026).

Creative City's published packages

Source: Creative City, updated 25 October 2026. Its cost calculator calls these package starting prices: check whether "1 visa" covers the visa fees themselves or only the allocation, and whether the medical test, Emirates ID and health insurance are covered.

Fujairah Free Zone (FFZA)

FFZA issues the licence once you pay the first year's licence, rent and other fees, according to its licence services page. Rent depends on the office, unit, warehouse or land you take, so there is no single figure. Its registration page lists a payment of AED 205 per application alongside the security application form (checked 31 October 2026).

A free zone licence carries an expiry date. At Creative City you send the renewal documents by email, and its home page offers 10% off renewal fees if you renew 40 days or more before expiry (checked 31 October 2026). No professional service fee on licence renewals; government and authority fees still apply.

How does Fujairah compare with the Meydan and IFZA packages?

Fujairah suits a business with a physical or media reason to be there; Meydan and IFZA suit a founder who wants a visa and banking help at a fixed price.

Our fixed prices: Meydan or IFZA, Dubai

Each figure is the full package total for that zone, Meydan or IFZA. The professional service fee inside the Basic, Standard and Premium totals is promotional, so those totals change when the promotion ends.

Bank account opening is subject to the bank's KYC, compliance review and final approval.

Fujairah or Dubai: what changes

Next: the Dubai free zone licence guide, the cost calculator and free zones in the UAE.

How do you set up a Fujairah free zone company from abroad?

A Fujairah free zone company can be set up largely online. FFZA describes its licensing as a single visit, and the visa stage brings a medical test and an Emirates ID, for which u.ae says you might need to visit a service centre of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP).

u.ae says a free zone licence follows within 14 working days of review and approval, and FFZA says within one hour once terms are agreed, fees paid and documents complete. Those are the authorities' figures, not ours.

Creative City licenses remotely once you have a unified identification number (UID) from an earlier entry stamp or visa, and helps first-time visitors get a visit visa.

Which documents does a Fujairah free zone ask for?

Fujairah free zones ask each owner for a passport copy and photo, and company owners for attested papers.

If the parent company is outside the UAE, FFZA wants its company documents, from the board resolution to the UBO certificate, notarised and attested by the UAE Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Can you get a UAE residence visa through a Fujairah company?

Yes, a Fujairah free zone company can sponsor your residence visa through its zone, within the visa quota your zone allows, which u.ae says depends on factors such as your package. Creative City's Elite lists 1 visa and Elite+ 2; FFZA lists visit, employment and residence visa services.

A sponsored residence visa runs 1, 2 or 3 years and needs a medical test from age 18 and an Emirates ID (u.ae). For the ID, u.ae says you might need to visit an ICP service centre to give your biometrics.

The visa lapses after more than 180 days in a row outside the UAE, with exceptions, and u.ae lists investors holding valid residence visas among them. See the residence visa through your own company and which visa to use for the first trip.

What kind of office do you need in Fujairah?

Your Fujairah office depends on your work: a flexi desk suits a consultant; stock needs a warehouse.

FFZA leases trading offices, pre-built units, warehouses and land; offices and pre-built units are yours once the licence is issued. On 31 October 2026, Creative City's office list started at AED 16,900 a year for an unfurnished 14.58 square metres, and most furnished offices of 17 to 26 square metres were listed at AED 22,100 to AED 28,730. Most listed offices showed as rented that day.

Can a Fujairah free zone company sell to UAE customers?

A Fujairah free zone company generally cannot sell directly to UAE mainland customers. u.ae says it must use a licensed mainland distributor or open a mainland branch or company, and goods pay customs duty only when they enter the mainland. Creative City advertises a Fujairah mainland option.

What about the bank account and corporate tax?

A Fujairah free zone company opens its bank account separately and must register for corporate tax. Banks check owners, source of funds and turnover, and local banks meet you in person. Bank account opening is subject to the bank's KYC, compliance review and final approval.

0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward. Those packages are our Meydan and IFZA packages; for Fujairah, ask for tax registration in your quote.

Free zone companies file a return within 9 months of the end of each tax period, and a qualifying free zone person that meets every condition can have a 0% rate on qualifying income (Ministry of Finance). Ask a tax adviser whether yours qualifies.

Frequently asked questions