# The annual compliance calendar for a free zone company > What falls due every year for a UAE free zone company, from licence renewal and audits to beneficial owner records and FTA tax returns, and who sets each rule. Category: Running a company · Reviewed 2026-10-27 · https://freezoneguide.com/guides/free-zone-annual-compliance ## Key takeaways - The licence, establishment card and residence visas are renewed on the free zone's and the immigration authority's cycles; ICP's establishment card renewal requires a valid trade licence. - The FTA states that a Free Zone Person, including a Qualifying Free Zone Person, must file its corporate tax return and pay any tax within nine months of the end of each tax period. - Ministerial Decision 84 of 2025 requires audited financial statements from every Qualifying Free Zone Person and from taxable persons with revenue above AED 50 million. - Cabinet Decision 109 of 2023 requires a beneficial owner register, with changes reported to the registrar within 15 days; financial free zones are outside its scope. - The Ministry of Finance states that economic substance notifications and reports are no longer required for financial years ending after 31 December 2022. A free zone company's yearly obligations come from three places. The **free zone** sets licence renewal and its own audit and reporting rules. The **immigration authorities** (ICP, or GDRFA-Dubai for Dubai establishments) set the establishment card and residence visa cycles. **Federal law** sets corporate tax, VAT and beneficial owner rules: the FTA states that a corporate tax return is due within nine months of the end of each tax period, and Cabinet Decision 109 of 2023 requires an up-to-date beneficial owner register. Economic substance reporting no longer applies to financial years ending after 31 December 2022, according to the Ministry of Finance. ## The calendar at a glance | Obligation | Who sets it | When | Official source | |---|---|---|---| | Licence renewal | Free zone authority | Before the licence expires, on the zone's terms | The zone's rules and fee schedule | | Establishment card renewal | ICP or GDRFA-Dubai | Before the card expires; needs a valid licence | ICP establishment card service | | Residence visa renewals | ICP or GDRFA-Dubai; ask the zone how requests are submitted | When each visa expires | ICP residency services | | Audited financial statements | Free zone rules; Ministerial Decision 84 of 2025 for corporate tax | Each financial year | The zone's rules; MoF | | Beneficial owner register | Cabinet Decision 109 of 2023 | Within 60 days of licensing, then within 15 days of any change | MoET | | Corporate tax return and payment | FTA | Within 9 months of the tax period end | FTA | | VAT returns, if registered | FTA | Usually within 28 days of each quarterly or monthly period | UAE Government portal | | Economic substance reporting | Cabinet Decision 98 of 2024 | Not required for financial years ending after 31 December 2022 | MoF | ## Licence, establishment card and visas **Licence renewal.** Each free zone sets its own renewal process, documents and fees, so ask your zone for its renewal checklist well before the expiry date. Renewal fees are on each zone page where the zone publishes them. Our [renewal costs guide](/guides/free-zone-renewal-costs) explains why year two can cost a different amount from year one. _Live data · figures as published by each zone · Verified on 2026-10-24 from tax.gov.ae, ancfz.ae and 7 more official sources_ | Free zone | Emirate | Lowest package (yr 1) | Licence fee from | Max visa quota | Min. office | Incorporation | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone](https://freezoneguide.com/uae/abu-dhabi/adafz) | Abu Dhabi | AED 6,000 | AED 6,000 | 2 | Not published | 4 days | | [Ajman Free Zone](https://freezoneguide.com/uae/ajman/afza) | Ajman | Not published | Not published | Not published | Flexi-desk | Not published | | [Ajman Media City Free Zone](https://freezoneguide.com/uae/ajman/ajman-media-city) | Ajman | AED 4,999 | AED 4,999 | 3 | Flexi-desk | Not published | | [Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone](https://freezoneguide.com/uae/ajman/ancfz) | Ajman | AED 4,888 | AED 4,888 | 0 | Flexi-desk | 1 day | | [Creative Zone](https://freezoneguide.com/uae/abu-dhabi/twofour54) | Abu Dhabi | Not published | AED 15,000 | Not published | Flexi-desk | 14 days | | [Dubai Airport Freezone](https://freezoneguide.com/uae/dubai/dafza) | Dubai | Not published | Not published | 6 | Flexi-desk | Not published | | [Dubai Cars and Automotive Zone (DUCAMZ)](https://freezoneguide.com/uae/dubai/ducamz) | Dubai | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | | [Dubai CommerCity](https://freezoneguide.com/uae/dubai/dubai-commercity) | Dubai | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | **Establishment card.** ICP describes the establishment card as an electronic card that reflects the company's registered establishment data. Its renewal service states that renewal is granted only if a valid trade licence is available, and that outstanding fines on the establishment must be paid. The licence therefore needs to be renewed first. **Residence visas.** Each visa runs on its own cycle from its issue date, so renewals do not all fall in the same month. ICP's residency service lists grace periods after a residence permit expires or is cancelled. The period is 30 days for most categories and longer for some, such as Golden Visa holders. It also lists a fine of AED 50 per day for staying after a visa expires or is cancelled. ## Audited financial statements There are two separate sources of audit obligations: - **The free zone.** Many zones require annual audited accounts under their own regulations. Each zone page on this site shows whether the zone requires an annual audit; ask the zone when and how it wants the accounts submitted. - **Corporate tax.** Ministerial Decision 84 of 2025 applies to tax periods starting on or after 1 January 2025. It requires audited financial statements from **every Qualifying Free Zone Person** and from any taxable person (other than a tax group) with **revenue above AED 50,000,000** in the tax period. The FTA's Free Zone Persons bulletin adds that a Qualifying Free Zone Person must keep enough documentation to show how it calculated its Qualifying Income. Audited statements are also one of the conditions in our [Qualifying Free Zone Person guide](/guides/qualifying-free-zone-person-corporate-tax). ## Beneficial owner register Cabinet Decision 109 of 2023 applies to legal persons licensed in the UAE, "including the commercial free zones". Financial free zones and wholly government-owned companies are outside its scope. A beneficial owner is a natural person who owns or controls 25% or more of the company, directly or through a chain, or who controls it by other means. The decision requires the company to: - keep a beneficial owner register, created within 60 days of the company coming into existence (Article 8) - submit the register and its shareholder register to the registrar within 60 days of licensing (Article 11) - submit its basic company data to the registrar when it applies for licensing, renewal or amendments (Article 11) - update its register within 15 days of learning of a change (Article 8), report any change to the registrar within 15 days (Article 15), and answer registrar requests within 14 days (Article 11) The decision defines the registrar as the authority that supervises the trade names register for the establishment. Ask your free zone authority how it collects beneficial owner data. ## Corporate tax and VAT **Corporate tax.** The FTA's Free Zone Persons bulletin states that a Free Zone Person, including a Qualifying Free Zone Person, must file its tax return and pay any corporate tax within **nine months** of the end of the relevant tax period. It must also keep records for **seven years** after the end of the tax period they relate to. For a tax period ending 31 December 2025, the FTA set the deadline at 30 September 2026. Under Cabinet Decision 75 of 2023 as amended, a late return costs AED 500 a month for the first 12 months and AED 1,000 a month after that. **VAT.** If the company is registered for VAT, returns are periodic, not annual. According to the UAE Government portal, the standard tax period is quarterly for businesses with turnover below AED 150 million and monthly at or above it. Returns are usually due within 28 days of the period end. Under Cabinet Decision 40 of 2017 as amended, a late VAT return costs AED 1,000 the first time and AED 2,000 for a repeat within 24 months. Registration thresholds and deadlines are covered in our [VAT and corporate tax registration guide](/guides/uae-vat-corporate-tax-registration). > Get a personalised shortlist in 2 minutes: https://freezoneguide.com/uae/find ## Economic Substance Regulations The Ministry of Finance announced on 14 October 2024 that Cabinet Decision 98 of 2024 lifted economic substance reporting requirements for financial years ending after 31 December 2022. Companies no longer submit notifications or reports for those years. They remain responsible for earlier years and must still respond to requests from regulators or the FTA. Economic substance reporting is separate from the "adequate substance" condition for Qualifying Free Zone Persons, which still applies under the corporate tax rules. ## Building your own calendar Dates differ for every company, so the calendar is easiest to keep from four anchor dates: 1. **Licence expiry date**, for licence and establishment card renewal and any zone audit submission. 2. **Each visa's expiry date.** 3. **Financial year end**, from which the audit, corporate tax return (nine months) and record-keeping periods run. 4. **VAT period end dates**, if registered. Add the 15-day window for reporting beneficial owner changes whenever shareholders or control change. Where a deadline depends on your circumstances, confirm it with the zone, the FTA or a licensed tax adviser. ## Next steps Check your zone's renewal requirements on its [zone page](/uae/free-zones), and read the [renewal costs guide](/guides/free-zone-renewal-costs) to budget for year two. If you are planning to wind down or relocate instead of renewing, see [closing or moving a free zone company](/guides/close-or-move-free-zone-company). Our sources and checking process are on [how we verify](/how-we-verify). ## FAQ ### When is the corporate tax return due? Within nine months of the end of the tax period, according to the FTA. For a tax period ending 31 December 2025 the FTA set the deadline at 30 September 2026. ### Does every free zone company need audited accounts? For corporate tax, Ministerial Decision 84 of 2025 requires audited financial statements from every Qualifying Free Zone Person and from any taxable person (other than a tax group) with revenue above AED 50 million, for tax periods starting on or after 1 January 2025. Many free zones also require audited accounts under their own rules; each zone page on this site shows whether it does. ### Do free zone companies still file economic substance reports? The Ministry of Finance announced in October 2024 that, under Cabinet Decision 98 of 2024, economic substance reporting requirements were lifted for financial years ending after 31 December 2022. Obligations for earlier years, and requests from regulators or the FTA, still apply. ### Who keeps the beneficial owner register? The company does. Cabinet Decision 109 of 2023 requires it to keep a register of its beneficial owners, submit the data to the registrar within 60 days of licensing, and report changes within 15 days. ### Are VAT returns annual? No. According to the UAE Government portal, the standard VAT tax period is quarterly for businesses with annual turnover below AED 150 million and monthly above that, with returns usually due within 28 days of the period end. ## Sources - [FTA Basic Tax Information Bulletin: Free Zone Persons (2024)](https://tax.gov.ae/Datafolder/Files/Pdf/2024/CT%20Bulletin/Basic%20Tax%20Information%20bulletin-%20Free%20Zone%20Person-English.pdf) — Registration, nine-month return and payment deadline, audited statements for QFZPs, seven-year record keeping. - [FTA notice: 30 September 2026 deadline for corporate tax returns (26 September 2026)](https://tax.gov.ae/en/media.centre/news/pr.2809.aspx) — Deadline for tax periods ending 31 December 2025. - [Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025 on Audited Financial Statements](https://mof.gov.ae/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ministerial-Decision-No.-84-of-2025-on-Audited-Financial-Statements.pdf) — Issued 25 March 2025; applies to tax periods starting on or after 1 January 2025. - [Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023 on Regulating the Beneficial Owner Procedures (MoET English version)](https://www.moet.gov.ae/documents/20121/0/Cabinet+Decision+109-2023+English+Version+06062024.pdf/f7138fc2-fe12-cef3-077b-b4c49c12eabd?t=1718181974877) — Scope (commercial free zones included, financial free zones excluded), 60-day and 15-day deadlines. - [Ministry of Finance: amendment to the economic substance Cabinet decision (14 October 2024)](https://mof.gov.ae/en/news/ministry-of-finance-announces-amendment-to-cabinet-decision-on-economic-substance-requirements/) — Cabinet Decision 98 of 2024; no ESR reporting for financial years ending after 31 December 2022. - [UAE Government portal: file VAT returns](https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/finance-and-investment/taxation/vat/filing-a-tax-return-for-vat) — Quarterly or monthly tax periods; returns usually within 28 days. - [ICP: renewal of establishment card](https://icp.gov.ae/en/services-details/?serviceid=64afe3c1035448005bd52e6e) — Renewal requires a valid trade licence and payment of outstanding fines. - [ICP: cancellation of residency permits](https://icp.gov.ae/en/services-details/?serviceid=64afe3c1035448005bd52e68) — Grace periods after a residence permit expires or is cancelled; overstay fine. - [Cabinet Decision No. 75 of 2023 and its amendments (FTA published version)](https://tax.gov.ae/datafolder/Files/Legislation/Cabinet%20Decision%20No.%2075%20of%202023%20and%20amendments%20-%20For%20Publishing.pdf) — Corporate tax penalties, including late returns; as amended by Cabinet Decision 10 of 2024. - [Cabinet Decision No. 40 of 2017 and its amendments (MoF consolidated version, November 2025)](https://tax.gov.ae/Datafolder/Files/Legislation/2025/Cabinet%20Decision%20No.%2040%20of%202017%20and%20its%20amendments%20-%20publishing%2011%202025.pdf) — Tax procedures penalties applying to VAT, including late returns; as amended by Cabinet Decision 129 of 2025. ## General information, not advice This guide is general information about UAE rules and free zone requirements, based on official sources on the dates shown. It is not legal, tax, immigration, employment or financial advice, and reading it does not create an adviser relationship. Rules change and their effect depends on your circumstances: before you act, confirm with the relevant authority (the free zone, the Federal Tax Authority, ICP or GDRFA, or the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) or a professional licensed in the UAE. --- Source: FreezoneGuide (https://freezoneguide.com/). AED, as published by each zone on its official channels. Information collected from free-zone authorities and UAE government sources on the dates shown. Fees and rules change; the zone's current schedule prevails. Not legal, tax or financial advice.