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AjmanGeneral businessIndustrialE-commerce✓ Checked 2026-10-24

Ajman Free Zone (AFZ)

منطقة عجمان الحرة

AFZ does not publish package prices on its own channels and requires at least a flexi-desk (checked 2026-10-24).

Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) is a general business, industrial and e-commerce free zone in Ajman, licensed by Free Zones Authority - Ajman, established in 1988.

Official sources onlyOfficial site ↗Online portal ↗

Key facts

Solo, no visa · year 1
Not published
No package prices published. One founder, no residence visa, no office beyond a desk or virtual address, one activity.
Founder + 1 visa · year 1
Not published
No package prices published. One founder with one residence visa, flexi-desk or virtual office.
Team, 3 visas · year 1
Not published
No package prices published. Three residence visas, flexi-desk or small office.
Lowest package, any size
—
Licence fee from
—
Largest visa quota
Not published
No package states a quota
Minimum office
Flexi-desk
Incorporation
—
Min. share capital
Not published
General trading
Yes
VAT Designated Zone
Yes
FTA list
Annual audit
Not published

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae, tax.gov.ae.

Figures as published by the zone. “Not published” means no official source states it. Scenario prices are the published package closest to each set-up: solo, no visa = one founder, no residence visa, no office beyond a desk or virtual address, one activity; founder + 1 visa = one founder with one residence visa, flexi-desk or virtual office; team, 3 visas = three residence visas, flexi-desk or small office.

Identity and legal basis

Official name (Arabic)
منطقة عجمان الحرة ↗
Former, merged or alternative names
Ajman Free Zone (AFZA) ↗
Licensing / regulating authority
Free Zones Authority - Ajman ↗
Parent group / government body
Government of Ajman (public-sector authority granted independent status by the Ruler of Ajman) ↗
Zone type
General business, Industrial, E-commerce ↗
Year established
1988 ↗
Official website
afz.gov.ae ↗
Online application portal
eportal.afz.gov.ae/fzaoneclick/s/sign-in ↗
Listed on the Ministry of Economy and Tourism register of free-zone company registrars
Yes ↗
  • Physical locations / campuses: Gate 1 (main free zone area); Gate 2; Ajman Boulevard; Al Zorah Business Center; Amber Gem Tower; Business Cube; China Mall; Ajman Car Market. [1]
  • Public contact email: info@afz.ae. [2]
  • Public contact phone: 800 AFZA (800 2392); international +971 6 701 1555. [2]
  • Number of registered companies: 9,000. [3]
  1. [1] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  3. [3] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae, moet.gov.ae.

Business activities

Official approved activity list
afz.gov.ae/activity-list ↗
Licence types offered
Trading, General trading, Services / consultancy, Industrial, E-commerce, Freelancer, Other ↗
General trading licence available
Yes ↗
  • Activity categories offered: Commercial; Services; Industrial; General Trading; E-Commerce; Freelancer. [1]
  • Trading and services on one licence: no. [2]
  • Conditions for general trading: General trading licence carries one activity only; covers all goods except diesel, oil, crude oil, cars and garments, and except goods needing special licences. [2]
  1. [1] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae.

Cost - year one

  • Visa fees: AFZ publishes only partial items: labour insurance AED 265 per employee (mandatory since 1 Sep 2019, covers unpaid wages/end-of-service up to AED 20,000 per worker); company E-Channel renewal AED 1,100 per year; medical test at Al Hamidiya Health Center, Ajman (fee not stated). Entry permit, status change, residence and Emirates ID fees are not stated by AFZ. [1]
  • MoA / notary / attestation fees: AED 2,000. [1]
  1. [1] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae.

Cost - ongoing

  • Renewal grace period: 30 days. [1]
  • Fee for shareholder change: AED 4,035. [2]
  • Deregistration / liquidation fee: AED 2,500. [1]
  1. [1] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae.

Visas and residency

  • Visa quota rule: Quota is fixed per facility/package. Published: Executive Offices - two resident visas; Offices (furnished) - two resident visas; Freelancer & Pioneers Hub - two residence visas plus family sponsorship (licence-types page and FAQ: one visa for Pioneers; FAQ: two for Freelancer); Warehouses and short-term warehouses (from 100 sqm) - minimum of 14 resident visas; Land (from 1,000 sqm) - quotas tailored to the investor; Business Centre - no quota published. Additional quota is location-based and subject to Immigration approval. [1]
  • How to increase quota and cost: Additional quota depends on the location held; upgrade via a 'Change location' service request in the customer portal; extra visas processed subject to Immigration approval. Cost not published. [2]
  • Investor / partner visa available: yes. [3]
  • Employee visa available: yes. [3]
  • Dependant / family visa sponsorship allowed: yes. [2]
  • Golden Visa support: FAQ explains federal Golden Visa categories (Cabinet Resolution 8/2021, ICP); no AFZ-specific nomination or support service described. [2]
  • Time in the UAE to keep a visa valid: AFZ FAQ: an investor/partner holding a valid UAE residence visa may re-enter within one year of the exit date; a visa of someone outside the UAE for six months or more can be cancelled without the original passport. [2]
  • Visa process can start before the founder arrives: yes. [2]
  1. [1] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  3. [3] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae.

Office and facilities

Minimum facility requirement
Flexi-desk ↗
Office / facility types
Flexi-desk, Serviced office, Private office, Warehouse, Light industrial unit, Land plot, Retail unit, Staff accommodation ↗
Warehouse available
Yes ↗
  • Flexi-desk access terms: Freelancer & Pioneers Hub: open 24-hour office space; Business Centre: 24-hour security and full accessibility. [1]
  • Warehouse sizes: From 100 sqm (pre-built, eco-friendly and short-term warehouses); land plots from 1,000 sqm. [2]
  • Cold storage available: yes. [3]
  • Land plots for build-to-suit: yes. [4]
  • Meeting rooms, co-working, amenities: Shared co-working spaces; Bookable meeting rooms; Lounges with open canteen (free tea and coffee); Free Wi-Fi and laptops; 24-hour security and surveillance; Networking lounge. [5]
  1. [1] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  3. [3] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  4. [4] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  5. [5] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae.

Market access and customs

  • Rules for selling/shipping to UAE consumers: Selling online through third-party portals to clients in the UAE and abroad requires an E-commerce licence (not the Freelancer Package); an E-commerce licence holder needs a separate licence with an import/export activity to import goods. [1]
  1. [1] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae.

Tax status

VAT Designated Zone (per the FTA list)
Yes ↗

Verified on 2026-10-24 from tax.gov.ae.

Compliance and reporting

Beneficial-owner register filing required
Yes ↗
  • Substance requirements enforced by zone: No zone-specific substance rule found; AFZ FAQ reproduces federal Economic Substance Regulations guidance (Cabinet Resolution 57/2020, Ministerial Decision 100/2020). [1]
  • Activities needing anti-money-laundering registration: Brokers and real estate; Dealers in precious metals and precious stones; Independent accountants & auditors; Legal consultancy; Company service providers. [1]
  • Wage Protection System applies: yes. [1]
  • Annual return and renewal documents: Trade licence renewal request via customer portal; Establishment card renewal (expiry separate from licence); E-Channel renewal (AED 1,100 per year); Lease renewal for the facility; UBO/shareholder register updates within 15 days of any change. [1]
  1. [1] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae.

Banking

Zone offers bank-account facilitation
Yes ↗

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae.

Setup process and speed

Direct application without an agent
Yes ↗
  • Documents for an individual shareholder: Passport copy valid for at least 6 months; Coloured photograph; No Objection Letter from sponsor if the applicant is a UAE resident; Visa copy or UID. [1]
  • Attestation requirements for corporate shareholders: Corporate partner documents: MoA or AoA, board resolution, certificate of incorporation, power of attorney, passport copy of representative/manager, registration certificate from the home-country authority; feasibility study for industrial and services enterprises. Attestation/legalisation level not stated. [2]
  • Trade name rules: Name change via portal 'Company Amendments' request with a 15-day advertisement period; legal-form suffix (FZE/FZC) applies. No other naming rules published. [2]
  • Refund policy if rejected: Service-request fees are non-refundable once paid; unused entry-permit fees non-refundable; guarantees (office, visa, E-Channel) refunded after cancellation within about 10 working days on request. [2]
  1. [1] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae.

Operations, ecosystem and flexibility

  • Moving to larger premises: Office upgrade/downgrade via 'Change location' portal request; Freelancer Package cannot move to Business Centre (change licence type instead) and higher packages cannot downgrade to Freelancer (cancel and reapply). [1]
  • Adding shareholders: Portal request (Add Partner / Replace Shareholders) with security approval and 14-day newspaper announcement; add-partner fees total AED 4,035 (see G04). [1]
  • Multi-year licence options: 1-3 year renewal options (Offices, Executive Offices); Land: 3 years or more upfront payment accepted. [2]
  • Multiple licences under one group: yes. [1]
  1. [1] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae.

Freelancer and solo founder

Freelancer permit available
Yes ↗

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae.

Industry-specific regulation

  • Healthcare and education approvals: AFZ publishes a Technical Guidelines Manual for Health-Related Activities and HSE requirements for health/food establishments; external approving bodies not listed. [1]
  • Hazardous goods and environmental approvals: AFZ publishes a Technical Guidelines Manual for Industrial Activities and activity-specific HSE requirements (chemical storage, diesel, dyes, welding, furniture, fiberglass, clothes); civil defence certificate obtained from Ajman Civil Defence. [1]
  1. [1] afz.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae.

Activity fit (our view)

Needs a regulator's approval

  • None

Not offered

  • None

Our assessment from the zone's published licence types. Always confirm your exact activity on the zone's official activity list. Official activity list ↗ Licence types the zone publishes: Trading, General trading, Services / consultancy, Industrial, E-commerce, Freelancer, Other.

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae.

Notes and history

  1. Legal basis · 1988

    Ajman Free Zone was launched in 1988 and was granted independent status by H.H. Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Ruler of Ajman. On the Ministry of Economy's list of free-zone company registrars, Ajman Free Zone and Ajman Media City both appear under the Ajman Free Zone Licensing Authority. [source 1][source 2][source 3]

  2. History · 1995

    According to the zone's timeline, Gate 1 was established in 1995 with an area of 342,746 sq m and Gate 2 in 2001 with 252,529 sq m. Business blocks A1, B1 and C1 added a further 14,462 sq m in 2005. [source]

  3. History · 2021

    In 2021 the zone launched an E-commerce Hub with co-working space and an AI Robotics Hub offering digital access to its services, and added new warehouses near Ajman Port from 100 sq m. [source]

  4. Good to know

    The zone is marketed as Ajman Free Zone (AFZ), while its FAQ and customer portal refer to the regulator as the Free Zones Authority – Ajman. A 2025 article on the zone's own website says this authority, led by H.E. Ismail Al Naqi, also covers Ajman Media City and Al Zorah. [source 1][source 2]

  5. Good to know

    Besides its two gates, the zone operates several separate sites: it signed an agreement with China Mall in 2010, launched the Ajman Car Market in 2014, signed an agreement in 2019 to manage the Al Zorah Business Center, and announced the Ajman Boulevard commercial complex in 2020. [source]

Verified on 2026-10-24 from afz.gov.ae, moet.gov.ae.

Questions worth asking

Does AFZ require a physical office?

The minimum facility AFZ states is: flexi-desk. Facility types offered: flexi-desk, serviced office, private office, warehouse, light industrial unit, land plot, retail unit, staff accommodation.

Can I get a general trading licence in AFZ?

Yes, AFZ offers a general trading licence.

Is AFZ a VAT Designated Zone?

AFZ appears on the Federal Tax Authority's list of VAT Designated Zones. Often only some areas of a zone are designated; see the tax section and confirm with the zone.

About this data

Every fact comes from AFZ's own channels or a UAE government source, linked next to it. Last checked 2026-10-24. 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.

Rules for every zone

Explained in the guides on corporate tax, VAT Designated Zones and mainland access.

How we check

Prices are re-checked every 90 days and other facts on a schedule. How we verify →