Skip to content
FreezoneGuide
Compare zonesFind my zoneBy industryGuides
DubaiGeneral businessLogisticsIndustrial✓ Checked 2026-10-24

Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZ)

المنطقة الحرة بمطار دبي

DAFZ does not publish package prices on its own channels, offers up to 6 visas in a published package and requires at least a flexi-desk (checked 2026-10-24).

Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZ) is a general business, logistics and industrial free zone in Dubai, licensed by Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZA, brand DIEZ), established in 1996.

Official sources onlyOfficial site ↗Online portal ↗

Key facts

Solo, no visa · year 1
Not published
Only conditional, expired or freelance packages published. One founder, no residence visa, no office beyond a desk or virtual address, one activity.
Founder + 1 visa · year 1
Not published
Only conditional, expired or freelance packages published. One founder with one residence visa, flexi-desk or virtual office.
Team, 3 visas · year 1
Not published
Only conditional, expired or freelance packages published. Three residence visas, flexi-desk or small office.
Lowest package, any size
—
Licence fee from
—
Largest visa quota
6
In a published package
Minimum office
Flexi-desk
Incorporation
—
Min. share capital
AED 1
General trading
Yes
VAT Designated Zone
Yes
FTA list
Annual audit
Yes

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.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.

Published packages

Smart Office / Smart Office Plus

—year 1

1 visa · Flexi-desk

  • Business licence
  • Desk space (Smart Office Plus: semi-private desk)
  • 1 employment visa (asterisked on site)
  • Wi-Fi
Renewal not publishedSource ↗

Business Boutique Office

—year 1

2 visas · Serviced office

  • Closed office 9-23 sq.m with desk
  • Fully furnished
  • Business licence
  • 2 employment visas
  • Wi-Fi
Renewal not publishedSource ↗

Premium Office

—year 1

3 visas · Serviced office

  • Fully furnished office (25 sq.m in one listing, 50 sq.m in another on the same page)
  • Business licence
  • 3 employment visas
Renewal not publishedSource ↗

Premium Plus Office

—year 1

6 visas · Serviced office

  • 50 sq.m fully furnished and fitted office
  • Business licence
  • 6 employment visas
Renewal not publishedSource ↗

Standard Office (lease)

—year 1

2 visas · Private office

  • 25 sq.m office, own fit-out/turnkey option
  • Minimum 2 employment visas
Renewal not publishedSource ↗
Freelance permit

Talent Pass permit, 2-year visa package (freelance)

AED 13,596year 1

1 visa · No office

  • Talent Pass permit AED 7,500 (recurring annually)
  • Establishment card AED 2,000 (recurring annually)
  • Visa fee AED 4,096 (2-year visa)
  • Not included: Additional activity AED 550 each (max 3 activities)
  • Not included: Termination AED 665
  • Not included: Activity amendment AED 1,425
  • Not included: Optional Smart Office lease
Renewal not publishedSource ↗
Freelance permit

Talent Pass 5-year package with Golden Visa (freelance)

AED 58,580year 1

1 visa · No office

  • Permit fee AED 50,000 one-time for 5 years (AED 10,000/yr), paid in year 1
  • Establishment card AED 2,000 (recurring annually)
  • Golden Visa and NOC fees AED 6,580
  • Not included: Additional activity, termination and amendment fees
Renewal not publishedSource ↗

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.ae.

Packages differ in what they include; compare visas, office and fees before choosing.

Identity and legal basis

Official name (Arabic)
المنطقة الحرة بمطار دبي ↗
Former, merged or alternative names
DAFZA (Dubai Airport Freezone) ↗
Licensing / regulating authority
Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZA, brand DIEZ) ↗
Parent group / government body
Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZA), wholly owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) ↗
Zone type
General business, Logistics, Industrial ↗
Year established
1996 ↗
Official website
dafz.ae/en ↗
Online application portal
dafz.ae/login ↗
Listed on the Ministry of Economy and Tourism register of free-zone company registrars
Yes ↗
  • Physical locations / campuses: Main DAFZ campus next to Dubai International Airport Terminal 2 (Al Quds Street / Damascus Street intersection); DAFZ Industrial Park, Al Qusais (DIEZA Resolution 1/2022: 'DAFZA Industrial Park', Plot 2480438). [1]
  • Public contact email: saleslmt@dafz.ae. [1]
  • Public contact phone: +971 600 532 392. [1]
  • Number of registered companies: 3,300. [2]
  1. [1] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.ae, dlp.dubai.gov.ae, diez.ae and 1 more official source.

Business activities

Official approved activity list
dafz.ae/en/?jet_download=1a545a415a5aebde50212e9 ↗
Licence types offered
Trading, E-commerce, Services / consultancy, Industrial, General trading, Freelancer, Other ↗
General trading licence available
Yes ↗
  • Activity categories offered: Trade; E-commerce; Service; Industrial; General Trading; Single-Family Office (SFO); Multi-Family Office (MFO); Dual Licence with DET; Talent Pass (freelance: arts, culture, education, media, marketing, consultancy, technology). [1]
  • Restricted activities: Trading in hazardous products; Illegal activities. [1]
  • Conditions for general trading: 2018 DAFZ news: share capital requirement for new general trading licences halved from AED 1,000,000 to AED 500,000. No current official condition found. [2]
  1. [1] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.ae.

Cost - year one

  • Establishment / immigration card fee: AED 2,000. [1]
  • Visa fees: Talent Pass 2-year visa package: visa fee AED 4,096 (Talent Pass brochure); 5-year Golden Visa and NOC fees AED 6,580. [1]
  • Extras included: Rental office packages: licensing, registration and insurance; fully furnished offices; IT services and equipment; housekeeping; reserved parking; Talent Pass: access to Hayyak rewards programme and DAFZ Enablement Agency (DENA) listing. [2]
  1. [1] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.ae.

Cost - ongoing

  • Visa validity: 2 years. [1]
  • Lease escalation policy: Leases auto-renew for the same term unless the tenant gives notice 3 months before expiry (6 months for plots); renewal rent is to be agreed but may not be lower than the expiring rent; failing to give notice of non-renewal incurs a penalty of 3 months' rent. [2]
  • Multi-year licence discounts: Talent Pass offers a 5-year permit at AED 50,000 paid up front (AED 10,000/yr equivalent) versus AED 7,500/yr for the annual permit. No multi-year discount found for company licences. [1]
  • Current promotions and expiry: . [3]
  1. [1] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  3. [3] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.ae.

Visas and residency

  • Visa quota rule: Fixed per package: Smart Office desk 1 visa; Business Boutique (9-23 sq.m) 2; Standard office (25 sq.m) minimum 2; Premium 3; Premium Plus (50 sq.m) 6; Light Industrial Unit (~350 sq.m) 20; DAFZ Industrial Park 20 visas for spaces up to 350 sq.m and 30 above 350 sq.m. [1]
  • Max visas without dedicated office: 1. [1]
  • Investor / partner visa available: yes. [2]
  • Employee visa available: yes. [2]
  • Dependant / family visa sponsorship allowed: yes. [2]
  • Golden Visa support: Talent Pass 5-year package bundles a Golden Visa (Golden Visa and NOC fees AED 6,580), subject to approval. [3]
  1. [1] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  3. [3] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.ae.

Office and facilities

Minimum facility requirement
Flexi-desk ↗
Office / facility types
Flexi-desk, Serviced office, Private office, Warehouse, Light industrial unit, Retail unit, Land plot ↗
Warehouse available
Yes ↗
  • Warehouse sizes: Industrial Park: 33 warehouses, average 312 sq.m, average office 117 sq.m per warehouse (Blocks C & D), height 7.9-11.1 m; Light Industrial Units about 350 sq.m with 90 sq.m ground and mezzanine offices. [1]
  • Cold storage available: yes. [1]
  • Bonded facilities: yes. [1]
  • Land plots for build-to-suit: yes. [2]
  • Meeting rooms, co-working, amenities: Meeting rooms and boardrooms; Function rooms and auditorium; Video/audio conferencing; Complimentary Wi-Fi and hot beverages; Free parking; Food court and retail centre; Regus by DAFZ; Government service centre; Smart police station. [3]
  1. [1] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  3. [3] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.ae.

Market access and customs

Physical operations on the mainland allowed without an extra licence
No ↗
  • Dual licence cost: AED 10,000. [1]
  • Can open mainland branch: yes. [1]
  • Customs duty in the zone: Goods brought into, stored, used or made in the Free Zone are exempt from customs duty, as are exports outside the UAE; goods moved from the Free Zone into the Emirate's customs area are treated as imports and customs duty applies. [2]
  • Customs duty exemption details: Exemption for goods brought into, stored, used or produced in the Free Zone and for re-exports; duty applies when goods enter the local market (Law 16/2021 Art. 16). [2]
  1. [1] dlp.dubai.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] dlp.dubai.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dlp.dubai.gov.ae.

Tax status

VAT Designated Zone (per the FTA list)
Yes ↗
  • Which areas of zone are designated: Dubai Airport Free Zone and DAFZA Industrial Park Free Zone - Al Qusais are listed separately, both from 01/01/2018. FTA notes Designated Zone treatment requires the fenced area to meet Article 51 VAT Executive Regulation conditions. [1]
  • The zone states that its companies can qualify as a Qualifying Free Zone Person: yes. [2]

Corporate-tax statements above come from the zone or from general FTA guidance. The schedule of Free Zones under Cabinet Resolution 54/2023 was not available to this research, and the FTA advises taxpayers to confirm their Free Zone or Designated Zone status with the Free Zone authority. The 0% rate applies only to the Qualifying Income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person that meets all conditions; other income is taxed at the standard rate.

  1. [1] tax.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] dlp.dubai.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

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

Compliance and reporting

Annual audited financial statements required by the zone
Yes ↗
Beneficial-owner register filing required
Yes ↗
  • Audit exemption threshold or conditions: No exemption threshold found; audit applies to all companies. Talent Pass freelancers do not need an annual audit. [1]
  • Audit submission deadline: 2021 Regulations as written: FZCO accounts to be prepared and audited within 30 days after the financial year end (Reg 67.5) and filed with the Registrar within 30 days after the audit (Reg 67.6); PLC accounts within 6 months (Reg 67.4). [2]
  • Annual return and renewal documents: Audited financial statements by a DAFZ-approved auditor; UBO declaration and supporting documents. [1]
  1. [1] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.ae.

Banking

Zone offers bank-account facilitation
Yes ↗

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.ae.

Setup process and speed

Direct application without an agent
Yes ↗
  • Refund policy if rejected: Talent Pass fees are non-refundable; no company policy found. [1]
  1. [1] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.ae.

Operations, ecosystem and flexibility

  • Moving a company in or out (re-domiciliation): yes. [1]
  • Multi-year licence options: Talent Pass 5-year package (freelance). [2]
  1. [1] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] dafz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.ae.

Freelancer and solo founder

Freelancer permit available
Yes ↗

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.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, E-commerce, Services / consultancy, Industrial, General trading, Freelancer, Other.

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.ae.

Notes and history

  1. History · 1996

    According to the zone's About page, Dubai Airport Freezone was established by the Government of Dubai in 1996 under Law No. 2 of 1996. [source]

  2. History · 2017-09

    In September 2017 the zone signed a memorandum of understanding with Dubai's Department of Economic Development allowing companies in the zone to obtain dual licences to operate across Dubai, with the free zone's approval required first. The zone's business setup page lists this as the 'Dual Licence with DET'. [source 1][source 2]

  3. Legal basis · 2022-01-01

    Since 1 January 2022 the zone has been supervised by the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZA), set up by Dubai Law No. 16 of 2021 (issued 14 September 2021) and wholly owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai. The same law made DIEZA the legal successor of the former Dubai International Airport Free Zone Authority and repealed Law No. 25 of 2009, which previously governed the zone. [source]

  4. Good to know · 2022-01-07

    DIEZA Resolution No. 1 of 2022 (issued 7 January 2022) approves two separate plots linked to this zone, the Dubai International Airport Free Zone and the DAFZA Industrial Park, each with its own boundaries. [source]

  5. Names

    In Dubai legislation the zone's legal name is 'Dubai International Airport Free Zone'; 'Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZ)' is the brand used on the zone's website. The acronym DAFZA comes from the former Dubai Airport Freezone Authority, whose functions passed to DIEZA in 2022. [source 1][source 2]

Verified on 2026-10-24 from dafz.ae, dlp.dubai.gov.ae.

Questions worth asking

Does DAFZ require a physical office?

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

How many visas come with a DAFZ package?

The largest visa quota in a package DAFZ publishes is 6. Larger quotas usually need more office space; ask the zone for the rule that applies to you.

Can I get a general trading licence in DAFZ?

Yes, DAFZ offers a general trading licence.

Is DAFZ a VAT Designated Zone?

DAFZ 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.

What is the minimum share capital in DAFZ?

DAFZ states a minimum share capital of AED 1.

About this data

Every fact comes from DAFZ'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 →