Business Setup · Visas 2026
UAE free zone visa quota comparison
Starter is not the ceiling
Every partner zone publishes a starter visa allocation on the entry package. That number is not the maximum you can eventually hold. Ceilings usually unlock only when you move from a virtual or flexi desk into dedicated office or warehouse tenancy — and immigration still has to approve each person. Use the table for planning; confirm the exact package before you sign.
| Zone | Starter | Ceiling | What unlocks more visas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meydan Free Zone Dubai | 6 | 50 | Higher allocations require moving from a virtual desk to a dedicated office. Ceiling commonly cited at 50+. |
| IFZA (International Free Zone Authority) Dubai | 3 | No package ceiling | No strict package ceiling — unlocked by leasing physical space inside DIEZ. 0-visa base licence AED 12,900. |
| SPC Free Zone (Sharjah Publishing City) Sharjah | 3 | 100 | Starter packages typically 3–5 visas; ceiling up to 100 with warehouse/office tenancy. |
| Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone Ajman | 2 | No package ceiling | Unlimited on corporate justification and dedicated flexi-space expansions. |
| Ajman Free Zone Ajman | 2 | 5 | Starter typically 2–3 visas; executive offices up to 5; warehouses scale further. |
Partner-published tariffs · verified 12 August 2026 · confirm exact fees at consultation
Mainland vs free zone — why this table has no mainland column
Search results for this query now mix mainland-versus-free-zone explainers with zone-vs-zone tables. Those are different products. Mainland visa count typically follows office size and MOHRE/DED rules; it is not a line in our partner tariff file, so we do not invent a number to fill a sixth column. If you need mainland, say so in the brief. If you need a free zone, the five rows above are the comparison we can actually source.
Size the quota to the people, not the brochure
Solo or 1–2 people
ANC and AFZ start at 2 visas. IFZA notes a 0-visa base licence if you do not need residency in year one. Do not buy a six-visa Meydan starter because the brochure looks safer.
Small team (about 3–6)
Meydan’s starter of 6 is the loosest entry among these five. IFZA and SPC start at 3. Size for the people you will actually employ in year one.
Scaling past a flexi desk
Meydan’s cited ceiling is 50 with dedicated office. SPC notes up to 100 with warehouse or office tenancy. IFZA has no package cap once DIEZ space is leased. Model the lease before the visa count.
Full cost breakdown by zone
Visa quota is only one line in the all-in number. Open each partner zone for licence fees, renewal bands, and the hidden processing costs that usually sit outside the headline package.
FAQ
Is free-zone visa quota the same as a mainland quota?
No. This table is partner free-zone packages only. Mainland allocations follow a different office-size and MOHRE/DED regime that is not in our partner tariff file, so we do not invent a mainland column. If your plan is mainland, say so in consultation — do not size a free-zone starter pack as if it were mainland.
Does “unlimited” IFZA quota mean unlimited visas on a flexi desk?
No. IFZA has no strict package ceiling in the tariff file, but higher allocations unlock by leasing physical space inside Dubai Internet City’s IFZA campus (DIEZ). Treating an unlimited brochure line as a virtual-desk plan is how founders get surprised by rent.
What is the Meydan starter allocation versus the ceiling?
Meydan’s published starter allocation is 6 visas; the commonly cited ceiling is 50. Moving from a virtual or flexi desk to a dedicated office is what unlocks the higher band. Immigration still approves each person.
Can I buy extra visas without changing office?
Sometimes at the margin, often not at the ceiling. Each partner zone ties larger allocations to a facility type. Confirm the package and the tenancy together — a visa quote without the workspace line is incomplete.