Dubai International Financial Centre
DIFC · Dubai · regulator DFSA · Common law
Dubai's common-law financial free zone regulated by the DFSA — financial, professional and innovation/tech firms.
Licence cost
Innovation Licence (subsidised)
USD 1,500/yr
Subsidised 2–5 yrs; includes coworking + discounted visas.
Prescribed Company / SPV (annual)
USD 1,000/yr (+USD 100 app)
Standard commercial licence (annual)
USD 12,000/yr
Registration & fees
Incorporation (Private Co Ltd by Shares)
USD 8,000 one-time
Minimum capital
DFSA base capital — Cat 3C (asset/fund mgmt)
USD 70,000–140,000
DFSA base capital — Cat 4 (advising/arranging)
USD 10,000–30,000
Timeline
Non-regulated company setup
6–10 weeks
Activities
Core offerings
Professional, FinTech/innovation, SPVs/foundations, DFSA-regulated financial services
Needs separate approval
A DIFC commercial licence does not authorise DFSA-regulated financial services; those require separate DFSA authorisation.
Setup steps
Reserve company name
~2 working days
Submit incorporation documents
AoA, IDs, business plan to DIFC Registry
Secure office & receive certificate
Visa quota tied to leased space
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