This post is the full Meydan free zone cost, one line at a time. You will see the licence, every visa line, and the bill for 0, 1 and 2 visas. The government's part and my part sit in separate columns.
Fees as of October 2026. Last updated 13 October 2026. Government fees are each authority's published starting price, checked on 13 October 2026.
| Meydan, no visa | Government fee (AED) | My service fee (AED) | Total (AED) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence (trade licence, flexi-desk) | 12,520 | 2,500 | 15,020 |
| Total, 0 visas | 12,520 | 2,500 | 15,020 |
- Licence (trade licence, flexi-desk)
- Government fee (AED)
- 12,520
- My service fee (AED)
- 2,500
- Total (AED)
- 15,020
- Total, 0 visas
- Government fee (AED)
- 12,520
- My service fee (AED)
- 2,500
- Total (AED)
- 15,020
Fee sources, checked 13 October 2026: Meydan.
That is the whole bill if you don't need a visa. Government fees go directly to the authority. My fee is the AED 2,500.
What the licence costs in 2026
The licence is AED 12,520 to the government and AED 2,500 to me. Total: AED 15,020.
Meydan advertises the licence at AED 12,500. Its own checkout adds an AED 10 innovation fee and an AED 10 knowledge fee. That is where AED 12,520 comes from.
Meydan says its entry licence covers the trade licence, up to three business activity groups, and a flexi-desk. A flexi-desk is a shared desk, not a private office. Meydan says it comes with every licence at no extra cost.
An activity is the type of work your licence allows, like "IT consulting". If you need more than three activity groups, it costs extra. Ask me before you add them.
Can I get a licence without a visa?
Yes. Meydan says an investor visa is not required to establish the company. The visa is not issued with the licence. You add it as a separate step, when you need it.
What each visa adds
An investor visa adds AED 9,600 in government fees, if the person is already in the UAE. An employee visa adds AED 9,100. Here are the four lines.
| One visa, per person | Government fee (AED) | My service fee (AED) | Total (AED) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa quota (one visa slot on your licence) | 1,850 | Ask me | Ask me |
| Visa issuance, investor or partner | 4,000 | Ask me | Ask me |
| Visa issuance, employee | 3,500 | Ask me | Ask me |
| Change of status (only if inside the UAE) | 1,500 | Ask me | Ask me |
| Medical test and Emirates ID | 2,250 | Ask me | Ask me |
| Per investor visa, government lines | 9,600 | ||
| Per employee visa, government lines | 9,100 |
- Visa quota (one visa slot on your licence)
- Government fee (AED)
- 1,850
- My service fee (AED)
- Ask me
- Total (AED)
- Ask me
- Visa issuance, investor or partner
- Government fee (AED)
- 4,000
- My service fee (AED)
- Ask me
- Total (AED)
- Ask me
- Visa issuance, employee
- Government fee (AED)
- 3,500
- My service fee (AED)
- Ask me
- Total (AED)
- Ask me
- Change of status (only if inside the UAE)
- Government fee (AED)
- 1,500
- My service fee (AED)
- Ask me
- Total (AED)
- Ask me
- Medical test and Emirates ID
- Government fee (AED)
- 2,250
- My service fee (AED)
- Ask me
- Total (AED)
- Ask me
- Per investor visa, government lines
- Government fee (AED)
- 9,600
- My service fee (AED)
- Total (AED)
- Per employee visa, government lines
- Government fee (AED)
- 9,100
- My service fee (AED)
- Total (AED)
Meydan's cost breakdown lists the quota, the employment visa, the investor visa and the medical with Emirates ID. The AED 1,500 change of status comes from Meydan's cost calculator.
Visa quota means how many visas your licence allows. Meydan says up to six allocations are allowed under one licence. So one licence can carry up to six visas.
Every visa holder needs an Emirates ID, and a medical test if aged 18 or over. That is the AED 2,250 line.
For the visa lines, ask me for the exact service fee on WhatsApp. I don't print a service fee until it is fixed.
What is the immigration card?
Meydan calls it the Immigration and Establishment Card. It is the company's registration with the immigration system, not one person's. Meydan's cost calculator charges AED 2,000 for it. You pay it once per company, not once per visa. It comes in with your first visa.
Meydan says the card is valid for one year and renewed annually. So it comes back in year two.
The full bill with 1 visa
With one investor visa, the government fees are AED 24,120. Add my AED 2,500 licence fee and you get AED 26,620, before my visa service fee.
| Meydan, 1 investor visa (inside the UAE) | Government fee (AED) | My service fee (AED) | Total (AED) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence | 12,520 | 2,500 | 15,020 |
| Immigration card (once per company) | 2,000 | Ask me | Ask me |
| Visa quota | 1,850 | Ask me | Ask me |
| Visa issuance, investor | 4,000 | Ask me | Ask me |
| Change of status | 1,500 | Ask me | Ask me |
| Medical test and Emirates ID | 2,250 | Ask me | Ask me |
| Total, 1 visa | 24,120 | 2,500 + visa fee | 26,620 + visa fee |
- Licence
- Government fee (AED)
- 12,520
- My service fee (AED)
- 2,500
- Total (AED)
- 15,020
- Immigration card (once per company)
- Government fee (AED)
- 2,000
- My service fee (AED)
- Ask me
- Total (AED)
- Ask me
- Visa quota
- Government fee (AED)
- 1,850
- My service fee (AED)
- Ask me
- Total (AED)
- Ask me
- Visa issuance, investor
- Government fee (AED)
- 4,000
- My service fee (AED)
- Ask me
- Total (AED)
- Ask me
- Change of status
- Government fee (AED)
- 1,500
- My service fee (AED)
- Ask me
- Total (AED)
- Ask me
- Medical test and Emirates ID
- Government fee (AED)
- 2,250
- My service fee (AED)
- Ask me
- Total (AED)
- Ask me
- Total, 1 visa
- Government fee (AED)
- 24,120
- My service fee (AED)
- 2,500 + visa fee
- Total (AED)
- 26,620 + visa fee
So the first visa adds AED 11,600 in government fees. That is the AED 2,000 card plus the four visa lines.
The full bill with 2 visas
With an investor visa and an employee visa, the government fees are AED 33,220. With my AED 2,500 licence fee, that is AED 35,720, before my visa service fees.
| Meydan, 2 visas (both inside the UAE) | Government fee (AED) | My service fee (AED) | Total (AED) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence | 12,520 | 2,500 | 15,020 |
| Immigration card (once per company) | 2,000 | Ask me | Ask me |
| Visa 1, investor: quota, visa, change of status, medical and Emirates ID | 9,600 | Ask me | Ask me |
| Visa 2, employee: quota, visa, change of status, medical and Emirates ID | 9,100 | Ask me | Ask me |
| Total, 2 visas | 33,220 | 2,500 + visa fees | 35,720 + visa fees |
- Licence
- Government fee (AED)
- 12,520
- My service fee (AED)
- 2,500
- Total (AED)
- 15,020
- Immigration card (once per company)
- Government fee (AED)
- 2,000
- My service fee (AED)
- Ask me
- Total (AED)
- Ask me
- Visa 1, investor: quota, visa, change of status, medical and Emirates ID
- Government fee (AED)
- 9,600
- My service fee (AED)
- Ask me
- Total (AED)
- Ask me
- Visa 2, employee: quota, visa, change of status, medical and Emirates ID
- Government fee (AED)
- 9,100
- My service fee (AED)
- Ask me
- Total (AED)
- Ask me
- Total, 2 visas
- Government fee (AED)
- 33,220
- My service fee (AED)
- 2,500 + visa fees
- Total (AED)
- 35,720 + visa fees
The employee visa adds AED 9,100, not AED 11,600. You don't pay a second immigration card. The same rule holds for visa 3 and up, until you reach your quota.
If you are outside the UAE
Change of status is only for people already inside the UAE. If the person is outside, take AED 1,500 off each visa. For an investor visa, that leaves AED 8,100 in government fees, plus an entry permit. Meydan lists the entry permit fee as variable, so ask me for it.
Meydan explains the two routes on its residence visa page. Outside the UAE, an entry permit is issued. Inside the UAE, a status change switches your visa status.
So with one investor visa and the person abroad, government fees are AED 22,620 plus the entry permit. With my licence fee, that is AED 25,120, before the entry permit and the visa service fee.
What if I already have a job visa here?
If you live here on an employer visa, ask me whether you need a company visa on day one. Check your job contract first. Ask your employer about a no-objection letter (NOC). Read my post on starting a business while employed before you decide.
What is not in these numbers?
My tables cover the licence and visa lines Meydan publishes. A few costs sit outside them, because they depend on your case.
Ask about each one before you start:
- Health insurance. The UAE residence visa process lists medical insurance or a health card as a document. Meydan says it is mandatory for investors and some employees. Meydan's insurance page lists AED 1,400 a year for investors and employees.
- An entry permit, if the visa holder is outside the UAE. Meydan lists the entry permit as a variable cost.
- Extra activities, beyond the three groups in the licence.
- Family visas for a spouse or children. They are not on my price list, so ask me.
- An office upgrade, if a flexi-desk is not enough for you.
- Attestation and translation of documents issued outside the UAE, if asked.
- A corporate bank account. My fee for bank account help is from AED 2,000. The bank decides who gets an account, not me.
I cover the general version of this list in hidden charges in UAE business setup.
What will I pay in year two?
If you take a one-year licence, you renew it in year two. The government renewal fee is set by Meydan. My renewal fee is AED 1,000.
The immigration card renews every year too. Visas renew on their own dates. Meydan says investor visas are usually valid for two years. Ask me for your renewal bill a month before it is due, split the same way.
Is Meydan the right fit?
Meydan suits you if you want a Dubai address and your clients are mostly abroad or in the free zone. The licence is AED 12,520 in government fees. IFZA starts from about AED 12,900. Ajman (ANCFZ) with no visa is AED 4,888.
A free zone company can trade freely within the free zone and internationally. To sell directly in the UAE market, it must use a licensed mainland distributor or open a mainland branch.
If you don't need a Dubai address, a cheaper zone may do the same job. See my cheapest free zone comparison. If most of your customers are in the UAE, read mainland vs free zone first. You can also see all my free zone options or my business setup service.
Still not sure
Run your own visa count through my cost calculator. If your case has a twist, send me the details on WhatsApp. I will split your bill line by line.
This is general information, not tax or legal advice. For your personal case, speak to a registered tax advisor.
I set up companies in Dubai and the northern emirates. My fee and the government fee are always quoted separately.
