JAFZA · Jebel Ali Free Zone

JAFZA company formation, the UAE's oldest free zone, built on port access.

For UK directors whose business moves physical goods, JAFZA offers direct proximity to Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum International Airport, decades of institutional track record, and infrastructure built specifically for logistics, trading and manufacturing.

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UK & UAE Coordinated · Direct Port Access

JAFZA

Jebel Ali, Dubai
Logistics & Manufacturing

Location

Jebel Ali, adjacent to the port, Dubai

Activity focus

Logistics, trading, manufacturing, heavy industry

Office requirement

Office/warehouse space common for trading & industrial licences

Cost tier

Middle-to-upper end of our typical range

Why JAFZA suits businesses moving physical goods

Direct port access

JAFZA sits immediately adjacent to Jebel Ali Port, one of the world's largest man-made harbours, which removes a logistical step most other free zones simply don't offer.

The UAE's original free zone

JAFZA was among the first UAE free zones established and has grown into one of the largest by both scale and tenant count, giving it a depth of institutional experience few zones can match.

Built for manufacturing & heavy trade

Where most free zones are office-first, JAFZA's infrastructure genuinely supports warehousing, light and heavy manufacturing, and large-scale import/export operations.

Who a JAFZA setup suits

Import/export & logistics businesses

Direct port and airport proximity removes a real logistical and cost burden for businesses regularly moving freight in or out of the UAE.

Manufacturers & assemblers

JAFZA's industrial infrastructure supports production operations that need genuine floor space, power capacity and logistics access.

Businesses needing bonded warehousing

Companies that need to store goods under bonded/free-zone customs treatment before onward distribution find JAFZA's facilities built for exactly this.

Established trading companies scaling up

UK trading businesses outgrowing a smaller zone's flexi-desk model often move to JAFZA specifically for its scale and multinational-company neighbourhood.

Who JAFZA probably doesn't suit

JAFZA probably isn't the right choice if your business is purely digital or service-based with no import/export, storage or manufacturing need. Its office and facility costs, and its industrial/logistics-oriented infrastructure, are built for businesses moving physical goods, so a purely remote consultancy is unlikely to see any real benefit from being based there over a lower-cost, office-focused zone.

What a JAFZA setup actually costs

Across our UAE setups generally, licences start around £3,000–£3,500 a year, with a realistic first-year total, including visa, banking and a proper UK exit, usually £8,000–£15,000. JAFZA typically sits toward the middle-to-upper end of that range for standard trading licences, and can run well above it once you factor in warehouse or industrial facility costs.

Facility size and type is the single biggest variable here: a small trading licence with a shared office costs meaningfully less than a dedicated warehouse unit, so getting an accurate figure depends on confirming your actual space and logistics needs upfront.

For the full breakdown of what's typically included in year one versus what gets added later, see our full Dubai company setup cost guide.

Your JAFZA Setup Roadmap

A coordinated process that keeps your UK side clean while your JAFZA company is formed.

Free Consultation

We confirm your logistics, warehousing or manufacturing needs and whether JAFZA fits them.

Facility & Licence Selection

We match you to the right licence and facility type, from office to warehouse.

Application & Approval

We prepare and submit the application and coordinate approvals on your behalf.

Visa & Banking

We support your residency visa and UAE bank account application once the licence is issued.

The Detail

What each stage of a JAFZA setup actually involves

Free consultation & facility scoping

2–5 business days

We confirm your actual logistics, warehousing or manufacturing needs, floor space, power, port access, and whether JAFZA genuinely fits them before recommending it over a lower-cost zone.

Common snag: Committing to a facility size based on projected future growth rather than current need is a common and expensive mistake; we scope this against your real, near-term requirement.

Facility identification & licence selection

1–3 weeks, depending on facility type and availability

We match you to the right licence category and identify suitable facility space, from a standard office through to a dedicated warehouse or industrial unit.

Common snag: Warehouse and industrial unit availability can take longer to secure than a standard office, and some activities need an additional environmental or civil defence NOC, both of which extend this stage beyond a flexi-desk zone's timeline.

Application submission & licence issuance

Usually 1–2 weeks from a complete application, longer for industrial facilities

We prepare and submit the application and coordinate JAFZA's approvals, including any facility-specific approvals your activity requires.

Common snag: Underestimating facility lead time against a UK exit date is the single most common planning error we see with JAFZA setups; we build this into your timeline from the first consultation rather than discovering it mid-process.

Visa, Emirates ID & banking

Visa/Emirates ID 2–3 weeks · banking 2–4 weeks, run in parallel

Once the licence is issued, your residency visa and Emirates ID processing run alongside your UAE corporate bank account application.

Common snag: JAFZA's scale and established reputation generally make banking straightforward, but larger facility-holding companies sometimes face more detailed due diligence questions about operations, which a clear business plan resolves quickly.

Before You Start

Documents & requirements checklist

What a UK director actually needs to have ready for a JAFZA application, so nothing holds up your file once we submit it.

To submit the licence application

Passport copy for every shareholder and the appointed manager, at least six months' validity remaining.
Passport-style photograph, white background, for each shareholder and manager.
Proof of current UK residential address, a utility bill or bank statement, usually no older than three months.
A business plan or activity description, including your actual space, storage or production needs.
Two to three preferred trade name options.
Draft shareholding structure, confirmed before filing.

To finish licensing, banking & visas

Facility lease or reservation (office, warehouse or industrial unit) matched to your licence category.
Site layout plan and any activity-specific NOC, for example environmental or civil defence approval, for industrial or warehouse licences.
No Objection Certificate (NOC) for a residency visa, only relevant if you already hold a UAE visa sponsored by a different employer.
UK company documents (Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum & Articles), if the JAFZA entity is a subsidiary of your existing UK limited company.
Medical test and biometrics appointment, completed in person during one short UAE trip, for each visa applicant.
Emirates ID application documents, processed alongside the residency visa once approved.

This covers what most JAFZA applications need; your facility type, whether office, warehouse or industrial unit, is the biggest factor in what gets added, which we confirm before you gather anything.

Free

Initial Strategy Review

£0

Upfront Costs

HMRC

Compliant & Documented

Direct

Access to Your Named Advisor

Sufyan Ali, Finance Director · Muhammad Usman Rafiq, Senior Accountant

Every engagement is personally overseen by a senior member of our Dubai-based team.

Meet the full team →

Frequently Asked Questions

JAFZA typically sits toward the middle-to-upper end of our typical range, reflecting its scale and infrastructure. Across our UAE setups generally, licences start around £3,000–£3,500 a year, with a realistic first-year total, including visa, banking and a proper UK exit, usually £8,000–£15,000. Costs for warehouse or industrial units within JAFZA can run above that range depending on facility size.

No. JAFZA is home to a wide range of business sizes, including smaller trading and services companies, but its core infrastructure and reputation are genuinely built around logistics, warehousing, manufacturing and port-linked trade, so businesses in those categories get the most direct benefit from being there.

JAFZA is one of the oldest UAE free zones and one of the largest by both physical size and number of registered companies, giving it decades of institutional track record. Its defining practical advantage is direct proximity to Jebel Ali Port, one of the world's largest man-made harbours, and Al Maktoum International Airport, which matters specifically for businesses moving physical goods.

No, port access is available to any JAFZA-registered company that needs it, but it is not a requirement, and plenty of JAFZA-registered businesses operate as standard trading, consulting or services companies without ever using the port directly.

It can work, but JAFZA's core strengths (port access, warehousing, industrial infrastructure) are built for businesses moving physical goods. A purely digital UK business with no import/export or storage needs will usually find a lower-cost, office-focused zone a more efficient fit.

JAFZA issues trading, service, industrial and general commercial licences across a broad range of sectors, with particular depth in logistics, manufacturing, distribution and import/export. Non-industrial activities, such as consulting or general trading without warehousing, are also available, though JAFZA's infrastructure and pricing are built with physical-goods businesses specifically in mind.

Visa allocation is tied to the size of the office or facility you take, larger facility, larger allocation, and JAFZA's facility range, from small offices to full warehouse units, gives more visa-quota flexibility at the upper end than a flexi-desk-only zone. We size your facility choice against your actual team plans, not just your immediate space needs.

JAFZA licences renew annually, alongside any facility lease renewal if you hold warehouse or industrial space. If a licence isn't renewed before it lapses, JAFZA applies a grace period followed by escalating fines, and any visas issued under that licence are put at risk of cancellation. For facility-holding companies specifically, an unrenewed lease can also complicate reinstatement, so we track both renewal dates as one coordinated deadline, not two separate ones.

Both offer real physical facility options beyond a flexi-desk, but JAFZA's core advantage is direct proximity to Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum Airport, which matters specifically for businesses moving goods through those channels. RAKEZ is generally lower cost and based in Ras Al Khaimah, further from Dubai, which suits businesses for whom port-adjacency itself isn't the deciding factor. If your goods physically move through Jebel Ali, JAFZA's location is a genuine operational advantage rather than just a reputational one.

See if JAFZA is the right fit for your business.

A free consultation covering activity selection, cost and your UK exit, before you commit to any zone.

Get Your Free JAFZA Assessment