- A DMCC commercial licence does not by itself authorise regulated virtual asset activity. VARA does, in two stages: an Approval to Incorporate, then the VASP licence.
- DMCC lists its Crypto Centre package from AED 31,000 for non-regulated setup.
- DMCC lists VARA application fees of AED 40,000 to AED 100,000 for one activity, plus annual supervision of AED 80,000 to AED 200,000 per activity.
- VARA identifies eight regulated activities, and the licence is tied to the activity you choose.
- On the published figures, one regulated activity costs roughly AED 154,185 to AED 334,185 in fees before office, visas, staff and audit.
A DMCC commercial licence does not let a company run a regulated crypto business. DMCC issues the company licence, and VARA, Dubai’s virtual assets regulator, separately authorises each regulated activity in two stages: an Approval to Incorporate, then a full VASP licence.
DMCC lists its Crypto Centre package from AED 31,000 for non-regulated setup, and VARA fees of AED 40,000 to AED 100,000 to apply plus AED 80,000 to AED 200,000 a year in supervision for each regulated activity.
Founders searching for a “DMCC crypto licence” usually expect a single document. There are two, issued by two bodies, and the second one decides whether you can actually trade, custody or advise. This guide explains what each one does, what DMCC itself says it costs, how the VARA stages work, and how to budget a year-one figure from the published numbers.
| Item | What applies |
|---|---|
| Who issues the company licence | DMCC (incorporation, commercial licence, workspace) |
| Who authorises regulated crypto activity | VARA, the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority |
| DMCC Crypto Centre package | From AED 31,000 (non-regulated setup) |
| VARA application fee | AED 40,000 to AED 100,000 for one regulated activity |
| VARA annual supervision fee | AED 80,000 to AED 200,000 per activity |
| Regulated activities | Eight, listed by VARA |
| Share capital | Typically AED 50,000, depending on the activity |
“Holding a DMCC commercial licence does not, by itself, authorise a company to conduct a regulated virtual asset activity.” That sentence from DMCC’s own guidance is the one most founders skip.
Two layers: the DMCC licence and the VARA authorisation
DMCC handles the commercial side. It incorporates the company, issues the commercial licence and provides the workspace, as set out on DMCC’s page on the roles of DMCC and VARA. VARA decides whether your activity falls inside its perimeter and, if it does, grants the authorisation.
This matters because the two steps run on different clocks and carry different costs. A company can exist and hold a DMCC licence for months without being allowed to start a regulated activity. Plan the business so that it does not need revenue from regulated services until VARA has issued the licence.
The VARA remit covers Dubai, including its free zones other than DIFC. If you are still deciding between the free zone route and a financial centre, how DIFC and ADGM regulate fintech firms shows the alternative path.
What the Crypto Centre package covers
DMCC’s listing for the Crypto Centre package shows a price from AED 31,000, paid as a single advance payment. It is a setup package for crypto and Web3 businesses, and it does not authorise any regulated activity.
Based on the listing, the package includes a DMCC company licence, access to the Crypto Centre co-working facility, access to funding, mentoring and an alumni network, a complimentary true copy of the resolution, and a 50% discount on second-year renewal fees. Offers and inclusions change, so confirm the current terms with DMCC before you pay.
Several costs sit outside the package price. Advisers report that:
- share capital is typically AED 50,000, depending on the activity, and stays the property of the company;
- a registered workspace may be needed in addition to the co-working access, at roughly AED 16,000 to AED 19,000 a year for a flexi-desk;
- DMCC requires audited financial statements every year;
- each residence visa costs about AED 4,000 to AED 6,000 for the medical, Emirates ID and processing.
These are adviser figures from sources that sell setup services, so treat them as planning numbers and ask for a written quote. For the wider DMCC fee schedule and the other packages, read the full DMCC cost and package breakdown.
The two VARA stages
| Stage | What happens | Can you run regulated activity? |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Approval to Incorporate | You submit an Initial Disclosure Questionnaire through DMCC or another Dubai licensor, covering the business, beneficial owners and senior management | No. You can incorporate, nothing more |
| 2. VASP licence | VARA completes its full assessment of the applicant | Yes, only once VARA issues the licence |
DMCC states no processing time for either stage, so do not plan around a fixed date. One adviser guide suggests the regulated route can run eight to twelve weeks, but that is an estimate and not a regulator commitment.
Once licensed, a firm has to follow four compulsory VARA rulebooks: company requirements, compliance and risk management, technology and information, and market conduct. There are also activity-specific rules. The current versions took effect on 19 June 2025. For the latest guidance on issuers, see VARA’s issuance guidance for stablecoins and tokenised assets.
The eight regulated activities
VARA identifies eight regulated virtual asset activities. Your licence is tied to the activity you choose, so name it precisely.
- Advisory services
- Broker-dealer services
- Custody services
- Exchange services
- Lending and borrowing
- Management and investment
- Transfer and settlement
- Category 1 virtual asset issuance
Each extra activity adds fees. A business that wants to custody assets and also run an exchange should expect to pay for both, and should expect a longer review.
Consider two founders who both register at DMCC in the same month. The first builds blockchain software for corporate clients and never holds client assets, so she asks VARA whether her activity falls inside its perimeter and plans to operate on the Crypto Centre package alone while she waits for the answer.
The second wants to hold customer tokens in custody. He needs the Approval to Incorporate first and the full VASP licence afterwards, and he cannot take a single customer until it is issued. The two companies share a DMCC address and have very different budgets and timelines.
Step by step: from idea to a licensed crypto company
- Define the activity. Write one sentence on what the company will do for customers and test it against the eight regulated activities.
- Prepare the disclosures. VARA asks about the business, every beneficial owner and senior management, so have identity documents and ownership charts ready. The beneficial owner declaration that your registers must match uses the same information.
- Submit the Initial Disclosure Questionnaire through DMCC.
- Incorporate on the Approval to Incorporate. The company now exists, with no right to run regulated activity.
- Build the compliance function. Policies, systems and people have to match the four rulebooks before VARA completes its assessment.
- Complete VARA’s full assessment and receive the VASP licence.
- Open the bank account. Banks treat the issued licence as the starting point; which banks open accounts for licensed crypto businesses compares the options.
Building a year-one budget from the published figures
DMCC publishes five standard government fees for company setup: AED 1,035 for the application, AED 9,020 for registration, AED 2,020 for the Articles of Association, AED 20,285 for the licence and AED 1,825 for the establishment card, together AED 34,185. For a regulated activity, DMCC says standard licensing fees apply on top of the VARA charges.
Adding the VARA ranges for a single regulated activity gives a rough floor and ceiling, if the supervision fee falls in the first year:
| Component (one activity) | Low (AED) | High (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| DMCC standard government fees | 34,185 | 34,185 |
| VARA application fee | 40,000 | 100,000 |
| VARA annual supervision | 80,000 | 200,000 |
| Total before office, visas, staff and audit | 154,185 | 334,185 |
This is arithmetic on published ranges, not a quote. Compliance staff, technology, insurance, audit and the share capital come on top, and the share capital stays with the company. A non-regulated crypto business on the Crypto Centre package starts a lot lower, from AED 31,000 before share capital and extras.
Tax and ongoing compliance
A DMCC crypto company is still subject to UAE Corporate Tax rules, and whether income qualifies for the 0% free zone rate depends on the activity and the substance behind it. how the free zone Corporate Tax rate is tested explains the conditions. Keep the ownership registers current as well, since both VARA and the banks cross-check them.
What a regulated crypto company needs inside
VARA reads the whole business, not only the application form. The four compulsory rulebooks group what it expects under company requirements, compliance and risk management, technology and information, and market conduct. In practice that means a management team with relevant experience, written policies, controls over the technology that holds or moves assets, and rules for how you treat customers and markets.
Hire for this early. A compliance function that exists only on paper is easy to spot, and the people you appoint are disclosed to the regulator in the first stage. The general anti-money-laundering duties that apply to smaller firms are covered in who actually needs a compliance officer.
Where DMCC sits among the other options
| Option | Virtual asset regulator | Note |
|---|---|---|
| DMCC and other Dubai free zones | VARA | The free zone issues the company licence; VARA authorises regulated activity |
| Dubai mainland | VARA | The same VARA perimeter applies |
| DIFC | Its own regime, outside VARA’s remit | A financial centre with its own courts and regulator |
| ADGM | Its own regulator, the FSRA | Abu Dhabi’s financial centre |
DMCC is attractive when you want its ecosystem, address and banking reputation. If your product is closer to a regulated financial service than a technology business, compare the financial centres first.
Common mistakes with a DMCC crypto licence
- Treating the Crypto Centre package as permission to start trading, custody or advising.
- Taking customer money, or advertising a regulated service, before the VASP licence is issued.
- Choosing the activity after incorporation instead of before, which can mean redoing the application.
- Budgeting only the DMCC package and leaving out VARA application and supervision fees.
- Approaching a bank while the VARA application is still pending.
- Assuming an adviser’s fee table is current when VARA and DMCC both revise their charges.
Related guides
If you are comparing the regulatory tracks before you commit, the comparison of the VARA and DMCC licensing tracks sets out the decision. For the non-crypto side of a DMCC setup, including the licence types, see how DMCC licence types differ and which one fits.
When professional help is worth it
A founder building a software product with no regulated activity can often complete the DMCC side without help. Anything that touches customer assets, trading or advice is different, because the regulator reads the whole application, from the ownership chart to the compliance manual.
E.zone, which sets up DMCC companies and crypto businesses, can prepare the DMCC side and map the VARA steps. Its guide to the e.zone’s walkthrough of the DMCC Crypto Centre licence covers the same ground from the setup side.
This is general information and not legal or financial advice. Fees, packages and VARA rules change often, so confirm every figure with DMCC and VARA before you commit capital.
Frequently asked questions
Does a DMCC licence let me run a crypto business?
No. A DMCC commercial licence does not by itself authorise a regulated virtual asset activity. VARA must authorise the activity, in two stages: an Approval to Incorporate and then a full VASP licence.
How much does a DMCC crypto licence cost?
DMCC lists its Crypto Centre package from AED 31,000 for non-regulated setup. For a regulated activity, DMCC lists VARA application fees of AED 40,000 to AED 100,000 and annual supervision of AED 80,000 to AED 200,000 per activity, on top of standard DMCC fees.
What are the two VARA stages?
First the Approval to Incorporate, which allows the company to incorporate but not to run regulated activity. Second the VASP licence, issued after VARA's full assessment, after which regulated activity can begin.
How many activities does VARA regulate?
VARA identifies eight: advisory, broker-dealer, custody, exchange, lending and borrowing, management and investment, transfer and settlement, and Category 1 virtual asset issuance.
Can I open a bank account before my VARA licence is issued?
Banks generally treat the issued licence as the starting point, so approaching one while the application is pending usually leads to being asked to return once the licence exists.
How long does the DMCC and VARA process take?
DMCC states no processing time for the VARA stages. One adviser guide suggests eight to twelve weeks for the regulated route, which is an estimate and not a regulator commitment.
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