- DMCC published list puts the Jump Start package (flexi desk and one residence visa) at AED 43,780 for a year, Basic Biz at AED 35,484 and the Crypto Centre package from AED 31,000.
- The standard government fees are AED 1,035 application, AED 9,020 registration, AED 2,020 Articles of Association, AED 20,285 licence and AED 1,825 establishment card, AED 34,185 in total.
- The typical AED 50,000 share capital is declared working capital that stays with the company, not a fee paid to DMCC.
- On DMCC own timetable the stages add up to about 18 working days to an e-licence, with visas and the bank account following.
- A DMCC commercial licence does not authorise regulated crypto activity: VARA authorisation comes in two stages, Approval to Incorporate and then the VASP licence.
- 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 regulated activity.
- Visa quota is tied to the office tier, so plan headcount before choosing the office.
DMCC publishes its own price list, and it is higher than many guides quote: the Jump Start package, which includes one residence visa and a flexi desk, is AED 43,780 for a one-year term, the Basic Biz Package is AED 35,484, and the Crypto Centre package starts at AED 31,000. Add the declared share capital, typically AED 50,000, which stays the money of the company, and the cash you need available in year one is roughly AED 85,000 to 95,000 for most DMCC setups, of which AED 50,000 remains in your company bank account.
This guide covers DMCC published fees, how the packages differ, the four-stage process on DMCC own timetable, how crypto licensing really splits between DMCC and VARA, and what to settle before closing a DMCC company.
Why DMCC remains one of the most recognized free zones for trading businesses
DMCC, the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, was originally built around commodities trading but has expanded into one of the most broadly used free zones in Dubai, licensing everything from general trading and consulting to crypto and financial services activities. Its scale and recognition among banks and international partners give it a practical advantage over smaller or newer free zones: banks are generally more familiar with DMCC company structures, which can translate into a smoother corporate bank account opening process than a founder might face with a less established jurisdiction.
This recognition comes at a moderate cost premium relative to some of the newer, lower-cost Dubai free zones, and founders choosing DMCC are generally trading a slightly higher setup cost for stronger brand recognition, more established infrastructure, and a wider range of licensed activities available under a single jurisdiction.
| DMCC standard fee | AED | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Application | 1,035 | Per application |
| Registration | 9,020 | Per application |
| Articles of Association | 2,020 | Per application |
| Licence | 20,285 | Per year |
| Establishment card | 1,825 | Per year |
| Declared share capital (stays with the company) | About 50,000 | Deposited once |
The five government lines add up to AED 34,185 before any office, visa or share capital. These figures come from the DMCC schedule of charges as published in February 2026 in DMCC own setup cost guide, so check the current schedule before you pay.
“The licence fee and the share capital requirement are two completely different numbers, and founders regularly confuse them. One is what you pay DMCC. The other is capital you declare and keep as your own, not money that leaves your account. Mixing the two up is the fastest way to badly misjudge a DMCC setup budget.”
Why the AED 50,000 share capital isn’t actually a fee
A recurring point of confusion for founders comparing DMCC against lower-cost free zones is the AED 50,000 declared share capital requirement, which is not a payment made to DMCC or the government but rather the amount of capital the company’s shareholders formally commit to the business, typically held in the company’s own corporate bank account once it is opened. This capital remains the company’s own asset, usable for genuine business expenses, rather than a sunk licensing cost, which means comparing DMCC’s total cost directly against a free zone with no share capital requirement understates how much of DMCC’s headline figure is actually retained working capital rather than lost cost.
That said, the practical reality is that this capital needs to exist and be verifiable at setup, which does represent a genuine upfront capital requirement for a founder who might otherwise have launched a lower-capital business elsewhere. Founders should treat the AED 50,000 as capital they need available, even though it is not spent in the traditional sense, when comparing their total realistic cash requirement across different free zone options.
Consider a founder comparing the AED 43,780 DMCC Jump Start package against a competing free zone quoting a headline licence cost of AED 15,000 with no visa. On the surface, the competing free zone appeared dramatically cheaper. Once the founder accounted for the fact that DMCC’s package included one visa already, while the competing quote required a separate AED 6,000-8,000 visa cost on top, and that DMCC’s AED 50,000 share capital remained the company’s own retained capital rather than a spent fee, the actual out-of-pocket cost difference between the two options was considerably smaller than the headline figures initially suggested.
What the DMCC setup process actually involves from application to operation
The process begins with document preparation: shareholder passports, proof of residential address, a bank reference letter, parent company documents where a corporate shareholder is involved, and a business plan for any activity DMCC classifies as regulated. Once documents are ready, the application proceeds through DMCC’s online portal, followed by know-your-customer and background checks on the shareholders and any ultimate beneficial owners of the business. Founders then select an office format, ranging from co-working desks to private office space, before making final payment covering the licence, registration, office rental, and any visa processing fees.
DMCC publishes its steps and timings on its Jump Start package page:
- Express interest. Choose the licence type and activities. DMCC creates your portal account within one working day of your query.
- Submit online. Pay the USD 282 initial application fee. Name reservation and management and compliance approval follow, about seven working days.
- Pay and sign. Pay the registration and licence fees and sign the legal documents. Provisional approval and the bank letter follow, about five working days.
- Choose the office. Sign the office documents. The e-licence follows about five working days later.
Visas are normally issued within three to five working days after that, subject to immigration. On DMCC own timetable the stages add up to about 18 working days, so plan on three to four weeks to an e-licence, not the five days some headlines promise. DMCC states a minimum share capital of USD 13,612, about AED 50,000, to be deposited in a UAE bank account within three weeks of the licence date, so the bank account is a real deadline. Bank account opening commonly adds more weeks; see the bank account process after the licence is issued.
DMCC crypto licence requirements: DMCC and VARA do different jobs
DMCC handles the commercial side: incorporation, the commercial licence and workspace. VARA, Dubai virtual assets regulator, decides whether an activity is regulated and grants the authorisation. DMCC states plainly that holding a DMCC commercial licence does not, by itself, authorise a company to conduct a regulated virtual asset activity, as set out on the DMCC and VARA roles page.
| Stage | What happens | Can you run regulated activity? |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Approval to Incorporate | You submit an Initial Disclosure Questionnaire covering the business, beneficial owners and senior management, through DMCC or another Dubai licensor | No. You can incorporate, nothing more |
| 2. VASP licence | VARA completes its full assessment | Yes, only once VARA issues the licence |
VARA identifies eight regulated activities: advisory, broker-dealer, custody, exchange, lending and borrowing, management and investment, transfer and settlement, and Category 1 virtual asset issuance. A licensed firm must follow four compulsory rulebooks (company requirements, compliance and risk management, technology and information, and market conduct) plus activity-specific rules, in versions that took effect on 19 June 2025.
DMCC lists a Crypto Centre package from AED 31,000 for non-regulated setup, VARA application fees of AED 40,000 to AED 100,000 for one regulated activity, and annual supervision fees of AED 80,000 to AED 200,000 per activity depending on the activity, with standard DMCC licensing fees on top. DMCC states no processing time for VARA, so do not plan around a fixed date. The banking step comes only after the licence; see which banks open accounts for licensed crypto firms. For the wider licensing picture read UAE crypto and virtual asset business licence VARA and DMCC requirements and recent VARA guidance on stablecoins and tokenised assets.
DMCC packages compared
DMCC sells setup as packages, and the right one depends on who owns the company and what you plan to do. Prices below are one-year terms from the same published schedule.
| Package | Price (AED) | Aimed at |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Biz | 35,484 | One individual shareholder, up to three activities in one activity group |
| Jump Start, flexi desk | 43,780 | Startups and SMEs; includes a UAE residency visa |
| Jump Start, co-working | 49,941 | Startups, SMEs and international companies |
| Prime Plus | 40,145 | Medium to large enterprises |
| Crypto Centre (non-regulated) | From 31,000 | Crypto businesses before any VARA authorisation |
Jump Start also comes in two-year (AED 81,881) and three-year (AED 120,000) terms. DMCC lists it as including the licence, a residency visa, a flexi desk at the DMCC Business Centre, a company stamp, a certificate and the establishment card. The figures on the Jump Start page carry mixed dates, so confirm terms with DMCC before you commit.
How office choice actually drives both cost and visa quota
DMCC’s office options range from shared flexi-desk arrangements suitable for a single founder with no immediate staff plans, up through dedicated private offices that support larger visa quotas tied to the physical space leased. A founder’s visa allocation is generally tied to the office format and size selected, meaning a business planning to sponsor several employee visas in its first year needs to select an office tier that actually supports that headcount, rather than choosing the cheapest available office format and discovering the visa quota falls short once hiring begins.
This coupling between office tier and visa quota is a common area where founders underbudget, assuming visa costs alone determine total staffing expense without realizing that scaling visa count sometimes requires upgrading the office package itself, adding a cost that was not part of the original setup budget.
How DMCC compares against lower-cost Dubai free zone alternatives
Founders comparing DMCC against lower-cost Dubai free zones should weigh the tradeoff between DMCC’s stronger bank and market recognition against the genuinely lower headline cost some newer free zones offer. A founder prioritizing the lowest possible entry cost, with less concern for brand recognition or banking ease, may find better value in a lower-cost alternative, while one prioritizing smoother banking relationships and broader activity flexibility, particularly for regulated or trading-heavy activities, often finds DMCC’s moderate premium justified. See our guide on the best free zone for a consulting business in the UAE for how DMCC stacks up against other options for a more general services business rather than a trading or crypto-focused one.
What DMCC actually costs to renew after the first year
DMCC’s first-year cost typically includes a mix of one-time setup charges and the recurring annual licence fee, meaning the renewal cost from year two onward is generally lower than the first-year total once setup-specific charges drop away. Founders should still expect the annual trade licence fee, office lease renewal, and any visa renewal costs to recur every year, and should budget renewal-year costs as a distinct, ongoing line item rather than assuming the first year’s total represents an accurate picture of what the business costs to maintain long-term.
How broad the DMCC activity list actually is, and why that matters at setup
One of DMCC’s practical advantages over smaller, more narrowly focused free zones is the breadth of its licensed activity list, spanning general trading, consulting, gold and commodities trading, media, education, and financial and crypto-related services under a single jurisdiction. This breadth means a founder running a business that touches more than one activity category, such as a trading company that also offers consulting services to its clients, can often consolidate both activities under a single DMCC licence rather than needing separate entities in different free zones to cover each activity type.
Founders should still confirm their exact combination of activities is permitted under a single licence rather than assuming DMCC’s broad list means any combination is automatically approved, since some activity pairings, particularly where one activity carries its own regulatory oversight, may still require separate structuring even within the same jurisdiction.
Why DMCC also suits more complex corporate structures
DMCC accommodates a range of shareholder structures beyond a simple individual founder setup, including corporate shareholders, multi-tier ownership structures, and holding company arrangements where a DMCC entity sits beneath or above other group companies. This flexibility makes DMCC a common choice not just for standalone trading or consulting businesses but also for founders building a broader corporate group structure who want at least one entity in a well-recognized, broadly capable jurisdiction rather than spreading every entity across smaller, more specialized free zones.
Founders planning a corporate shareholder structure from the outset should prepare the parent company’s own incorporation documents, board resolutions, and beneficial ownership information well before starting the DMCC application, since this documentation layer adds meaningfully to the preparation time compared to a simple individual-shareholder setup.
Closing a DMCC company
The DMCC pages I reviewed do not state a closure or cancellation fee, so ask DMCC for the cancellation requirements and any fee in writing before you start. The order of steps matters more than the fee: settle liabilities and filings first, cancel staff visas, close the bank accounts, then obtain the clearances. The sequence is set out in the correct order for cancelling visas during liquidation, the clearance letters in bank, immigration and ministry clearance letters, and the budget in what closing a business actually costs.
Common mistakes when setting up a DMCC company
- Confusing the AED 50,000 share capital requirement with an actual fee paid to DMCC rather than retained working capital.
- Comparing DMCC’s headline cost against a competing free zone without accounting for what each package actually includes.
- Assuming e-licence issuance means the company is fully operational, when banking and visas typically take considerably longer.
- Quoting an old DMCC price. The package and fee figures change, so confirm them against the current DMCC schedule of charges before you budget.
- Choosing an office tier based purely on cost without checking whether it supports the intended visa headcount.
Related reading: financial services firms should compare DIFC and ADGM against DMCC for regulated firms, and crypto businesses can see which banks open accounts for DMCC crypto companies.
More DMCC guides
- DMCC crypto license requirements, steps and cost covers the two VARA stages and the published fees.
- DMCC manager rules on residency and officer changes sets out the filing deadlines.
- DMCC recruitment consultancy licence limits and costs explains where MOHRE comes in.
- DMCC licence types and the activities each fits helps you choose a category.
When professional help is worth it
A founder pursuing a straightforward trading or consulting licence with no regulated activity involved can often complete DMCC’s digital setup process directly. Where guidance is worth the cost is any regulated activity, particularly crypto and financial services, or a founder unsure whether DMCC’s cost premium is actually justified against lower-cost alternatives for their specific business model. e.zone’s in-house DMCC setup experts can confirm whether DMCC or an alternative jurisdiction genuinely fits your activity and banking needs before you commit to a package.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a DMCC company licence cost?
DMCC published schedule lists AED 1,035 for the application, AED 9,020 for registration, AED 2,020 for the Articles of Association, AED 20,285 a year for the licence and AED 1,825 a year for the establishment card, about AED 34,185 before office, visas and share capital. Packages bundle these: Basic Biz is AED 35,484 and Jump Start with a flexi desk and one visa is AED 43,780 for a year.
What does the DMCC Jump Start package include?
DMCC lists the licence, a UAE residency visa, a flexi desk at the DMCC Business Centre, a company stamp, a certificate and the establishment card. It is sold for one, two or three years, at AED 43,780, AED 81,881 and AED 120,000 on the one-year flexi desk version. Confirm current terms with DMCC.
Is the AED 50,000 DMCC share capital a fee?
No. It is declared working capital the shareholders commit to the business, deposited in the company own UAE bank account, not a payment made to DMCC or the government. DMCC states the minimum as USD 13,612, about AED 50,000, within three weeks of the licence date.
How long does DMCC company setup actually take?
DMCC own steps add up to about 18 working days to an e-licence: portal account within a day, about seven working days for approvals after the USD 282 application fee, about five for provisional approval and the bank letter, and about five more for the e-licence. Visas take three to five working days after that, and the bank account comes after the licence.
What are the DMCC crypto licence requirements?
A DMCC commercial licence does not by itself authorise regulated virtual asset activity. VARA authorisation comes in two stages: Approval to Incorporate, which allows incorporation but no regulated activity, then the VASP licence after VARA full assessment. DMCC lists the Crypto Centre package from AED 31,000 for non-regulated setup.
How much does a VARA licence cost for a DMCC crypto company?
DMCC lists VARA application fees of AED 40,000 to AED 100,000 for one regulated activity and annual supervision fees of AED 80,000 to AED 200,000 per activity, depending on the activity, on top of standard DMCC licensing fees. VARA processing time is not stated.
What happens when you close a DMCC company?
Closing a DMCC company is a liquidation process, not simply letting the licence lapse. The DMCC pages reviewed do not state a closure fee, so ask for the cancellation requirements in writing. Settle liabilities, cancel visas and close bank accounts in the right order before obtaining clearances.
How is DMCC different from lower-cost Dubai free zones?
DMCC carries a moderate cost premium in exchange for stronger bank and market recognition, broader activity flexibility, and support for more complex corporate structures.
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