JAFZA company setup, for businesses that move goods.

JAFZA company setup suits traders, distributors, manufacturers and logistics operators who need a warehouse, a customs-bonded base and Jebel Ali Port next door. A consultancy or digital business with no stock usually gains little from it.

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At a glance

JAFZA, the Jebel Ali Free Zone, is DP World's free zone beside Jebel Ali Port in Dubai. It licenses trading, service, industrial and logistics companies as an FZE, FZCO or branch, and a lease is needed both to set up and to renew. Your facility decides your visa allocation, and JAFZA Offshore is a separate holding vehicle with no visas.

Who JAFZA is right for, and who it is not.

The case for JAFZA is physical. Goods arrive at Jebel Ali Port, sit in a customs-bonded zone, and leave again for the region by road or air, or onward by sea.

Right for JAFZA

Importers, distributors and re-exporters moving stock through Jebel Ali Port
Manufacturers and assemblers that need a factory unit and warehouse
Freight forwarders and warehouse operators
A regional distribution base for an established foreign group, often as a branch

Not the right zone if

You sell expertise and hold no stock: a Dubai desk zone fits a service firm better.
Air freight and e-commerce fulfilment lead: Dubai South sits at Al Maktoum Airport.
You trade commodities and want a central address: DMCC in JLT carries that profile.
Your customers are mostly on the Dubai mainland: a DET licence may serve them more directly.

JAFZA licence types and company structures.

Pick the licence from what you physically do with goods, then the legal form from who owns the company. Every licence renews yearly and needs a lease.

JAFZA licence types, whether they hold stock, the space they usually need, what each covers, and a related page
Licence	Stock	Space	What it covers	Read
TradingUp to general trading	Yes	Desk up	Import, export, distribution and storageTiered by the number of activity groups on the licence, so the product list sets the tier.	Trading: general trading licences
ServiceNo stock held	No	Desk up	The services named on the licenceAsk first whether a service firm needs the port at all.	Zones: compare UAE free zones
IndustrialManufacturing	Yes	Factory	Raw materials in, finished products outNeeds a production facility and warehouse in the zone, and JAFZA's health and safety audits.	RAKEZ: the industrial alternative
LogisticsVerified by JAFZA	Others'	Warehouse	Storage, transport, forwarding and clearingJAFZA verifies the logistics activity before it licenses it.	Logistics: logistics company setup

We confirm the activity wording for your case before you apply.

FZE or FZCO. An FZE has one shareholder and an FZCO several; a shareholder can be a person or a company. JAFZA sets no fixed minimum share capital, but capital must suit the activity.
Branch. A branch is part of its foreign or UAE parent, with the same name and activity, and suits a group adding a Jebel Ali base.
Moving a mainland company. JAFZA cannot transfer one into the zone: you open a branch under the mainland parent, or close it and form anew.
JAFZA Offshore. A non-resident holding company with a certificate of incorporation. It carries no trade licence and no residence visas, and it cannot trade onshore. See RAK ICC vs JAFZA Offshore.

Facilities and visas: the lease comes first.

Every JAFZA company needs a lease agreement to be licensed, and an active lease to renew. The facility you take also sets how many residence visas the company can sponsor.

Workstations and offices suit a trading or service company that keeps stock with a third-party warehouse.
Warehouses and showrooms suit distributors holding their own stock, and they lift the visa allocation.
Land plots and custom builds suit manufacturers and large logistics operators with a long horizon. Staff accommodation is available in the zone.

Visa numbers follow the facility and JAFZA's current rules, so we confirm the allocation for your space before you sign. We then run the visa files and the Dubai Customs registration a JAFZA company needs before it moves goods.

Banking, tax and the mainland.

Banking. Banks look past the zone name to your goods, counterparties, shipping routes and source of funds. A JAFZA trader with a real lease and customs records is a familiar profile, but the bank decides. See corporate banking.
Corporate tax. A JAFZA company must register. It pays 0% on qualifying income only if it meets every Qualifying Free Zone Person condition; other income falls under the standard regime, and most sales to mainland customers do not qualify.
VAT. Jebel Ali Free Zone is a VAT designated zone, so some movements of goods within or between designated zones can fall outside UAE VAT under strict conditions. Services and mainland sales stay taxable. See corporate tax and VAT.
Selling to the mainland. Goods usually reach mainland buyers through a distributor or a mainland entity, with duty paid on entry. Under Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025, many Dubai free zone companies can also apply to DET for a mainland permit or branch, subject to activity eligibility.

How JAFZA compares with Dubai South, DMCC and RAKEZ.

All four license goods businesses. The difference is the asset each is built around: a port, an airport, a central address or industrial land.


Built around	Jebel Ali Port, bonded zone	Al Maktoum Airport	JLT business district	Industrial land, Ras Al Khaimah
Space	Workstation to land plot	Desk to warehouse and land	Offices and desks	Desk to factory and land
Typical client	Sea-freight traders, manufacturers	Air freight, aviation, e-commerce	Commodities, trading, services	Manufacturers outside Dubai
Best for	Holding and moving goods by sea	Moving goods by air	A central Dubai trading address	Industrial space without a Dubai need

You are here

Built aroundJebel Ali Port, bonded zone

SpaceWorkstation to land plot

Best forHolding and moving goods by sea

Built aroundAl Maktoum Airport

SpaceDesk to warehouse and land

Best forMoving goods by air

Built aroundJLT business district

SpaceOffices and desks

Best forA central Dubai trading address

Built aroundIndustrial land, Ras Al Khaimah

SpaceDesk to factory and land

Best forIndustrial space without a Dubai need

Read the zone pages for Dubai South, DMCC and RAKEZ JAFZA.

JAFZA setup, in four stages we run.

Week one
Activity and facility
- We match your goods to the activity list and the space to your visa need.
Application
Shareholders and plan
- We prepare the file JAFZA reviews on owners and plan.
Licence
Lease and licence
- Lease signed, licence and establishment card issued.
Operating
Customs, visas, bank
- We run customs registration, visas and the bank file together.

JAFZA company setup, answered plainly.

What is JAFZA best for?

JAFZA, the Jebel Ali Free Zone, is best for businesses that hold and move physical goods: importers, distributors, re-exporters, manufacturers and logistics operators that need a warehouse beside Jebel Ali Port. It also licenses service companies, but a firm with no stock rarely uses what makes the zone different.

Can a JAFZA company sell to customers on the UAE mainland?

Yes, through the right channel. Goods usually reach mainland buyers through a distributor or a mainland entity, with customs duty paid on entry, and many Dubai free zone companies can also apply to DET for a mainland permit. We confirm which route your activity qualifies for.

Does JAFZA require a minimum share capital?

No fixed minimum. JAFZA does not prescribe a minimum share capital for an FZE or FZCO, but the capital must suit the licensed activity, and banks may expect capital that matches the size of your trade.

How many visas can a JAFZA company get?

It depends on the facility. JAFZA ties the visa allocation to the space you lease, so a workstation carries far fewer visas than a warehouse or land plot. We confirm the allocation for your chosen facility before you sign the lease, since the lease is needed both to set up and to renew.

What is the difference between a JAFZA company and JAFZA Offshore?

A JAFZA free zone company holds a trade licence, leases space, sponsors residence visas and trades from the zone. JAFZA Offshore is a non-resident holding company with a certificate of incorporation: it cannot trade onshore, lease premises to operate from or sponsor residence visas.

Does a JAFZA company pay UAE corporate tax?

Yes, it must register, and the rate depends on its income. A JAFZA company pays 0% on qualifying income only if it meets every Qualifying Free Zone Person condition. Income that does not qualify, including most sales to mainland customers, falls under the standard regime: 0% up to AED 375,000 and 9% above.

A note on this page. Licence categories, facility rules and visa allocations are set by JAFZA and change from time to time; we confirm them against the authority for your case. Tax points are general information, not tax advice.

Is JAFZA right for your goods?

In 30 minutes we check your activity wording, facility, visa count and banking fit against JAFZA and its alternatives, then confirm the scope.

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