Cheapest Free Zone E-commerce License in the UAE With a Visa: Published Prices Compared (October 2026)

On the prices free zones publish as of October 2026, RAKEZ in Ras Al Khaimah is the cheapest e-commerce route with a visa that we could verify. Amazon.ae's RAKEZ partner page lists a business license at AED 5,499, or AED 13,500 with one UAE residence visa. Meydan Free Zone in Dubai starts at AED 12,500 for the license alone, with visas extra. "Cheapest" depends on what is left out of each headline price.

Which free zone e-commerce license is cheapest with a visa?

Compare one thing: the cost to be licensed and hold one residence visa in year one. Here is what each zone publishes.

The Meydan visa figure is our addition: license AED 12,500, visa allocation AED 1,850 and an investor visa of around AED 4,000, as Meydan publishes them. Meydan also lists AED 2,250 for the medical test and Emirates ID assistance, which would take the regular route to about AED 20,600. The Fawri line adds the same visa items to AED 15,000.

Read the table with care. RAKEZ's instant-license page lists a Basic package at AED 6,000 and a Lite package at AED 12,000, and its FAQ describes an "all-inclusive package" with up to five shareholders, up to five activities and one residence visa, without saying that this is the Lite package. Ask RAKEZ whether the AED 12,000 price includes the visa. The AED 13,500 Amazon partner rate is described as a license with one UAE residence visa. The two RAKEZ prices are close enough that you should ask which is current on the day you apply.

What do the cheap headline prices leave out?

For RAKEZ, a company that sponsors any visa needs an immigration file. RAKEZ's FAQ says the E-Channel immigration registration fee is AED 2,200, plus a one-time refundable deposit of AED 5,050. Ask whether that sits inside the AED 13,500 package. The partner page does not say. See the RAKEZ e-commerce license guide for the full breakdown.

For Meydan, each extra activity beyond three groups is AED 1,000, and optional services such as VAT registration support (AED 1,500) and bank account assistance (AED 1,500) are priced separately. Meydan's own cost page also carries older summary boxes with different numbers, so use the cost calculator. Details are in the Meydan guide.

Things no zone price includes:

• Renewal in year two. Meydan does not publish a renewal fee on the renewal guide we read, and says it depends on activity and license type.
• Your VAT registration, bookkeeping, bank account and marketplace fees.
• Product approvals for cosmetics, food and electronics.
• The cost of selling into the mainland, covered below.

Is a mainland license cheaper than a free zone?

Sometimes, on paper. Two mainland examples:

The Tajer line applies to UAE citizens and residents, so an overseas applicant cannot use it. For the detail, read the Abu Dhabi Tajer guide and the Ajman e-commerce license guide.

Can a cheap free zone license sell to UAE customers?

This is where the cheapest option can become the dearest. RAKEZ's FAQ says a free zone entity "may trade its products outside the free zone area and within the UAE only through an agent, representative, distributor or its parent company" that holds a relevant license. Amazon.ae publishes partner pages for RAKEZ and Meydan, so free zone sellers are not unusual there, but confirm with the platform and the zone how your license, VAT and delivery set-up work together. Read free zone vs mainland before you buy the cheapest license.

How should you compare two quotes?

Ask each zone the same eight questions, in writing, and put the answers in one sheet:

1. What is the license fee for year one, and for year two?
2. How many activities are included, and what does an extra one cost?
3. Is a visa allocation included, and what do the investor or employment visa, medical test and Emirates ID cost on top?
4. Is there an immigration file fee or refundable deposit?
5. What desk or office type is included, and does the marketplace accept it?
6. Does the license need any approval from another authority for your products?
7. How do you sell to UAE customers, and is a distributor, branch or second license needed?
8. What happens to the license if you stop trading, and what does cancellation cost?

A zone that answers all eight with numbers is easier to budget with than one that sends a brochure. If an answer is "it depends", ask what it depends on and get that in the quote too. Keep the quote with your company records, because it is your evidence if the final invoice differs.

Worked example: one founder, one visa, year one

Illustrative, built from the published prices above, and excluding VAT, bank, marketplace fees and renewals:

Calculated from the figures above, the gap between the RAKEZ and Meydan lines is roughly AED 4,850 to AED 8,600, before any RAKEZ immigration-file charges. A Dubai address can still be worth more to a seller who needs a Dubai bank, supplier meetings or a showroom. Price is only one input.

Which other zones should you price?

We have not verified current published prices for IFZA or Shams in this comparison. Check the IFZA e-commerce license and Shams e-commerce license pages and the zone calculators. For Dubai CommerCity, no official price list was reachable for us in October 2026, so see the Dubai CommerCity license guide for what is and is not known.

FAQ

What is the cheapest free zone license in the UAE with a visa? On prices we could verify as of October 2026, RAKEZ through Amazon.ae's partner page at AED 13,500 with one visa. RAKEZ also lists a Lite instant license at AED 12,000, but the page does not clearly say it includes a visa. Confirm what each includes and whether visa deposits are extra.

Is the cheapest license the best for selling on Amazon.ae and noon? Not always. The license activity must match the products you list, and the zone must support the marketplace's checks. Amazon.ae has partner pages for RAKEZ and Meydan, which can lower the cost of onboarding.

Are free zone licenses valid for a year? RAKEZ says licenses are generally valid for one year, and that free zone e-commerce licenses can be issued and renewed for three years at discounted rates. Meydan licenses run for 12 months.

Can I get an e-commerce license without a visa? Yes. Several routes list a license-only price, such as RAKEZ at AED 5,499 and Meydan from AED 12,500 with no visa. See e-commerce license without a visa.

Does Dubai CommerCity cost less? We could not verify an official price. Third-party figures conflict, so ask the zone for a written quote.

Do free zones charge for renewal? Yes, and the amount is rarely published up front. Ask for the year-two fee before you commit, and read the trade license renewal guide.

Is the license price the total cost of setup? No. Visa, immigration file, medical test, bank account, VAT registration and bookkeeping all sit outside the headline price on most pages.

What to do next

Shortlist two zones, request the same itemised quote from each, and compare year-one and year-two totals. When the license is issued, Blooprint can set up and run your Amazon.ae and noon accounts; see Amazon.ae account management.