Home / Free zones / DMCC

DMCC: Company Setup, Costs and Requirements

DMCC is the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, covering Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Uptown Dubai. A company needs an address inside DMCC. The licence, the desk or office, and the visas are separate lines, so a single setup total depends on the premises.

Ask Vi whether DMCC fits your business

Company and activity

DMCC forms an individual company, a subsidiary or a branch. A free zone company needs at least one shareholder, who can be a person or a company, plus a director and a company secretary. One person can hold both of those roles. Ownership can be entirely foreign. Ultimate beneficial owners at 25% or more must be disclosed, and updated when that changes.

The brochure points to sector clubs that include tech, crypto, gaming, e-commerce, AI, energy, gold, diamonds and agriculture, and to trading standards such as the Kimberley Process. Gambling, explicit content, and activities harmful to the environment or public health are not permitted. A regulated activity can still need a third-party approval. DMCC describes the zone as qualified under the corporate-tax law. Eligibility for a zero rate on qualifying income is a tax question, not a line in the fee table.

This may fit if

• The activity belongs in a DMCC sector, and any outside approval is already identified.
• A flexi desk, serviced office or physical office in the zone is an acceptable address.
• The visa count matches that premises. A flexi desk is up to three visas. A physical office is one visa per 9 square metres.

Check carefully if

• You are opening a branch. The articles fee does not apply, and several packages exclude branches and subsidiaries.
• The company has more than one owner. Jumpstart, Basic Biz and Jumpstart+ are for individually owned companies.
• A residence visa is required. The company application can be remote. The medical and Emirates ID biometrics need a visit.

Standard schedule

These are the brochure’s standard lines. The licence may vary by type and activity. The standard table does not state VAT. The flexi-desk note says 5% VAT is included in that property line. The licence is marked annual, so that line is the published renewal base, and it can change with the activity. A package can set a different renewal. Confirm current renewal pricing from the authority/quotation when the company is on a package rather than this table.

Named packages

The brochure prices the packages below. No expiry date is printed. Terms apply. Where a package says its fees include VAT and the knowledge dirham, that note belongs to the package, not to the standard table.

DMCC says the digital process is typically about 10 working days, and that the electronic licence follows in 2 to 3 working days once registration is complete. Documents usually include passports, proof of address, and parent-company papers for a branch. How those lines sit in a first-year budget is on company formation cost.