If you are comparing RAKEZ vs Ajman Free Zone on price, the honest answer in September 2026 is that only one of them lets you check. RAKEZ publishes its package prices, including an all-inclusive licence with one residence visa at AED 14,000 per year and a promise that the renewal price stays the same. Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) publishes no package price on afz.gov.ae; its cost calculator asks for your activity, shareholders, visas and contact details, then emails an estimate. So the zone that costs less to run is the one whose written quote holds up over years two and three, and the rest of this article shows how to line the two quotes up.
Every figure below was read on the official RAKEZ, AFZ, ANCFZ, Ministry of Finance and Federal Tax Authority websites on 13 September 2026. Free zones change packages and promotions often, so treat the numbers as a dated snapshot.
Key takeaways
- RAKEZ lists a Basic package at AED 6,000 and an all-inclusive package with one residence visa at AED 14,000 per year, with extra visas at AED 4,000 each on that package.
- Ajman Free Zone does not publish package prices online, and its FAQ says renewal cost only appears inside the customer portal when you raise a renewal request.
- RAKEZ gives no grace period after licence expiry and charges AED 50 per day late; AFZ’s FAQ describes a one-month grace period.
- Many people searching “Ajman free zone” actually mean ANCFZ, a separate Ajman free zone that does publish prices from AED 4,888.
- If you want the 0% corporate tax rate as a Qualifying Free Zone Person, audited financial statements are required in either zone under Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025.
What each zone publishes and what sits behind a quote
RAKEZ runs several package pages at once, and they do not all describe the same product. Its instant licence page shows a Basic package at AED 6,000 (one shareholder, one activity, coworking access) and a Lite package at AED 12,000. The FAQ on that page describes the all-inclusive option as up to five shareholders, up to five activities, coworking access and one residence visa. A separate business set-up package page quotes AED 14,000 per year with one residence visa, up to 10 mixed activities, up to 50 shareholders, up to three additional visas at AED 4,000 each, a 20% discount on dependent visas and “same renewal price guaranteed”. The Biz Starter package is AED 6,000 and is aimed at entrepreneurs already based in the UAE.
If you see AED 12,000 on one page and AED 14,000 on another, ask RAKEZ which package is current for your activity.
Ajman Free Zone takes the opposite approach. The AFZ cost calculator collects the business activity, number of shareholders, number of visas and whether you need an office, then sends the estimate by email. The AFZ FAQ says the renewal cost “depends on the type of license, activity, and office type” and is shown in the portal once a renewal request is raised. You cannot compare the two zones from a browser; you need AFZ’s emailed figure in hand.
| Item (read 13 Sept 2026) | RAKEZ | Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry licence price published | Yes, AED 6,000 Basic | No, calculator estimate by email |
| Package with one residence visa | AED 12,000 Lite and AED 14,000 all-inclusive pages both live | Not published |
| Extra visa price published | AED 4,000 each, up to three, on the AED 14,000 package | Not published; quota depends on location |
| Renewal price | Same price guaranteed on the AED 14,000 package | Shown in the customer portal at renewal |
| E-Channel annual renewal | AED 1,200 (RAKEZ FAQ) | AED 1,100 (AFZ FAQ) |
| Grace period after expiry | None; AED 50 per day late | One month (AFZ FAQ) |
| Company licence cancellation fee | Not published on the pages reviewed | AED 2,135 (AFZ FAQ) |
“Ajman free zone” can mean two different zones
One issue we often see is a founder comparing a RAKEZ quote with a figure they believe is from Ajman Free Zone, when the number actually came from Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone (ANCFZ). Both are in Ajman. They have separate websites, separate packages and separate price structures.
ANCFZ is the one with a public price list. Its packages page shows a zero-visa package starting from AED 4,888 with unlimited shareholders and up to 10 activities, and a one-to-10-visa all-inclusive package starting from AED 10,800. That second package is useful even if you never choose ANCFZ, because it lists what a visa-inclusive price should cover: Emirates ID, investor security approval, E-Channel registration and guarantee, establishment card, ICP licence activation on renewal, entry permit, status change, visa medical and residency.
Use that list as a checklist against both the RAKEZ package and the AFZ estimate. If an item is missing from a quote, ask whether it is excluded or simply not itemised.
RAKEZ vs Ajman Free Zone running costs after year one
Year one is where the promotions are. Year two is where the real cost of a zone shows, because the discount has gone and the government-linked fees keep arriving.
Licence and facility renewal
RAKEZ states that its AED 14,000 package renews at the same price. Its FAQ also says commercial, service, general trading, individual or professional and e-commerce licences can be issued and renewed for three years at discounted rates, and its renewal support site offers two, three and five-year renewals. AFZ does not publish a renewal figure, so ask for the year-two amount in writing before you sign, alongside the year-one estimate.
E-Channel immigration registration
Every company with an immigration file must be registered on E-Channel. The RAKEZ FAQ lists AED 2,200 to register, a one-time refundable deposit of AED 5,050 and AED 1,200 a year to renew. The AFZ FAQ lists AED 1,100 a year to renew and says it should be renewed five days before expiry. AFZ also describes an E-Channel guarantee that is refunded after cancellation.
Visas and quota
On the RAKEZ package, each extra visa is AED 4,000, up to three. The catch is facility type: the RAKEZ FAQ says flexi desks are limited to one visa, so a company that downgrades from an office to a shared workstation must cancel any extra visas. AFZ says the visa quota is “as per the location”, and its FAQ notes an AED 265 insurance fee payable by employees at visa renewal since 1 September 2019.
Audit and corporate tax compliance
RAKEZ requires every company to submit audited financial statements from a RAKEZ approved auditor within six months of the financial year end, with an AED 2,500 fine for late submission. Separately, Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025 requires every Qualifying Free Zone Person to prepare and maintain audited financial statements for tax periods starting on or after 1 January 2025, whichever emirate issued the licence. The FTA’s Free Zone Persons guide explains that the 0% rate applies to Qualifying Income and 9% to other taxable income. So a yearly audit fee belongs in both budgets. If you are unsure whether your company qualifies, our guide to corporate tax registration for free zone companies covers the registration step.
Penalties and deadlines where small companies lose money
The two zones handle lateness very differently, and for a one-person company a lapsed licence can cost more than the gap between two licence prices.
RAKEZ says there is no grace period after the licence expiry date and that the late renewal penalty is AED 50 per day. A licence that lapses for 30 days therefore costs AED 1,500 in RAKEZ penalties alone, before any immigration fines. RAKEZ emails the renewal quotation 60 days before expiry, and it can only be generated in that two-month window. A company can be struck off if the licence is not renewed for six months, or if a fee or penalty stays unpaid 30 days after notice. RAKEZ also says licences cannot be frozen.
AFZ’s FAQ describes a one-month grace period after expiry during which the licence can be renewed. That is a real buffer for an owner who travels or waits on a client payment. It does not cover immigration deadlines, and the establishment card expiry is not tied to the licence date, according to the same FAQ.
Amendment fees also add up. AFZ lists AED 2,500 to change a company manager (AED 500 amendment fee plus AED 2,000 for the articles or memorandum) and AED 2,135 to cancel a company licence. Cancelling also requires visas and the establishment card to be cancelled first, plus a 14-day newspaper announcement period.
Structural rules that change the price
Two zones can quote the same headline figure and still cost different amounts once your activity list is fixed. These rules come from each zone’s FAQ.
- AFZ allows only one activity under a general trading licence, and service and commercial activities cannot be merged on one licence.
- The RAKEZ FAQ says a standard commercial licence covers five activities from the same group or two from different groups, and commercial and service activities go on separate licences, while its packages advertise 10 mix-and-match activities.
- RAKEZ sets a minimum share capital of AED 10,000 for an FZ-LLC, rising to AED 100,000 for logistics and transportation and AED 150,000 for industrial activities.
- AFZ offers pre-built warehouses from 100 square metres near Ajman Port and land on leases of 20 years or more.
For a trading company that also wants to offer consultancy, this is the point where one quote quietly becomes two licences. Put your exact activity list in the request to both zones, and ask them to confirm in writing that everything fits on one licence at the quoted price.
A worked comparison for a one-visa trading company
Here is how we would line up the two options for a founder importing and selling consumer goods, with one shareholder, one residence visa and no physical office. The RAKEZ column uses published figures. The AFZ column cannot be filled from public pages, so it lists the question to ask instead of inventing a number.
| Line | RAKEZ (published) | AFZ (ask for this) |
|---|---|---|
| Licence, facility and first visa, year one | AED 14,000 package | Calculator estimate for trading, 1 shareholder, 1 visa |
| Same items, year two | Same price guaranteed | Written renewal figure |
| E-Channel registration and deposit | AED 2,200 plus AED 5,050 refundable (FAQ) | Registration fee and guarantee amount |
| E-Channel renewal | AED 1,200 a year (FAQ) | AED 1,100 a year (FAQ) |
| Medical, Emirates ID, status change | Confirm they sit inside the AED 14,000 | Confirm inclusion |
| Import and export activity | Confirm it fits the package activity list | Confirm the licence type allows it |
| Annual audit | Required by RAKEZ; approved auditor | Required if claiming QFZP status |
| Late renewal exposure | AED 50 per day, no grace period | One-month grace period |
Once AFZ’s email arrives, add up years one and two for both columns and compare the two-year totals. A zone that wins on year one but has no fixed renewal price can lose that lead as soon as the first renewal invoice arrives.
Banking: what the zones say and what decides approval
The original question many founders ask is which zone banks prefer. Neither zone can promise an account. RAKEZ’s Biz Starter page lists “eligibility for bank account opening” with an asterisk and terms, and RAKEZ offers bank account opening support as a paid add-on. AFZ’s FAQ says you can open an account “based on the bank’s requirements” and that the authority has partnered with several banks through its value-added services.
From a practical perspective, the emirate on the licence is rarely what a bank decides on. Banks look at the activity, the shareholder’s nationality and residence, source of funds, expected turnover and whether the company has real operations. RAKEZ also flags that activities classed as Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, such as real estate brokerage, precious metals trading and company service providers, need a signed DNFBP compliance form at registration. Expect closer bank questions for those activities in any zone.
Which to choose
Choose RAKEZ if you want a published price you can hold the zone to, a fixed renewal on the AED 14,000 package, a three-year licence option, or a route into warehousing and industrial space in Ras Al Khaimah later. Accept that you get no grace period, so put the expiry date in two calendars.
Choose Ajman Free Zone if its emailed estimate beats RAKEZ over two years for your exact activities, if you need a warehouse near Ajman Port, or if the one-month grace period matters to how you run cash flow. If you are between 20 and 30, AFZ’s Pioneers Package is also worth asking about; the zone says it includes eligibility for one residence visa.
If neither quote is clear, compare both with ANCFZ’s published package and with a Dubai zone such as IFZA before committing.
