Set up in Ajman Free Zone Authority — established 1988, one of the UAE's oldest and most cost-effective free zones. 3,500+ business activities, fast onboarding and direct port access.
Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) was established in 1988 and is one of the oldest free zones in the UAE, sitting in Ajman city adjacent to Ajman Port. Widely recognised as the country's most cost-effective licensing route, it supports more than 3,500 business activities and a broad range of freelance specialisms across commercial, industrial, service, freelance, e-commerce and offshore licences.
Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) was established in 1988 and is one of the oldest free zones in the UAE — alongside JAFZA, established three years earlier. The zone sits in Ajman city, adjacent to Ajman Port and within easy reach of Dubai International Airport and Sharjah International Airport, and is widely recognised as the most cost-effective free zone licensing route in the country for SME founders.
AFZ's licence catalogue is broad — covering commercial, industrial, service, freelance, e-commerce and offshore activities, with more than 3,500 supported business activities and a broad range of freelance specialisms. The combination of a lean cost base, fast onboarding through the UAE Interior Ministry's e-channel smart system, and the operational infrastructure of one of the country's longest-running free zones makes AFZ a default choice for cost-led SMEs, freelancers and trading start-ups entering the UAE for the first time.
Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) was established in 1988 — one of the UAE's longest-running free zones. Today it is best known for cost-efficient SME licensing combined with one of the broadest licence catalogues in the UAE, including a distinctive Offshore (international company) framework alongside standard onshore corporate licences. The combination makes AFZ a default consideration for cost-conscious founders evaluating multiple licence-form options.
Established 1988 under Emiri Decree from HH Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi. Settled regulatory framework, well-known activity catalogue, and 35+ years of operational track record — material when banks assess KYC profiles.
Licence + facility costs sit at the cost-efficient end of the UAE free zone spectrum — meaningfully below Dubai majors. Particularly compelling for solo founders, freelancers, and < AED 3M revenue SMEs.
AFZ issues six licence forms — Commercial, Industrial, Professional, Service, E-commerce, and Offshore — one of the broadest catalogues in the UAE. Founders can pick the optimal form rather than forcing fit.
AFZ Offshore (International Company) framework supports international holding structures and asset-protection vehicles — alongside the more familiar JAFZA Offshore and RAK ICC alternatives. Useful when comparing pre-IPO holdco options.
AFZ has a dedicated industrial zone with affordable warehousing and light-manufacturing facilities. Strong for cost-sensitive industrial SMEs that don't need Khalifa Port or Saqr Port scale.
Ajman is 25-30 minutes from Sharjah and 45 minutes from central Dubai. Tenants get materially lower Ajman cost economics while remaining within practical commuting distance of Dubai clients.
AFZ issues six licence categories — one of the UAE's broadest catalogues — with the Freelance and Offshore options being particularly distinctive for the zone.
Commercial covers traditional trading, importing, exporting and distribution; E-Commerce supports B2B and B2C online operations.
Service covers consultancy, marketing, accounting and legal services. The Freelance Licence is a dedicated route for solo practitioners across 120+ specialisms.
Industrial covers manufacturing, packaging and processing through AFZ's industrial facilities. The Offshore Licence supports holding and asset-protection structures for international groups.
AFZ recognises three structures — covering solo founders, multi-shareholder partnerships and extensions of existing groups.
Single-owner vehicle with limited liability and full control. The most common AFZ structure for solo entrepreneurs and individual practitioners.
Multi-shareholder limited-liability vehicle. Separates owners from company debts and assets — the default for partnerships and joint ventures.
Branch of a UAE or overseas parent. Strengthens an existing business and extends its presence into AFZ under the parent's name.
AFZ runs incorporation through a digital portal and the UAE Interior Ministry's e-channel smart system. Standard setups complete inside five to ten working days.
Pick the right licence — Commercial, Industrial, Service, Freelance, E-Commerce or Offshore — based on the business model.
Choose between smart office, flexi-desk or private office inside AFZ. Office grade drives the visa quota the company can access.
Submit the application with shareholder documents, the personal information form and chosen trade name.
Settle the application fees through AFZ's portal or via an authorised consultant.
AFZ issues the trade licence and corporate documents — typically within five to ten working days of complete documentation.
Open a corporate bank account, apply for investor and employee visas through the e-channel smart system, and begin operations.
Standard document set for individual shareholders. Corporate shareholders need additional KYC documents. The Freelance Licence has a lighter document set.
AFZ pairs one of the UAE's lowest cost bases with a broad licence catalogue and the operational pedigree of a zone operating since 1988.
AFZ entities follow the standard UAE Free Zone Corporate Tax regime. Important caveat: AFZ Offshore (International Company) entities have a different tax-residence position than AFZ onshore free zone entities — Offshore companies do not undertake business in the UAE and are typically not UAE tax residents.
Onshore AFZ entities: Corporate Tax at 9% above AED 375,000, with QFZP election available for 0% on Qualifying Income. AFZ Offshore (International Company) entities sit outside the UAE Corporate Tax regime — they are not undertaking business in the UAE and are typically not UAE tax residents. The two structures have materially different tax positions.
Onshore AFZ entities follow standard UAE VAT — 5% on taxable supplies, AED 375,000 mandatory registration threshold. AFZ Offshore (International Company) entities do not undertake business in the UAE and are typically not UAE VAT registrants — but UAE-sourced expenditure (e.g. UAE professional services) attracts VAT in the normal way.
Sources & official references: Federal Decree-Law 47/2022 (Corporate Tax) · Cabinet Decision 100/2023 (QFZP) · Federal Decree-Law 8/2017 (VAT) · Cabinet Decision 59/2017 (Designated Zones) · Ajman Free Zone Authority published rules
AFZ's member base skews SME — cost-led founders across trading, services, freelance and light industrial.
Avyanco runs Ajman Free Zone engagements end-to-end — from licence selection through to a banked, visa-ready entity registered for Corporate Tax and VAT.
We match the business to the right AFZ licence — including whether the Freelance or Offshore route fits better than a standard commercial or service licence.
Holding and ownership structures designed for UAE Corporate Tax efficiency, including QFZP positioning where applicable.
Memorandum of Association drafted to AFZ's current template and the application taken through the zone's portal.
Introductions to UAE banks that actively onboard AFZ entities, plus the compliance file the bank's KYC will require.
Investor, partner and employee visas processed end-to-end through the e-channel system, with Emirates ID and medicals coordinated.
FTA registrations and ongoing filings — including QFZP eligibility assessment for the 0% qualifying-income rate.
Three things that come up in every AFZ engagement.
Live engagements with cost-led trading, freelance and SME founders inside AFZ means we know which licence and office tier actually fits each profile.
Application, MoA, office, bank, visa (through e-channel) and tax — handled by one team on one engagement letter.
Recommendations shaped by how cost-led founders actually operate — no enterprise-only thinking dressed up for a budget SME.
AFZ suits cost-led SME founders and freelancers. Other zones serve different sector ecosystems and cost bases — compare here.
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Read moreA slice of recent feedback from founders who set up their UAE companies through Avyanco.
I have been dealing with Akshta for more than a year now and she has been very professional.
Read more — Sherif Ayub's review on GoogleIn so far as the emigration process can ever be made easy, Avyanco achieves exactly this.
Read more — Sheru George's review on GoogleWe are very satisfied with Avyanco's support for Nanasu Realty — especially across AML compliance, accounting, and company setup.
Read more — Purushottam Mukkundi's review on GoogleI've used the services of Avyanco twice over the past 3 years for visa processing, and they have never failed to impress me.
Read more — Dominic Pinto's review on GoogleI had an excellent experience with Avyanco Business Setup Consultancy for both my company formation and family dependent visa process in the UAE.
Read more — Eder Schaphauser Ziomek's review on GoogleWe had an excellent experience working with this company for our ADGM company setup in Abu Dhabi.
Read more — Nikhil Nadanga's review on GoogleCommon questions about setting up in Ajman Free Zone Authority.
Content verified against the live Avyanco site and publicly verifiable secondary sources as of June 2026. The official Ajman Free Zone About page (both afz.ae and afz.gov.ae redirect paths) was unreachable during compilation, so verification triangulated across multiple independent sources. Avyanco Business Consultancy LLC is independent of Ajman Free Zone Authority and the Government of Ajman, not endorsed by either, and not affiliated with any UAE government agency.
AFZ activity catalogues, Freelance Licence specialisms, e-channel visa processing and Qualifying Free Zone Person eligibility evolve. Always confirm the current rules for your specific activity directly with Ajman Free Zone Authority and the Federal Tax Authority before acting on any fact on this page.
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