JAFZA Company Setup Consultants

INTRODUCTION

JAFZA company setup consultants help you get licensed inside the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai without the back-and-forth that slows most applications down. At ASC Global, we choose the right legal structure, prepare the paperwork, deal with the authority and get you to a signed licence. Foreign investors can own 100% of a JAFZA company. Most setups run as an FZE or FZCO.

Why choose ASC Global as your JAFZA company setup consultants

Most delays don’t come from the authority. They come from a wrong activity code, a badly drafted shareholder document, or a facility choice made before anyone checked the visa plan.

We’ve spent 30+ years in UAE business setup and advisory, and we’ve worked with 5,000+ clients. That doesn’t make us magicians. It does mean we’ve already seen the mistakes you’re about to make.

So what do you actually get?

• One team handling structure, documents and follow-up
• Plain answers on what your activity allows and what it doesn’t
• Honest advice, including when JAFZA isn’t the right fit

Honestly, that last point matters more than people expect.

Check the corporate tax line carefully. A free zone licence doesn’t automatically mean a 0% rate. It depends on your income, your activity and whether you meet the conditions.

Activities you can license in JAFZA

JAFZA is built around trade, logistics and industry. That’s its strength.

Typical licence categories include trading, industrial, logistics and service activities. Companies move goods, store stock, manufacture, assemble and distribute through the zone every day.

But here’s what trips up a lot of clients: the activity description on your licence controls what you can legally do. Pick one that’s too narrow and you’ll be amending it six months later. Pick one that’s too broad and you may pay for approvals you never needed.

We map your actual business model to the right activity before you apply. It’s a short step, and it saves real money.

Cost and fee overview

Fees depend on your legal form, licence type, facility, number of visas and any approvals your activity needs. We won’t quote a number here and pretend it applies to everyone, because it doesn’t.

Broadly, your budget covers:

• Licence registration and annual renewal
• Facility lease (a flexi-desk, office, warehouse or land)
• Visa and Emirates ID costs, if you need staff on site
• Authority approvals for regulated activities
• Corporate bank account opening

Ask for the full picture up front. The licence fee is rarely the biggest cost; the facility usually is. Contact us for a written estimate based on your actual setup.

How JAFZA company setup works, step by step

1. Define the business. Activity, shareholders, expected visas, storage or office needs.
2. Choose the legal form. FZE, FZCO or a branch, depending on who owns the company.
3. Select your facility. This drives your cost and your visa quota, so don’t rush it.
4. Submit the application and documents. We prepare and file everything.
5. Receive approvals and sign. Once cleared, you sign the lease and incorporation documents.
6. Collect the licence. Then comes visas, Emirates ID and the bank account.

How long does it take? That depends on your activity and how complete your documents are. Clean files move quickly. Messy ones don’t.

Documents you’ll typically need

Requirements vary by shareholder type, but expect to prepare:

• Passport copies for all shareholders and directors
• Proof of address
• Completed application forms
• Business plan or activity description
• For corporate shareholders: certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, and a board resolution
• Attested or notarised documents where required

Corporate shareholders cause the most delays. Attestation takes time, so start early.

Who should choose JAFZA, and who shouldn’t

It’s a good fit if you:

• Trade, store or move physical goods
• Run a manufacturing or assembly operation
• Need port access and warehouse space close together
• Want full foreign ownership

Think twice if you:

• Run a purely online or consulting business with no physical need
• Plan to sell mostly to the UAE mainland customers without a structure for it
• Only need a low-cost desk and a visa

Some people want a free zone licence because a friend recommended it. That’s not a business reason. If JAFZA doesn’t suit your model, we’ll say so, and point you to a better option.

How ASC Global helps

You get one point of contact from first call to final licence. We advise on structure, prepare and review your documents, submit the application and chase approvals. We also help with visas and bank account opening afterwards.

And we stay in the picture after you’re licensed. Renewals, amendments and compliance questions will come up. Having JAFZA company setup consultants who already know your file makes those far less painful.