The Free-zone company at MCFZ - Masdar City Free Zone (Abu Dhabi)
The Masdar City Free Zone (MCFZ), located in Abu Dhabi, is a global hub dedicated to clean technologies and renewable energy, integrated into a sustainable city aiming to serve as a model of environmentally friendly urban development.
Established in 2006, MCFZ provides a business-friendly environment with benefits such as 100% foreign ownership, corporate and personal income tax exemptions, and state-of-the-art infrastructure.
Strategically located between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, near the international airport, it attracts startups, SMEs, and multinational companies in sectors such as life sciences, AI, and sustainable energy. MCFZ fosters innovation and growth in a dynamic and sustainable ecosystem.
General presentation
Register
Free Zone Company in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi registered with the Masdar City Free Zone (MCFZ) Registry.
Permitted activities
The company may engage in any activity except banking, insurance, and financial activities (such as currency exchange). Managing funds for third parties is not permitted.
Minimum capital
Minimum AED 100,000 (with a minimum of AED 50,000 per partner). The company’s capital does not need to be paid in.
Manager
Minimum one. It may be an individual or a legal entity (in the latter case, an individual Manager must also be appointed).
Associate(s)
Any individual (private person - minimum age 18) or legal entity (company), regardless of nationality. No nominee shareholder.
Requirement to have an Emirati shareholder
Not required.
Registration obligations and deadline
Keep accounting records
Required.
Report on the audit of the annual financial statements
Required.
Time to register
10 days max.
Expected time frame
The expected lead times are as follows:
Registration documents
3 business days to prepare your company registration documents from receipt of your payment. The documents are signed electronically (so there is nothing to send back to us by mail).
Registration Certificate
Up to 1 business day to receive your company’s Certificate of Registration.
Residence visa
You have 2 options:
- Case no. 1: you are present in Dubai for 3 weeks (from Monday morning to Thursday evening 2 weeks later) to obtain your visa.
- Case no. 2: we submit your application to the Immigration Services 3 weeks BEFORE your arrival in Dubai. You will then need to be present in Dubai for only 6 business days (from Wednesday morning to Wednesday evening of the following week) to obtain your visa (= pink sticker affixed to your passport).
Visa for spouse/child(ren)
If applicable, once you have obtained your residence visa and rented/purchased a property in Dubai, we will be able to submit the visa applications for your spouse and children.
After obtaining the visa
EmiratesID
It is now necessary to make an appointment with the Authorities to complete the "finger print" (fingerprinting). The current wait time for an appointment is 3 weeks. To make this appointment, you must be present in Dubai and have already completed the medical examination. A maximum of 2 hours is required to take your fingerprints (we will of course accompany you as well). The Emirates ID will then be received at our post office box at least 7 business days after your fingerprints are taken (you do not need to be present to receive it; we will of course keep it for you if you are no longer present).
UAE driving license
As soon as we receive your EmiratesID, we can accompany you to Dubai’s Traffic Department to obtain your UAE driving license on-site within 2 hours (please note that you can no longer drive with a foreign license once you have obtained a residence visa).
Bank accounts
Personal bank account: as soon as your Emirates ID is obtained, we can meet with the bank to open your personal bank account. It takes 5 business days to obtain it.
Business bank account: you have 2 options (both are of course possible!):
- Online bank: opening is possible as soon as the company is registered; it takes a maximum of 5 days to receive your account number.
- Local bank in Dubai: opening is possible as soon as you have obtained your residence visa; it takes approximately 3 weeks to obtain your bank account number from a local bank in Dubai.