Business Setup in Ajman
Last updated: November 2026
Ajman Free Zone runs its own company regulations and register, and the companies it licenses sit outside the UAE mainland jurisdiction. It forms FZE and FZC companies and branches, and it issues Freelancer and Pioneer licences to a single shareholder. Ajman Media City Free Zone and Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone add media, technology and professional services options. On the mainland, Ajman has allowed 100% foreign ownership in more than 1,000 commercial and industrial activities since June 2021, strategic impact activities excluded.
We handle the setup end to end as your formation agent: zone or mainland, activity check, documents, licence, residence visas, corporate tax registration and the bank introduction. Each case is quoted once we know the activity, the shareholders and the visa count.
| Quick facts | Value |
|---|---|
| Local company form | FZE (Free Zone Establishment) or FZC (Free Zone Company), equivalent of an LLC / private limited company |
| Free zones covered | Ajman Free Zone, Ajman Media City Free Zone, Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone |
| Foreign ownership in the zones | 100% |
| Foreign ownership on the mainland | 100% for commercial and industrial activities since June 2021; strategic impact activities excluded |
| Ajman Free Zone licences | Commercial, industrial, services, e-commerce, Pioneer, Freelancer |
| Management | Up to four directors or managers; general manager resident in the UAE (Ajman Free Zone) |
| Corporate tax | 9% above AED 375,000; 0% on qualifying income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person |
| VAT | 5%; mandatory registration above AED 375,000 |
| Customs duty | 0% on goods in the zone; generally 5% of CIF value on entry to the mainland |
| Visas | Through the zone; quota set by the package (Ajman Media City: zero to three) |
Why Choose Ajman for Your Company
Ajman has three selling points.
A zone for each kind of business. Ajman Free Zone has the physical space: offices, business centre units, hubs, warehouses and land. The two other zones serve media, technology and services.
Licences built for one person. Freelancer and Pioneer licences take a single shareholder.
No local partner in the zones. Free zone companies can be 100% foreign owned, the norm across UAE free zones.
The trade-off is market access, since a free zone company needs a distributor or its own mainland presence to sell on the mainland. The three UAE routes sit side by side in our business setup in Dubai guide, and the UAE company formation overview covers the federal framework.
Ajman Free Zone: Company Types, Licences and Activities
Ajman Free Zone registers three kinds of entity and acts as registrar for each company it licenses. Its company types page lists the FZE, the FZC and the branch. A branch has no separate legal personality, and a foreign company's branch sells into the UAE through a local agent or distributor. Shareholders may live abroad. The zone allows up to four directors or managers, and the general manager must be resident in the UAE.
What does FZE mean?
The letters FZE mean Free Zone Establishment. It is a limited liability company registered in a UAE free zone with one shareholder, either an individual or a corporate body. It is the free zone equivalent of a single-member LLC. Ajman Free Zone and Ajman NuVentures Centre both register FZEs and FZCs.
Freelancer and Pioneer licences
Both licences are built for one person and allow a single shareholder only. The Freelancer licence spans 40 activity categories, and each licence carries a residence visa for its holder (see the visa section).
Licence types and the activity list
Ajman Free Zone issues commercial, industrial, services, e-commerce, Pioneer and Freelancer licences. The activity decides the type and must appear on the zone's list, and regulated activities also need the sector regulator's approval.
Offshore holding structures
Ajman Free Zone still names offshore among its licence types, but we do not form Ajman offshore companies. Holding and structuring vehicles go through RAK ICC or JAFZA Offshore, both covered on our UAE offshore company page.
Ajman Media City Free Zone and Ajman NuVentures Centre
Ajman Media City Free Zone is overseen by the Free Zones Authority of Ajman and adds coworking desks, offices and studios to its packages. Media activities can need approval from the National Media Authority and the emirate's media bodies.
Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone (ANCFZ, sometimes written Ajman New Ventures) registers FZEs, FZCs and foreign and local branches, according to ANCFZ's list of company types.
| Zone | Sectors | Legal forms | Stand-out point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ajman Free Zone | Food, automotive, construction, education | FZE, FZC, branch | Freelancer and Pioneer licences; warehouses and land |
| Ajman Media City Free Zone | Media, technology, consultancy, trading, e-commerce | Confirmed on application | Packages with zero to three visas; studios |
| Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone | Technology, AI, trade, media, professional services | FZE, FZC, foreign and local branches | Licences advertised in 2 hours |
Weighing Ajman against other emirates? The UAE free zone comparison lines up DMCC, IFZA, Meydan, RAKEZ and the rest, while business setup in Sharjah covers SPC, SAIF Zone, Hamriyah, SHAMS and SRTIP.
Ajman Mainland and Foreign Ownership Rules
Selling directly to mainland customers takes a mainland licence. A free zone company stands outside that jurisdiction in law, and mainland licences in Ajman come from the Ajman Department of Economic Development (Ajman DED).
Ajman opened commercial and industrial licences to 100% foreign ownership in June 2021, covering more than 1,000 activities. Strategic impact activities are excluded: Cabinet Resolution No. 55 of 2021, in force since 1 June 2021, defines them federally, and each emirate publishes its own activity lists.
Mainland companies follow the federal Commercial Companies Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021, whose LLC needs no statutory minimum capital but must appoint an auditor. Emiratisation rules also bind mainland employers but not free zone ones. In 14 targeted activities, a mainland employer with 20 to 49 staff needs at least two Emirati employees.
Which legal form Ajman DED accepts for your activity, and its filing steps, we confirm when we quote. Our foreign ownership and director requirements table compares the UAE with other jurisdictions.
How to Open a Company in Ajman Free Zone: Step by Step
As your formation agent, we work through each step with the zone, which keeps the register of its companies.
- Activity and zone. We match the activity to one of the three zones, or to Ajman DED if the company must sell on the mainland.
- Legal form and trade name. FZE, FZC or branch. The name has to show the legal form, and religious terms or the names of authorities are refused.
- Application. Passports, KYC and beneficial owner forms, plus attested corporate documents for any company shareholder.
- Package and office. From a business centre unit to a warehouse or land at Ajman Free Zone.
- Licence and immigration card. The licence issues after approval; the lease, the immigration card and then the visa applications follow.
- Visas, tax and bank. Visa holders complete a medical test and Emirates ID biometrics inside the UAE. Corporate tax registration on the FTA's EmaraTax portal is due within three months of incorporation (FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024). Bank introductions start once the licence issues.
Required Documents
Plan for the file below; the zone confirms any additions for your activity.
For each individual shareholder, the general manager and every visa applicant:
- Passport copy
- Proof of residential address
- KYC and beneficial owner forms
- A no-objection letter from the current sponsor, for anyone already resident in the UAE
- A short business plan where the zone or the activity calls for one
For a corporate shareholder:
- Certificate of incorporation
- Notarised and attested constitution
- Board resolution approving the investment
- Attestation of these documents at the UAE embassy in the home country
Beneficial owners are natural persons with 25% or more of the capital or votes, or other control (Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023).
Timeline and What Our Package Covers
Ajman NuVentures Centre advertises licences in 2 hours. Elsewhere the activity and any regulator set the pace, so you get a dated plan after our activity check.
Our package covers:
- the activity check and the choice of zone or mainland
- legal form, trade name and constitutional documents
- the application, KYC file and beneficial owner register
- package and office selection, the licence and the immigration card
- residence visa applications within the package quota
- corporate tax registration with the Federal Tax Authority
- introductions to banks
Bookkeeping, VAT and tax returns are handled afterwards by our accounting and tax compliance team.
The total is built from the zone, the licence type, the activities, the office option and the visa count, plus any regulator's approval. We quote it per case.
Tax Overview for Ajman Companies
Corporate tax runs at 9% (rate applicable in 2026) once taxable income passes AED 375,000; below that the rate is 0%.
A free zone company meeting every condition of the Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) regime pays 0% on qualifying income; the free zone comparison linked above covers the full test. Two rules hit typical Ajman activities. Transactions with individuals are an Excluded Activity, so an e-commerce company selling to consumers earns non-qualifying income. Nor does consultancy billed to non-free-zone clients count as a Qualifying Activity. Once non-qualifying revenue passes the lower of 5% of revenue and AED 5,000,000, QFZP status is lost for that tax period and the next four.
Smaller companies have another route. Small Business Relief lets a resident company with revenue of AED 3 million or less, now and in every earlier period, elect to be treated as having no taxable income. It runs to tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029 (Ministerial Decision No. 131 of 2026), though not for a QFZP or a multinational group member.
VAT is 5%: registration is mandatory above AED 375,000 of taxable supplies and voluntary above AED 187,500. Withholding tax is 0%, and the Ministry of Finance counts 137 double tax agreements. How 9% compares internationally is shown in the corporate tax rates by country comparison.
Visas and Work Permits in the Ajman Zones
Visas come through the zone. The number available follows the package or office, and Ajman Media City sells packages with zero to three visas. At Ajman Free Zone, the Pioneer licence gives its owner one visa and the Freelancer licence includes one for the holder; we confirm family sponsorship with the zone.
Employment in the zones follows each zone's own rules alongside Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. Owners and employees alike sit the medical test and give Emirates ID biometrics in the country, and a bigger team needs a bigger package.
Banking for Ajman Companies
General trading mixed with unrelated activities may cause complications at banks, Meydan Free Zone in Dubai warns its applicants. We keep Ajman activity lists focused.
Banks decide case by case. An Emirates ID, held or applied for, makes a person eligible to open a UAE bank account, and each bank sets its other requirements. We start introductions once the licence issues, with the beneficial owner register under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023 in the file. Our bank account opening service explains how the introductions work.
Compliance and Reporting Obligations
Two authorities matter after licensing: the zone, for the licence and the beneficial owner register, and the Federal Tax Authority.
| Duty | Deadline or rule |
|---|---|
| Corporate tax registration | Within three months of incorporation; the late penalty is waived when the first return arrives within seven months after the first tax period |
| Corporate tax return and payment | Nine months after the tax period ends |
| Audited financial statements | Required from any Qualifying Free Zone Person and from companies with revenue above AED 50 million (Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025) |
| Beneficial owner register | Kept and filed with the registrar within 60 days of licensing; any change updated within 15 days |
| Anti-money laundering | Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 and Cabinet Resolution No. 134 of 2025, both listed in Ajman Free Zone's rules |
| E-invoicing | Revenue of at least AED 50 million: live on 1 January 2027. Others: provider by 31 March 2027, live on 1 July 2027. B2C-only sellers are out of scope for now |
| Licence renewal | Before expiry, with the authority that issued the licence |
Nominee shareholders and nominee directors are not part of our service. If a board member does act as a nominee, Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023 requires them to tell the company within 15 days (Art. 9), and the shareholder register must record whom any nominee represents (Art. 10).
Setting Up in Ajman as a Non-Resident
Ajman Free Zone's FAQ states that shareholders may live abroad, so a non-resident can own an FZE or FZC outright, with up to four directors or managers. Two residency rules apply. Ajman Free Zone wants a general manager resident in the UAE. Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023 (Art. 11(4)) also requires the company to name to the registrar a UAE resident who can disclose its beneficial owners.
The manager rule shapes the plan for a non-resident founder who wants to run the company personally. The usual answer is a residence visa from the package quota, which brings a trip for the medical and the Emirates ID biometrics. The other answer is a UAE-resident employee as manager; we do not provide nominee managers.
Paperwork for a non-resident shareholder matches anyone else's: passport copy, proof of address and KYC forms, plus attested corporate papers where a company holds the shares. We file the application, visa requests and tax registration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ajman Free Zone?
Ajman Free Zone is one of the emirate's free zones, licensing companies that operate outside the UAE mainland jurisdiction. It registers FZEs, FZCs and branches and issues commercial, industrial, services, e-commerce, Pioneer and Freelancer licences. Food, automotive, construction and education are its focus sectors, served by offices, hubs, warehouses and land.
What are the steps to open a company in Ajman Free Zone?
Start with the activity, which fixes the licence type and the zone. Pick the form: an FZE with one owner, an FZC or a branch. Reserve a trade name containing the form and file the application with KYC and beneficial owner forms. Licence, lease, immigration card, visas and tax registration follow.
What decides the total for an Ajman Free Zone licence and visas?
Six inputs: which zone, which licence, how many activities, which office or package, how many visas, and whether a regulator must approve. A one-person Freelancer licence and a multi-visa FZC with a warehouse sit far apart. We quote after checking your activity against the zone's list, with every item named in the quote.
Can a foreigner own 100% of a company in Ajman?
Yes. Free zone companies in Ajman can be wholly foreign owned, the norm across UAE free zones. On the mainland, Ajman has allowed 100% foreign ownership of commercial and industrial companies since June 2021, across more than 1,000 activities. Strategic impact activities under Cabinet Resolution No. 55 of 2021 are the exception, so we check the activity code before filing.
Does an Ajman Free Zone company need a UAE-resident manager?
Yes. Ajman Free Zone requires a general manager resident in the UAE, while shareholders may live abroad, and it allows up to four directors or managers. A founder who wants the role usually applies for a residence visa through the zone. The alternative is a UAE-resident employee in the post, never a nominee.
Do Ajman free zone companies pay corporate tax?
Yes, unless income qualifies for 0%. The standard rate is 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000 and 0% below. A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on qualifying income, but sales to individuals are excluded and advice sold to non-free-zone clients is not a Qualifying Activity. Registration is due within three months.
Get Started: Set Up Your Ajman Company
Send us the activity, the shareholders and the visas you need. We compare the three Ajman zones with the Ajman DED route and quote the one that fits; the contact page works as well.
Call +48 2222 5 2222 or email info@companyformation24.com to start.
Content prepared by Aleksandra Kowalska, Corporate Client Service. Approved by Tomasz Bielski, Managing Director.
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