Ajman Free Zone Visa Process & Costs: The 2026 Complete Guide

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If you’re setting up in Ajman Free Zone and wondering exactly what to budget for visas, the AFZA eServices portal won’t give you a single all-in number until you’re partway through the application. The real cost lands between AED 3,400 and AED 6,500 per visa depending on whether you’re applying from inside the UAE or from abroad — and that gap is almost entirely explained by one line item: the entry permit. Once you know how the fee stack works, the rest is predictable.

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This guide breaks down every component of the Ajman Free Zone visa cost in 2026 — entry permit, medical fitness test, Emirates ID, and stamping — then covers how many visas each office type includes, the step-by-step application process via AFZA’s eServices portal, and what visa renewal looks like three years down the line. All figures are 2026 actuals; AFZA fee schedules are updated at afz.gov.ae.

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Table of Contents

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1. AFZA Visa Cost 2026: Full Fee Breakdown

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2. Investor vs Employee Visa: What Each Costs

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3. Visa Quota by Office Type

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4. Step-by-Step: How to Apply for an AFZA Visa

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5. Ajman Free Zone Packages & Included Visas

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6. Visa Renewal: Costs and Timeline

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7. What to Do After Your AFZA Visa Is Issued

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8. Frequently Asked Questions

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AFZA Visa Cost 2026: Full Fee Breakdown

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The AED 3,400–6,500 figure represents the total government-collected cost of a UAE residence visa through Ajman Free Zone. It’s made up of four main components, each paid to a different authority. The table below shows where every dirham goes:

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Fee Component	Cost Range (AED)	Paid To
Entry Permit (inside UAE / change of status)	~1,100	GDRFA via AFZA portal
Entry Permit (outside UAE / new applicant)	~2,200	GDRFA via AFZA portal
Medical Fitness Test	450–550	Al Hamidiya Health Center, Ajman
Emirates ID (2-year card + biometrics)	~370	ICA
Visa Stamping & Residency Fees	800–1,500	GDRFA
E-Channel Registration (one-time, per company)	~2,300	GDRFA
Refundable Deposit (per company sponsor)	5,000	GDRFA (returned on cancellation)

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The e-channel registration fee of approximately AED 2,300 is a one-time company-level cost, not charged per employee visa. The AED 5,000 deposit is refundable when you cancel the establishment file. Neither appears in per-visa quotes, which is why many founders get a cost surprise when applying for their first employee visa.

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Investor vs Employee Visa: What Each Costs

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Investor visas — issued to the company shareholder or owner — carry slightly higher processing requirements and typically cost AED 3,800–4,500 all-in. Employee visas for hired staff run AED 3,200–4,000 all-in. Both result in a 3-year UAE residence visa.

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If your staff member is already in the UAE on a valid visit or residence visa, you apply for an in-country status change — entry permit cost ~AED 1,100. If they’re coming from abroad, an outside-UAE entry permit applies at ~AED 2,200. That single difference explains most of the AED 3,200–6,500 range you’ll see quoted across AFZA service providers.

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Visa Quota by Office Type

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AFZA assigns visa entitlement based on your workspace, not your licence category. Two companies on identical flexi-desk arrangements — one a trading company, one an IT consultancy — receive the same number of visa allocations. This is a meaningful point for anyone planning to hire: your choice of office type in Ajman Free Zone directly determines how many people you can sponsor.

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Flexi-Desk

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Standard AFZA flexi-desk packages include 2–3 visa allocations. This is enough for a solo founder plus one or two employees. If you need four or more visas, you’ll need to upgrade your workspace rather than simply adding visas to the same package — AFZA doesn’t sell additional visa slots on flexi-desk arrangements without a workspace upgrade.

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Executive Office (Private)

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Private executive offices at AFZA support approximately 5 visas as the standard allocation. These are dedicated, lockable rooms rather than hot-desks, so they come with a higher annual rental. For a small team of up to five people, the executive office is the most cost-efficient way to cover everyone under a single Ajman Free Zone licence.

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Warehouse & Industrial Space

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For businesses needing physical warehouse or industrial space in Ajman, AFZA offers units from 100 sqm. The general calculation is 1 visa per 9 sqm of space, giving a 100 sqm warehouse a baseline of approximately 14 visas. Larger industrial users scale proportionally — a 250 sqm unit supports around 27 visas. This makes AFZA one of the more visa-generous options for manufacturing, light industrial, and trading businesses that need to sponsor a sizeable workforce.

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Step-by-Step: How to Apply for an Ajman Free Zone Visa

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All AFZA visa applications go through the eServices portal at eportal.afz.gov.ae. There is no physical counter application for initial submission; passport submission for stamping happens via Zajel Courier, which AFZA has integrated into the process to keep everything off-counter. Here’s how it runs:

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Step 1 — Submit Entry Permit Request via eServices Portal

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Log in to your AFZA customer portal → Employee Services → raise a service request for Entry Permit. You’ll attach passport copies, photographs, and any supporting documentation relevant to the visa type (investor share certificate or employee offer letter). AFZA’s immigration team submits the request to GDRFA. Once the entry permit is approved, you receive it digitally through the portal.

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Step 2 — Complete Medical Fitness Test at Al Hamidiya Health Center

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AFZA specifically accepts medical fitness reports only from Al Hamidiya Health Center in Ajman — not from general clinics or hospitals in other Emirates. Cost: AED 450–550. The appointment can usually be booked within a few days. Results are uploaded to the system digitally, so there’s no paperwork to physically carry to the next step.

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Step 3 — Apply for Emirates ID

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With the medical clearance confirmed, register biometrics for the Emirates ID through the ICA app or at an ICA service centre. The physical card takes 5–10 working days to arrive by post. Cost: approximately AED 370 for a 2-year card. The Emirates ID and residence visa are processed in parallel at this stage.

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Step 4 — Passport Submission via Zajel Courier

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Submit the passport to AFZA’s Zajel Courier Service for immigration stamping — no in-person visit to an immigration counter is required. AFZA has standardised this courier step as part of its client services, keeping the process entirely digital and courier-managed. Normal service: 2–4 working days. Urgent service: 1–2 working days.

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Step 5 — Residence Visa Issued (3 Years)

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The completed passport is returned to you by Zajel with a 3-year UAE residence visa stamped inside. From entry permit submission (Step 1) to receiving your passport back (Step 5), the standard timeline is 3–7 working days for in-country applicants. Outside-country applicants may take a few days longer depending on entry permit processing.

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For a comparison of how this process stacks up across all major free zones, see our UAE Free Zone Investor Visa 2026 guide and UAE Free Zone Employee Visa 2026 quota and process guide.

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Ajman Free Zone Packages & Included Visas (2026)

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If you’d rather start with a bundled cost that includes both the licence and visa fees, AFZA offers all-in packages for the main tiers. Below are the 2026 standard package prices:

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Package	Licence Cost (AED)	Visas Included	Suitable For
No-Visa	5,555	0	Freelancers, single-person consultancies, e-commerce operators needing a UAE trade licence only
1-Visa	13,131	1	Solo founders wanting UAE residency alongside their licence
5-Visa	29,292	5	Small teams; executive office-grade setup
General Trading (0-visa)	14,000	0	Trading companies importing/exporting across multiple product categories
General Trading (1-visa)	17,000	1	Trading company with founder residency

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Ajman Free Zone is one of the few UAE free zones that allows licence and office fees to be paid in installments of up to six months. This doesn’t apply to the government immigration fees (medical, Emirates ID, stamping), which must be paid in full at the time of application — but it does make the entry cost significantly more manageable for early-stage businesses. AFZA is also one of the lowest-cost entry points in the UAE market, which you can benchmark across free zones in our cheapest UAE free zones under AED 10,000 overview.

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Visa Renewal: Costs and Timeline

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AFZA residence visas are valid for 3 years. Renewal typically costs AED 2,000–4,000 per person, covering a repeat medical test at Al Hamidiya Health Center, Emirates ID reissuance, and stamping fees. The AFZA licence must be active and in good standing before renewal applications are processed — if your licence lapses, sort that first through the eServices portal before submitting visa renewal requests.

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Timeline for renewal mirrors the initial application: 3–7 working days for most cases. The courier-based passport submission through Zajel applies to renewals as well.

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What to Do After Your AFZA Visa Is Issued

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Once you have your UAE residence visa through Ajman Free Zone, three things typically come next. First, opening a corporate bank account — UAE banks require a valid residence visa and Emirates ID for the account signatories. For which banks work well with Ajman Free Zone entities, see our UAE free zone bank account opening guide.

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Second, if you have a shareholder-level investor visa, your UAE residence status creates a UAE tax domicile. This interacts with the free zone corporate tax qualifying income rules — specifically whether the income your AFZA company earns counts as Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) income eligible for the 0% rate. Worth reviewing before your first full financial year in the UAE.

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Third, if you need additional staff visas beyond your current quota, confirm your workspace upgrade options through the AFZA eServices portal before applying — upgrading your office type is the fastest way to expand your visa entitlement without restructuring the licence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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How much does an Ajman Free Zone visa cost in 2026?

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An AFZA visa costs AED 3,400–6,500 all-in per person in 2026. The main components are the entry permit (AED 1,100 for in-country change of status; AED 2,200 for outside-UAE applicants), medical fitness test at Al Hamidiya Health Center (AED 450–550), Emirates ID (~AED 370), and visa stamping fees (AED 800–1,500). Investor visas typically land at AED 3,800–4,500; employee visas at AED 3,200–4,000.

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How many visas does an Ajman Free Zone flexi-desk licence include?

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Flexi-desk packages at AFZA typically include 2–3 visa allocations. AFZA ties visa quota to your workspace type rather than your licence category. Executive offices include approximately 5 visas; industrial warehouse space scales at roughly 1 visa per 9 sqm of area, starting at 14 visas for a 100 sqm unit.

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How long does the Ajman Free Zone visa process take?

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The end-to-end timeline is 3–7 working days for applicants already inside the UAE. The process runs through the AFZA eServices portal at eportal.afz.gov.ae; passport submission for stamping is handled by Zajel Courier Service, so no counter visits are required at any stage.

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Does Ajman Free Zone allow installment payments on visa packages?

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Yes — AFZA allows licence and office fees to be paid in installments of up to six months, which is uncommon among UAE free zones. Government immigration fees (medical test, Emirates ID, visa stamping) are paid separately at the time of application and cannot be deferred.

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How long is an Ajman Free Zone residence visa valid?

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AFZA residence visas are issued for 3 years. Renewal costs AED 2,000–4,000 per person and requires a new medical test at Al Hamidiya Health Center, Emirates ID reissuance, and an active AFZA licence in good standing.

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Can I increase my visa quota at Ajman Free Zone?

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Yes — by upgrading your workspace. Since AFZA ties visa entitlement to facility type and size (roughly 1 visa per 9 sqm), moving from flexi-desk to an executive office expands quota to ~5 visas; taking a warehouse unit starts at 14 visas for 100 sqm. Submit a workspace upgrade request through the AFZA eServices portal. See our full guide to Ajman Free Zone setup and packages for current office options.

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Ready to Set Up in Ajman Free Zone?

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Ajman Free Zone is consistently one of the most affordable UAE free zone entry points — with all-in packages from AED 5,555, flexible six-month installments, and a straightforward digital visa process that runs entirely through the AFZA portal. If you’re comparing AFZA against other free zones on visa costs, licence fees, and business activity compatibility, we can map it out for your specific situation.

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[📲 WhatsApp us for a free Ajman Free Zone consultation]

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Disclaimer

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This guide is for informational purposes only. Ajman Free Zone visa fees, government charges, and package prices may change without notice. Always confirm current rates directly with AFZA at afz.gov.ae or through a licensed UAE company formation agent. UAE Freezone Finder does not provide legal, immigration, or financial advice.