DMC Costs & Review 2026

A DMC service licence costs approximately AED 15,000/year. With a flexi desk (AED 15,000/year), the minimum entry point is AED 30,000/year before visa costs. GoFreelance permits start from AED 7,500/year.

A DMC flexi desk typically supports 2-3 residency visas. For larger teams, a private office is required, with visa quotas scaling based on office size (roughly 1 visa per 9 sqm).

DMC is focused on media, entertainment, and related creative sectors. Permitted activities include media production, broadcasting, publishing, advertising, film and TV production, music, PR, and digital content creation. General trading is not available.

Moderately easy. DMC's 20+ year track record means banks are familiar with the license. Emirates NBD and Mashreq are common choices. Expect 2-4 weeks for corporate account opening with standard KYC documentation.

License processing takes 5-7 business days through the DCCA digital portal. Full setup including visa, medical, and Emirates ID typically takes 2 weeks.

GoFreelance is a budget freelancer permit at AED 7,500/year for individual media professionals. It includes a 1-year visa and does not require office space. Total Year 1 cost is approximately AED 12,542 including visa processing.

Both are TECOM Group free zones under DCCA. DMC focuses on media, publishing, and entertainment companies, while DIC targets technology and IT firms. They share the same licensing authority and similar fee structures.

Yes, DMC requires annual audited financial statements for license renewal. Budget AED 3,000-10,000/year for accounting and audit services depending on company size.

A DMC license ranges from AED 7,500 to AED 15,000 per year depending on license type. The GoFreelance permit costs AED 7,500/year for individual media professionals. A full FZ-LLC service licence costs AED 15,000/year, plus a mandatory flexi desk (AED 15,000/year) bringing the minimum company entry to AED 30,000/year before visa costs.

The DMC GoFreelance permit with a 1-year visa costs AED 12,542 total in Year 1. This breaks down as AED 7,500 for the freelance permit plus AED 5,042 for visa processing (AED 3,500 visa fee, AED 450 medical, AED 390 Emirates ID, and AED 702 included health insurance). No office space is required.

DMC renewal costs match Year 1 for most packages. The GoFreelance permit renews at AED 12,542/year (permit + visa). A Zero Visa FZ-LLC renews at AED 30,000/year (license + flexi desk). The 1-visa package renews at approximately AED 33,000/year, and the 2-visa package at AED 34,000/year. Private office packages renew from AED 60,000/year (3 visas) to AED 104,000/year (6 visas).

DMC company setup costs range from AED 12,542 to AED 124,040 in Year 1. A GoFreelance permit with 1 visa costs AED 12,542. An FZ-LLC with flexi desk and no visas starts at AED 30,000. The most popular 1-visa flexi desk package costs AED 37,340, and a 2-visa package costs AED 42,680. Private office packages with 3-6 visas range from AED 73,020 to AED 124,040.

DMC licenses cover media, entertainment, and creative sectors exclusively. Activities span 10 categories: media production and broadcasting, publishing and journalism, advertising and marketing, film and TV production, music and entertainment, PR and communications, digital media and content creation, photography and design, events and exhibitions, and media consulting. General trading is not available — DMC is purpose-built for the media industry.