SAIF Zone Costs & Review 2026

Conservative market pricing starts around AED 10,800/year for a standard trade or service license with flexi-desk and up to 3-visa eligibility. Visa processing is billed separately.

Visa quota is tied to facility: SAIF Office (3 visas), Executive Office (5 visas), SAIF Suite (8 visas). Warehouses can allow more depending on size.

A conservative all-in employee visa budget is about AED 4,370 per person before annual medical insurance (~AED 1,200). Investor visas may cost ~AED 4,965.

SAIF markets license issuance within 1 hour once documents are complete and payments finalized. Adding visas extends the timeline to roughly 1–2 weeks.

SAIF Zone scores strongly on value-for-money for logistics/trading SMEs due to the AED 10,800 starting package and airport adjacency. The main cost driver is visa processing and insurance.

Direct mainland selling typically requires a distributor/agent or mainland branch structure. SAIF Zone companies are primarily structured for free zone and international operations.

Consultancy references cite renewal for a minimal SAIF license around AED 13,350 (package dependent). Add annual insurance per visa holder and any audit/compliance costs.

SAIF Zone license costs range from AED 10,800 to AED 28,650 per year depending on facility type. The SAIF Office (flexi desk) license is AED 10,800/year with up to 3-visa eligibility. The SAIF Suite (21 sqm private office) license is AED 28,650/year with up to 8-visa eligibility. All-in Year 1 costs including establishment card, visas, and insurance range from AED 13,100 (no visa) to AED 75,510 (Suite with 8 visas).

Each SAIF Zone employee visa costs approximately AED 5,570 all-in: AED 3,530 visa fee, AED 450 medical, AED 390 Emirates ID typing, plus AED 1,200 annual health insurance. Investor visas cost slightly more at approximately AED 4,965 before insurance. VIP medical processing is available at AED 850 instead of AED 450. Visa processing takes roughly 1–2 weeks after license issuance.

SAIF Zone offers four main packages. SAIF Office no visa: AED 13,100 Year 1 (license AED 10,800 + establishment card AED 2,300). SAIF Office 1 visa: AED 18,670 Year 1. SAIF Office 3 visas: AED 29,810 Year 1. SAIF Suite 8 visas: AED 75,510 Year 1 (license AED 28,650, includes 21 sqm private office). Visa quota scales with facility type: flexi desk allows up to 3 visas, executive office up to 5, and private suite up to 8.

A SAIF Zone trading license (including general trading) starts at AED 10,800/year for the SAIF Office flexi-desk package. This is the same base price for trade, service, and industrial license types. The total Year 1 cost with 1 visa processed is AED 18,670, which includes the AED 10,800 license, AED 2,300 establishment card, AED 4,370 visa processing, and AED 1,200 health insurance. Trading activities at SAIF Zone benefit from the airport-adjacent logistics corridor and proximity to Sharjah's ports.

A SAIF Zone employment visa costs AED 4,370 per person in processing fees: AED 3,530 visa fee, AED 450 standard medical, and AED 390 Emirates ID typing. Add AED 1,200 per year for mandatory health insurance, bringing the total to AED 5,570 per employee in Year 1. VIP medical processing costs AED 850 instead of AED 450. Visa renewal runs approximately AED 4,370 per person every 2–3 years. The maximum visa quota is 3 on a flexi-desk, 5 on an executive office, or 8 on a private suite.

SAIF Zone renewal costs by package: SAIF Office no visa: AED 13,350/year. SAIF Office 1 visa: AED 14,550/year. SAIF Office 3 visas: AED 16,950/year. SAIF Suite 8 visas: AED 22,950/year. Renewals are significantly cheaper than Year 1 because initial visa processing fees (AED 4,370 per person) are not repeated annually — visas renew every 2–3 years. Annual insurance (AED 1,200 per visa holder) and any required audit report costs are included in renewal totals.