Creative City Fujairah vs IFZA: Side-by-Side Comparison
Creative City Fujairah is the cheapest way to get a media/creative license in the UAE — often under AED 6,000. IFZA costs more but gives you a Dubai address and access to more business activities beyond just media. For pure creative freelancers, CCF is hard to beat on price.
- Freelance consultants
- Event companies
- Budget media businesses
- Startups
- Freelancers
- Small businesses
- Very cheap
- No office needed
- Quick setup
- Very affordable
- Extremely fast setup
- Wide activity range
- Fujairah address
- Limited activities
- Banking challenges
- Newer reputation
- Banking can be slower
- Location outside main Dubai hubs
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Find Your Free ZoneKey differences at a glance
| Creative City | IFZA | |
|---|---|---|
| Emirate | fujairah | dubai |
| License from | AED 5,500/yr | AED 5,750/yr |
| Annual renewal | AED 5,500 | AED 5,750 |
| Setup time | 2-3 business days | 1-2 business days |
| Min share capital | None | None |
| Established | 2007 | 2018 |
| License types | service, freelancer | trading, service, e-commerce, freelancer |
| Office options | virtual office, flexi desk | flexi desk, virtual office, shared office, private office |
Cost breakdown
Creative City
- License (starting from)
- AED 5,500/yr
- Annual renewal
- AED 5,500
- Visa packages
- 1 visa
- ~AED 3,000
IFZA
- License (starting from)
- AED 5,750/yr
- Annual renewal
- AED 5,750
- Visa packages
- 1 visa
- ~AED 3,500
- 3 visas
- ~AED 9,000
- 6 visas
- ~AED 16,000
Which one should you pick?
Pick Creative City if
You're a freelancer or media professional wanting the cheapest creative license.
See full Creative City profilePick IFZA if
You need a Dubai address, broader activity options, or plan to scale beyond freelancing.
See full IFZA profileFrequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Creative City or IFZA?
Creative City is cheaper. Its license starts at AED 5,500/year vs AED 5,750/year for IFZA — a difference of AED 250 per year at the entry tier. Actual costs depend on visa count, office type, and activity.
How long does setup take at Creative City vs IFZA?
Creative City advertises 2-3 business days and IFZA advertises 1-2 business days. Real-world timelines depend on how quickly you submit documents, pay fees, and complete KYC.
Where are Creative City and IFZA located?
Creative City is in Fujairah (Fujairah emirate). IFZA is in Dubai (Dubai Silicon Oasis area, Dubai).
What license types does each offer?
Creative City issues service, freelancer licenses. IFZA issues trading, service, e-commerce, freelancer licenses. Pick the zone that covers the license type matching your business activity.