The zone offers six ready-made packages — from the visa-free Community Support tier to Business Multi Visa with a 15-visa quota — and several activities can sit under a single licence. Add a podcast studio, an exhibition hall and dual licensing with Fujairah Municipality. Below we break down the procedure, the budget and the 2026 tax rules.
Why businesses choose FCC
Creative City is built so that a person with a laptop can get a legal entity and a visa without any surplus real estate:
- Six packages for different scales — from visa-free Community Support to Business Multi Visa with a 15-visa quota
- Up to 5 activities on one licence and up to 6 owners on the senior packages
- A flexi-desk is included in the packages — renting a separate office is optional
- No paid-up share capital is required, and ownership is 100% foreign
- A media package with support in obtaining a national-regulator media licence
- Dual licensing with Fujairah Municipality and a route to the Golden Visa for residents
Steps to register a company in FCC
The procedure is built around the zone’s standard forms and, in most cases, runs remotely:
- Choosing a package and up to five activities from the creative, media and consulting list
- Approving the company name and completing the licence application form
- Submitting a KYC form and a signature specimen form for each shareholder
- Providing copies of passports, visa pages and shareholder photos with an activity description
- Paying for the package and receiving the licence with the certificate of incorporation and the flexi-desk lease
- Issuing the establishment card and residence visas and opening a bank account
With a complete document set, the licence is issued within a few business days. A visa adds another two to three weeks for entry, the medical test and the Emirates ID. The bank account is opened after the licence — the zone forwards documents to partner banks, but the decision rests with the bank.
Cost of setting up a company in FCC (2026)
Creative City does not publish package prices on its website — the figure comes from the cost calculator and the zone’s managers. So the correct approach is this: pin down the contents of each package and request the total before paying.
| Cost item | Amount, AED | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Community Support / Entrepreneur package (no visas) | on request | One-year licence, flexi-desk, no visa quota |
| Media package (no visas) | on request | Plus support in obtaining a regulator media licence |
| Smart package (1 visa included) | on request | Up to 3 owners, establishment card for one year |
| Business One Visa package (5-visa quota) | on request | 1 visa included, up to 4 owners |
| Business Multi Visa package (15-visa quota) | on request | 2 visas included, up to 6 owners |
| Residence visa beyond the package | on request | Medical test, Emirates ID, resident status |
One important detail when checking intermediaries’ offers: the zone’s official website is creativecity.gov.ae. The fcc.ae domain belongs to a different organisation — the investment firm Fujairah Capital Corporation, which is not connected to the free zone.
Taxation in FCC
Creative City residents operate under the general UAE rules: corporate tax of 9% on profit above AED 375,000 per year and 0% below the threshold. VAT of 5% applies when working with the UAE market once the turnover registration threshold is exceeded; exporting services abroad is zero-rated in a number of cases. Qualifying Free Zone Person status unlocks a 0% rate on qualifying income, but it requires substance and annual confirmation with the FTA — for a typical freelancer with clients abroad, this is worth calculating in advance.
Who FCC suits
The zone honestly delivers on its profile — creative work and services with no physical goods:
- Freelancers and specialists in media, design and production — right down to recording podcasts in the zone’s studio
- Consultants and small agencies that need an affordable licence with a visa and no office
- Publishers and content creators who will value support in obtaining a regulator media licence
“FCC is a licence built around a person, not an office: for a consultant or producer with clients abroad, it covers the legal entity, the visa and the bank with minimal overheads”, notes the lead lawyer at Dynasty Business Adviser.
Open a company in FCC with Dynasty Business Adviser
Dynasty Business Adviser will match a Creative City package to your activities and visa needs, request a quote from the administration, prepare the KYC documents and guide the process through to the licence, the visa and the opening of a bank account.
Get a consultation
Pricing data is current as of the publication date (13.07.2026) and verified against open sources, including creativecity.gov.ae; confirm tariffs directly with the zone administration before paying.
