ANC Free Zone

ANC Free Zone, officially the Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone (ANCFZ), is one of the UAE's newest free zone authorities, launched in late 2024 as part of the Emirate of Ajman's wider Ajman Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy. Distinct from the long-established Ajman Free Zone Authority (AFZA), ANCFZ was built from the ground up as a fully digital, technology-first free zone, using automation and AI-assisted processing to compress registration, documentation, and licensing into a fraction of the time required by traditional free zone authorities. In its first year of operation, ANCFZ reported registering thousands of new companies, reflecting strong early demand for its speed-first proposition.

ANCFZ's headline feature is raw speed: company setup can be completed in as little as 15 minutes when documentation is in order, with the authority also marketing a "2-hour" fast company setup guarantee for standard applications, and residence visa issuance within 24 to 48 hours of company registration. Zero-visa packages start from around AED 4,888 per year, among the lowest headline prices of any UAE free zone, while fuller packages bundling visas, security approval, and an establishment card are available from roughly AED 10,000 to AED 12,000 depending on visa allocation. This guide covers everything a founder needs to know about establishing a company in ANC Free Zone in 2026, from licence types and legal structures through to costs, the registration process, and how the UAE's corporate tax framework applies to ANCFZ businesses.

ANCFZ supports more than 3,500 approved business activities and, unusually for a UAE free zone, allows up to ten activities to be combined under a single unified licence, spanning both traditional sectors such as trading, consultancy, and general services, and modern, emerging sectors including blockchain, artificial intelligence, gaming, the metaverse, and media and entertainment. Most business structures carry no minimum paid-up capital requirement, and office options range from flexi-desk and shared office to fully private office space. This breadth of activity bundling, combined with genuinely fast processing, has made ANCFZ a compelling option for founders in modern digital and tech-adjacent industries that older, more narrowly categorised free zones do not always accommodate cleanly.

Why ANC Free Zone? The Case for Setting Up in ANCFZ

The primary reason founders choose ANCFZ is speed combined with modern activity coverage. Few UAE free zones can match a genuine 15-minute-to-2-hour company setup window, and ANCFZ backs this with visa issuance within 24 to 48 hours of registration, a meaningfully faster sequence than the multi-week visa timelines common elsewhere in the UAE. For founders who need to be operational almost immediately, ANCFZ's digital-first, AI-assisted processing removes much of the friction associated with traditional free zone paperwork.

The second reason is activity flexibility. ANCFZ's unified licence structure permits up to ten mix-and-match business activities under a single licence, roughly double or more the allowance at most comparable UAE free zones, and its activity list explicitly includes emerging sectors such as blockchain, AI, gaming, and the metaverse alongside traditional trade, consultancy, and service categories. For founders building genuinely multi-disciplinary or tech-forward businesses, this reduces the risk of needing multiple licences or amendments as the business evolves.

The third reason is cost, particularly at the entry level. Zero-visa packages starting from around AED 4,888 place ANCFZ among the cheapest company formation routes in the entire UAE, and the free zone additionally offers a Pay As You Go model for services such as visa processing, allowing founders to spread costs as they are actually incurred rather than paying for capacity upfront. Beyond speed, activity scope, and cost, ANCFZ provides the standard set of UAE free zone advantages: 100% foreign ownership, no requirement for a UAE national partner, and access to the 0% corporate tax rate on qualifying income for companies that meet the Qualifying Free Zone Person criteria.

Business Licence Types at ANC Free Zone

ANCFZ issues a single unified licence that can hold up to ten business activities drawn from its catalogue of more than 3,500 approved activities, spanning commercial, industrial, service, consultancy, and education sectors as well as modern digital sectors. Rather than a rigid set of narrow licence products, ANCFZ's model is built around this unified, activity-driven licence, with the specific combination of activities selected determining what the company is permitted to do.

• Commercial / General Trading Activities

  Covers the import, export, and distribution of goods, including general trading across multiple product categories under a single unified licence alongside other selected activities.

• Service and Consultancy Activities

  Covers management consultancy, professional advisory, and knowledge-based services, commonly combined with e-commerce or trading activities under the same ten-activity allowance.

• Technology, Blockchain, and AI Activities

  A distinguishing feature of ANCFZ's activity list, explicitly covering technology and innovation, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and metaverse-related business activities, sectors not always cleanly accommodated by older, more traditionally categorised free zones.

• Media, Entertainment, and Gaming Activities

  Covers media and entertainment production, content creation, and gaming-related business activities, reflecting ANCFZ's positioning toward modern creative and digital industries.

• E-Commerce and Freelancing Activities

  Covers online store operation, digital marketplaces, and individual freelance and consultancy work, suited to solo founders and small digital businesses seeking a fast, low-cost UAE entity.

• Education and Training Activities

  Covers training, coaching, and education-related services, though certain regulated activities such as formal educational institutions may require additional approval from relevant UAE authorities.

Legal Entity Structures in ANC Free Zone

ANCFZ supports the standard range of UAE free zone legal structures with notably generous shareholder limits. A Free Zone Establishment (FZE) suits single-shareholder businesses, whether the shareholder is an individual or a corporate entity, while a Free Zone Company (FZC) accommodates multiple shareholders, with ANCFZ permitting up to fifty shareholders under current rules, among the higher shareholder ceilings of any UAE free zone. There is no minimum paid-up capital requirement for most business activities, removing a common cost barrier for early-stage founders.

International or UAE-based companies can alternatively register a branch office, extending an existing foreign or local UAE company into ANCFZ without creating a new standalone legal entity. Branch registrations generally require the parent company's trade licence or certificate of incorporation, memorandum of association, and a board resolution authorising the UAE registration, with documents attested as required depending on the parent's jurisdiction.

• Free Zone Establishment (FZE)

  A single-shareholder limited liability company, available to individual or corporate shareholders, with no minimum paid-up capital requirement for most activities.

• Free Zone Company (FZC)

  A multi-shareholder limited liability company accommodating up to fifty shareholders under ANCFZ's current rules, suited to partnerships, joint ventures, and larger ownership groups.

• Branch of a Foreign or Local Company

  An extension of an existing foreign or UAE-registered company, operating under the parent's ownership and legal identity, useful for companies with existing UAE operations seeking an additional ANCFZ-based presence.

ANC Free Zone Company Formation Process: Step by Step

ANCFZ's registration process is built to be entirely digital, with shareholders not required to be physically present for company registration itself. The authority advertises company setup completed within 15 minutes when documentation is fully in order, with a broader "2-hour" fast setup benchmark for standard applications. Visa processing, which does require physical presence for the medical test and biometrics, is completed within 24 to 48 hours of company registration once initiated, a notably fast sequence relative to most UAE free zones.

1. 1

   Choose Your Business Activities

   Select up to ten business activities from ANCFZ's catalogue of more than 3,500 approved activities, spanning traditional and modern digital sectors.

2. 2

   Choose Your Entity Structure and Package

   Decide between an FZE (single shareholder), FZC (up to fifty shareholders), or a branch of an existing company, and select a package based on visa needs: Zero Visa, a visa-inclusive package, or the Pay As You Go model for founders who prefer to add services incrementally.

3. 3

   Submit Documents Online

   Provide a passport copy, photograph, and, where applicable, Emirates ID or visa copies for UAE residents, plus trade licence, Memorandum of Association, and board resolution for branch registrations. Documents can be submitted in English or Arabic.

4. 4

   Pay Fees and Receive Your Licence

   Settle the licence and registration fees, with a discount of approximately 10% typically available for upfront payment, or use flexible instalment options for comprehensive packages. The licence is issued digitally, in as little as 15 minutes for straightforward applications.

5. 5

   Security Approval and Establishment Card

   Inclusive packages bundle security approval and Establishment Card issuance alongside the trade licence, confirming the company's visa quota.

6. 6

   Visa Processing

   Apply for entry permits, complete the medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics in person, and finalise visa stamping, typically within 24 to 48 hours of initiating the process post-registration.

7. 7

   Corporate Bank Account

   Open a corporate bank account once the licence and Emirates ID (where applicable) are issued, a step ANCFZ's setup partners typically support directly.

ANC Free Zone Costs: What to Budget in 2026

ANCFZ is consistently cited as one of the lowest-cost company formation routes in the UAE, with a Zero Visa package, covering up to ten business activities and no visa allocation, starting from around AED 4,888 per year. Fuller packages that bundle visa allocation, security approval, and an Establishment Card are typically available from around AED 10,000 to AED 12,000 depending on visa quota, with the Inclusive Package offering up to seven visas alongside the ten-activity licence. ANCFZ's Pay As You Go model is a genuine alternative for founders who want to minimise upfront outlay, allowing visa processing and other business support services to be paid for only as they are actually used.

A discount of approximately 10% is commonly available for upfront annual payment, and flexible instalment plans are offered for comprehensive packages for founders who prefer to spread cost over the year. Licences must be renewed annually, and renewal is generally a straightforward digital process not requiring shareholders to be physically present. All figures are indicative; current package pricing should be confirmed directly with ANCFZ or an authorised partner.

Note: All figures are indicative 2026 market pricing reported by ANCFZ and authorised partners. Exact costs depend on activity selection, visa quota, and office package, and should be confirmed with ANCFZ or your authorised consultant before committing to a structure.

ANC Free Zone vs Other UAE Free Zones: Key Comparisons

ANCFZ's closest comparison is the Emirate's own longer-established Ajman Free Zone (AFZA), alongside other budget-focused northern emirates zones and Dubai's cost-conscious options such as IFZA and Meydan. Against AFZA, ANCFZ is generally faster to register and offers a considerably broader activity bundling allowance, up to ten activities versus AFZA's one service or three trading activities, along with explicit coverage of modern sectors like blockchain, AI, and gaming that AFZA's more traditional categorisation does not emphasise. AFZA, in turn, offers genuine port proximity, nearly four decades of regulatory track record, and a broader range of physical facility options, including warehousing, that a newer, more digitally focused authority like ANCFZ does not centre its proposition on.

Against Dubai free zones such as IFZA and Meydan, ANCFZ is meaningfully cheaper at the entry level while offering comparable or faster processing speed, though Dubai-based zones may carry stronger address recognition with some banks and international clients. For founders in modern digital sectors, gaming, blockchain, or AI-adjacent businesses specifically, ANCFZ's explicit activity coverage is a genuine differentiator that few other UAE free zones match as directly.

Note: For businesses with genuine port access, warehousing, or heavy manufacturing requirements, AFZA, JAFZA, and RAKEZ are the more relevant comparison set. Contact Velare for a full personalised free zone assessment.

UAE Corporate Tax and ANC Free Zone

The UAE's Federal Corporate Tax Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022), effective from June 2023, applies a 9% corporate tax rate on taxable income exceeding AED 375,000. ANCFZ companies, like other UAE free zone entities, may qualify as a Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) and access a 0% rate on qualifying income, provided they maintain adequate economic substance in the free zone, earn qualifying income primarily from transactions with non-UAE entities or other free zone companies, comply with transfer pricing rules, and keep non-qualifying income within the de minimis threshold of 5% of total revenue or AED 5 million, whichever is lower.

An ANCFZ company can sell internationally without restriction, but direct sales into the UAE mainland require either an appointed mainland distributor or a separate mainland licence. Companies earning significant revenue from UAE mainland clients risk losing QFZP status, which would move their applicable tax rate from 0% to the standard 9% rate. All ANCFZ entities must register for corporate tax with the Federal Tax Authority regardless of profit level, and qualifying status is not automatic, so consulting a UAE-registered tax adviser before finalising an activity and revenue structure is strongly recommended.

How Velare Can Help with Your ANC Free Zone Registration

Velare provides comprehensive ANC Free Zone company formation services, from activity selection and package structuring through to registration, visa processing, and corporate banking introductions. Our team maintains current knowledge of ANCFZ's unified licence model, activity catalogue, and package pricing, helping founders in both traditional and modern digital sectors choose the right configuration from the outset.

Whether you are launching a trading business, a consultancy, a gaming or blockchain venture, or a branch of an existing company, Velare manages every step of the ANCFZ registration process with precision, and helps founders compare ANCFZ against AFZA, IFZA, and other UAE free zones based on their specific activity, budget, and growth stage.

To begin your ANC Free Zone registration, or for a written scope and fee quote tailored to your activity, get in touch with Velare below. A short call is usually enough to establish fit, with a written proposal to follow.

Frequently Asked Questions About ANC Free Zone Company Formation

This article is general information, not advice on your specific circumstances. Requirements vary by licensing authority, activity and shareholder profile, and are revised periodically.