Meydan License Renewal Cost 2026 — Every Fee & Visa Charge

The Meydan license renewal cost starts at AED 12,125 for the base package, but that headline figure rarely reflects your final bill. Meydan bundles the licence, up to three business activities, company registration renewal, visa allocation and a flexi desk into one fee — then charges separately for each visa, the establishment card, Emirates ID and, if you file late, a penalty. On top of everything sits a compulsory annual audit report, which every Meydan company must submit through a Meydan-approved auditor before the renewal can be processed. This guide sets out every possible charge, three worked cost scenarios, the renewal steps, and how Corporate Tax and audit obligations tie in — so you can budget your Meydan licence renewal accurately.

How much does Meydan license renewal cost in 2026?

The Meydan license renewal cost is AED 12,125 per year for the base package. This mirrors the original formation package — the renewal effectively costs the same as setting the company up. The AED 12,125 is a starting price: it assumes up to three business activities and a flexi desk, with no visa processing and no dedicated office lease.

Because a Meydan renewal cannot be completed without audited financial statements, the realistic minimum for any active company is AED 12,125 + audit (from AED 1,499) = about AED 13,624. From there, every visa, the establishment card and Emirates ID add to the total. If your licence carries more than three activities, or you lease dedicated office space instead of a flexi desk, those are billed separately according to your specific setup.

What's included in the AED 12,125 Meydan renewal package?

The AED 12,125 renewal package bundles the core elements a Meydan company needs to stay live for another year. Unlike some free zones that itemise every component, Meydan keeps it as a single fee. Here is exactly what the base package covers:

Visa allocation is not visa processing. The package includes the quota — your company's eligibility to sponsor visas. Actually issuing or renewing a visa is charged per person (covered below). If you hold no visas, the allocation simply keeps your future eligibility intact. Ongoing bookkeeping and accounts — needed for the audit — can be handled through Meydan monthly accounting so your figures are audit-ready at renewal.

What is the full Meydan license renewal cost breakdown?

The table below lists every fee a Meydan company may encounter in the renewal cycle. Not all apply to every company — a no-visa company pays only the base package and audit.

To turn that into real budgets, here are three common scenarios:

How much do Meydan visa renewals and Emirates ID cost?

Visa fees are charged per person and are separate from the base licence. A Meydan employment visa renewal is AED 3,500 and an investor/partner visa is AED 4,000. Every visa holder also completes a medical examination and Emirates ID application at AED 2,250 per person (VIP), which applies equally to new visas and renewals.

So a single investor renewing their own visa should budget roughly AED 4,000 + AED 2,250 = AED 6,250 per person on top of the licence and establishment card. Two employees add about AED 5,750 each (visa + medical/EID). Because these are per-person, visa count is usually the biggest swing factor between a lean AED 13,624 renewal and a AED 27,000+ one.

Do I need a Meydan establishment (immigration) card?

The establishment card (also called the immigration card) costs AED 2,200 and is required for any company that holds visas under its Meydan licence. It is valid for one year from the date of issuance — not from the licence renewal date — so its expiry may not line up with your licence.

This mismatch matters: if your licence renews in March but the card was issued in June, you renew the card separately in June. The card must stay valid for the whole duration of any active visa. Companies with no visas do not need an establishment card, so this AED 2,200 charge does not apply to a no-visa Meydan company.

Are business activity amendments free during Meydan renewal?

Yes — all business-activity amendments are free if processed at the time of licence renewal. That covers adding new activities (up to 10 per licence), removing activities you no longer need, and changing the description or category of existing ones. Outside renewal, Meydan charges AED 2,000 per amendment.

The saving is significant, so time any planned changes to coincide with your licence expiry. Common reasons companies amend at renewal include expanding into e-commerce, adding consultancy activities to a trading licence, or dropping activities that are no longer relevant. Three activities are included in the base package at no extra cost; beyond that, additional activities may carry a fee.

How do I renew my Meydan licence step by step?

Renewing a Meydan licence is a short, portal-based process — the part that takes time is the audit. Start early and the renewal itself is straightforward:

1. Prepare accounts & audit — close your books for the licence year and appoint a Meydan-approved auditor to issue IFRS/UAE FRS audited financial statements (from AED 1,499).
2. Check expiry & gather documents — note the licence expiry date and collect the trade licence, shareholder passports/Emirates IDs and the audit report.
3. Apply on the Meydan portal — submit the renewal application and add any free activity amendments at this stage.
4. Pay the renewal fee — settle the AED 12,125 base package, plus any extra-activity, visa or establishment-card charges.
5. Renew visas & establishment card — process employment (AED 3,500) or investor (AED 4,000) visas, the establishment card (AED 2,200) and medical + Emirates ID (AED 2,250) as needed.

What is the late fee if I miss my Meydan renewal deadline?

If you miss the renewal date you are not penalised immediately — Meydan gives a 30-day grace period from expiry, during which you can still renew at the standard AED 12,125 with no extra charge. After the grace period, a flat, one-time AED 500 late fee applies. It does not escalate the longer you wait, but running an expired licence carries other risks.

One point that catches owners out: your FTA obligations continue regardless of licence status. Even with an expired or lapsed licence you must still meet Corporate Tax and VAT filing deadlines, and FTA penalties — such as the AED 10,000 Corporate Tax late-registration penalty — are entirely separate from any Meydan late fee.

Is an annual audit mandatory for Meydan license renewal?

Yes — audited financial statements are a condition of Meydan licence renewal. The report must be prepared by an auditor on Meydan's approved panel and comply with IFRS or UAE FRS. Without it, Meydan will not process your renewal, which makes the audit the single most important document to prepare ahead of expiry.

The report covers the financial year matching your licence period and includes a balance sheet, income statement, cash-flow statement, statement of changes in equity and notes, with the auditor's independent opinion. Fastlane is a Meydan-approved auditor and issues reports from AED 1,499 with a 3–7 working day turnaround — see our Meydan approved audit services, or the general UAE free-zone audit overview if you operate in more than one zone. For companies claiming 0% Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) status, the audit is also a mandatory Corporate Tax condition — covered next.

How does UAE Corporate Tax affect Meydan free zone companies?

Meydan free zone companies are taxable persons under UAE Corporate Tax — being in a free zone is not a tax exemption. Every Meydan company must register for Corporate Tax and file an annual return, even where the rate is 0%. The standard rate is 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000 (0% up to that threshold).

The 0% rate applies only to a Qualifying Free Zone Person on qualifying income, and only when strict conditions are met: maintaining adequate substance in the UAE, earning qualifying income, meeting transfer-pricing rules, staying within the de minimis limit (non-qualifying revenue no more than the lower of AED 5 million or 5% of total revenue), and — crucially — preparing audited financial statements. That is why the renewal audit and your tax position are linked: the same audited accounts support both. Income that falls outside the qualifying rules is taxed at 9%.

A few related points for Meydan owners: Small Business Relief may be available to companies with revenue at or below AED 3 million, but it cannot be combined with QFZP 0% status. And if your taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000 you must also complete VAT registration (voluntary from AED 187,500). Corporate Tax returns are due within nine months of the end of your tax period.

Should I renew or liquidate my Meydan company?

If your Meydan company is no longer active, formal liquidation is almost always cheaper than another year's renewal. The maths is simple: one year of licence renewal costs at least AED 12,125 (plus audit), while closing a no-visa Meydan company costs about AED 4,019 — AED 2,020 Meydan cancellation plus a AED 1,999 Fastlane package covering the liquidation audit report, Corporate Tax filing and CT deregistration.

Even companies with visas usually save by liquidating if they have been dormant or barely trading. The clean-closure route also settles your Corporate Tax deregistration so the FTA stops expecting returns. Fastlane's Meydan liquidation audit report starts from AED 1,499; for other emirates and zones, see our UAE liquidation audit report service.