Before you commit
The DIFC is not always the right answer
In short
A DIFC licence buys an independent common law jurisdiction, a financial regulator and a court that hears commercial disputes in English. If your business does not need those things, you are paying a premium for a framework you will never use. These four comparisons set out the honest position.
DIFC versus ADGMBoth are common law financial free zones with independent regulators and their own courts. The DIFC is larger, older and has the deeper ecosystem of banks, funds and advisers. ADGM applies English common law directly, prices more aggressively and has moved faster on digital assets. For most financial services firms the decision comes down to where the clients and counterparties are.Read moreDIFC versus mainland DubaiA mainland licence lets you trade freely across the UAE, with no restriction on where you can operate. A DIFC licence gives you a common law jurisdiction, the DIFC Courts, a financial services regulator and a Free Zone tax position, but the entity cannot establish a physical presence outside the Centre without a separate onshore licence.Read moreDIFC versus DMCC and other Dubai free zonesDMCC and the other Dubai free zones are commercial zones under UAE federal and Dubai law, with their own registrars but no separate legal system. The DIFC is a common law jurisdiction with its own courts and a financial services regulator. The gap in cost is real and so is the gap in what you get for it.Read moreDIFC versus Cayman, BVI and other offshore centresOffshore vehicles remain cheaper to incorporate and are still the market standard for certain fund structures. A DIFC Prescribed Company or Foundation costs more but sits in a real jurisdiction with substance, a court and a banking relationship that is far easier to open and keep.Read more
Not sure which DIFC licence you need?
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