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IFZA licence setup, from application to issuance.

A simplified company-formation journey showing what happens, who acts next, and how the application progresses through review, compliance and legal documentation.

4 phases13 milestonesClient + authority actions
01Submit
→
02Review
→
03Sign
→
04Issue
Your route at a glance · planning view

Your free-zone setup, in view.

IFZA example. Other free zones may follow a different sequence. Select a step to see who acts and what happens next.

VANTABLACK / THE CONNECTED ROUTE

Your free-zone setup, in view.

Follow the numbered route
Select a checkpoint for detail
  1. 01Agree the scopeView checkpoint

    Advice, scope and recorded decisions

  2. 02Prepare the fileView checkpoint

    Required records and responsibilities

  3. 03Authority checksView checkpoint

    Evidence, review and unresolved gaps

  4. 04Review and signView checkpoint

    Written scope and acceptance

  5. 05Receive the licenceView checkpoint

    Activity, conditions and issued record

IFZA example. Other free zones may follow a different sequence.

Open full-size topology ↗
Read the steps
  1. Agree the scope — Advice, scope and recorded decisions
  2. Prepare the file — Required records and responsibilities
  3. Authority checks — Evidence, review and unresolved gaps
  4. Review and sign — Written scope and acceptance
  5. Receive the licence — Activity, conditions and issued record
  1. 01Illustration: Agree the scopeAgree the scopeView step +

    Responsible: Client + Vantablack

    Confirm activity, owners and the accepted quote.

    Next: Prepare the file

    Time: Confirmed for your file; see the estimate below.

  2. 02Illustration: Prepare the filePrepare the fileView step +

    Responsible: Client + Vantablack

    Check documents before the authority receives them.

    Next: Authority checks

    Time: Confirmed for your file; see the estimate below.

  3. 03Illustration: Authority checksAuthority checksView step +

    Responsible: IFZA

    Follow the detailed approval, name and KYC milestones below.

    Next: Review and sign

    Time: Confirmed for your file; see the estimate below.

  4. 04Illustration: Review and signReview and signView step +

    Responsible: Client

    Check the legal documents and complete the required signatures.

    Next: Receive the licence

    Time: Confirmed for your file; see the estimate below.

  5. 05Illustration: Receive the licenceReceive the licenceView step +

    Responsible: IFZA + Vantablack

    Check the issued documents and agree any next visa or banking steps.

    Next: Agree the next service only if needed

    Time: Confirmed for your file; see the estimate below.

Time estimate

Step estimates are confirmed for your activity and complete file; authority review can change them.

Costs before you proceed

Your accepted quote separates service, authority and provider fees. Visas and premises depend on your scope.

Visits and presence

IFZA offers remote formation. Visa medical and identity appointments are separate, if required.

Prepare these documents

  • Passport and photograph
  • UAE visa and Emirates ID, if applicable
  • Corporate-shareholder documents, if applicable
Demo portal screenshot showing an itemised quote
See what the record looks like.

View the demo workspace · Check service fees

Example data, not a live client file or proof of authority approval.
How to read this guide

This journey is rebuilt from the supplied IFZA licence application tracker. The exact order can vary depending on activity, shareholder profile, KYC findings, authority requests and process updates.

The whole journey

IFZA setup on one page.

Thirteen milestones in four phases, from application to licence issuance, coloured by who moves the file at each step.

  • Client / Vantablack
  • Authority
  • Authority output
  • Compliance
  • Legal
  1. Phase 1ApplicationInitiation · Steps 1–4
    1. 01
      Application submittedActivity, shareholders and incorporation details
      Client / Vantablack
    2. 02
      Estimate sentLicence structure and charges confirmed
      Authority output
    3. 03
      Application verifiedChecked against the activity and structure
      Authority
    4. 04
      Proof of payment receivedAfter the estimate is accepted
      Client / Vantablack
  2. Phase 2Review & complianceIdentity and KYC · Steps 5–9
    1. 05
      Company name approvedSubject to availability and rules
      Authority
    2. 06
      Summary sentApplication summary for confirmation
      Authority output
    3. 07
      Summary signedClient confirms before compliance
      Client / Vantablack
    4. 08
      KYC sentIdentity documents submitted
      Compliance
    5. 09
      KYC approvedClears the file for legal documents
      Compliance
  3. Phase 3Legal documentationOwnership documents · Steps 10–12
    1. 10
      Resolution signedWhere a corporate resolution is required
      Legal
    2. 11
      MOA signedFormalises the company structure
      Legal
    3. 12
      UBO signedUltimate beneficial owner declaration
      ComplianceLegal
  4. Phase 4CompletionLicence issued · Step 13
    1. 13
      Licence documents issuedThen establishment card, visas, banking and tax
      Authority output

Rebuilt from the supplied IFZA application tracker. The order can vary with the activity, shareholder profile, KYC findings and authority requests. Details for each step follow below.

The journey

One application. Four controlled phases.

Each phase separates the client actions from authority review, compliance and legal completion.

PHASE 01

Application Initiation

Build the application correctly before it enters formal review.

01
Client / Vantablack

Application Submitted

Submit the proposed activity, shareholder information and initial incorporation details.

→
02
Authority Output

Estimate Sent

The setup estimate is issued so the licence structure and applicable charges can be confirmed.

→
03
Authority Review

Application Verified

The submitted information is checked against the selected activity and company structure.

→
04
Client Action

Proof of Payment Received

Once the estimate is accepted, payment is completed and proof is provided for processing.

PHASE 02

Review & Compliance

Confirm the company identity, application summary and KYC position.

05
Authority Review

Company Name Approved

The proposed company name is checked and approved subject to availability and authority requirements.

→
06
Authority Output

Summary Sent

The application summary is issued so the structure and submitted information can be confirmed.

→
07
Client Action

Summary Signed

The client confirms the application summary before compliance proceeds.

→
08
Compliance

KYC Sent

Know Your Customer information and supporting identity documents are submitted.

→
09
Compliance

KYC Approved

The compliance review is cleared so the application can move into legal documentation.

PHASE 03

Legal Documentation

Formalise the ownership and constitutional documents required for incorporation.

10
Legal Step

Resolution Signed

The relevant corporate resolution is signed where required.

→
11
Legal Step

MOA Signed

The Memorandum of Association is signed to formalise the company's constitutional structure.

→
12
Compliance / Legal

UBO Signed

The Ultimate Beneficial Owner declaration is completed and signed.

PHASE 04

Completion

The final output: licence documents ready for the next operational steps.

13Licence
Documents
Issued
Final Output

Your IFZA company is issued.

Once the application, KYC and legal documentation stages are completed and approved, the final licence documents are issued. The company can then move into establishment card, visas, banking, tax registration and operational setup where applicable.

Responsibility map

Know who moves the file.

Client / Vantablack

Application information, approvals, payment proof, signatures and supporting documents.

Authority

Estimate, application verification, name review, summaries and final licence issuance.

Compliance

KYC review, ownership clarity and supporting identity documentation.

Legal Documentation

Resolution, MOA and UBO documents required to complete incorporation.

Vantablack support

We manage the journey, not only the application.

Vantablack coordinates the information before submission, checks the structure against the client's actual requirement, prepares the client for each action, follows the application through review and compliance, and keeps the legal-document stage moving toward issuance.

Pre-submission checkDocument coordinationKYC preparationAuthority follow-upSignature guidancePost-licence next steps
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Process note

This guide reflects the supplied IFZA tracker. Timings, sequence, document requests and approvals can vary by application and may change as the authority updates its process. Vantablack verifies the live requirements before advising a client.

Apply this to your business

What must happen before the next step can proceed?

Why this matters

Company setup has steps that depend on each other. Check eligibility and key approvals before moving on. Not every step will finish at the same time.

What could change the answer?

A missing document or approval can delay the next step. A target date does not remove these requirements.

Check these details first

  • What must happen first and which documents are missing
  • Activity requirements and extra approvals
  • Premises and signing requirements
  • Requirements following licence issuance

Choose your next step

Understand the decision ↗Understand what to check before choosing a setup option.See the reasoning in a case ↗See how the business needs and limits shaped the advice.Check relevant activities ↗Read the activity description. A listing does not mean your business is approved.Plan my business setup ↗Answer questions about your own business to prepare for a consultation.
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