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Which UAE banks accept free-zone companies
A free-zone licence does not guarantee a bank account — acceptance rules differ by bank and by zone. This matrix shows which accounts in our catalogue accept free-zone entities, how fast they approve, and what it costs.
Acceptance matrix
| Account | Free-zone OK | Branch visit | Approval | Min balance | Monthly fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Wio Business Essential details | Yes | Not required | 2–3 days | AED 0 | AED 99 |
 ruya Business Current details | Yes | Not required | not published | AED 0 | AED 79 |
 RAKBANK RAKstarter details | Yes | Not required | ~3 days | AED 0 | 0 (free) |
 Alaan Business Account details | Yes | Not required | 2–3 days | AED 0 | AED 79 |
 Mbank Business Account details | Yes | not published | not published | AED 0 | 0 (free) |
 Mashreq NeoBiz Lite details | Yes | Not required | 3–5 days | AED 0 | AED 200 |
 Yuze Business Account details | Yes | not published | not published | not published | 0 (free) |
| Mashreq NeoBiz Prime details | Yes | Not required | 3–5 days | AED 50,000 | 0 (free) |
 Emirates NBD Business Connect details | Yes | Not required | not published | AED 0 | AED 249 |
 FAB Business Basic details | Yes | Required | not published | AED 10,000 | AED 250 |
 Zand Corporate details | Yes | Not required | not published | AED 250,000 | AED 500 |
 CBD Business Account details | Yes | Required | not published | not published | not published |
Reading the matrix
Free-zone OK marks accounts whose published criteria explicitly accept free-zone entities — it is not a per-zone guarantee. DMCC, DIFC, DAFZA and IFZA licences clear more banks than newer or activity-restricted zones; a bank that accepts free-zone companies can still decline a specific zone, activity or shareholder structure.
Approval time is the provider's own published figure for a complete application — incomplete documents and enhanced due diligence add weeks regardless of bank.
Branch visit required matters for founders banking remotely: accounts marked "not required" onboard fully online.
Sources: provider-published criteria in the Raqma catalogue, reviewed October 2026. "Not published" means the provider does not state it — we show the gap rather than guess. Full field coverage: hidden-fees tracker · yearly cost: account cost table.
Raqma catalogue, reviewed October 2026. "Not published" means the provider does not state it — we show the gap rather than guess. Full field coverage: