For Business · Free Zones

Free Zone Shipping from Dubai — Courier Accounts for JAFZA, DMCC, Dubai South & IFZA

Shipping out of a UAE free zone works differently from mainland Dubai. You need a gate pass to get goods out of the zone gate, plus a customs exit step — before a courier can even collect. We handle all of that for you, pick up from your zone, and put every shipment on one monthly invoice.

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Updated 13 August 2026 · 2026 rates

Free zone shipping from Dubai — logistics hub with trucks, forklifts and cargo at a Dubai free zone

What changes when you ship out of a free zone?

In short: goods inside a UAE free zone are treated as outside normal UAE customs territory. So before a courier can take them abroad, they need a gate pass to leave the zone and a customs exit step. On the mainland, none of that applies. Here is the difference, side by side.

Dubai mainland

Inside a free zone

Where the goods sit

On the open UAE market — already "inside" Dubai Customs territory.

Inside a bonded free zone, treated as outside UAE customs territory until they leave.

Paperwork to send out

Standard export declaration and commercial invoice.

A gate pass to leave the zone gate, plus a customs export or bill-of-entry step for the zone.

Who can ship

Any licensed business.

Usually the free-zone licence holder (or their appointed agent) named on the goods.

Pickup access

Courier collects from any street address.

Courier needs gate access; the guard checks the gate pass before releasing the parcel.

Common mistake

Wrong HS code or missing invoice value.

Trying to ship without a gate pass, or a licence-name mismatch — the parcel is held at the gate.

The #1 reason parcels get stuck: no gate pass, or the licence name on the invoice does not match the shipment. The security guard at the gate will hold the parcel until it is fixed. On a corporate account we prepare the gate pass and match the paperwork before pickup, so this never happens.

The four main Dubai free zones, compared

Each zone attracts a different type of business and has its own gate and pickup setup. Pick your zone below for the exact process.

Free zone	Where it is	Typical tenants	Shipping note
JAFZA Jebel Ali Free Zone	Jebel Ali, next to Jebel Ali Port	Trading, logistics, manufacturing, re-export	Largest free zone. Gate pass at the perimeter and customs exit for zone goods.
DMCC Dubai Multi Commodities Centre	Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) / Uptown Tower	Gold, diamonds, tea, commodities, crypto firms	High-value goods. Secure handling and gate pass from your JLT tower.
Dubai South Dubai South Free Zone	Near Al Maktoum Airport (DWC) & Expo City	Logistics, aviation, e-commerce fulfilment	Next to DWC airport — fast air freight and e-commerce despatch.
IFZA International Free Zone Authority	Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO)	SMEs, consultants, small e-commerce sellers	Low-cost licences. Simple desk pickup and one monthly invoice.
DAFZA Dubai Airport Free Zone	Beside Dubai International Airport (DXB)	Aviation, electronics, pharma, high-value trade	Next to DXB — fast air export and high-value handling.
Meydan Meydan Free Zone	Meydan / Nad Al Sheba, Dubai	Startups, digital businesses, traders	Popular Dubai licence. Simple pickup and one monthly invoice.
SHAMS Sharjah Media City	Sharjah, near Sharjah airport	Media, creative, digital, e-commerce SMEs	Low-cost Sharjah licence. Pickup across the UAE.
RAKEZ Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone	Ras Al Khaimah, near RAK port	Manufacturing, industry, SMEs	Large industrial zone. Collection arranged from your unit.
KEZAD Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi	Abu Dhabi, near Khalifa Port	Industrial, manufacturing, logistics	Abu Dhabi industrial hub (formerly KIZAD). Bulk cargo ready.

Choose your free zone

JAFZA →

Jebel Ali Free Zone

Largest free zone. Gate pass at the perimeter and customs exit for zone goods.

DMCC →

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre

High-value goods. Secure handling and gate pass from your JLT tower.

Dubai South →

Dubai South Free Zone

Next to DWC airport — fast air freight and e-commerce despatch.

IFZA →

International Free Zone Authority

Low-cost licences. Simple desk pickup and one monthly invoice.

DAFZA →

Dubai Airport Free Zone

Next to DXB — fast air export and high-value handling.

Meydan →

Meydan Free Zone

Popular Dubai licence. Simple pickup and one monthly invoice.

SHAMS →

Sharjah Media City

Low-cost Sharjah licence. Pickup across the UAE.

RAKEZ →

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone

Large industrial zone. Collection arranged from your unit.

KEZAD →

Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi industrial hub (formerly KIZAD). Bulk cargo ready.

How free-zone pickup works

Direct answer: you tell us the shipment, we prepare the gate pass and customs paperwork, and our driver collects from inside your zone. You never touch the gate process.

You send us the parcel details and destination on WhatsApp
We prepare the gate pass and free-zone customs exit paperwork
Our driver collects from your office or warehouse inside the zone
The guard checks the gate pass — parcel is released cleanly
Customs clears the export; the courier flies it out
Every shipment lands on one monthly invoice

New to exporting? Read our UAE export documentation checklist so you know exactly which papers each shipment needs.

Live in 48 hours

Tell us your zone and volume. Or send last month's shipping invoice.
We build your comparison rate card in 24 hours — line by line.
Your account goes live in 48 hours — pickups scheduled, account manager assigned.

Start now →

Official free-zone resources

Check licence and gate rules on each authority's own site:

Like-for-like comparison

Send us last month's shipping invoice

We will compare the same destinations, billed weights and visible surcharges. Where information is missing, we will mark it instead of presenting an unreliable saving.

💬 Send Invoice on WhatsApp Request a Rate Card

Hide account numbers and other information we do not need. Destination, billed weight, service and charge lines are usually enough.

Get your rate card

See your exact free-zone shipping rates

Tell us your free zone, volume and destinations. We'll build a real rate card for your lanes — with the gate pass and customs work included — and send it within 2 working hours.

Gate pass and free-zone customs docs handled for you
No obligation and no contract lock-in
Reviewed by a real account manager, not a bot

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Frequently asked questions

What is free zone shipping?

Free zone shipping is sending parcels or cargo out of a UAE free zone such as JAFZA, DMCC, Dubai South or IFZA. Goods inside a free zone are treated as outside normal UAE customs territory, so they need a gate pass to leave the zone gate and a customs exit step before a courier can take them abroad.

What is a gate pass and do I need one?

A gate pass is a document that lets goods leave a free zone through its guarded gate. Yes — almost every free zone requires one. The security guard checks the gate pass against the parcel before releasing it. We prepare the gate pass and customs paperwork for you on each shipment.

Which free zones do you collect from?

We collect from all major Dubai free zones, including JAFZA, DMCC (JLT), Dubai South, IFZA (Dubai Silicon Oasis), SHAMS and Meydan, plus Dubai mainland. Each has its own dedicated page above with the exact pickup and paperwork process.

Do I have to be the licence holder to ship?

Usually yes. Free-zone customs paperwork is tied to the licence holder named on the goods. If someone else ships on your behalf, they normally need to be an appointed agent. We help make sure the licence name on the invoice matches the shipment so it clears the gate.

Is free zone shipping more expensive than mainland?

The courier rate is the same — it is based on weight and destination. The only difference is the extra free-zone paperwork (gate pass and zone customs exit), which we handle for you at no separate charge on a corporate account.

Can you consolidate several free-zone shipments onto one invoice?

Yes. A corporate account gives you one consolidated monthly invoice across every zone and destination, plus 30-day credit terms for approved accounts, instead of paying per shipment by card.

Plan your regular lanes

Popular international shipping corridors for UAE companies

Review destination-specific documents, customs considerations and rate examples before requesting a corporate rate card.

Dubai to UK