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There is no single free zone audit rule. The authority that licenses your company decides whether you need audited statements at renewal and which auditors it accepts. This page shows what we could verify from each authority's own documents. Where we could not open or confirm a rule, we say so.
Source: each free zone authority's own website and documents, checked .
Rules by zone
| Zone | Audit rule we found | Auditor rule | Zone page |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMCC | Yearly audit, within six months after year end. Link to renewal not verified | Approved by DMCC | DMCC |
| JAFZA | Yearly audit report for FZE and FZCO | Auditor licensed by the Dubai Economic Department | JAFZA |
| DAFZA | Not verified | A dated auditors list is published as a PDF | DAFZA |
| RAKEZ | Yearly audited statements within six months | RAKEZ approved auditors | RAKEZ |
| ADGM | Audit unless exempt | ADGM Registered Auditor | ADGM |
| DIFC | Not verified | DFSA public register of registered auditors | DIFC |
| SAIF Zone | Not verified | Auditors Directory page exists | SAIF Zone |
For every other zone, start at the free zone approved auditors hub.
Renewal versus the yearly audit
Be careful with two ideas that look alike. One is a yearly audit duty. The other is an audit as a condition of renewal. DMCC and RAKEZ both describe a yearly duty. Whether the authority blocks renewal until the report is filed is not stated in the documents we read. IFZA does tie renewal to financial statements, and offers a simplified statement for small companies. Hamriyah lets companies renew on a signed undertaking to submit audited financials by a set date.
Ask your authority two questions: is the audit a condition of renewal, and what happens if it is late?
Small companies
IFZA allows a simplified statement if annual turnover is AED 3,000,000 or less and the company has nine employees or fewer. This is IFZA only. Do not assume another zone does the same.
Source: IFZA FAQ on renewal requirements, checked .
Zone audit and tax audit are different
Corporate tax can require audited statements on its own, for example for Qualifying Free Zone Persons. That is a separate duty from your zone rule. One report may cover both, but confirm that the authority accepts it. See external audit in Dubai.
Before you hire
- Check your authority's current list or rule on the day you sign.
- Ask the firm if it is accepted by your zone today.
- Agree the delivery date backwards from the renewal date.
- Ask whether the firm will file on the zone portal or you must.
Planning the date
Work back from the renewal date. If the audit is due within six months of year end, as with DMCC and RAKEZ, start fieldwork in the fifth month at the latest. Book the auditor early. Many firms are busy in the weeks before common deadlines, and a late engagement leaves no room for questions. If the zone lets you renew on an undertaking to file later, as Hamriyah does, keep the promised date, because failure to file brings penalties.
What to keep ready
Your trade licence, the shareholder resolution that appoints the auditor, the trial balance, bank statements for every account, and the previous year's signed statements. Ask the zone if it wants the report filed through its own portal.
If your zone is not listed
Many zones publish nothing we could verify, including Dubai South, Meydan and the TECOM zones. That does not mean no rule exists. It means we could not find one on the authority's own site. Ask the authority for its audit requirement in writing, and keep the reply with your renewal papers.
