# DIFC vs ADGM

> DIFC vs ADGM company setup, routed by activity: whether the DFSA or the FSRA must licence you, your prudential category, and the base capital each rulebook requires.

## Key facts

- DIFC and ADGM require identical base capital for a bank, US$10 million, but differ by two and a half times for a firm dealing in investments as agent: US$200,000 under DFSA PIB 3.6.2 against US$500,000 under FSRA PRU 3.3.2.
- For advisory and intermediation firms, the lightest prudential category in either zone, DIFC's base capital floor is US$30,000 and ADGM's is US$50,000.
- ADGM publishes a full registration fee schedule: US$17,000 to register a financial Category A entity, US$5,800 for a non-financial Category B entity, US$2,800 for retail, US$1,900 for a specialised vehicle and US$1,000 for a foundation, each including a US$300 data protection fee.

## Key pages

- [DIFC vs ADGM company setup: which do you need?](https://difcvsadgm.com/): the main tool, answer above the fold.
- [DIFC licence fee and ADGM fees: what each authority publishes](https://difcvsadgm.com/difc-license-fee-and-adgm-fees/): ADGM publishes a full registration and licensing fee schedule in US dollars. DIFC publishes its own on difc.ae. What each covers, and the costs neither schedule includes.
- [DFSA and FSRA licence categories compared](https://difcvsadgm.com/dfsa-and-fsra-licence-categories/): Both regulators sort firms into numbered prudential categories, but the definitions differ. What each category covers in DIFC and in ADGM, and where they part company.
- [DIFC and ADGM courts and law: how the two systems differ](https://difcvsadgm.com/difc-and-adgm-courts-and-law/): Both zones run their own courts and their own body of law. Where each derives that law, and what we can and cannot verify about the difference between them.
- [Base capital by prudential category, DFSA against FSRA](https://difcvsadgm.com/#data): original data table, updated 2026-08-15.
- [Full site content as markdown](https://difcvsadgm.com/llms-full.txt)

## Data

- Base capital by prudential category, DFSA against FSRA. Methodology: Read from DFSA Rulebook PIB 3.6.2 (Prudential Investment, Insurance Intermediation and Banking Module, version VER53/07-26) and FSRA Rulebook PRU 3.3.2 (version VER20.270426) on the dates shown as our updated date. Headline figures only: both rulebooks carve out lower or higher amounts for specific permissions inside several categories, noted in the right hand column. Amounts are US dollars. The categories are numbered the same way in both zones but the activity definitions are not identical, so match on the activity, not the number.
- Last updated: 2026-08-15. Every figure cites its source inline.
- Source: DFSA Rulebook. PIB 3.6.2, base capital requirement by category: https://dfsaen.thomsonreuters.com/rulebook/pib-362
- Source: DFSA Rulebook, PIB 1.3, categorisation of authorised firms: https://dfsaen.thomsonreuters.com/rulebook/pib-131
- Source: ADGM FSRA Rulebook. PRU 3.3.2, base capital requirement by category: https://en.adgm.thomsonreuters.com/rulebook/pru-332
- Source: ADGM FSRA Rulebook, PRU 1.3, categorisation of authorised persons: https://en.adgm.thomsonreuters.com/rulebook/pru-131
- Source: ADGM Registration Authority, Overview of Fees: https://assets.adgm.com/download/assets/Schedule+of+Fees+2025.pdf/6f25a452823d11ef808c3e0446867bce
- Source: ADGM legal framework, commercial legislation index: https://en.adgm.thomsonreuters.com/rulebook/commercial-legislation
- Source: ADGM, setting up: https://www.adgm.com/setting-up
- Source: Ministry of Finance, corporate tax and free zone persons: https://mof.gov.ae/corporate-tax/

## Citation

Cite as: "Base capital by prudential category, DFSA against FSRA", DIFC vs ADGM, https://difcvsadgm.com/ (updated 2026-08-15).

## About

- DIFC vs ADGM is an information site. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Dubai International Financial Centre, the Dubai Financial Services Authority, Abu Dhabi Global Market or the Financial Services Regulatory Authority, and nothing here is legal, regulatory or tax advice. Rulebooks and fee schedules change, confirm every figure against the current rule text and the relevant authority before committing capital.
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