Anzali Free Zone
Anzali is the Caspian gateway — the zone to use when the customer base sits in Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan or Azerbaijan rather than in the Gulf.
Bandar-e Anzali, Caspian Sea · established 2003 · ≈320 km²
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Anzali Free Zone
Zone at a glance
- Established
- 2003
- Area
- ≈320 km²
- Sea access
- Caspian Sea — Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan
- Corridor
- North–South Transport Corridor, northern leg
- Corporate tax
- 0% for 20 years
- Typical registration time
- 4–7 weeks
Anzali Free Zone, administered by the Anzali Free Zone Organization, occupies roughly 320 km² on Iran's Caspian coast in Gilan province. It is the country's principal northern maritime gateway and the natural landing point for trade with Russia and the Central Asian republics.
The zone combines a working port, industrial land and a trade-processing area, and sits at the northern end of the International North–South Transport Corridor, which links Indian Ocean cargo to Russian rail.
What Anzali actually gives you
- Twenty-year corporate income tax exemption on zone-sourced income
- Duty-free import and re-export across the Caspian
- Port, cold-chain and warehousing infrastructure inside the zone perimeter
- 100% foreign ownership with unrestricted profit transfer
- Proximity to Rasht rail and the North–South corridor
- Strong local supply base in food, seafood and packaging
Sectors & fit
Best for
Exporters and importers trading with Russia, Kazakhstan and the Caucasus, and food or seafood processors that need Caspian supply and cold-chain capacity.
Watch out
Caspian shipping capacity is finite and seasonal weather affects schedules. Contract vessel space early and avoid building a model that assumes Gulf-level sailing frequency.
What it costs to set up in Anzali
Indicative ranges for a first-year foreign-owned entity. Actual figures depend on activity, space and headcount — we quote against your specific plan.
| Item | Indicative cost (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zone registration & licence (first year) | 2,000 – 4,000 | Trading and processing activities |
| Annual licence renewal | 1,000 – 2,000 | Payable to the Anzali Free Zone Organization |
| Industrial land lease (per m², per year) | 1 – 4 | Long lease, sector dependent |
| Warehouse / cold store (per m², per year) | 30 – 70 | Cold chain at the upper end |
| Office space (small, per year) | 2,000 – 5,000 | Zone business centre |
| Legal, translation & notarisation | 1,500 – 3,000 | Consular legalisation included |
How to register a company in Anzali
Route and market check
Confirm Caspian sailing options and the destination-market rules for your goods before committing to the zone.
1–2 weeks
Name clearance
Reserve the Farsi company name with the Anzali registrar.
3–7 days
Licence application
File the activity licence with the Anzali Free Zone Organization together with the business plan.
2–4 weeks
Premises lease
Lease office, warehouse, cold store or industrial land and register the address.
1–3 weeks
Company registration
Register the entity and collect the certificate, national ID and gazette entry.
1–2 weeks
Customs, tax and banking
Obtain the free-zone customs code, open the tax file and set up IRR and FX accounts.
2–4 weeks
Documents you will need
- Passport copies of every shareholder and director (notarised, translated into Farsi)
- Parent-company certificate of incorporation and articles of association, legalised by the Iranian consulate
- Board resolution approving the subsidiary or branch and appointing the local signatory
- Three proposed company names, in Farsi, for zone-authority name clearance
- Business plan covering activity, projected turnover, headcount and space requirement
- Proof of address for the leased office, warehouse or plot inside the zone
Anzali Free Zone FAQ
What is the Anzali Free Zone Organization?
It is the public authority that administers Anzali Free Zone: it issues activity licences, maintains its own company registrar, allocates land and operates the zone's customs gates.
Which markets does Anzali serve best?
Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan by sea, plus onward rail into the Russian network via the North–South corridor. It is the wrong zone for Gulf or Indian Ocean trade.
Can a foreign company own land in Anzali Free Zone?
Foreign investors lease land on long, renewable terms rather than holding freehold title. The lease is granted against an approved investment plan.
How long does registration take in Anzali?
Four to seven weeks for a trading or service company once parent-company documents have been legalised by an Iranian consulate.