Offshore company setup in the UAE

A UAE offshore company holds shares, property and IP for a group or a family. It does not trade inside the UAE.

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At a glance

Offshore company setup in the UAE usually means RAK ICC, whose International Business Company holds and transacts while its Foundation handles succession. Every filing goes through an approved registered agent. Banks look harder at an offshore company than at an onshore one, so we check bank viability before incorporation.

Is offshore the right vehicle?

Each offshore structure suits a different job, and each has one point to check first.

Offshore route finder: what you need the company to do, where to start, what decides it and where to read next
What you need	Start here	What decides it	Read next
Holding a groupShares in operating companies	A RAK ICC International Business Company	A clean holding layer kept apart from the trading companies	RAK ICC offshore company formation
Passing on wealthSuccession and family planning	A RAK ICC Foundation, which can own the company	Ownership separated from control, set out in the Foundation's charter	RAK ICC Foundation
Choosing a registryRAK ICC or JAFZA Offshore	The registry that fits the assets	What each registry allows, and how your bank reads it	RAK ICC vs JAFZA Offshore
Operating in the UAEVisas, staff or UAE customers	A free zone or mainland licence	Operating needs an onshore licence, with a holding above it if you want one	Free zone vs offshore
Common-law certaintyFunds, SPVs, lender requirements	An ADGM or DIFC structure	Whether lenders or investors insist on English-law courts	DIFC vs ADGM

What the structure can and cannot do is set out in UAE offshore company benefits, and onshore holding routes in holding company setup in the UAE.

Does an offshore company fit your plan?

Five questions on what the company will do, where you live and what you need from it. The UAE offshore company formation route worth discussing shows as you answer.

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Where offshore plans change

An offshore company is simple to form and precise in what it allows.

A businessman in a grey suit and turban reads through a document folder on a garden bench

It can sponsor my residence visa.
Residence visas come from a free zone or mainland company, or a Golden Visa held in your own right.
Offshore means outside UAE tax.
It registers for corporate tax, and dividends and gains from qualifying shareholdings can be exempt.
Any bank will open an account for it.
Banks onboard offshore companies when ownership, purpose and source of funds are documented in full.
I can file with the registry myself.
RAK ICC filings go through an approved registered agent, which also keeps the company's records.
It can own any property in Dubai.
RAK ICC companies can hold property in designated freehold areas, under Dubai Land Department conditions.

Checked before incorporation

The assets the company will hold, and where they sit
Bank viability, checked with you first
The tax position for the owners at home

Offshore structures we set up

Each one does a different job in a family or group structure.

International Business CompanyA RAK ICC company that holds shares, property and IP, and can transact.
FoundationA RAK ICC Foundation for succession, with control set out in its charter.
Foundation owning a companyThe Foundation as owner and the company as the asset holder, for families and groups.
JAFZA Offshore companyAn offshore company registered with Jebel Ali Free Zone, for groups with links there.
Holding above an operating companyThe offshore layer owning a free zone or mainland company that trades.
ADGM or DIFC alternativeWhere investors want common-law courts, compared on our DIFC and ADGM page.

How offshore company setup runs

Nothing goes to the registry until the structure is agreed.

Purpose and registry
Matching the structure and registry to the assets and the owners
What the company will hold, and who owns it
Documents and KYC
The registered agent's KYC file, names and constitutional documents
Passports, address proof and source of funds
Incorporation with the registry
Filing with the registry and collecting the certificate and documents
Signatures on the incorporation papers
Bank account
The bank file built around ownership, purpose and source of funds
Attending the bank's KYC meeting or call
On record
Corporate tax registration and the annual renewal with the agent
Approval of any filings

Company formation in the UAE

Clients in their own words

In their own words on Google and LinkedIn, each linked to the original.

5.0Read the reviews on Google

They delivered what they promised without any hidden agenda and informed me of better and less costly ways to achieve what I need.

D JamilResidency and corporate clientRead on Google

Manish demonstrated deep expertise, professionalism, and a thorough understanding of the incorporation process. Proactive, responsive, and efficient.
Rajesh SuguruGlobal CEO, Digital Disruption TechnologiesLinkedIn
From the initial assessment to final implementation, the team demonstrated strong expertise, structured methodology, and clear communication.
Graphic IndustryBusiness setup clientGoogle
Communication was clear from the start, everything managed end to end with full transparency on costs.
Waqqas SheikhPrincipal EngineerLinkedIn
A trusted advisor, a skilled navigator of complex regulatory landscapes, with unshakeable integrity.
Rrahul AroraaGM, Facilities ManagementLinkedIn

UAE offshore company questions

Not sure offshore fits? Tell us what the company should hold, and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.

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What is an offshore company in the UAE?

A company registered with RAK ICC or JAFZA Offshore to hold shares, property in permitted areas, intellectual property and investments. It cannot trade inside the UAE, lease an office to operate from or sponsor residence visas.

Can a UAE offshore company get a residence visa?

No. A UAE offshore company cannot sponsor residence visas for you, your family or staff, so residency through a company needs a free zone or mainland licence. Qualifying investors can hold the ten-year Golden Visa in their own right.

Can a UAE offshore company open a bank account?

Yes, when the ownership, source of funds and purpose of the account are clear and documented. Banks read those points closely for a company with no UAE operations, so bank fit is best checked before incorporation.

Does a UAE offshore company pay corporate tax?

Yes. A UAE offshore company falls under corporate tax and registers with the FTA, at 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above. Dividends and gains from qualifying shareholdings can be exempt.

How much does an offshore company cost in the UAE?

The registry, the number of shareholders and directors, any property holding and the yearly renewal set it. RAK ICC and JAFZA Offshore price differently, and holding Dubai property brings extra conditions.

How long does it take to set up an offshore company in the UAE?

The registration itself can be quick, and RAK ICC advertises one-day incorporation once the registered agent's checks are complete. Gathering the owners' KYC documents and opening a bank account usually take longer than registration.

Which offshore registries are there in the UAE?

Two are used most: RAK ICC in Ras Al Khaimah and JAFZA Offshore in Dubai. Both register companies only through an approved registered agent, and neither gives a UAE trade licence, an onshore office or residence visas.

Can a UAE offshore company own a free zone or mainland company?

Yes. An offshore company can be the shareholder of a free zone or mainland company that trades, keeping the holding layer apart from the operating business. Banks then trace that ownership through each layer to the individuals.

Often decided alongside

What will the structure own?

In fifteen minutes we go through your assets and owners, and name the structure and registry that fit.

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On the call

Company, Foundation or both
RAK ICC, JAFZA Offshore or an onshore holding

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