Ras Al Khaimah · June 2026
RAK ICC: a UAE offshore registry, not a free zone. Right for you?
Best for holding companies, asset protection, succession through a Foundation, IP holding, and international trade structuring. It carries no UAE residence visa, no office, and no right to trade onshore. If you need to operate inside the UAE, hire, or get residency, this is not your structure.
You work with Manish directly, not a sales desk. We say plainly when an offshore company is the wrong tool and an onshore one serves you better.
A structuring tool, in its own category.
Offshore is not a cheaper free zone. It is a different category. Free zones and mainland are for operating, hiring, and visas; offshore is for holding, protecting, and passing on. RAK ICC sits at the holding end, separate from any operating route. Here is where it lands.
RAK ICC (the RAK International Corporate Centre) is an international company registry. It registers offshore companies and Foundations for holding, asset protection, succession, and business that does not touch the UAE market. You cannot register directly: every structure is set up through an approved registered agent, such as our firm. For the wider picture, see our offshore overview and the free zone versus offshore comparison.
Who RAK ICC is right for, and who it is not.
The section a sales page never writes. Offshore disqualifies more people than it suits, and better to know now than after incorporation. Read both sides and conclude for yourself.
Right for RAK ICC
- ✓Holding companies that own shares in UAE free zone or mainland operating businesses, or overseas entities, and want a clean parent above them
- ✓Families planning succession and protecting wealth through a Foundation, separating ownership from control across generations
- ✓Owners consolidating intellectual property, trademarks, patents, or software in one entity that licences to operating businesses
- ✓Investors using a special purpose vehicle to ring-fence a single deal, joint venture, or property holding from other assets
- ✓International contractors who invoice clients and suppliers entirely outside the UAE and need no UAE office, staff, or market access
Not the right tool if
- ×You need a UAE residence visa for yourself, family, or staff, an offshore company sponsors none; a free zone, mainland, property route, or Golden Visa does
- ×You intend to sell to UAE customers or hold a trade licence, an offshore company cannot trade onshore; you need a free zone or mainland entity
- ×You need a UAE office or to hire a team, an offshore company can lease no premises to operate from and employ no one in the country
- ×A straightforward UAE bank account is critical, an offshore entity with no local operations is a harder profile to onboard than an onshore company
- ×You expect an offshore company to be simply tax free, it sits within the UAE corporate tax regime and your home country's rules still apply
If any item on the right is a dealbreaker, an offshore company is the wrong tool and we will say so. Often the cleanest answer is both: an operating company onshore, with a RAK ICC holding company or Foundation above it for ownership and succession.
What setting up actually involves.
The facts, not the funnel. Two structures, no visa, no office, all filed through a registered agent. Your real number is set by structure, shareholder count, and add-ons, and we confirm it in writing for your case. How we price.
As an indicative band, an IBC through a registered agent commonly lands around AED 10,000 to 15,000 all-in for year one, with renewal of roughly AED 5,000 to 6,000 including the mandatory agent fee. A Foundation is a separate, higher filing. These are ranges, not your quote: we confirm the current figure in writing for your structure and shareholder count. The registry step is a matter of days; the timeline above is from start to certificate once know-your-customer documents are complete.
The IBC and the Foundation.
RAK ICC offers two fundamentally different vehicles. As a rough guide: an IBC to hold and transact, a Foundation to govern and pass on wealth. Many family structures use both, the Foundation owning the IBC.
The International Business Company (IBC)
The IBC is RAK ICC's company structure: a legal entity with shares, owned by shareholders, run by directors. One person can be the only shareholder and the only director, and a corporate body can be a shareholder too, which makes it flexible for individuals and groups alike. It can hold assets, own shares in other companies, hold intellectual property, and contract internationally.
The IBC comes in several forms:
- The standard company limited by shares, the form most clients use.
- A company limited by guarantee.
- An unlimited company.
- A restricted purposes company, used as a single-purpose vehicle.
- A segregated portfolio company, which keeps the assets and liabilities of separate cells apart within one entity.
100% foreign ownership is standard, and there is no requirement to deposit and prove minimum paid-up capital before incorporation, though a share capital figure, commonly AED 10,000, is recorded in the documents.
The RAK ICC Foundation
A Foundation is a different kind of entity. It has no shareholders. It is a standalone legal person that owns assets in its own name, created by a founder, governed by a council, and operating for the benefit of named beneficiaries under a private charter and by-laws. A guardian can be appointed to oversee the council, and is required where the foundation has charitable purposes.
That structure makes the Foundation the tool of choice for succession and asset protection. Because the assets belong to the Foundation rather than an individual, ownership and control can be separated, wealth held together across generations, and a clear, private framework governs how it is managed and passed on. A Foundation can hold real estate, shares in companies, intellectual property, investment portfolios, bank accounts, and other assets.
RAK ICC against the two real alternatives.
The UAE has two offshore options, RAK ICC and JAFZA, weighed against each other. The third column is a deliberate reminder: if you need to operate, a free zone is a different category, not a more expensive offshore. Real trade-offs, not a feature grid.
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Offshore registry | Offshore registry | Operating free zone |
| Year-one cost | AED 10,000 to 15,000 | Higher, agent-quoted | AED 12,900 to 31,500 |
| Cost tier | Lean | Premium | Operating |
| Best for | Lean, private holding and succession | Prestige holding and Dubai property | Actually trading and getting visas |
| UAE residence visa | None | None | Yes, sponsors visas |
| Onshore UAE trade | Not permitted | Not permitted | In-zone plus routes out |
| Dubai property | Designated areas, conditions | Established DLD route | Via the company, varies |
| Banking | Harder; clean structure helps | Better access, more scrutiny | Onshore profile, easier |
| Choose it if | You want a lean, private vehicle to hold, protect, and pass on wealth, with no UAE operations | Prestige, established Dubai property ownership, or the strongest banking profile justify the higher cost | You need to invoice UAE clients, hire, or hold a residence visa, offshore is the wrong tool |
Figures are indicative 2026 bands, agent-quoted and revised annually; banking and property ratings reflect what we see in practice. The honest read: RAK ICC is the lean, private, faster default; JAFZA earns its premium for established Dubai property ownership or a stronger banking profile. But if either column on the right is a non-negotiable, you do not want an offshore company at all, you want a free zone or mainland one. We confirm the live number and the right structure for your case in writing. See the full free zone versus offshore comparison.
Four RAK ICC decisions a generic page skips.
The structure-specific calls that decide whether a RAK ICC setup does what you need or gets corrected later.
IBC or Foundation is the first fork
An IBC has shares and is built to hold and transact; a Foundation has no shareholders and is built to govern and pass on wealth. Get this wrong and the vehicle cannot do the job. For many families the answer is both: a Foundation owning the IBC. Decide it before you file.
Banking is decided before you incorporate, not after
An offshore entity with no UAE operations, resident director, or local revenue is a harder profile for any bank to underwrite. It is achievable for a clean structure with documented source of funds, but not automatic. We assess viability for your exact profile first, so you are not left holding a company no bank will open for.
Holding Dubai property has conditions
A RAK ICC company can hold property in approved freehold areas, a popular use, but not automatically. Shareholders generally need to be individuals, a certificate from RAK ICC through the agent is usually required, and the area must be open to such ownership. Eligibility and the area list change, so we confirm the live position for your specific property first.
Offshore is not automatically tax free
A RAK ICC company sits within the UAE corporate tax regime. Purely non-UAE income can fall outside the charge, but there is a permanent-establishment risk if it is managed from inside the UAE, and your home country's controlled-foreign-company rules still apply. Anyone selling it as simply tax free is not giving you the full picture.
From registered agent to incorporation.
Because RAK ICC registers only through approved agents, the process runs through us. Most of it can be completed remotely.
Most of this can be done without travelling to the UAE. We confirm which steps, if any, need your presence before you plan any travel.
The mistakes we see most.
- Choosing offshore expecting a residence visa, then finding a RAK ICC company sponsors none, for anyone.
- Treating offshore as a cheaper free zone, then discovering it cannot invoice UAE clients, lease an office, or hire.
- Assuming a UAE bank account will simply follow, when an offshore profile is the hardest to onboard.
- Banking on Dubai property ownership without confirming the area, the individual-shareholder rule, and the certificate first.
- Buying the offshore as a tax-free wrapper, ignoring UAE corporate tax, place of effective management, and home-country rules.
- Picking an IBC when the goal was succession, where a Foundation, or a Foundation over an IBC, was the right structure.
When an onshore route genuinely wins, the comparison above shows it. If you are still unsure, find your likely fit in four questions or book a call.
Common questions on RAK ICC offshore setup.
Does a RAK ICC company give a UAE residence visa?
Can a RAK ICC company hold UAE real estate?
IBC or Foundation, which one do I need?
Can a RAK ICC company open a UAE bank account?
Is a RAK ICC company UAE tax resident?
Can a RAK ICC company trade directly inside the UAE market?
How much does a RAK ICC company cost and how long does it take?
What is the difference between RAK ICC and JAFZA offshore?
Can I set up a RAK ICC company without visiting the UAE?
Do I need a registered agent to set up a RAK ICC company?
Your fit depends on what you are holding, your succession goals, and whether you need any UAE footprint at all. That is a short conversation: find your likely structure in four questions, or book a 30-minute call.
Related pages and comparisons.
UAE Offshore Formation
The pillar overview: what offshore is for, RAK ICC and JAFZA, and where it does and does not fit.
Free Zone vs Offshore
The structure decision that matters most: operating versus holding, visas, banking, and onshore access.
IFZA Free Zone
If you actually need UAE operations or a residence visa, start with a free zone like IFZA, not offshore.
Company Setup Overview
Mainland, free zone, and offshore compared, so you choose the right structure before anything else.
A note on specialist services. Accounting, bookkeeping, VAT and corporate tax, and legal or liquidation work are delivered with our trusted, independently licensed partners. This page is general information, not tax or legal advice; confirm your position with an independent tax advisor before acting.
The Decision Path
Next: clarify the right structure, IBC or Foundation, and get a written all-in quote. Book a 30-minute call.
Registering the company is simple. Choosing the right structure is the work.
A short call covers what you are trying to hold or protect, whether an IBC or Foundation fits, a realistic all-in cost, and whether RAK ICC is genuinely the right home or an onshore company serves you better. No obligation beyond that.