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Tier 3 · Ras Al Khaimah

Corporate registry, not a free zone

This is a company-registration body rather than a free zone with its own facilities and licensing regime.

Ras Al Khaimah International Corporate Centre

Floor 8, RAKBANK Headquarters, Al Ghafat Road, Ras Al Khaimah (P.O. Box 30099); also maintains a Dubai office · Est. 2016 · RAK International Corporate Centre — Government of Ras Al Khaimah (est. by Emiri Decree No. 12 of 2015, as amended by Decree No. 4 of 2016 and Decree No. 12 of 2024)

AED 3,750/ yr
high confidenceVerified 18 Jul 2026official ↗
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Best for

International entrepreneurs, investors and families needing a low-cost, credible UAE holding/SPV or foundation for cross-border assets, IP and investments — with no need for UAE residency or onshore operations.

Not ideal for

Anyone needing UAE residence visas, a physical office, staff on the ground, easy local banking, or direct sales into the UAE mainland — they should choose an onshore free zone (e.g., RAKEZ) or the Premium Product structure instead.

01Capability profile

Six independent dimensions, scored from official zone data.

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Banking7/15
?
Visa scale3/15
?
Cost (lower=better)19/20
?
Activity breadth8/25
?
Workspace options0/15
?
Location6/10
02Where RAK ICC sits

Tick marks for every zone, RAK ICC highlighted. The shape of the field, not just the rank.

Year 1 cost← lower is better

RAK ICC: 93th percentile (AED 3,750) · Licence + registration, AED.

Setup time← lower is better

RAK ICC: 92th percentile (3 days) · Total estimated days from application to operational.

Visa caphigher is better →

Absolute maximum visa allocation. Values above 500 clipped to the right edge so the bulk of the distribution stays readable.

Banking ease← better
Easy
4
Moderate
73
Difficult
15
Very difficult
1

RAK ICC: Difficult · Corporate bank account opening difficulty. Each cell is one zone.

03Costs

Year-one license, renewals, and 5-year totals in AED.

3,750
Year 1 minimum · AED
AED 25,555 less than DMCC
budget tier
Show in
Base licence
AED 2,250
Registration
AED 1,500
Renewal (year 2+)
AED 2,250
3-year total
AED 8,250
2-year visa cost
AED 3,200
Flexi-desk per year
AED 6,000
Hidden & one-off costs
Cancellation fee
AED 1,500
Year-on-year fee tracking begins 2026 — changes appear here as they accrue.
Indicative, from published ratesOfficial fee schedule ↗Verified 2026-07high confidence

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04Visas & workspace

Visa caps, workspace options, and family-sponsorship rules.

Visa allocation
Family sponsorship
Not available
Freelancer permit
Not available
Golden visa
Not available
Green visa
Not available
Workspace options
Virtual office
No
Flexi-desk
No
Dedicated office
No
Warehouse
No
Industrial unit
No
05Banking & setup

Banking difficulty, partner banks, and setup timeline.

Banking
Difficulty
Difficult
Time to account
~45 days
Minimum deposit
AED 50,000
Corp tax rate
0%
Audit cost (est)
AED 7,000
UBO filing
Required
AML / KYC
enhanced
Partner banks
RAKBankEmirates IslamicEmirates NBD
Neo-bank options
EMIs: Wise Business, Payoneer, StatrysUAE digital banks generally require an onshore licence — mostly not available to pure IBCs
Setup timeline
  1. Registration mode
    Fully online — no in-person visit required
  2. Documents & application
    Passport, visa, business plan — ~3–5 days
  3. Licence issued
    ~1 business day after submission
  4. Bank account active
    Additional ~45 days · Difficult banking
  5. Operational
    Typically ~3 days, up to ~7 days
06Package pricing

2 packages from official fee schedules.

All figures in AED, from official fee schedules. Visa and health-insurance costs are additional.

PackageVisasYear 1Renewal
Offshore IBC – 1 ShareholderBest value0AED 8,500AED 7,500
Holding Entity – Registered Agent0AED 11,000AED 9,500
07Permitted activities

Activity categories, restrictions, and approval flags.

30-40 activitiesDual license: Yes

Holding shares in other companies

owning assets (property

ships)

international trading

investment

wealth management

asset protection

family offices

special purpose vehicles*

Categories
International BusinessHolding CompaniesSpecial Purpose VehiclesFamily OfficesWealth ManagementAsset ProtectionInvestment*
Matched industry clusters
financialtrading
Restricted
Bankingfinancefund managementinsuranceinvestment schemestrust management (unless specifically licensed)conducting business within UAE mainland*

Some activities require additional approval from the zone authority.

08Jurisdiction & ecosystem

Legal framework, tax status, audit requirements, and zone focus — every value sourced.

Common lawYes
VAT designated zoneNo
QFZP eligible (0% tax)No
Source: Official · 2026-07-18
Economic substanceminimal
Source: Official · 2026-07-18

This zone primarily offers virtual or flexi-desk arrangements — demonstrating QFZP substance (qualified UAE employees, operating expenditure, assets) is harder here and typically requires bolting on a tenancy elsewhere.

Focus: Asset Protection, Wealth Management, International Trade, Holding Companies

40000 (cumulative incorporations per official homepage counter; active-company count not published — likely lower) companieslarge (40,000 cumulative incorporations; enum-corrected from pack's raw number) communityNetworking events: Yes
Notable companies

Investment firms, holding companies, family offices

QFZP, audit, mainland-permit and substance values are sourced where the zone authority or FTA publishes them, and inferred from published zone characteristics otherwise. How we determine these values.

09Strengths & limitations

5 strengths · 4 caveats.

Strengths
  • Lowest offshore registry fees in the UAE: AED 3,250 Year-1 government fee, AED 3,950 renewal, on a published official schedule
  • Same-day-to-1-day incorporation, fully remote, via ~hundreds of licensed registered agents (160 nationalities served)
  • Broad vehicle menu: five IBC company types, foundations, segregated portfolio companies, redomiciliation in/out
  • Common-law-based regulations with opt-in DIFC/ADGM Courts; access to UAE double-tax-treaty network
  • New Premium Product route (Decree 12/2024) adds onshore operation, visas and QFZP 0% corporate tax eligibility via RAKEZ
Caveats
  • No UAE residence visas, offices or establishment cards for standard IBCs — registry-only model
  • UAE bank account opening for IBCs is difficult: enhanced due diligence, AED 50k-500k minimum balances, frequent rejections
  • Cannot trade with the UAE mainland or hold Dubai freehold property directly (JAFZA Offshore can)
  • 0% corporate tax is conditional on QFZP substance and audited accounts — not automatic for offshore shells

Not ideal for: Anyone needing UAE residence visas, a physical office, staff on the ground, easy local banking, or direct sales into the UAE mainland — they should choose an onshore free zone (e.g., RAKEZ) or the Premium Product structure instead.

10Tax considerations

3 tax questions relevant to this zone.

Questions to raise with your tax advisor

  1. Will you meet the FTA's economic-substance requirements at this zone's minimal-presence package?

    QFZP status assumes adequate substance — qualified employees, premises, and operating expenditure proportionate to your activity.

  2. Will you need audited accounts even if this zone doesn't require them?

    FTA corporate-tax filing typically expects audited accounts for revenue above AED 50M, and banks often request them at much lower thresholds.

  3. Do any of your customers, suppliers, or shareholders meet the FTA's related-party definition?

    Related-party transactions need transfer-pricing documentation and may push otherwise-qualifying income into the 9% bracket.

These prompts are due-diligence questions, not tax advice. Confirm every answer with a UAE-licensed tax advisor before incorporating.

11Frequently asked

2 common questions specific to RAK ICC.

12Founder Q&A · 5 questions

Real questions from founders evaluating this zone.

How can I open an offshore bank account in Dubai?
Opening an offshore bank account in Dubai requires choosing a suitable offshore jurisdiction, preparing necessary KYC documents, and applying through banks or registered agents that specialize in offshore banking service…
What is the lowest cost to create an offshore company?
The lowest cost to create an offshore company in the UAE typically starts around AED 15,000 (approx. USD 4,000), including registration, license fees, and basic compliance. Costs vary by jurisdiction (RAK ICC or JAFZA) a…
How do we get an offshore company registration in Dubai?
To register an offshore company in Dubai, choose a jurisdiction like JAFZA or RAK ICC, submit required documents (passport copies, proof of address, business plan), pay fees, and obtain the license within 7-14 days. Regi…
Is it possible for a resident in Dubai to establish an offshore company?
Yes, Dubai residents can establish offshore companies in jurisdictions like JAFZA or RAK ICC. However, they must comply with UAE regulations, and offshore companies cannot be used for local trading or employment within t…
We're a large multinational looking to set up an SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) in a UAE free zone for asset holding. Which free zones are most suitable for this, and what are the compliance requirements for SPVs?
For setting up an SPV for asset holding, free zones like DIFC, ADGM, and RAK ICC (Ras Al Khaimah International Corporate Centre) are highly suitable. DIFC and ADGM offer robust common law frameworks, independent courts, …
13Similar zones in Ras Al Khaimah

3 comparable zones in the same emirate.

14About this data

Last verified 2026-07-18 · high confidence.

RAK ICC data is sourced from official zone authority publications, government fee schedules, and where available, verified against direct communications with the zone. All figures in AED.

Location
Floor 8, RAKBANK Headquarters, Al Ghafat Road, Ras Al Khaimah (P.O. Box 30099); also maintains a Dubai office
Established
2016
Authority
RAK International Corporate Centre — Government of Ras Al Khaimah (est. by Emiri Decree No. 12 of 2015, as amended by Decree No. 4 of 2016 and Decree No. 12 of 2024)
Last verified
2026-07-18
Confidence
high
Methodology
How we score →
Cited source
Fee data sourced from the official fee schedule, fetched 2026-07-18. View source ↗
Per-field citations
How we verify every zone →
15Founder reviews

What founders who've registered here say.

4.1★35 reviewsGoogle

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16Take the next step

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