Company Registration in the UAE and Abroad
Day 0
Certificate of incorporation
Tax deadlines run from this date. Bookkeeping starts with the first transaction: tax records are kept for 7 years after the end of the tax period.
No more substance reports
The ESR have been abolished in the UAE: no reports are filed for periods after 2022. What remains is the beneficial ownership register, tax registration and bookkeeping.
Company Registration in the UAE and Abroad
Offshore Company Registration in the UAE
A UAE offshore company is not a way to “avoid tax” but a holding vehicle: for shares in other companies, real estate or an investment account. It does no business in the country, gives no visas and needs no office. For holding assets, it is the lightest structure to maintain.
- from 5 working days
- Registration
- 100%
- Ownership
- no visas
- And no office
- 0 or 9%
- Corporate tax
In short
A UAE offshore company is a holding tool for shares, property and accounts, with no business in the country, no visas and no office. Registration takes from 5 working days; an offshore company is a UAE tax resident (0 or 9%) and must register with the FTA within 3 months, or face an AED 10,000 penalty.
Checked 16 October 2026 · Kermen Tserenkeeva
Cost of a mistake
AED 10,000
The penalty for registering an offshore company for corporate tax later than three months — even with no income; per FTA rules as of October 2026.
How to avoid itWhat a UAE offshore company is today
A UAE offshore company holds assets without doing business inside the country. It remains a UAE tax resident, and banks are cautious about opening accounts for it.
Three registries to choose from
Offshore companies are registered with RAK ICC, JAFZA Offshore and Ajman Offshore. There is no office and no visas; the address and link to the registry come from a registered agent.
It holds assets, not a business
Typical uses are shares in companies in the UAE and abroad, real estate, investment accounts, IP and joint ownership between partners. Companies from some registries can own property in Dubai’s freehold areas.
It is a UAE tax resident
An offshore company registers with the FTA for corporate tax on the standard basis. Dividends and capital gains from qualifying shareholdings are, however, often exempt.
Not for visas or contracts
If you need a visa, an office or contracts with clients, an offshore company won’t work. For investors and common law, an SPV in ADGM or DIFC is often a better fit.
Expert tip
Before buying property through an offshore company, we check with the Dubai Land Department and the developer whether a company from that registry can own the specific property — before the contract, not after.
Kermen TserenkeevaSenior Lawyer · Company registrationWho it suits
Who it suits — and when to choose something else
A good fit if
- 01You need a company that will hold shares in operating companies — in the UAE or abroad.
- 02You are buying property in Dubai and want to hold it through a company — for a future sale or transfer.
- 03You need a simple, low-cost structure for joint ownership with partners.
- 04You want to move asset ownership into a separate legal entity without setting up an operating business in the UAE.
- 05You need an intermediate company in a family structure under a foundation.
Consider something else if
- 01You need a residence visa — an offshore company doesn’t provide one.Freezone
- 02The company will sell to clients and receive revenue from them — that requires an operating licence.Mainland or Free Zone
- 03There will be investors, funding rounds and complex shareholder rights — an SPV in ADGM or DIFC under common law is more convenient.Holding & SPV
- 04The goal is inheritance and protecting family assets — the offshore company can be placed under a foundation.Foundation
Ownership structures
Offshore, free zone holding, SPV or foundation — how they differ
All four are UAE legal entities used to hold assets. Indicative as of October 2026; details depend on the registry, the zone and the structure.
- Main purpose
Holding assets without operations
- Registration
5–10 working days
after KYC
- Office and visas
No office, no visas
the registered agent provides the address
- Law
Its registry’s own rules
Click an option to highlight it across every parameter
Benefits
What you get
Real estate
A Dubai apartment in an offshore company’s name: who does what
Order matters more than speed: first we check whether the DLD will accept a company from this registry, then we register the offshore company, and only then do we proceed to the deal. Fees are based on DLD data as of October 2026.
You end up with a title deed in the offshore company’s name. From you: KYC documents, signatures, payment of the price and fees, and a power of attorney if you won’t attend the transfer.
Let’s discuss the details
Will a bank open an account for your offshore company?
This is the main practical question. Describe the structure and the purpose of the account — we’ll tell you which banks consider such profiles and what they need to see.
Process
7 steps from the first conversation to the result
Every step is visible in the client portal: what’s happening now and whether we need anything from you.
Steps on your side: 1 of 7
We handle it · 5Needed from you · 1Authority · 1
We work out what the company will own, where the assets are and who the shareholders are. We choose the registry — RAK ICC, JAFZA Offshore or Ajman Offshore — based on permitted purposes, property requirements and maintenance costs.
Step 1 of 7
Goal and choice of registry
We work out what the company will own, where the assets are and who the shareholders are. We choose the registry — RAK ICC, JAFZA Offshore or Ajman Offshore — based on permitted purposes, property requirements and maintenance costs.
We handle it1–2 days
Documents
What you’ll need
From shareholders and directors
- Passport
- Proof of address: a utility bill or bank statement
- Bank reference letter or statements — at the agent’s request
- CV describing professional experience
- Proof of source of funds and source of wealth
If the shareholder is a company
- Constitutional documents and a registry extract
- Register of shareholders and directors, details of ultimate beneficial owners
- Board resolution approving the participation
- Notarisation and legalisation
About the structure
- Description of the company’s purpose and the assets it will hold
- Group chart, if the offshore company is part of a group
- For real estate — details of the property and the developer
Timing and budget
What makes up the budget
An offshore company is the lightest structure to maintain, but the budget doesn’t end at registration: annual renewal through the agent, tax obligations and banking costs.
ItemDepends onWhen
- Registry registrationDepends onRegistry fees. Depend on the registry and the share structure.WhenOn registration
- Registered agentDepends onA mandatory agent: registered address, link to the registry, document custody. Without an agent the company can’t be renewed.WhenOn registration and annually
- Annual renewalDepends onThe registry’s renewal fee. Late renewal incurs fines, after which the company may be struck off the register.WhenAnnually
- Documents and legalisationDepends onLegalisation of corporate shareholders’ documents and of the company’s documents for use abroad; certificate of incumbency.WhenAs needed
- Tax registration and returnsDepends onFTA registration within three months, the tax return within nine months of the financial year-end, even if the tax is zero. Late registration costs AED 10,000; a late return — from AED 500 a month.WhenAnnually
- Bookkeeping and financial statementsDepends onRegistries require accounting records to be kept, and tax records are retained for 7 years. The scope depends on the number of transactions and assets; with revenue above AED 50 million, an audit is required for tax purposes.WhenAnnually
- Property transactionDepends onDLD fee — 4% of the price; adding the company to the DLD system — AED 4,000 for a company with foreign shareholders, plus VAT on the trustee office’s services; the developer’s NOC. This is a separate budget item, not part of registration.WhenOn purchase
- Our servicesDepends onStructuring, drafting the constitution, support with registration, the bank and tax registration.WhenBy stage
After registration
An offshore company’s first year: deadlines and penalties
An offshore company does no business, but it remains a registered company and a UAE tax resident. Penalty amounts follow FTA rules as of October 2026.
0123456789101112months from the registration date
Within 3 months
Corporate tax registration
Mandatory for an offshore company too — even if all its income will be dividends.
If missed: AED 10,000 — even with no income
Anniversary
Renewal with the agent and the registry
Every year, even if the company does nothing: without a registered agent the company can’t be renewed.
If missed: under the registry’s rules; the company may then be struck off, leaving the assets it holds in limbo
Every year
9 months after the financial year-end
Corporate tax return and payment
Filed even when the tax is zero. 0% on profit up to AED 375,000, 9% above that.
If missed: AED 500 a month in the first year of delay, then AED 1,000
For each financial year
Bookkeeping and financial statements
Registries require accounting records to be kept; the same records support the dividend exemption.
On specific events
Taxable turnover of AED 375,000 over 12 months
VAT registration
For example, when the offshore company leases out commercial property. The rate is 5%.
If missed: AED 10,000 for late registration
Revenue above AED 50 million
Audited financial statements
Mandatory for corporate tax. The bank may ask for an audit even with lower revenue.
Change of shareholders or directors
Registers and beneficial owners
Update the registers and the UBO data through the agent, then the bank file.
If the offshore company holds property
While the property is in the company’s name
Service charges
Paid by the owning company. Unless they are paid, the developer won’t issue an NOC — and the property can’t be sold.
When leasing out
Lease registered in Ejari
The tenancy contract is registered in Ejari; rental income goes into the company’s tax return.
Getting it right
Common mistakes — and how to avoid them
Click a card to see how to do it right · 0 of 6 open
01 What people often do
Setting up an offshore company to get a visa and live in the UAE.
02 What people often do
Invoicing UAE clients through an offshore company.
03 What people often do
Not registering with the FTA in the belief that an offshore company is outside the tax system.
04 What people often do
Expecting a quick account at any UAE bank.
05 What people often do
Buying property through an offshore company without checking whether a company from that registry can own property in that particular area.
06 What people often do
Skipping renewal with the agent because “the company doesn’t do anything anyway”.
FAQ
Expert answers
Kermen Tserenkeeva — Company registration
It depends on the assets and the goal. RAK ICC is one of the most common options for holdings and asset ownership: well-developed corporate law and a wide network of agents. JAFZA Offshore is often chosen for real estate in Dubai. Ajman Offshore is used less often, when simplicity matters most.
Kermen Tserenkeeva · Company registrationSources
- Dubai Land Department — registering companies with DLD
- FTA — press release on corporate tax return deadlines
- Deloitte — FTA decision on corporate tax registration deadlines
- Gulf News — FTA urges businesses to file corporate tax returns on time
Deadlines, amounts and rules are based on these sources as of the check date. Rules change: check with us before deciding.
Next step
We’ll check whether offshore fits your goal
Tell us what the company will own and where those assets are. We’ll tell you whether an offshore company fits, which registry to choose and what to consider on banking and tax — or propose a more convenient structure.
Kermen TserenkeevaSenior Lawyer · Company registration