Offshore company setup in the UAE,compared with clarity.
There are three UAE Offshore registries, RAK ICC, JAFZA Offshore and Ajman Offshore, with sharply different prices, banking profiles and real-estate rights. A senior advisor compares them against your assets, your residency and your banking story, then issues a fixed-price quote, and remains your point of contact throughout.
The headline regime is identical across RAK ICC, JAFZA and Ajman. What changes between them is price, banking acceptance, real-estate rights and the legal forms each registry will issue, all covered section by section below.
One advisor handles the comparison, the filing and the bank introduction.
100% foreign ownership
No Emirati shareholder, no nominee, no local agent on the share register. The entity is fully yours from day one: at incorporation, at renewal, and on transfer or sale.
0% UAE corporate tax
An Offshore IBC with no UAE-sourced income sits outside the federal corporate-tax net. Where structure or residency questions arise, we map them transparently against CRS, UBO and ESR before you commit.
No physical office, no visa
Offshore companies do not need a UAE office and do not grant residency visas. They are built for asset-holding, IP-holding and international invoicing, not for living or trading inside the UAE.
Confidential, not opaque
Shareholder and director registers are private and not publicly searchable, yet a Register of Beneficial Owners is filed with the regulator. This is modern, CRS-compliant privacy, not the Offshore folklore of the 1990s.
Suitability
Whether an Offshore companyfits your needs
Many entrepreneurs considering an Offshore company ultimately find that a Free Zone or Mainland structure is better suited to their needs. The simple test below is the same assessment we use during our initial consultation.
A UAE Offshore company works
International holding company
Hold shares in operating companies across multiple jurisdictions, consolidate dividends, and centralise group governance under a single neutral parent.
IP and royalty holding
Centralise trademarks, patents and copyrights in one entity that licenses them to operating subsidiaries, provided you have real substance to support the structure.
Family wealth and succession
RAK ICC Foundations replace traditional Offshore trusts for civil-law families: asset segregation, named beneficiaries, and a written succession framework that survives the entrepreneur.
International trading and re-invoicing
Invoice clients in one jurisdiction, pay suppliers in another, and route the trade through a UAE Offshore principal, where commercial substance and transfer-pricing logic support it.
Dubai freehold property holding
Hold a freehold villa or apartment portfolio in JAFZA Offshore, the only UAE Offshore registered as a direct owner with the Dubai Land Department.
Asset protection
A clean legal segregation between operating risk and personal balance sheet. Not a way to dodge legitimate creditor claims, but a disciplined way to organise wealth.
A different vehicle is better
UAE residency visa
Offshore companies do not grant residency visas. If you need to live in the UAE, set up a free-zone or Mainland company instead.
Offshore IBCs cannot invoice UAE clients, hold a UAE office or provide services on UAE soil. Use a free-zone or Mainland license for any UAE-facing activity.
UAE Offshore companies are CRS-reporting, UBO-registered and ESR-aware. Used as anonymity vehicles, they fail. Used as compliant international holding structures, they work.
A frictionless banking guarantee
No advisor, including us, can guarantee a corporate bank account for an Offshore company. We pre-vet the file against three banks before we touch the incorporation.
A UAE Offshore company is a holding and invoicing vehicle, not a residency or trading license. Used within its purpose, it is one of the cleanest international structures available today.
FZM Solutions, advising Entrepreneurs and family offices on UAE structures since 2013.
The three registries
RAK ICC, JAFZA and Ajman,examined side by side.
All three are federally recognised UAE Offshore vehicles, and that is where the similarity ends. Pricing, banking acceptance, real-estate rights and available legal forms diverge sharply between them.
RAK ICC is the federal-grade Offshore registry of Ras Al Khaimah, formed in 2016 by the merger of RAK IC and RAK Offshore. It runs on the most modern UAE Offshore Companies Regulations (2018), and it is the only UAE Offshore registry that issues four distinct legal forms: a Company Limited by Shares, a Company Limited by Guarantee, an Unlimited Company and a Foundation. It carries a strong compliance posture, the broadest banking acceptance of the three registries, and is the only one accepted by Tier-1 international banks such as Standard Chartered and HSBC with relative ease in 2026.
The strongest all-round choice: modern law, four legal forms, and the widest banking acceptance of the three registries.
Legal forms
CLS, CLG, UC, Foundation
Bearer shares
Not permitted
Annual accounts
Maintained, not filed
Migration in / out
Yes (continuation regime)
UAE real-estate ownership
UAE freehold in designated areas, held indirectly via a subsidiary
Best for
International holding company
IP and royalty holding
Family wealth and succession (Foundation)
International trading and re-invoicing
Joint ventures with treaty partners
Not for
UAE residency visa
Trading inside the UAE
Public-facing UAE retail or services
Considering RAK ICC?
A 30-minute call, with a written shortlist by end of day.
JAFZA Offshore is the Offshore vehicle of the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority in Dubai. Its single decisive feature is real estate: it is the only UAE Offshore structure that the Dubai Land Department has historically accepted as a direct registered owner of freehold property in designated areas of Dubai. That one rule makes JAFZA the default for high-net-worth real-estate holding within the emirate. The trade-off is geography. Incorporation requires one in-person visit to the JAFZA registrar's office in Dubai to sign the Memorandum of Association.
Choose JAFZA when the goal is holding Dubai freehold property under direct DLD title.
Legal forms
Offshore Company only
Bearer shares
Not permitted
MoA signing
In-person at JAFZA, Dubai
Annual audit
Required, filed with JAFZA
UAE real-estate ownership
Dubai freehold (DLD-approved), direct registered owner
Best for
Holding Dubai freehold property
International trading from Dubai
Holding shares in Mainland UAE companies (LLC parent)
Not for
UAE residency visa
Trading inside the UAE
Banking with low-touch Tier-1 international banks
Considering JAFZA Offshore?
A 30-minute call, with a written shortlist by end of day.
Ajman Offshore is the entry-level UAE Offshore option. The setup fee is the lowest of the three, the documentation is minimal, and the entire incorporation can be completed remotely without a UAE visit. Banking acceptance is the narrowest of the three. Most Tier-1 international banks will not open an account for an Ajman Offshore IBC without significant trade flow already in place. It is the right Choosewhen budget is the binding constraint and the company will bank in a non-UAE jurisdiction.
Choose Ajman only when entry price is the deciding factor and banking will sit outside the UAE.
Legal forms
Offshore Company only
Bearer shares
Not permitted
MoA signing
Remote, by power of attorney
Annual audit
Not required
UAE real-estate ownership
Not accepted as registered owner of UAE property
Best for
Budget-led international invoicing
Holding non-UAE assets (Offshore portfolio, IP)
Banking outside the UAE (Mauritius, Singapore, Switzerland)
Not for
Holding UAE property
Tier-1 UAE banking
Banking with major international banks without prior trade flow
Considering Ajman Offshore?
A 30-minute call, with a written shortlist by end of day.
Book a 30-minute call. We compare RAK ICC, JAFZA and Ajman against your assets, your residency and your banking story, and we tell you, in writing, if a non-UAE Offshore is actually the cleaner answer.
A comprehensive comparison of costs, governance, banking access, and shareholder rights—presented in a clear, side-by-side format that makes key differences easy to understand.
A comparison of the three UAE Offshore registries, RAK ICC, JAFZA Offshore and Ajman Offshore, across pricing, governance, banking and ownership rights.
Feature
RAK ICC
JAFZA
Ajman
Setup fee from
AED 8,500
AED 15,000
AED 5,750
Annual renewal from
AED 7,500
AED 12,000
AED 5,500
Min. shareholders
1
1
1
Min. directors
1
2
1
Minimum share capital
None
None
None
Bearer shares
Not permitted
Not permitted
Not permitted
In-person UAE visit required
No
Yes (MoA signing)
No
Time to incorporate
5 to 10 days
10 to 14 days
3 to 5 days
UAE property ownership
Accepted
Accepted
Not accepted
Annual audit filing
Not filed (maintained)
Required, filed
Not required
Foundation regime
Yes (RAK ICC Foundation)
No
No
Tier-1 UAE banking
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
International banking (HSBC, StanChart)
Best accepted
Possible with file
Difficult
Migration in / out
Yes (continuation)
Yes (continuation)
Limited
Best for
Holding, IP, Foundations
Dubai property, DLD title
Budget-led invoicing
Pricing reflects entry-level packages for 2026 (registered-agent fees, government fees and the standard kit). Apostille, MOFA and bank introduction are quoted separately.
JAFZA and Ajman issue a single legal form, the Offshore company. RAK ICC issues four. That single fact is why family offices and structured holding setups gravitate to RAK ICC.
CLS
Company Limited by Shares
The default Offshore vehicle. Shareholders' liability is limited to the unpaid amount on their shares. Used for holding, trading and IP-holding structures.
Available: RAK ICC, JAFZA, Ajman
CLG
Company Limited by Guarantee
No share capital. Members guarantee a fixed contribution if the company is wound up. Used for not-for-profit bodies, professional associations and certain trusts.
Available: RAK ICC only
UC
Unlimited Company
Members hold unlimited liability for company debts. A niche tool for transparency-driven holding structures such as private-equity flow-throughs.
Available: RAK ICC only
FDN
Foundation
A separate legal person with no shareholders and no members: assets, a charter and beneficiaries instead. The civil-law alternative to common-law trusts, used for family wealth, succession and philanthropic endowments.
Available: RAK ICC only
Pricing
Every cost,clearly explained.
Offshore pricing is not a single number. The four-rung ladder below covers most of the structures we set up, and each rung signals something different to a Tier-1 banker.
1
Entry
AED 5,750
Ajman Offshore
The cheapest UAE Offshore. Remote-only, with the narrowest banking footprint.
2
Standard
AED 8,500
RAK ICC (CLS)
A strong all-round value: Tier-1 banking acceptance and modern regulations.
3
Premium
AED 15,000
JAFZA Offshore
Required for direct ownership of Dubai freehold property under DLD title.
4
Foundation
AED 18,500
RAK ICC Foundation
A civil-law succession vehicle for family wealth and IP. No shareholders, charter-based.
The same five-step path applies to every UAE Offshore registry, carried out by one senior advisor from the initial consultation to a working IBAN.
01
Day 0
Free 30-minute call
We map your assets, your residency, your beneficiaries and your banking story against the three UAE registries, and against an Offshore alternative if a UAE registry is not the right fit. You leave with a written recommendation.
02
Day 1 to 3
KYC pack and fixed-price quote
Notarised passport, address proof, CV, source-of-funds memo and beneficiary tree. Returned within 24 h as a single PDF covering government fees, registered-agent fees, apostille and bank introduction. The number you sign is the number you pay.
03
Day 5 to 14
Incorporation
Name reservation, MoA drafting and regulator filing. RAK ICC and Ajman are remote; JAFZA requires one in-person visit to Dubai for the MoA signing. The Certificate of Incorporation is issued within the timeline above.
04
Day 12 to 18
Apostilled corporate kit
Certificate, MoA, Articles and registers of directors and shareholders, all attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and apostilled or legalised for the destination country. We handle MOFA and the embassy in-house.
05
Day 21 to 60
Bank account introduction
A pre-vetted shortlist (RAKBank, Mashreq, ADCB and WIO for the UAE; Standard Chartered DIFC, Emirates NBD Singapore and Citi UAE internationally), the file prepared and the compliance call briefed. Realistic IBAN issuance for an Offshore IBC is 4 to 8 weeks.
Transparency and compliance
Compliant by design,private by regulation.
The UAE operates its three Offshore registries on modern Companies Regulations that are aligned with international standards. That is the upside. For anyone hoping for 1990s-style secrecy, the downside is that none of it is anonymous anymore.
We operate with full transparency within this framework. If a structure is unlikely to withstand CRS, UBO, or ESR scrutiny, we raise it from the initial consultation and guide you toward a more compliant path.
CRS, Common Reporting Standard
Banks identify each shareholder's tax residency at account opening and report balances to the home tax authority. There is no UAE exemption and no exception.
UBO, Ultimate Beneficial Owner
A register of beneficial owners is filed with each registry on incorporation and updated on changes. It is accessible to UAE authorities and exchanged with foreign authorities on formal request.
ESR, Economic Substance Regulations
Holding, IP, headquarters, distribution and a few other activities require an ESR notification and, in most cases, a substance test plus an annual report. Your advisor handles both filings each year.
Not for tax evasion
Used compliantly, an Offshore IBC is a clean international holding tool. Used as a hidden vehicle, the structure becomes the enforcement trigger, not the shield. We do not help with the second use case.
Banking
Opening thecorporate account.
The bank, not the registry, is the real bottleneck. Below is how the seven banks we work with most actually receive each registry in 2026, for a clean-profile applicant with USD 200k or more in documented source of funds.
Banking acceptance for UAE Offshore IBCs across seven banks: RAKBank, Mashreq Neo Biz, ADCB, WIO, Standard Chartered DIFC, HSBC Expat and Emirates NBD Singapore.
Bank
RAK ICC
JAFZA
Ajman
Note
RAKBank (UAE)
Good
Good
OK
Offshore-aware, with the fastest UAE onboarding for RAK ICC.
Mashreq Neo Biz (UAE)
Good
Good
OK
Digital-first, accepts RAK ICC and JAFZA with clean files.
ADCB (UAE)
OK
Good
OK
Conservative, with good outcomes when source of funds is documented.
WIO (UAE)
OK
Good
OK
SME-focused, accepts RAK ICC selectively, no Offshore bias.
Standard Chartered DIFC
Good
Good
OK
Best for holding structures with USD 500k or more in assets.
HSBC Expat (Jersey)
OK
Good
OK
Personal banking only, but useful on the shareholder side.
Emirates NBD Singapore
OK
Good
OK
Cross-border holding accepted with audited group accounts.
"Good" means we expect first-pass approval with a clean file. "OK" means approval with documented source of funds and a clear activity narrative. "OK" means approval requires existing trade flow, a group structure or additional collateral. No bank guarantees outcomes; pre-vetting reduces, but does not eliminate, refusal risk.
We pre-vet your file against three banks before incorporation, not after. Preparing the file this way improves your chance of a first-pass approval, though no advisor can guarantee a bank account.
Why FZM Solutions
How wework with you.
Our advice is driven by suitability, not margin. We focus on identifying the right structure for your situation, not the most profitable option.
01
Dedicated Senior Advisor
You will work directly with a Dedicated Senior advisor from day one, who assesses your requirements, identifies the most suitable structure, manages the entire application, and remains your long-term point of contact for ongoing guidance and support.
02
Three registries, one advisor
We compare RAK ICC, JAFZA and Ajman against your actual file before recommending one, rather than fitting you to a single product.
03
Free 60-minute consultation
Find the right structure, or learn that no UAE Offshore is the right answer. No commitment, no follow-up sales pressure.
04
Multilingual
English, Arabic, French, Urdu and Hindi.
05
Since 2013
More than 1,500 structures launched, including Offshore IBCs, RAK ICC Foundations and cross-border holding setups.
06
Apostille in-house
MOFA attestation, embassy legalisation and country-specific apostille, handled without third-party document-clearing fees.
07
Compliance-aware
ESR returns, UBO filings and CRS reporting reviewed each year. Your structure stays compliant as the regulations evolve.
08
Meet us in JLT
Office 1908, Jumeirah Bay X2. Walk-ins are welcome, or book a video call when distance is the only constraint.
Meet us in person
You are welcome at our JLT office,in person.
Office 1908, 19th floor, Jumeirah Bay X2, Cluster X, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai. Walk-ins are welcome, or call ahead so we can make sure your advisor is in the building.
Yes. The three UAE Offshore registries, RAK ICC, JAFZA Offshore and Ajman Offshore, are federally recognised and operate under modern Companies Regulations. The UAE is a member of the OECD Inclusive Framework and reports under CRS, so an Offshore company here is a fully compliant international holding vehicle, not a secrecy tool. The legality is unambiguous; what matters is that the structure has commercial substance behind it.
What is the difference between Offshore and a Free Zone?
A UAE free-zone company can lease an office, hire staff, sponsor residency visas and invoice clients, including, in some cases, Mainland UAE clients via a dual license. A UAE Offshore IBC can do none of those things. It is an asset-holding and international-invoicing vehicle, deliberately stripped of UAE operational rights to keep its tax and regulatory profile narrow. Most Entrepreneurs use both together: a free-zone company for operations and an Offshore IBC for holding.
Which UAE Offshore is the cheapest in 2026?
Ajman Offshore, at AED 5,750 setup and AED 5,500 annual renewal. The trade-off is banking. Most Tier-1 UAE and international banks are reluctant to onboard an Ajman Offshore IBC without significant trade flow already in place. For a few thousand dirhams more, RAK ICC at AED 8,500 unlocks Tier-1 banking acceptance and is the better economic choice for almost every entrepreneur we advise.
Can a UAE Offshore company own Dubai property?
Only JAFZA Offshore is recognised by the Dubai Land Department as a direct registered owner of Dubai freehold property in designated areas. RAK ICC can hold Dubai property indirectly through an onshore subsidiary, such as a free-zone holding company, and Ajman Offshore is not accepted by the DLD as a registered owner. If direct DLD title is the goal, JAFZA is the only option.
Does an Offshore company give me a UAE residency visa?
No. UAE Offshore companies do not grant residency visas; that is the whole point of the Offshore regime. If you need a UAE visa, set up a free-zone or Mainland company instead, and pair it with an Offshore parent for asset-holding if that is useful. We design these two-tier structures regularly.
Are bearer shares allowed?
No. None of the three UAE Offshore registries permits bearer shares. Every shareholder must be named, identified and KYC'd. The Offshore folklore around bearer shares ended a decade ago. The modern UAE Offshore offer is privacy at the public-register level and full identification at the regulator level.
Do Offshore companies have to file accounts in the UAE?
JAFZA Offshore requires an annual audit filed with the regulator. RAK ICC requires accounts to be maintained and made available on request, but not filed. Ajman Offshore does not require an audit. All three are subject to ESR (Economic Substance Regulations) and UBO (Ultimate Beneficial Owner) filings, which we handle for our clients each year.
What about CRS, UBO and ESR; am I exposed?
CRS: bank-side reporting captures shareholder tax residency to the home tax authority, with no exemption and no exception. UBO: a register of beneficial owners is filed with each registry, accessible to UAE authorities and exchanged on request. ESR: relevant activities such as holding, IP, headquarters and distribution require a substance test and an annual filing. Used compliantly, all three are paperwork. Used to hide income, all three become enforcement triggers. Our default position is full compliance; if a structure cannot survive that test, it should not be set up.
Can an Offshore company open a UAE corporate bank account?
Yes, but it requires pre-vetting. RAK ICC has the broadest acceptance (RAKBank, Mashreq Neo Biz, ADCB and WIO). JAFZA Offshore is accepted with a complete file. Ajman Offshore is the OKest; most UAE banks decline it without prior trade flow. We package the source-of-funds memo, the beneficiary tree and the activity narrative against three banks before you incorporate, which improves the chance of a first-pass approval and reduces back-and-forth.
Can I move my Offshore company between registries later?
Yes. RAK ICC and JAFZA both operate continuation regimes, so an Offshore company can migrate in or out without dissolving. We have moved structures from BVI, Cayman and Panama into RAK ICC several times when the client wanted UAE banking and a more reputable home jurisdiction. The legal entity is preserved, with all contracts and banking history intact.
“Highly recommended. A professional team, prompt on every detailed query and seamless on every requirement, trade license, corporate tax, bank account, residence ID, medical.”
Maha Badr
“Simply impeccable. They didn't just meet deadlines, they anticipated them, with quick and effective solutions even in complex situations.”
Largo Home
“Very efficient. Company formation, employment contract, residency visa, and all the prerequisites handled. Friendly and professional throughout.”
One advisor.From company formation to corporate banking.
A 30-minute consultation is all it takes to receive a tailored proposal, a transparent quotation, and a written roadmap delivered the same day. You will deal directly with an experienced advisor throughout the process.
