A RAK offshore company is an international business company registered with RAK ICC, the Ras Al Khaimah International Corporate Centre, the emirate’s government registry. RAK ICC’s published fee is AED 3,250 to incorporate for one year and AED 3,950 for each one-year renewal (RAK ICC Fee Schedule, effective 1 January 2026, checked 21 September 2026). The registered agent’s fee, the registered office, drafting and bank account opening assistance come on top. The company can hold shares, hold Dubai freehold property through the Dubai Land Department, and trade with clients outside the UAE. It cannot trade inside the UAE without UAE licences and it cannot sponsor a residence visa. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
WhatsApp Amir for the RAK ICC steps and a written quote
By First Idea Consultant. Reviewed by Amir Aslam, Founder. Updated September 2026.
RAK offshore company setup cost: RAK ICC fees and what is added
| Service | RAK ICC published fee | Schedule item |
|---|---|---|
| Incorporation, 1 year | AED 3,250 | 1.1 |
| Incorporation, 2 years | AED 6,700 | 1.2 |
| Incorporation, 3 years | AED 9,600 | 1.3 |
| Renewal, 1 year | AED 3,950 | 2.1 |
| Renewal, 2 years | AED 7,250 | 2.2 |
| Renewal, 3 years | AED 10,650 | 2.3 |
| Applications involving more than three shareholders or directors | AED 200 each for individuals, AED 400 each for corporate shareholders or directors | Note 6 |
| More than three activities selected at Activity Group level | AED 550 per activity | Note 6 |
| Enhanced due diligence on a high-risk case, added to incorporation or renewal | AED 7,000 | 3.4 with Note 3 |
| Certificate of good standing | AED 750 | 5.11 |
| Certificate of incumbency | AED 1,000 | 5.12 |
| No Objection Certificate, per property | AED 1,250 | 5.13 |
| Certified true copy set (memorandum and articles, certificate, resolution) | AED 600 | 5.2 |
| Transfer of shares without corporate shareholders | AED 1,250 | 6.2 |
| Change from one registered agent to another | AED 1,500 | 6.9 |
| Voluntary strike-off | AED 1,500 | 7.2 |
RAK ICC’s schedule says fees are subject to change without prior notice, so these figures are read again on the day your quote is prepared.
| Component | Charged by | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Incorporation and annual renewal | RAK ICC | The table above |
| Registered agent fee, first year and each renewal | the registered agent | in your written quote |
| Registered office, which is the agent’s UAE office | the registered agent | in your written quote |
| Drafting the memorandum, articles and resolutions | the registered agent | in your written quote |
| Notarisation, legalisation and attestation of documents signed abroad | notary, UAE embassy, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs | at cost, in your written quote |
| Certificates a bank or DLD asks for | RAK ICC | The table above |
| Corporate tax registration with the Federal Tax Authority | First Idea | in your written quote |
| Business bank account opening assistance | First Idea | in your written quote |
| First Idea professional service fee | First Idea | in your written quote |
First year and every year after. Year one is RAK ICC’s incorporation fee plus the agent, the registered office, the drafting and any attestation your documents need. Every later year is RAK ICC’s renewal fee plus the agent’s annual fee, plus a certificate whenever a bank or DLD asks for one. No single all-in figure is honest for every case, which is why this page quotes RAK ICC and leaves the rest to your quote.
If you also need to live in the UAE, say so: an offshore company cannot sponsor a visa, and we will price the free zone route instead. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
Send your activity and visa count to Amir on WhatsApp
Need a UAE residence visa? The priced route
An offshore company cannot sponsor a residence visa. If you need to live in the UAE, the priced route is our Premium package with Meydan or IFZA: company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance. Both totals are on our business setup cost in Dubai page.
Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.
0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward.
Standard and Premium are First Idea’s Meydan and IFZA packages, not RAK ICC products. Read them on Meydan free zone and IFZA free zone, or see them side by side in our Dubai company setup packages.
What RAK ICC is, and what a Ras Al Khaimah offshore company can and cannot do
RAK ICC is Ras Al Khaimah’s corporate registry. Its own About text says it is the consolidation of two Ras Al Khaimah registries, RAK International Companies and RAK Offshore, and that it was formed under Decree No. 12 of 2015 as amended by Decree No. 4 of 2016. Companies on the register are governed by the RAK ICC Business Companies Regulations 2018. Under that regime the fee schedule lists five company types in Note 1: company limited by shares, company limited by guarantee, unlimited company, restricted purpose company and segregated portfolio company. Most buyers who ask about an offshore company in Ras Al Khaimah need a company limited by shares.
RAK ICC is a registry, not a free zone, and the company it registers is a UAE company. That matters twice: for corporate tax, covered below, and for what the company may do. The regulations set the limits, and they are worth reading before you pay anyone.
| Question | What the rules say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Trade with clients outside the UAE | Yes. A company has full capacity to carry on any business or activity, subject to the restrictions below. | Regulation 40(1), read with 40(5) and 40(8) |
| Hold shares in companies in the UAE or abroad | Yes. Holding ownership interests in a body corporate that carries on business in the Zone is not treated as carrying on business there. | Regulation 40(6)(f) |
| Keep a bank account for routine operations | Yes. Maintaining one in the Zone for routine operational transactions is not treated as carrying on business there. The bank still decides. | Regulation 40(6)(d) |
| Hold Dubai freehold property | Yes, through DLD registration with a No Objection Letter, where the shareholders are natural persons. DLD may also approve juristic shareholders or a mix. | DLD memorandum of understanding with RAK ICC, 2019 release on rakicc.com |
| Do business with persons in the Zone | No, unless RAK ICC expressly authorises it. | Regulation 40(5)(a) |
| Trade or operate elsewhere in the UAE | No, unless it has first obtained all appropriate licences from the competent UAE authorities. | Regulation 40(8) |
| Provide financial services as a business | No, anywhere in the world. | Regulation 40(5)(c) |
| Sponsor a residence visa or employ staff in the UAE | No. The company holds no UAE licence and no UAE premises of its own. | Follows from Regulations 40(8) and 91 |
| Have its own UAE office | Its registered office is its agent’s UAE office, and may not be a post office box address. | Regulation 91(1) and 91(2) |
| Go without a registered agent | No. A company shall at all times have a registered agent, and only a holder of a Certificate of Agent Registration may act as one. | Regulation 92(1) and 92(2) |
| Directors | At least one director at all times, and at least one director who is a natural person. | Regulations 114(4) and 116(3) |
| Records | Records and underlying documentation kept at least five years. | Regulations 103(1)(b) and 104(b) |
The Zone means the area within the geographic limits of RAK ICC as specified from time to time. If you need UAE customers, UAE staff or a residence visa, the route is a free zone or mainland company, not an offshore one: see offshore business setup in Dubai, or ask Amir about Ras Al Khaimah free zone options alongside Meydan and IFZA.
Documents for RAK offshore company registration
| Document | Individual shareholder or director | Corporate shareholder |
|---|---|---|
| Passport copy | Yes | For every director and shareholder of the parent company |
| Proof of residential address | Yes, a utility bill or bank statement in the person’s name | For the same people |
| Bank reference letter | Where the agent asks for one | Where the agent asks for one |
| KYC form | Yes, the agent’s own form | Yes |
| Certificate of incorporation or trade licence | No | Yes |
| Board resolution approving the company and naming the signatory | No | Yes |
| Memorandum of association of the parent | No | Yes |
| Legalisation by the UAE embassy in the parent’s country and counter-attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Only for documents signed abroad | Yes, for the corporate documents |
About the company itself you supply three name options, the activity, the share capital and its currency, the shareholding split, the directors and the ultimate beneficial owners. The registered agent can ask for more under its own KYC, source-of-funds evidence being the usual example.
Structure decides part of the RAK ICC fee. Applications involving more than three shareholders or directors carry an extra AED 200 each for individuals and AED 400 each for corporate ones. Two levels of corporate shareholders add AED 1,250, three or more add AED 1,750, and the involvement of trusts adds AED 1,750. More than three activities at Activity Group level adds AED 550 per activity, and a case needing enhanced due diligence carries AED 7,000 on top. All are RAK ICC published fees (Fee Schedule effective 1 January 2026, item 9.7 and Notes 3 and 6, checked 21 September 2026).
RAK offshore company formation: steps and timeline
Ras Al Khaimah offshore company formation runs through a registered agent. RAK ICC accepts filings only from a holder of a Certificate of Agent Registration, so every step below that touches the registry is filed by an agent.
| Step | Who does it | What you provide | What you receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Choose the company type and activity, and decide whether it will hold property | You, with advice | Your plan, your markets and whether property is in scope | A structure the memorandum is drafted to match |
| 2. Appoint a RAK ICC registered agent | You appoint; the agent accepts | Signed engagement and the agent’s KYC form | A registered agent, and a registered office at the agent’s UAE office |
| 3. Name reservation and KYC on shareholders, directors and owners | The registered agent files | Three name options, passports, address proofs | A reserved name. Extending a reservation by 90 days costs AED 550 (item 9.2) |
| 4. Draft and sign the memorandum and articles | The agent drafts; you sign | Signatures in person, or abroad with notarisation and attestation | Executed constitutional documents |
| 5. RAK ICC registers the company | RAK ICC | Payment of RAK ICC’s fee through the agent | Certificate of incorporation with the registered memorandum and articles. Share certificate registration is AED 300 each (item 5.9) |
| 6. Corporate tax registration with the Federal Tax Authority | First Idea prepares and files the application | Company documents and owners’ details | A Tax Registration Number |
| 7. Business bank account application | First Idea prepares the file; the bank decides | The documents listed in the banking section | A decision from the bank |
| 8. Property only: RAK ICC No Objection Certificate, then DLD | RAK ICC issues the NOC; DLD registers | The property details and DLD’s required documents | NOC at AED 1,250 per property (item 5.13), then registration |
RAK ICC’s fee schedule publishes no processing time, and the pages that rank for this search give ranges that contradict each other, so this page prints none. Amir gives you the range he typically sees from a complete document set to the certificate, as a typical case and never as a promise. The bank account takes longer than the company, and three things slow a file: a name RAK ICC rejects, attestation of corporate documents from abroad, and follow-up questions from due diligence.
Owning Dubai property through a RAK ICC company
The Dubai Land Department signed a memorandum of understanding with RAK ICC, announced in a July 2019 release published on rakicc.com and read again on 21 September 2026.
Under it, DLD will accept the registration of freehold plots and properties, or any right in rem, subject to four conditions: the company is listed and duly registered with RAK ICC; the shareholders are natural persons; the required documents are submitted, including a No Objection Letter issued by the parties to the relationship; and DLD’s registration fees are paid according to the procedures adopted at DLD. The release adds that DLD may also approve registration where the property is owned by juristic persons or by a combination of natural and juristic persons.
RAK ICC’s published fee for a No Objection Certificate is AED 1,250 per property (RAK ICC Fee Schedule 2026, item 5.13, checked 21 September 2026). DLD’s registration fees are set and published by DLD, and are not reproduced here because they were not read on dubailand.gov.ae today. Ask Amir to confirm DLD’s current fees and procedure before you commit to the structure, and treat any promise of a fee saving through an offshore holding as a reason to get written advice first.
RAK offshore bank account: what banks look at
Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.
A RAK ICC company holds no UAE licence and no UAE premises, so the file has to answer the questions a licence would otherwise answer. Banks typically ask for:
- the certificate of incorporation, and the memorandum and articles
- the register of directors and the register of shareholders, or a certified extract of them
- a recent certificate of good standing (RAK ICC published fee AED 750, item 5.11) or certificate of incumbency (AED 1,000, item 5.12), both checked 21 September 2026
- passports and address proofs for the signatories and the ultimate beneficial owners
- evidence of source of funds and source of wealth
- a short plan showing where the customers, the suppliers and the money actually are
No page can tell you which bank will say yes, and this one names none as a promise. See our business bank account opening assistance page for how the file is built, and, if you are not UAE resident, our guide to a UAE bank account without residency.
Corporate tax and records for a RAK ICC company
0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward.
That clause describes First Idea’s Meydan and IFZA packages. For a RAK ICC company, corporate tax registration is itemised separately in your quote, and the reason is worth stating plainly.
RAK ICC is a UAE registry, so a company on its register is incorporated in the UAE. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022, Article 11(3)(a), a Resident Person includes a juridical person incorporated or otherwise established or recognised under the applicable legislation of the State. Article 51(1) says any Taxable Person shall register for Corporate Tax with the Federal Tax Authority and obtain a Tax Registration Number. So a RAK ICC company falls within UAE Corporate Tax and registers for it, even where every customer is abroad (tax.gov.ae, checked 21 September 2026). Whether tax is payable depends on the profit and on how the rules apply to your case, which is an answer for a written review, not a web page.
On records the regulations are short and strict. A company keeps its records and underlying documentation at its registered agent’s office or another place the directors determine, and retains them for at least five years (Regulations 103 and 104). It delivers an annual return to the Registrar made up to the anniversary of incorporation, within 30 days of that date, with the annual fee (Regulation 262). That return goes in with the renewal through the agent.
For deadlines and penalties, see our UAE corporate tax guide.
RAK ICC annual renewal, late renewal and strike-off
Renewal is annual and goes through the registered agent. RAK ICC’s published renewal fees are AED 3,950 for one year, AED 7,250 for two and AED 10,650 for three (RAK ICC Fee Schedule 2026, items 2.1 to 2.3, checked 21 September 2026). Those are registry fees, not a renewal total.
No professional service fee on licence renewals; government and authority fees still apply. What you pay at renewal is RAK ICC’s renewal fee, the registered agent’s annual fee, and any certificate a bank or DLD asks for that year. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
| When you renew | RAK ICC charge |
|---|---|
| Within one calendar month of expiry, the grace period | Renewal fee |
| Second month from the expiry date | Renewal fee plus 10% |
| Third month from the expiry date | Renewal fee plus 15% |
| Fourth month from the expiry date | Renewal fee plus 25% |
| Fifth month from the expiry date | Renewal fee plus 50% |
| Beginning of the sixth month after expiry | A strike-off notice is issued, then one calendar month to make written representations to the Registrar or renew with all penalties |
| Not renewed within six months of expiry | The entity is formally struck off the register |
| Restoration after strike-off | Registrar’s approval, all outstanding fees and penalties for the struck-off period, plus a flat restoration fee of AED 550 |
Closing a company deliberately is cheaper than losing it. RAK ICC’s published fees are AED 1,500 for a voluntary strike-off, AED 1,500 for a liquidation and AED 850 for a certificate of dissolution (items 7.1 to 7.3, checked 21 September 2026). If you also hold a Dubai licence on its own cycle, see trade licence renewal.
RAK ICC or JAFZA Offshore
| Item | RAK ICC | JAFZA Offshore |
|---|---|---|
| Registry | RAK ICC, Ras Al Khaimah | Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority, Dubai |
| Registered agent | Required at all times; only a holder of a Certificate of Agent Registration may act (Regulation 92) | Required. JAFZA says offshore registration must be processed through JAFZA Registered Agents only, and publishes a list of them |
| Residence visa | No | Not addressed in the JAFZA offshore guides read today |
| Trade inside the UAE | No, unless it first obtains the appropriate UAE licences (Regulation 40(8)); no business with persons in the Zone without RAK ICC’s authorisation (Regulation 40(5)(a)) | No. JAFZA states that the offshore company cannot conduct any commercial activity with persons within the United Arab Emirates |
| Dubai freehold property | Yes, under the DLD memorandum, with a RAK ICC No Objection Certificate | Not stated in the JAFZA material read on 21 September 2026; confirm with JAFZA |
| Registry fee published by the authority | AED 3,250 incorporation for one year, AED 3,950 renewal (Fee Schedule 2026) | AED 10,000 registration (JAFZA New Offshore Company guide). No renewal figure published there; on request |
For the full comparison, see offshore business setup in Dubai.
Related guides: business setup in Ras Al Khaimah and UAE residence visa.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a RAK offshore company cost?
RAK ICC’s published fee is AED 3,250 to incorporate for one year and AED 3,950 for each annual renewal (RAK ICC Fee Schedule, effective 1 January 2026, checked 21 September 2026). On top come the registered agent’s fee, the registered office, the drafting, any attestation for documents signed abroad, and bank account opening assistance if you want it. Structure changes the registry fee too: more than three shareholders or directors, extra activity groups and corporate shareholding levels each carry a published charge. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
What is RAK ICC, and who owns a company registered there?
RAK ICC is the Ras Al Khaimah International Corporate Centre, the emirate’s corporate registry, formed under Decree No. 12 of 2015 as amended by Decree No. 4 of 2016 by consolidating RAK International Companies and RAK Offshore. It registers and administers international business companies; it does not own them. A company on the register belongs to its shareholders, whose details sit in the registers kept at the agent’s office.
What is an offshore company, and can it do business in Dubai?
It is a company incorporated in the UAE and intended for business outside it. It may not carry on business with persons in the Zone unless RAK ICC expressly authorises it (Regulation 40(5)(a)), and may not conduct activities elsewhere in the UAE without first obtaining the appropriate licences from the competent UAE authorities (Regulation 40(8)). It cannot sponsor a residence visa. If your customers are in the UAE or you want to live here, the route is a free zone company: our Premium package is company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance, with the totals on our business setup cost in Dubai page.
How do I open an offshore company in RAK ICC?
Through a registered agent, because RAK ICC accepts filings only from a holder of a Certificate of Agent Registration. The order is: choose the company type and activity, complete KYC and reserve the name, draft and sign the memorandum and articles, then RAK ICC registers the company and issues the certificate. Corporate tax registration and the bank file follow. RAK ICC publishes no processing time, so ask for the typical range in writing rather than accepting a promise.
Can an offshore company buy property in Dubai?
A RAK ICC company can, under the memorandum of understanding between the Dubai Land Department and RAK ICC announced in July 2019. DLD accepts registration of freehold plots and properties, or any right in rem, where the company is duly registered with RAK ICC, the shareholders are natural persons, the required documents including a No Objection Letter are submitted and DLD’s fees are paid. DLD may also approve juristic shareholders or a mix. RAK ICC charges AED 1,250 per property for the No Objection Certificate (RAK ICC published fee, checked 21 September 2026).
Can a RAK offshore company open a bank account in the UAE?
Yes, subject to the bank. Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next. Banks usually want the certificate of incorporation, the memorandum and articles, the registers of directors and shareholders, and a recent certificate of good standing (RAK ICC published fee AED 750) or certificate of incumbency (AED 1,000), both checked 21 September 2026, along with source of funds and a short plan showing where the business actually sits.
How do I choose a RAK ICC registered agent?
RAK ICC accepts filings only from agents holding a Certificate of Agent Registration (Regulation 92(2)) and keeps a register of them, so confirm the agent is on it. Ask for the agent’s own annual fee quoted separately from RAK ICC’s published fees, so you can check the registry side against rakicc.com yourself. Moving later is not free: RAK ICC charges AED 1,500 to change from one registered agent to another (item 6.9, checked 21 September 2026).
Send Amir your business activity, where your customers are and whether anyone needs to live in the UAE. You get the RAK ICC steps for your case and a written quote that separates RAK ICC’s fees from everything else, and we reply on WhatsApp within a couple of hours.
WhatsApp Amir about a RAK ICC offshore company
Questions about a RAK ICC company go to Amir Aslam, Founder of First Idea Consultant LLC, at Office 812, ParkLane Tower, Park Regis, Business Bay, Dubai. Call or WhatsApp +971 56 500 6694.
