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Ras Al Khaimah · Offshore

RAK ICC

RAK International Corporate Centre

3–7 days to licence Offshore registry 100% foreign

The honest read

What it is actually good at.

The most widely recognised offshore registry in the UAE. Modern companies regulations, a proper register, and enough international familiarity that foreign counsel and banks do not need it explained. Good for holding shares, IP or property through a corporate vehicle.

What to watch. No visas, no premises, no trading inside the UAE, no VAT registration. If somebody has offered you one as a route to living in Dubai, they have either misunderstood the product or hope that you have.

Who is actually based here

Holding structures, family asset vehicles, property-holding companies and international business companies.

What it costs

Low — a registered agent fee and annual maintenance. There is no premises cost because there are no premises.

How banks receive it

Possible but harder than an operating company. Offshore entities attract more scrutiny, and some banks decline them outright.

Commonly licensed here

Each one opens a page on that activity — the UAE definition, how it is classified, and the approvals it needs beyond a trade licence.

Emirate
Ras Al Khaimah
Type
Offshore
Location
Offshore registry
Established
2016
Licence issuance
3–7 days
Residence visas
None — offshore companies cannot sponsor residence
Ownership
100% foreign
Premises
Registered agent only

Timelines, quotas and package contents are indicative and change without notice. We confirm every one against the current schedule before you commit to anything.

Premises

Where the office actually goes.

RAK ICC licenses into Ras Al Khaimah, and the commercial stock there is small enough that the emirate and the district are effectively the same conversation — what varies is which industrial belt or waterfront you end up on, not which postcode.

An emirate built on industry and, increasingly, tourism — quarrying, ceramics and manufacturing inland, with hotels and the Jebel Jais development in the mountains. What RAK ICC itself offers by way of premises: Registered agent only.

District
Ras Al Khaimah
Typical rent
The cheapest serious industrial leasing in the UAE
Licence type there
Mixed
Office and industrial space in Ras Al Khaimah

Questions

No. Offshore companies cannot sponsor residence visas for anyone, including their own shareholders.

Holding shares, intellectual property and, where permitted, property through a corporate vehicle. It cannot trade inside the UAE.

It is the most widely recognised UAE offshore registry, with modern companies regulations familiar to foreign counsel and banks.