Offshore Company Formation in UAE
Company Formation in UAE Offshore
Company Formation in UAE Offshore
An Offshore Company in the UAE is a non-resident entity registered under a designated Offshore Business Jurisdiction. The three main offshore jurisdictions in the UAE are Jebel Ali Offshore, RAKICC (Ras Al Khaimah International Corporate Centre), and Ajman Offshore.
Each offshore jurisdiction operates under its own set of company laws and regulations, which govern the registration and operational framework. Offshore companies are not subject to the UAE Commercial Companies Law, as they fall under specific offshore regulations.
The UAE is a strategic location for offshore company formation due to its central position along major global trade routes. Investors benefit from a range of advantages, including ease of company registration, asset protection, confidentiality, full foreign ownership, and tax efficiency.
In addition, UAE offshore jurisdictions offer strong regulatory frameworks, streamlined processes, and the flexibility to conduct international business. These features, combined with political stability and a business-friendly environment, make the UAE an ideal choice for setting up an offshore company.
Major Offshore jurisdictions in UAE
Offshore Company Setup in UAE
Offshore companies in the UAE are established solely for conducting transnational business conditioning. These realities aren’t permitted to operate within the UAE landmass, nor can they’ve a physical office or hire workers within the country.
rather of a trade license, coastal companies are issued an Incorporation Certificate and a Memorandum of Association. This is because they aren’t authorized to carry out business within the UAE home.
To set up an coastal company in the UAE, investors must follow a specific procedure. This includes opting the applicable business exertion, submitting shareholder information, passport- sized photos, and any required legal attestation grounded on the chosen governance.
The process of coastal company conformation in the UAE is fairly straightforward, involving minimum attestation and simplified procedures. Since coastal companies don’t bear a physical office or on- ground workers, the crucial documents issued include the Incorporation Certificate and the Memorandum of Association. Still, each coastal governance in the UAE has its own set of procedures that must be followed to insure proper and biddable company setup.
Prime Consult provides end- to- end support for investors throughout the coastal company confirmation process in the UAE. With over 15 times of experience and further than 2,000 successful coastal company enrollments with bank accounts, Prime Consult is honored as a leading specialist in coastal company objectification in the region. Communicate our coastal experts moment to learn further.
Offshore Company Formation Steps
Offshore company formation in the UAE is a strategic and legitimate way to safeguard international business interests from extensive taxation, leveraging the UAE’s investor-friendly environment.
Registering a holding company, opening a branch of a foreign company, or relocating an existing entity to a UAE offshore jurisdiction are all viable options that allow investors to benefit from the country’s favorable tax policies.
There is a list of permitted business activities in UAE that an offshore company can register for conducting international business. In general, the Registration Steps of an Offshore Company are as follows
1. Choose the offshore jurisdiction
In the UAE, there are three coastal business authorities. One of the crucial advantages of choosing Jebel Ali Offshore or RAKICC in Ras Al Khaimah is that companies registered under these authorities are allowed to buy real estate in designated freehold areas in Dubai under the company name.
Each coastal business governance in the UAE operates under its own specific regulations and conditions for company conformation. Prime Consult assists investors in opting the most suitable coastal governance by understanding their specific business requirements and objects.
2. Choose a Company Name
Choose a unique and compliant company name for your offshore business and provide it when completing the application form.
Prime Consult UAE, as a registered agent for offshore business jurisdictions in the UAE, will support you at every step of the offshore company registration process—ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience from start to finish.
3. Select the business activity from the permitted list
Select the applicable business conditioning from the list of permitted options and include them in the operation form. ensure that the chosen conditioning align with your business objects and review any fresh compliance conditions that may apply grounded on the named governance.
4. Finalize and Apply with all supporting documents
Submit all necessary supporting documents as required by the selected Offshore Jurisdiction. These typically include shareholder details, a list of proposed business activities, a copy of the investor(s)’ passport, recent photographs, and any other documentation specified by the jurisdiction’s regulations.
5. Prepare the Memorandum of Association and Article of Association
Once all the required documents and shareholder details are submitted to the authorities, the investor must prepare a Memorandum of Association (MoA).
The MoA follows a specific format, which is provided by the Offshore Business Jurisdiction to the Registered Agent. With the assistance of the Registered Agent, the investor should complete and submit the MoA for approval by the Registrar of the Offshore Business Jurisdiction.
After the MoA is approved, the Company Incorporation Certificate will be issued to the investor by the respective offshore jurisdiction.
6. Make the Fee payment and obtain the Incorporation Certificate
Finally, after the fee payment for the offshore company formation is completed, the company documents will be issued to the investor within approximately 3 to 4 working days.
7. Open an Onshore Bank Account in the UAE
After receiving the offshore company documents, the investor can proceed to open an onshore bank account in the UAE.
Some banks in the UAE allow offshore companies to open bank accounts, provided all requirements are met. The investor must submit the necessary documents, including the shareholder profile, business plan, and any additional supporting documents requested by the bank to process the application.
Common Types of Business Activities for Opening an Offshore Company
The investor of an offshore company must keep in mind that the registered entity is allowed to engage only in international trade operations. It is not permitted to conduct business activities within mainland UAE, hire employees, or lease physical office space in the country.
Below are some of the common types of businesses that can be established in an offshore business jurisdiction in the UAE.
Property holding firms
- IP (Intellectual Property) holding companies
- Shipping firms
- General trading companies
- Online advertising companies
- Distribution and logistics firms
- General (International) trading companies
Professional Services and consulting Firms
Most investors choose offshore business structures to reduce tax burdens while engaging in international trade. Additionally, the UAE offers a stable geopolitical environment and a rapidly growing business infrastructure, making it an attractive destination for offshore company formation. The country’s investor-friendly policies, strong legal framework, and strategic global location further enhance its appeal for international businesses seeking security, efficiency, and long-term growth.
- The strategic location makes it a meeting point for the East and the West. So, managing international trade from Dubai, UAE seems a better business idea than operating from the home country
- Similarly, there are many reasons why the UAE is emerging as a popular Offshore business location. The e-Governance, improved business infrastructure, data privacy, funding requirements, banking networks, etc., are a few to name.
Offshore Company Formation In UAE – Highlights
Offshore Companies or International Business Companies are set up in the Offshore business governance in UAE. These companies don’t conduct any business conditioning in the landmass of UAE.
Offshore Companies are out of the horizon of taxation and investors conclude for them to reduce duty complications and enhance wealth. Setting up an coastal company and opening a bank account is an intelligent system of managing a company’s means and income.
The most important effects to be considered while registering an coastal company in UAE are
- Finding right jurisdiction
- Selecting the Registered Agent
- Opening Bank account
Prime Consult is the Registered Agent for Ajman Offshore and RAKICC Offshore jurisdiction and has a perfect professional track record of setting up Offshore Companies in UAE. The company formation in UAE Offshore can be completed in 2 days and the opening of a bank account takes about 4 days.
Offshore Company & Corporate Tax
Offshore companies in the UAE fall outside the scope of taxation, including Value-Added Tax (VAT) and Corporate Tax (CT). Since these entities do not operate within the UAE mainland and do not engage in local trade, they are not subject to the country’s tax regulations.
This tax-exempt status makes offshore company formation particularly attractive to investors from high tax jurisdictions. As a result, more international entrepreneurs are turning to Registered Agents for expert assistance in setting up offshore companies in UAE’s designated jurisdictions, benefiting from the region’s zero-tax environment and business-friendly regulations.
Features Of offshore company
- Non resident company
- No Office is permitted in the UAE. Office of the Registered Agent (Prime Consult Office address) is the legal address of Offshore company.
- No tax
- No Audit
- No Business within UAE
- No Chamber of Commerce registration, No import export code
- No Visas or Employees
Advantages of offshore company registration in UAE
- 2 days to register company & get offshore company license in UAE
- Easy documentation
- Low setup cost and low maintenance cost
- Easy to transfer shares, Easy to close the company
- Bank account in UAE with leading UAE Banks
- Registered Agent office address will be the legal address of Company
- Total freedom to invoice Clients worldwide
Offshore Bank Account
Opening an offshore bank account is an essential step for investors who own an International Business Company. Offshore bank accounts offer greater flexibility in managing international transactions and provide access to global banking services.
Several banks in the UAE do allow offshore companies to open accounts, although the process involves thorough “Know Your Customer” (KYC) procedures. Banks typically request detailed information about the shareholders, sources of funds, and past business transactions to evaluate the application.
In addition to UAE-based banks, many international financial institutions — such as Adriatic Bank, CB International Bank, Turkish International Bank, and GBH Coriolis — offer offshore banking services tailored to the needs of offshore company owners.
Our team of experts will assist you throughout the entire offshore bank account opening process, ensuring a smooth and efficient experience. We work with reputed banks in the UAE as well as a wide network of trusted international banks, helping you choose the right banking partner that aligns with your business needs and compliance requirements..
