Open a company in Ras Al Khaimah: 100% online, end to end

Among the established free zones it is one of the lowest all-in entry points: AED 6,000 at RAKEZ versus from AED 12,520 in Dubai free zones. The difference is not just the headline — RAKEZ bundles the visa and registration fees that Dubai zones bill separately, so the gap usually holds once everything is added up.

Yes. The residence visa a RAKEZ company sponsors is a federal UAE visa, not an emirate-specific one: you can live in Dubai, rent, get a driving licence and open personal and business bank accounts anywhere in the country. Many founders run exactly this setup — RAK licence, Dubai life.

The licence is typically issued within days of a complete application. The residence visa process (entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID and visa stamping) adds 1 to 3 weeks — it is the same federal process as everywhere in the UAE. The bank account runs in parallel and can take from days to several weeks depending on your profile.

RAKEZ is the operating free zone: trade licence, facilities and residence visas for companies that actually do business. RAK ICC is an offshore registry: entities for holding assets, shares or property and invoicing internationally, with no office, no visas and no trading inside the UAE. They solve different problems and are often combined — an ICC holding above a RAKEZ operating company.

At RAKEZ the year-1 government cost is one all-inclusive package priced by visa quota: AED 6,000 with no visas, AED 14,000 with 1 visa, AED 18,000 with 2 and AED 22,000 with 3 — licence, registration and visa government fees included. The package renews annually at the same published rate. Professional fees are charged on top — a serious provider always shows both numbers separately.

Yes. RAKEZ free zone companies and RAK ICC offshore entities have always allowed 100% foreign ownership — no local sponsor or Emirati partner is required. Full foreign ownership is also available for many mainland activities, but the legal form and approvals must be checked with RAK DED for the specific case.

Exactly the same as anywhere in the UAE, because tax is federal: 9% corporate tax only on profit above AED 375,000 (qualifying free zone income can stay at 0% under the QFZP regime), 5% VAT with mandatory registration above AED 375,000 turnover, and 0% personal income tax on salary and dividends. Choosing RAK changes the entry price, not the tax bill.

The banks are national, so a RAK company applies at the same banks as a Dubai one. Approval depends on your activity, flows and residency; some relationship managers ask more questions about very low-cost packages, which is why the file preparation matters. Nobody can guarantee an approval — the decision always rests with the bank.

No. The RAKEZ package covers the legal address requirement, and physical offices or warehouses are optional upgrades if your operation needs them. You do not need to live or work in Ras Al Khaimah to keep the company.

The same package price, every year: AED 6,000 without visas, AED 14,000 with 1 visa, AED 18,000 with 2 and AED 22,000 with 3 — visa government fees included. Each visa holder re-runs the federal medical test and Emirates ID steps on the two-year visa renewal cycle.

Yes. The licence and corporate documents are processed fully remotely. You only need to enter the UAE when you activate your residence visa, for the medical test and biometrics, and some banks require one in-person meeting.

Yes. The usual route is a new licence in the target zone with assets and contracts migrated, or running both companies in parallel during the transition. Many founders start at RAKEZ for cost and move when the brand or the bank justifies the Dubai premium — we plan the transition before you commit.