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RAK ICC (RAK International Corporate Centre) is not a free zone. It is an offshore company registry run by the Government of Ras Al Khaimah, and it registers international business companies through licensed registered agents. A RAK ICC company gets no office lease and no UAE residence visas. People use it to hold shares, property, intellectual property or investments, and to trade outside the UAE.
What RAK ICC is
RAK ICC calls itself an international corporate registry. It brought together two older registries, RAK International Companies (from the old RAK Free Trade Zone) and RAK Offshore (from the RAK Investment Authority). It was formed under Decree No. 12 of , amended by Decree No. 4 of . Companies follow the RAK ICC Business Companies Regulations and the Registered Agent Regulations of .
So a Ras Al Khaimah offshore company is a legal owner, not a place of business. It has no trade licence for working in the UAE, no desk and no establishment card. That is the main difference from RAKEZ, where the same emirate issues free zone licences with visas.
How much does a RAK ICC offshore company cost?
RAK ICC does not let us read its fee schedule: the live site blocks automated access, and the archived RAK ICC pages we cite list no fees. Setup agencies do publish the registry fees, and three of them agree.
| Fee | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Registry fee to incorporate an IBC | AED 3,250 | Government fee for the first year; agent fee extra |
| Registry renewal | AED 3,950 a year | Government fee each year after; agent fee extra |
| Agency package, first year | AED 6,500 to AED 12,500 | Registry fee plus the agent's work and documents |
Source: registry fees as published by 3 setup agencies (VJM Global, Binderr and BCL), two of which cite the RAK ICC fee schedule in force since ; packages published by 2 setup agencies; checked . These are agency figures, not RAK ICC's own page.
The renewal fee is higher than the incorporation fee, so do not budget year two at the year one price. Two of the agencies use similar wording and may draw on the same copy of the schedule, but the third gives the same numbers.
For the package range, the lower package covers the incorporation fee, a registered agent for one year and the constitutional documents, with the agency's professional fee charged on top. The higher one adds the certificate, memorandum, share certificates, a company stamp and the registered office for a year. A third agency puts full packages higher than this range, so quotes can vary more than the table suggests. None includes a visa, because a RAK ICC company cannot hold one.
Legal forms you can register
RAK ICC lists these forms on its site:
- Company limited by shares
- Company limited by guarantee
- Restricted purposes company
- Segregated portfolio company
- Intellectual property holding company
- Holding company
- Foundation
It also accepts continuation, which moves an existing foreign company into RAK ICC without closing it. A registered agent's key facts sheet says the minimum is one authorised and one issued share, in AED, USD, EUR or GBP.
The registered agent model
You cannot apply to RAK ICC yourself. Every company appoints a UAE registered agent licensed by RAK ICC. The agent:
- prepares and files the incorporation papers
- keeps the company's registered office in Ras Al Khaimah
- holds the beneficial owner records the registry asks for
- handles annual renewal
This is why there is no "direct" price. The agent's fee and the registry fee always come together. Choose the agent with care; they are your contact with the registry for as long as the company exists.
How do visas work in RAK ICC?
A RAK ICC company alone gives no residence visa and no office. If you need people on the ground, RAK ICC has offered a Premium Product: a RAK ICC holding company that owns a RAKEZ subsidiary. The RAKEZ company holds the trade licence, rents the office and sponsors the visas. The RAK ICC company sits above it as owner.
Some sources say a recent decree lets RAK ICC issue a free zone commercial licence to its companies, with a RAKEZ address. We have not confirmed this on an official page. Ask your agent whether it applies to your plan.
RAK ICC company formation step by step
- Choose a licensed RAK ICC registered agent.
- Pick the legal form and a company name.
- Send the agent your identity and address documents.
- The agent drafts the memorandum and articles, which the shareholders sign.
- The agent files the application with RAK ICC and pays the registry fee.
- RAK ICC issues the certificate of incorporation.
The RAK ICC homepage promises a one-day incorporation process. One registered agent's fact sheet says five days. You do not need to visit the UAE; the agent does the filing.
What documents does RAK ICC ask for?
The RAK ICC incorporation checklist asks for:
- Memorandum and articles signed by the shareholders
- A letter appointing the registered agent
- Certified passport copy for each shareholder and director
- Proof of residential address
- For corporate shareholders, their own company papers
- Documents dated within the last three months
How do RAK ICC companies open a bank account?
RAK ICC says its companies can open bank accounts in the UAE and abroad. In practice the bank asks who owns the company, where the money comes from and what the company does. A holding company with a clear structure has an easier time than one with no visible business. Our corporate bank account guide explains what banks look for.
Pros and cons of RAK ICC
Pros:
- Fast: one day by the official homepage
- Minimum of one share, several currencies
- Many legal forms, including foundations and segregated portfolio companies
- No UAE visit needed
- Can sit on top of a RAKEZ company for visas and an office
Cons:
- Not a free zone: no visa, no office, no UAE trade licence on its own
- You must use a registered agent and pay their fee every year
- The official fee schedule could not be read online; fees come from agents
- Banks ask for more explanation than with an operating company
For other ways to hold assets or trade from the UAE, see offshore company setup in the UAE, holding companies in the UAE and ADGM. Other options in the emirate are on the Ras Al Khaimah free zones page.
Find a registered agent
Describe what the company will own or do in the form here and we put you in touch with a licensed RAK ICC registered agent. We are an independent directory: RAK ICC does not run this site and we do not register companies ourselves.
Setup consultants that work with RAK ICC
Setup consultants that list RAK ICC among their zones include PAPERLESS Business Solutions, Creative Zone and Flyingcolour Business Setup Services LLC, the three highest ranked by weighted Google score. PAPERLESS Business Solutions is based in Deira. Ask each for a quote with government fees and service fees on separate lines, then compare it with the price above. More firms are in the directory of Dubai setup consultants.
Sources
- https://web.archive.org/web/20260324082712/https://www.rakicc.com/about-us/: what RAK ICC is, its history and decrees, regulations
- https://web.archive.org/web/20260702044008/https://www.rakicc.com/: legal forms, one-day incorporation, bank accounts
- https://web.archive.org/web/20240914095313/https://www.rakicc.com/services/premium-product/: Premium Product with a RAKEZ subsidiary
- RAK ICC company incorporation checklist (PDF on rakicc.com): incorporation documents
- https://tridenttrust.com/media/pqrho05x/tdub-rakicc-kf.pdf: registered agent key facts, share capital, five-day timing
- https://www.avyanco.com/packages/: agency package price
- https://www.rizmona.com/rak-offshore/: agency package price
- https://www.vjmglobal.com/feeds/blog/rakicc-offshore-company-registration-fee-us-businesses: registry incorporation and renewal fees
- https://binderr.com/marketplace/ae/rak-icc-offshore-company-formation: registry incorporation and renewal fees
- https://bcl.ae/?p=539704: registry fees and package level
