RAK ICC: holding and offshore companies, and what they are for
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RAK ICC is the odd one out on this list. It does not sell desks, warehouses or visas on their own; it registers companies that hold things: shares in other companies, property, intellectual property, or a family's assets. Dubai Transition Consultants is a RAK ICC agent. This page summarises what RAK ICC offers, from its own website as at October 2026. For the operating free zones, see the free zone hub.
In depth: our guide Offshore companies (JAFZA, RAK ICC): what they're for and what they're not sets out the limits of an offshore company.
Who RAK ICC suits
- Founders who want a holding company above one or more operating companies, in the UAE or elsewhere.
- Investors holding property, shares or intellectual property in a separate company.
- Families planning succession, through a RAK ICC foundation.
- Companies abroad that want to move their domicile to the UAE.
RAK ICC suits you less if you want to trade from an office in the UAE, hire staff or get a residence visa from the same company. For that you need an operating company, such as RAKEZ, IFZA or Meydan, either on its own or owned by the RAK ICC company.
RAK ICC at a glance
- What it is: an international corporate registry, headquartered in Ras Al Khaimah with an office in Dubai, created by Decree No. 12 of 2015 as amended by Decree No. 4 of 2016.
- Company types: company limited by shares, company limited by guarantee, restricted purposes company, segregated portfolio company and unlimited company, plus foundations.
- Shareholders: one to 50. A company limited by shares needs at least one shareholder and one director.
- Activities: at least one; there is no upper limit, but RAK ICC charges extra for each activity above three.
- Incorporation: only through a registered agent, within 2 working days of the documents being submitted. Foreign corporate documents do not need legalising.
- Responsible manager: a UAE-resident director, or by default the registered agent.
- Beneficial owners: any change in the ultimate beneficial owner must be reported within 2 weeks.
- Registration term: one to 3 years, with a 30-day grace period after expiry to renew.
- Banking: a separate process with the bank; RAK ICC supplies the incorporation documents.
Three ways to use RAK ICC
A holding company on its own
RAK ICC promotes its companies for holding shares in subsidiaries and for holding real estate, to keep the liabilities of each asset separate and make a sale or transfer simpler: you sell the shares rather than the property. This suits an investor or a founder with several businesses. Read what a UAE holding company is, and who needs one.
The Premium Product: a holding company with a RAKEZ subsidiary
RAK ICC's Premium Product pairs a RAK ICC holding company with an operating company in RAKEZ. The RAK ICC company is formed first, then the RAKEZ subsidiary. RAK ICC says the owners of the holding company can be directors of the subsidiary, the subsidiary can take flexi, standard or executive offices, and residence visas are available through it. The person who wants an investor visa must be added as a shareholder of the subsidiary. Because we are agents for both RAK ICC and RAKEZ, we can set up the two together.
The Global Product: a free zone company through RAK ICC
The Global Product is a free zone company registered through RAK ICC's agents, with commercial, services, e-commerce, media and educational activities. RAK ICC says it can operate within the UAE where its licence permits, its shareholders and staff may be eligible for residence visas, and it can be set up without visiting the UAE. Visas and staff are handled through RAKEZ.
Foundations
A RAK ICC foundation has its own legal personality, separate from its founder, and is run by a council of at least two members under private by-laws. It needs a registered agent and a UAE registered office, and the founder chooses the courts of ADGM or DIFC as the governing jurisdiction. RAK ICC lists succession planning, asset protection and holding operating companies among its uses.
Substance and tax
A holding company still has UAE obligations. It may need to register for UAE corporate tax, keep its beneficial owner register up to date and meet economic substance expectations (see economic substance in the UAE). And a UAE holding company does not change the tax rules of the country where you live. Many countries tax a company where it is managed and controlled, and some look through holding structures to the people behind them. Take advice in your home country before you move assets into one.
How we set up a RAK ICC company
We start with what the structure needs to hold and who needs a visa, because that decides between a RAK ICC company on its own, the Premium Product with a RAKEZ subsidiary, or a plain operating company. You get one all-in price. As a RAK ICC agent we prepare the application and the beneficial owner details, file it with the registry, and if there is a RAKEZ subsidiary we file that too. Your home country's tax rules still apply to you, so we suggest you check them before you sign. See our company formation service.
Questions people ask
What is RAK ICC?
RAK ICC, the RAK International Corporate Centre, is a corporate registry in Ras Al Khaimah for holding companies, foundations and cross-border structures. It was created by Decree No. 12 of 2015, as amended by Decree No. 4 of 2016, by bringing together RAK International Companies and RAK Offshore. Its companies are governed by the RAK ICC Business Companies Regulations 2018.
Is a RAK ICC company an offshore company?
It is what most people mean by a UAE offshore company: a company registered in the UAE to hold assets and run international business, rather than to trade from an office in the UAE. RAK ICC describes itself as an international corporate registry. When a structure needs staff, an office or residence visas, RAK ICC points to its Premium Product, which adds a RAKEZ subsidiary, or its Global Product, a free zone company.
Can I get a UAE residence visa through RAK ICC?
Through the Premium Product, yes: RAK ICC says the visa comes through the RAKEZ subsidiary, and the person applying must be added as a shareholder of that subsidiary. The Global Product also makes shareholders and employees eligible for residence visas, depending on the package and office space.
How long does RAK ICC incorporation take?
RAK ICC says a company is incorporated within 2 working days of the documents being submitted, and only through a registered agent. Documents from foreign jurisdictions do not need to be legalised, RAK ICC says.
Can a RAK ICC company own property in the UAE?
RAK ICC promotes its companies for holding real estate. For the Global Product it says entities may own real estate in designated areas, subject to UAE law and free zone policies. Check the rules of the emirate and the development before you buy through a company.
Can a RAK ICC company open a UAE bank account?
RAK ICC says bank account opening is a separate process you take up directly with a bank, and it provides the incorporation documents for the application. Approval is at the bank's discretion.
Is DTC a RAK ICC agent?
Yes. Dubai Transition Consultants is an agent for RAK ICC, as well as for RAKEZ, IFZA and Meydan. That lets us set up a RAK ICC holding company and a RAKEZ operating company together when a client needs both.
Sources
Free zone rules change often. We read each of these official pages in October 2026; check the current version before you rely on a detail.