RAK ICC International Company formation
A RAK ICC International Business Company filed under the RAK ICC Business Companies Regulations 2018: a common-law UAE offshore holding vehicle with 100% foreign ownership, no public UBO register, and opt-in access to the DIFC and ADGM Courts. Distinct from a RAKEZ, IFZA, or Meydan free-zone operating license. Filed through a licensed RAK ICC registered agent in about 2 to 5 business days. The UAE is clean on the EU and FATF lists as of 2026. $3,299 all-in, paid in Bitcoin.
- Tier
- REPUTABLE
- Formation
- 14 business days
- KYC
- Tier 1
- Renewal
- $2599/yr
What's included
- RAK ICC government and registry incorporation fees: we file and pay them on your behalf
- Memorandum of Association (RAK ICC International Business Company under the RAK ICC Business Companies Regulations 2018)
- Articles of Association
- First Director and Subscriber Resolutions
- Register of Directors and Register of Members, with the Beneficial Owner Declaration filed to the RAK ICC Registrar within 60 days and held by the licensed registered agent
- First-year licensed RAK ICC registered-agent and registered-office service (mandatory under the 2018 Regulations; you cannot file direct)
- OFAC, EU, and UN sanctions screen on the order
- Tier 1 KYC: government photo ID, proof of address, source-of-funds attestation
What's NOT included
- Document legalization or apostille of your own documents (sold separately at $179): the UAE is not a Hague Apostille country, so UAE-side documents are attested through MOFA and the UAE mission rather than apostilled, while your home-country documents from a Hague member can be apostilled for the home-country step before UAE attestation
- Year-2+ registered-agent, registered-office, and government renewal ($2,599/yr to keep the company in good standing)
- Bank account opening (separate post-formation flow; major US rails do not onboard RAK ICC ICs, and a pure offshore IC banks less easily inside the UAE than a free-zone license, so plan 30 to 60 days on a multi-currency or Bitcoin-native rail)
- UAE corporate-tax registration and filing: the 9% federal corporate tax can apply above AED 375,000 depending on activity and substance, and we do not file it; engage UAE tax counsel
- A UAE free-zone operating license or residence visa: a RAK ICC IC is a holding vehicle and cannot trade on the mainland or sponsor visas (see the RAKEZ, IFZA, and Meydan licenses)
- Mail forwarding (we don't sell this)
We list what's not included on every product page so there are no checkout surprises.
Operator-grade use case
The clean Middle East offshore holding company. Reach for the RAK ICC International Company when you want a credible UAE flag for holding assets, IP, or a Bitcoin treasury rather than a Caribbean IBC that a compliance desk second-guesses. RAK ICC is REPUTABLE: the UAE is off the FATF grey list (February 2024) and off the EU AML high-risk list (2025), and sits on neither EU Annex I nor Annex II as of 2026. It files under the common-law RAK ICC Business Companies Regulations 2018 in about 2 to 5 business days, with opt-in DIFC and ADGM Court access and no public UBO register.
Most appropriate for non-US operators who want UAE standing at the holding layer without the cost and substance of a free-zone trade license: a Bitcoin operator holding a treasury, an IP-licensing structure, or a shareholding vehicle. It pairs with a multi-currency Asia-corridor rail or a Bitcoin-native rail, and the formation settles in BTC or USDT via BitSettle. Privacy here is real against public search, since the beneficial-owner register is non-public, though the licensed agent still identifies you.
Less ideal for operators who want a guaranteed zero-tax shell or who need to operate inside the UAE. The IC is a UAE-resident company and the 9% federal corporate tax can apply above AED 375,000 depending on activity and substance, so it is low-tax-if-structured, not no-tax. It also cannot trade on the mainland or sponsor staff and visas: for an active UAE business pick a free-zone license (RAKEZ, IFZA, or Meydan), and if your only goal is a cheap private holding wrapper with no tax touchpoint, a Seychelles IBC or a Wyoming LLC is the cheaper tool.
What you'll need to hand us
- Email address
- Country of residence
- Intended use statement (free-text)
- Government-issued photo ID (passport or national ID)
- Proof of address (utility bill, bank statement, or government letter, dated within 90 days)
- Source-of-funds attestation (drop-down + free text)
- Optional: PEP and adverse-media screening consent
- Everything in Tier 1
- Beneficial owner declaration for every party with 25%+ ownership
- Source-of-wealth documentation (tax return, employment letter, salary, asset proof)
- Manual enhanced-due-diligence reviewer notes from our KYC partner
Common questions
- What is a RAK ICC International Company good for?
- A UAE offshore holding vehicle under the RAK ICC Business Companies Regulations 2018, for holding assets, IP, or a Bitcoin treasury in a credible Middle East flag. It runs on a common-law framework with DIFC and ADGM Court access and has no public UBO register. It is not a free-zone trade license and cannot operate on the UAE mainland.
- Is the UAE on the EU or FATF lists?
- No, as of 2026. The UAE left the FATF grey list in February 2024 and the EU AML high-risk list in 2025, and is on neither EU Annex I nor Annex II. That clean status is the main reason to pick RAK ICC over a Caribbean IBC.
- Does a RAK ICC company really pay no tax?
- Not automatically. The IC is a UAE-resident company and the 9% federal corporate tax in force since June 2023 can apply above AED 375,000 depending on activity and substance, though an IC operating wholly outside the UAE with no UAE permanent establishment is generally outside the tax scope but still has to register. Treat it as low-tax-if-structured and take cross-border advice. We form the entity; we do not file tax. General information, not tax advice.
- How do I pay, and what does it cost?
- $3,299 all-in for Year 1, including the RAK ICC government and registry fees and first-year licensed registered-agent service, settled in BTC, Lightning, or USDT via BitSettle. Renewal is $2,599/yr.
Operators usually pair this with
UAE Free Zone: RAKEZ
Budget UAE free zone, e-commerce and service.
Apostille + Good Standing
Apostille + Good Standing for international banking.
Seychelles IBC
Classic offshore IBC.
Banking Concierge
Account-opening introductions + application prep. No guarantees, better odds.