RAKEZ Company Setup 2026: Free Zone and Non-Free Zone Licences, Costs, Visas and Industrial Land

RAKEZ company setup is the process of forming a free zone company, a non-free zone company or a branch with Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, the business licensing authority of the Government of Ras Al Khaimah established under Ras Al Khaimah Law No. 2 of 2017. A RAKEZ company can be wholly foreign-owned in the free zone, leases a facility in one of RAKEZ’s business, academic or industrial zones, sponsors residence visas through RAKEZ and the ICP, and is known above all for low-cost starter licences and large-scale industrial land in the UAE’s northernmost emirate.

Most people meet Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone through a cheap starter package. The other side of the RAKEZ free zone is industrial: manufacturers leasing land in Al Ghail or Al Hamra, building a factory and housing their workforce on site. Both use the same authority and portal, but face very different decisions, and this guide separates them where it matters.

Below: legal forms and licences, free zone versus non-free zone, each RAKEZ company setup step with its official time, documents, the RAKEZ license cost as published, facilities and RAKEZ visa rules, tax, mainland trading and compliance. Still weighing free zone against mainland? Read our free zone vs mainland guide. If RAKEZ is your route, our free zone company setup support covers it from enquiry to bank account.

u.ae lists two free zone authorities in Ras Al Khaimah: Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone and Innovation City. See our Ras Al Khaimah free zones guide and the free zones in the UAE pillar guide. Every fact below comes from the official sources at the end, read on 26 September 2026; where RAKEZ’s own pages conflict, we say so.

RAKEZ company setup at a glance

Three questions decide most RAKEZ company setup files: do you need to sell directly on the UAE mainland, do you need land or a warehouse, and how many RAKEZ visa slots do you need in year one? The answers fix the entity, the zone and the facility, which drive almost all of the cost. If you are comparing RAKEZ with Dubai options for business setup in Dubai, we set the routes side by side in writing.

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone explained: one authority, two jurisdictions

RAKEZ describes itself as “a business licencing authority” serving “free zone and non-free zone businesses”. That short phrase is the most important fact in this guide, because most free zones issue only free zone licences. RAKEZ’s Operating Rules set out both: a free zone entity is a limited liability entity incorporated in the free zone area, while a non-free zone entity is a limited or unlimited liability entity incorporated in the non-free zone area, which “shall liaise with RAK DED” and holds a RAK DED licence alongside its RAKEZ licence (Operating Rules 2023, Rule 3).

So one portal (Portal 360) can set you up either as a RAKEZ free zone company that trades through distributors, or as a Ras Al Khaimah mainland company selling directly. Choosing wrongly is the costliest RAKEZ company setup mistake we see: switching later means a new entity, a new licence and moving every RAKEZ visa.

Where RAKEZ came from

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone was formed in 2017 when the emirate brought RAK Free Trade Zone (RAK FTZ) and RAK Investment Authority (RAKIA) under one body; the former RAK Media Free Zone was absorbed too. The Companies Regulations and Operating Rules both cite Law No. 2 of 2017, issued by His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi. That history is why older RAKEZ free zone companies still carry “FZE” or “FZC” suffixes.

RAK International Corporate Centre (RAK ICC), which RAKEZ’s own entity page mentions, is an offshore company registry, not a free zone.

RAKEZ free zone vs non-free zone entity: the differences

What the RAKEZ free zone is known for

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone announced 50,000 active companies from more than 100 countries on 20 August 2026. The mix matters more than the count: engineering, building materials, food and beverage, electronics, metals, apparel and light manufacturing, alongside general trading, e-commerce, media, distribution and consultancy.

Industrial land and manufacturing

This is where the RAKEZ free zone differs from most Dubai zones: land from 2,500 square metres, warehouses from 150 square metres (up to 10,000 in Al Hamra) and labour accommodation inside the industrial zones. In September 2026 ZAKH opened a solar panel factory on a 30,000 square metre plot in Al Ghail, and JK DryChem Industries a 5,000 square metre construction chemicals plant there. RAKEZ also steers manufacturers to federal programmes such as Make it in the Emirates and In-Country Value.

Low-cost starter licences

At the other end sit an instant online licence, a 24-hour Biz Starter package, e-commerce and businesswomen packages and a freelancer permit, most from around AED 6,000, on coworking desks for founders who need a licence and often one RAKEZ visa rather than space.

Education

The RAKEZ Academic Zone has its own regulatory framework, pre-built buildings for start-up universities, land for schools and student visas for higher education providers. The University of Greater Manchester opened an academic centre there in July 2026.

How RAKEZ differs from rival zones

• Against JAFZA: cheaper land and housing, near Saqr Port for bulk cargo rather than Jebel Ali’s container port.
• Against Sharjah’s SAIF Zone and Hamriyah: similar industrial space, plus a non-free zone option under the same roof.
• Against IFZA and licence-only zones: similar starter prices, but room to grow into warehouses and land without changing jurisdiction.
• Against RAK Innovation City: general and industrial rather than technology and regulated digital assets.

RAKEZ company setup: legal forms, shareholders and capital

RAKEZ’s Companies Regulations 2023 (Article 9) recognise the FZ-LLC, public and private company forms and branches, but the forms RAKEZ actually markets to new clients are shorter. The table covers both jurisdictions.

Minimum share capital by activity

The general FZ-LLC minimum is AED 10,000, but the RAKEZ FAQ lists higher minimums for regulated or capital-heavy activities. These are the published figures:

The Regulations require the share capital to be deposited in an account in the company’s name (Article 32(3)), and RAKEZ issues a bank letter with the licence for that purpose. Ask RAKEZ at the quotation stage whether your capital must be paid in before licensing or can follow, because the answer differs by activity.

Officers: manager, directors and secretary

• Manager: one, a UAE-resident natural person per the FAQ (Article 56 of the Regulations also allows a corporate manager).
• Directors: one or more, aged at least 21 (Article 49).
• Secretary: optional (Article 57), and per the Regulations not also a director, although the FAQ says one person may hold every role. Ask which rule the Registrar applies.
• Registered office: required in the zone at all times (Article 22), hence the mandatory lease.

A branch has no memorandum of association of its own, must carry the parent’s name and may only carry on activities the parent already holds.

RAKEZ free zone licence types and permitted activities

The Operating Rules 2023 (Rule 9.3) list nine RAKEZ free zone licence categories and three non-free zone categories. Your licence decides your activities, your facility and often your RAKEZ visa options.

How many activities fit on one licence

The RAKEZ FAQ sets stricter limits for standard licences than the packages suggest:

• Commercial: five activities from the same group, or two from different groups.
• Service: two activities from any group.
• Industrial: two activities from the same group.
• Commercial and service activities cannot share a licence. Adding a service activity to a commercial licence counts as a second licence with its own fee.

Packages are more generous: up to ten “mix and match” activities on the all-inclusive and Biz Starter packages, five on the businesswomen package. Keep those terms in writing, because they can change if you leave the package.

How to search the RAKEZ activity list

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone publishes its activity list as English and Arabic PDFs on the licence types page, plus a freelancer professions list and a searchable online page. For each activity check the licence category, any required facility (some need a physical office, per the FAQ) and any outside approval.

Activities that need another authority’s approval

Some activities need a regulator’s no objection certificate before RAKEZ adds them; RAKEZ’s own example is a clinic, which needs the Ministry of Health and Prevention. Other common cases:

• Designated non-financial businesses (legal consultancy, real estate, auditors, precious metals and stones, investment consultancy, company service providers): a DNFBP form signed by all shareholders and anti-money laundering supervision under Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025.
• Education: the RAKEZ Academic Zone framework, plus federal accreditation for degree programmes.
• Media: a media business brief form (RAKEZ publishes a bilingual version) and, for advertisers and content activities, the National Media Authority, which replaced the UAE Media Council in December 2025.
• Industrial: an HS&E no objection certificate, development permits for construction and, before operating, an Operation Fitness Certificate (OFC) from RAKEZ.

Regulated finance and crypto are not a RAKEZ strength; in Ras Al Khaimah that activity sits with Innovation City and the Capital Market Authority.

Licence validity and multi-year licences

Licences run for at least 12 months (Rule 9.7). Commercial, service, general trading, individual/professional and e-commerce licences can be issued or renewed for three years at a discount (FAQ); visas still follow their own two-year cycle.

RAKEZ company setup process, step by step

RAKEZ describes three steps: customise your package, submit your application, receive your licence. The full RAKEZ company setup sequence has more stages once visas, bank and tax are included. Official times are shown where published.

1. Choose the jurisdiction, entity, licence and facility. Free zone or non-free zone first, then the legal form, licence category, activities and facility. RAKEZ’s business development team quotes a package. Time: your preparation.
2. Pre-approval for key people. The RAKEZ FAQ says investors, partners and managers of all nationalities need pre-approval before the company is formed or a visa is issued, applied for through RAKEZ’s e-services. Time: not published.
3. Application and documents. Submit the application form and documents through Portal 360 or a RAKEZ office. For regulated activities, attach the outside authority’s approval. Time: not published.
4. Invoice and payment. RAKEZ emails an invoice; payment is by card online, cash, cheque or bank transfer. Time: at your pace.
5. Licence, registration set and bank letter. RAKEZ issues the licence with the certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, share certificates and a bank letter. Time: instant licence “in 5 minutes”; Biz Starter “in 24 hours”; otherwise “in only a matter of days” per RAKEZ, and generally “within 14 working days” per u.ae.
6. Immigration file and E-Channel registration. Companies with an immigration file must be registered on the federal E-Channel system through RAKEZ. Time: not published.
7. Visas. Entry permit (or in-country status change), medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics and residence visa, all filed by RAKEZ as sponsor through ICP. Time: RAKEZ’s VIP visa package is completed “in less than four days”; standard times not published.
8. Corporate bank account. The bank’s own onboarding. Time: set by the bank.
9. Tax registration. Corporate tax registration with the FTA within three months of incorporation for a company formed after 1 March 2024 (FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024); VAT registration if taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000.
10. Start operating within the lease deadline. Operating Rules 2023 (Rule 10.3) expect operations to start within 60 days in an office, 90 days in a warehouse and, on vacant land under a musataha (development lease), within 18 months.

Land projects add a parallel track: development permit, HS&E no objection certificate, construction and the Operation Fitness Certificate before occupation. Operating without an OFC costs AED 5,000 per day (Rule 25.5).

The instant licence route

The instant licence is fully online: a passport (plus visa or Emirates ID for residents), a Basic (AED 6,000) or Lite (AED 12,000) package, and the licence issues at the end. It is the fastest we know of, but it does not include a RAKEZ visa, a bank account or space.

RAKEZ company setup documents required

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone keeps its checklists inside Portal 360, so these lists combine the FAQ, the Companies Regulations and registrar practice. Get the current checklist before you notarise anything.

Individual shareholders, directors and manager

• Passport copy (valid for at least six months is the safe rule) and a recent photograph.
• UAE visa and Emirates ID copies if already resident, and a no objection certificate from the current sponsor if the person will not take a RAKEZ visa and the activity requires one (for example, the freelancer permit without visa).
• Pre-approval for investor, partner and manager roles.
• For the manager, a no objection certificate from the current sponsor if the manager is employed elsewhere (RAKEZ FAQ).

Corporate shareholders and branches

• Certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles of association of the parent.
• Board resolution approving the RAKEZ company or branch, naming the manager and the authorised signatory. RAKEZ’s FAQ says the person signing must have that power in the parent’s documents or under a power of attorney attested by the UAE embassy or consulate.
• Evidence of good standing. RAKEZ accepts any of: a certificate of good standing from the bank, an online registry extract showing the web address, a notarised recent certificate of incumbency, or a notarised and legalised letter from a law firm or chartered auditing firm.
• Register of shareholders and directors, and beneficial owner information for the group.

Foreign documents generally need notarisation, legalisation (or apostille where accepted), UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation and, if requested, Arabic translation; our document attestation service handles that chain.

Activity-specific and compliance documents

• Business plan: not required for every activity. When it is, RAKEZ has no set format but expects a description of activities, market, supply chain, management and staffing, and a brief financial forecast.
• DNFBP form signed by all shareholders for designated non-financial businesses.
• Outside approvals (for example Ministry of Health and Prevention for clinics).
• Beneficial owner declaration under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023 and RAKEZ’s own beneficial ownership regulations.
• For the freelancer permit: passport copy, portfolio or qualification certificate, and a sponsor’s no objection certificate if you keep another visa.

RAKEZ license cost: what RAKEZ actually publishes

Unlike many zones, the RAKEZ free zone prints package prices, not an itemised fee schedule, each with “T&C apply”. The table shows every RAKEZ license cost figure we found on rakez.com on 26 September 2026.

What the package prices usually leave out

Ask for each of these on your quotation:

• ICP, medical, Emirates ID, health insurance and Workers Protection Insurance costs per visa (bundled for one visa only in the all-inclusive package).
• E-Channel registration, deposits and any higher share capital.
• Attestation, translation and outside approvals.
• Rent for offices, warehouses and land, payable for the full lease term upfront, plus fit-out and permits.
• Year-two renewal; only the all-inclusive package guarantees the same renewal price.

Industrial and general trading licences, standard offices and land rent are quoted per project; we have not invented figures for them.

RAKEZ free zone facilities: offices, warehouses, industrial land and the RAKEZ visa each carries

Every RAKEZ company must lease a facility, and the facility sets your RAKEZ visa ceiling. RAKEZ publishes RAKEZ visa numbers only for the smallest spaces; for larger ones the company is “eligible to apply” and the number is agreed against space and business plan.

Two rules are easy to miss: downgrading to a flexi desk forces you to cancel every RAKEZ visa above one, and a company licensed in Dubai or another free zone cannot rent RAKEZ space without a RAKEZ licence, usually as a branch.

The six RAKEZ zones and what each is for

RAKEZ’s own pages are inconsistent on the count: the zones page says “six dedicated zones”, while the about page shows “5 Zones”. The six above are the ones RAKEZ lists by name. The designated zone column follows the Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017 list as published in secondary copies, because the FTA page could not be read on 26 September 2026; see the tax section.

Industrial land: what a land project involves

RAKEZ land is a development project: a land lease or musataha, design, development permit, HS&E approvals for contractor and consultant, construction under RAKEZ’s construction regulations, then the Operation Fitness Certificate, with operations expected within 18 months. RAKEZ promotes 24/7 government-supplied power, gas and water in its industrial zones.

RAKEZ visa and residency: how the RAKEZ visa process works

Here the RAKEZ free zone differs most from Dubai zones. RAKEZ is the legal sponsor of every RAKEZ visa, and applications run through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), which issues Ras Al Khaimah residence; the file number begins with 6. Our ICP vs GDRFA guide explains why that matters.

The immigration file and E-Channel

Before any RAKEZ visa, the company needs an immigration file on the federal E-Channel system, registered by RAKEZ for AED 2,200 plus a refundable AED 5,050 deposit and renewed at AED 1,200 a year (FAQ). Credentials go to RAKEZ as sponsor, so you file through RAKEZ’s portal.

RAKEZ visa steps and times

1. Entry permit (e-visa), applied for through the RAKEZ portal. If the applicant already holds a UAE residence visa, it must be cancelled before the new entry permit is issued. An unused entry permit can be extended once for 60 days if at least four days remain.
2. Entry or status change inside the UAE.
3. Medical fitness test for applicants aged 18 and over, at the RAKEZ Medical Fitness Centre or, on the VIP package, in Dubai.
4. Emirates ID biometrics for first-time residents aged 15 and over. On the standard package this is done in Ras Al Khaimah; biometrics in Dubai (Smart Salem or Al Baraha) are only on the VIP package.
5. Health insurance from an ICP-approved insurer and Workers Protection Insurance, which RAKEZ adds automatically to new and renewal visa requests.
6. Residence visa and Emirates ID, with optional Emirates ID delivery in 2 to 4 working days after the residence stage.

RAKEZ publishes one time only: its VIP new visa package is completed “in less than four days”. It does not publish a standard turnaround.

Investor, partner, manager and employee visas

• A single-shareholder company gets an investor visa; with more than one shareholder, each shareholder takes a partner visa (RAKEZ FAQ).
• Shareholders are not obliged to take a RAKEZ visa and can stay on another sponsor’s visa.
• Shareholder visas are generally issued for two years with no upper age limit. Employee visas are for two years, except employees aged 59 and over, whose visas and Emirates IDs run for one year.
• A manager applying for a manager visa does not need a degree certificate; other job titles may need an attested degree.

Family, re-entry and Golden Visa

Residents sponsor spouses and children through the RAKEZ portal. After more than six months abroad, with over 30 days left on the visa, an ICP entry approval is needed before travel. Shareholders who meet the federal thresholds can also apply for the UAE Golden Visa in the investor or entrepreneur categories; RAKEZ has a Golden Visa service page, and our Golden investor visa service covers the criteria. For the medical and ID steps, see our medical fitness test and Emirates ID typing services.

Living in Dubai on a RAKEZ visa is legal, though a Ras Al Khaimah file occasionally adds a step with Dubai services.

Opening a bank account for a RAKEZ free zone company

Banks treat a RAKEZ free zone company like any other: expect to provide incorporation documents, share register, shareholder passports and CVs, six months of personal bank statements, the main signatory’s Emirates ID and visa, a company profile and the lease. A flexi-desk company with no resident signatory and no trading history is the hardest profile to bank.

RAKEZ offers bank account opening assistance for AED 2,749 through an independent service provider, with a money-back promise if the account is not opened. Our guide to the corporate bank account in the UAE explains what banks look for, and our company formation support includes preparing the bank pack.

RAKEZ free zone tax: corporate tax, VAT and customs

Corporate tax

Every RAKEZ company is within UAE corporate tax: 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income, 9% above. A RAKEZ free zone entity can pay 0% on qualifying income as a Qualifying Free Zone Person (Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2023) if it:

• keeps adequate substance in the free zone;
• earns qualifying income from activities in Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 (which replaced Ministerial Decision No. 265 of 2023, effective from 1 June 2023);
• keeps non-qualifying revenue within the de minimis limit (the lower of AED 5 million or 5% of revenue);
• has audited accounts, meets transfer pricing rules and has not elected the standard rates.

A non-free zone entity is a mainland company and cannot be a Qualifying Free Zone Person. Small Business Relief is available to eligible businesses for periods ending on or before 31 December 2029, but not to Qualifying Free Zone Persons. Registration is due within three months of incorporation for new companies (FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024), and missing it carries an AED 10,000 penalty. Our corporate tax registration guide walks through the portal.

VAT and designated zones

VAT registration is mandatory above AED 375,000 of taxable supplies. In a designated zone, certain supplies of goods within or between designated zones can fall outside UAE VAT; services and goods sold into the mainland are taxed normally.

The Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017 list, in secondary copies read on 26 September 2026, names six Ras Al Khaimah designated zones: RAK Port Free Zone, RAK Maritime City Free Zone, RAK Airport Free Zone and the free zone parts of Al Hamra, Al Ghail and Al Hulaila industrial zones. RAKEZ’s flyer says “three districts” are designated, matching the industrial zones. The FTA page could not be read automatically, so check the current FTA list before relying on it.

Customs

A free zone entity that imports or exports goods needs a customs code from the Ras Al Khaimah customs department and a customs representative card for the person who deals with customs (Operating Rules, Rule 16). Goods leaving the free zone for the UAE mainland are imported at that point and attract customs duty. RAKEZ markets its non-free zone entity as having “no customs duty on sales in local and GCC markets” for goods it makes; that treatment depends on GCC rules of origin for national products, so confirm eligibility with customs before you price.

Trading with the mainland from the RAKEZ free zone

A RAKEZ free zone licence is “valid only in the Free Zone Area” (Rule 9.2); the entity may sell outside only “through an agent, representative, distributor or its parent company” (Rule 13.4) and may not retail inside the zone. Four routes to UAE customers remain:

1. Sell through a licensed mainland distributor or agent. The simplest route for goods. The distributor imports, pays duty and sells.
2. Use a non-free zone entity from the start. Licensed by RAKEZ and RAK DED, it can trade directly on the Ras Al Khaimah mainland, but it gives up the free zone corporate tax regime and designated zone status.
3. Add a branch. RAKEZ advertises a dual licence, which combines a free zone licence with a branch licence of the free zone company, so the same business can operate on the mainland. The FAQ’s older statement that a mainland branch needs 51% Emirati capital conflicts with current federal law; confirm the conditions for your activity.
4. Take a licence in the emirate where your customers are. Dubai’s Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025, with the DET branch licence and the Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit, was written for companies in Dubai’s own free zones. A RAKEZ company that wants to work directly in Dubai should ask Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism which licence applies to a free zone company from another emirate.

The restriction covers services too. If your clients and team are in Dubai, a Dubai licence may fit better; see our Dubai mainland company formation guide.

RAKEZ free zone renewal and ongoing compliance

Operating Rules penalties include AED 5,000 for an unlicensed activity, AED 5,000 per unauthorised employee and AED 7,500 for unlawful non-sponsored employment. Name changes, capital reductions, change of legal form and deregistration must be published, electronically since Implementing Regulations No. 1 of 2026. A struck-off company can seek restoration within two years. See our UBO register guide for beneficial owner rules.

RAKEZ free zone: pros and cons

Who RAKEZ suits

• Manufacturers and industrial firms needing land, heavy power or on-site labour accommodation.
• Traders and distributors holding stock who want designated zone status in an industrial zone.
• Founders who want the lowest published price for a licence plus one visa.
• Businesses that may later need a Ras Al Khaimah mainland entity without changing authority.
• Education providers using the RAKEZ Academic Zone.

Who should look elsewhere

• Regulated finance, crypto or virtual asset businesses: look at RAK Innovation City (with the Capital Market Authority), ADGM or DIFC.
• Maritime and ship services needing a quayside base: compare RAK Maritime City free zone.
• Consultancies whose clients and team are in Dubai: compare IFZA or a Dubai mainland licence.
• Container-heavy importers wanting Jebel Ali: compare JAFZA; for Sharjah’s airport and port zones, see SAIF Zone and Hamriyah Free Zone.

RAKEZ company setup: worked cases

These cases are built from the situations we see most often. Names and identifying details are left out, and the figures are the published ones.

Case 1: a solo consultant abroad who needs one visa

A marketing consultant abroad wants a company and residence. The instant licence (AED 6,000) has no visa; the all-inclusive package (AED 14,000) includes one RAKEZ visa on a coworking desk with a fixed renewal price. The trap: selling products too is a commercial activity and, outside package terms, a second licence. We check activities against the package before payment.

Case 2: a building materials distributor holding stock

A trader imports tiles for Gulf contractors. A warehouse of about 300 square metres in Al Hamra Industrial Zone gives storage, an office, visas for a small team and designated zone status. Mainland sales go through a distributor or a mainland entity, and 0% corporate tax depends on qualifying as distribution under Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025. We map the flows before the lease is signed.

Case 3: a manufacturer choosing between free zone and non-free zone

A food processor needs a 10,000 square metre plot, a factory and housing for 60 workers, with most sales to UAE supermarkets. In Al Ghail it can choose either entity: free zone keeps a possible 0% on qualifying income but sells through distributors; non-free zone sells directly but is taxed as a mainland company, and needs written confirmation on foreign ownership. We lay both out on one page with the client’s tax adviser.

Case 4: a video editor on a freelancer permit

A video editor on a spouse’s visa wants to invoice legally. The RAKEZ freelancer permit (from AED 6,100) covers listed media professions; without a RAKEZ visa, the sponsor’s no objection certificate is needed. The freelancer is personally liable and cannot open a corporate bank account, so an FZ-LLC is better if staff or a business account are planned.

Case 5: a Dubai company adding a Ras Al Khaimah warehouse

A Dubai mainland trader wants a cheaper Ras Al Khaimah warehouse. RAKEZ will not lease to a Dubai licence alone, so it registers a branch of a UAE company in the RAKEZ free zone: no share capital, the parent’s name and activities, and its own RAKEZ visa file for warehouse staff. Board resolution, parent documents and a good standing letter are the core of the file.

What circulates online about RAKEZ that is not true

How to verify every figure in this guide

RAKEZ company setup: how MIRDXB PRO helps

MIRDXB PRO is an independent PRO and company formation consultancy in Al Barsha 1, Dubai. We are not RAKEZ, not a RAKEZ agent or official partner, and RAKEZ does not list us. What we offer is an adviser on your side who checks the plan against RAKEZ’s rules, prepares the file and runs the government steps.

What we do

• Decide with you between a free zone and a non-free zone entity, and get RAKEZ’s written position on ownership where it matters.
• Check your activities against the RAKEZ list and licence limits, and flag outside approvals.
• Match the facility to your visa count, stock and growth plan, from flexi desk to industrial land.
• Prepare documents and run notarisation, attestation and translation for corporate shareholders.
• Follow the application, licence, E-Channel registration and ICP visas through to Emirates ID.
• Prepare the bank pack, and register the company for corporate tax and, where needed, VAT.
• Keep renewals, audits, beneficial owner filings and visa renewals on a calendar after setup.

How it works

1. Message us on WhatsApp with your activity, shareholders, visa count and space needs.
2. We reply in writing with the recommended RAKEZ route, the items to request on the quotation and our own fee.
3. You approve, we collect documents, file with RAKEZ and update you at each step.
4. After the licence, we run visas, the bank pack and tax registration, then hand over a compliance calendar.

What it costs

RAKEZ, ICP and other government fees are passed on at cost, with receipts. Our own fee depends on the entity, documents and visas, and we quote it in writing before any work starts. See our fees page for how we price.

Why founders use us

• We cite the official source for every rule we rely on, as this guide does, and we point out where RAKEZ’s own pages conflict.
• We compare RAKEZ with the other Ras Al Khaimah authorities and with Dubai and Sharjah zones, and tell you when you do not need RAKEZ.
• We handle the government side too: visas, Emirates ID, medical tests, attestation and tax registration.
• Our Al Barsha 1 office is open Monday to Thursday and Saturday 09:00 to 18:00, and Friday 09:00 to 12:00.

To start, see our business setup service or message us directly.

What we will and will not do

• We will give you the official source for any rule we rely on, and show you RAKEZ’s quotation and receipts.
• We will tell you if Innovation City, another emirate’s zone or the mainland fits your plan better.
• We will quote our fee in writing before we start.
• We will not promise approval, a bank account or a processing time that RAKEZ, ICP, a regulator or a bank controls.
• We will not present ourselves as RAKEZ or as a RAKEZ partner or agent.
• We will not give tax or legal opinions; for corporate tax structuring we work alongside your tax adviser or auditor.

Related guides

• Ras Al Khaimah free zones, the emirate overview
• RAK Maritime City free zone
• RAK Innovation City free zone
• SAIF Zone company setup
• Ajman Free Zone company setup
• IFZA company setup
• Free zones in the UAE
• Free zone vs mainland
• Establishment card explained

Keeping your RAKEZ licence, lease, audit, visas and beneficial owner filings renewed on time is what our PRO services in Dubai team handles, including for companies licensed in Ras Al Khaimah. For visa-only work on free zone companies, see our free zone visa service.