Ras Al Khaimah Free Zones 2026: RAKEZ, Innovation City and RAK Maritime City Compared

Ras Al Khaimah free zones are the areas of the emirate where a company can be wholly foreign-owned, licensed by a free zone authority rather than the emirate’s economic department, and sponsor residence visas through that authority; today they are Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), Innovation City and RAK Maritime City. UAE free zones are created by the individual emirates. Only the two financial free zones, DIFC in Dubai and ADGM in Abu Dhabi, are set up under the federal law on financial free zones (Federal Law No. 8 of 2004); every other zone, including all three in Ras Al Khaimah, rests on emirate legislation. RAKEZ operates under Ras Al Khaimah Law No. 2 of 2017, Innovation City under Ras Al Khaimah Law No. 2 of 2023, and RMC under Ras Al Khaimah government legislation whose founding instrument is not published.

This guide is a decision guide, not a directory. It sets the three Ras Al Khaimah free zones side by side, shows which suits which kind of business, explains what each publishes about cost, visas and tax, and flags where official pages disagree. For the detail on any one Ras Al Khaimah free zone, follow the links to our full guides. If you are also weighing Dubai for business setup in Dubai, we make that comparison wherever it changes the answer.

Every fact below comes from our three Ras Al Khaimah zone guides, which were researched from the zones’ own regulations, price pages and forms, and from federal sources, all checked on 26 September 2026. Where two sources conflict, we show both or leave the figure out.

How many free zones in Ras Al Khaimah? The official list

It depends on which list you read, and the difference matters when a bank, landlord or partner asks you to prove that your company is a “free zone” company.

• The licensing list. The u.ae page “Starting a business in a free zone” (updated 6 May 2026) names the authorities that regulate free zone activity in each emirate. For Ras Al Khaimah it lists two: “Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), Innovation City”.
• The zone that is missing from u.ae. RAK Maritime City is not on that list. Its old website no longer resolves and its forms now sit on the RAK Ports website under “Saqr Port / Free Zone”. It is still licensing: RMC published new registration guidelines, a renewal checklist and an amendments checklist in May 2026, and RAK Ports announced new RMC manufacturing tenants in October 2025 and February 2026.
• The VAT list. The Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017 list of designated zones, as reproduced in secondary copies we read, names six Ras Al Khaimah entries: RAK Port Free Zone, RAK Maritime City Free Zone, RAK Airport Free Zone and the free zone parts of the Al Hamra, Al Ghail and Al Hulaila industrial zones. A designated zone for VAT is a tax concept, not a licensing authority. The port and airport entries are not on u.ae’s licensing list, and our guides do not cover them as separate places to form a company.
• The name people confuse with a free zone. RAK International Corporate Centre (RAK ICC) is an offshore company registry, not a free zone.

In practice, then, a founder choosing among Ras Al Khaimah free zones is choosing among three authorities. The rest of this guide compares the Ras Al Khaimah free zones.

Ras Al Khaimah free zones compared: the master table

Every value in this Ras Al Khaimah free zones table comes from the structured facts behind each zone guide, checked on 26 September 2026. “Not published” means the zone does not publish it; we have not filled the gap.

Three differences between the Ras Al Khaimah free zones jump out. Only RAKEZ publishes a price for a licence that includes a visa and also offers a mainland entity. Only Innovation City publishes a full package ladder for technology companies. Only RMC gives you a quay. No Ras Al Khaimah free zone is a financial regulator: regulated finance and virtual asset services need the federal Capital Market Authority or a financial free zone.

Choose by business type: which Ras Al Khaimah free zone fits

To pick a Ras Al Khaimah free zone, start from what your business actually does, where its customers are and what it physically needs. The matrix below gives one to three options for each common profile, with the reason. Where no Ras Al Khaimah free zone is a good fit, we say so and point to the right guide elsewhere.

If two Ras Al Khaimah free zone options look equally good, the tie-breakers are usually visas (how many, and how soon), whether you need to sell directly on the UAE mainland, and whether a bank will be comfortable with the structure. The sections below take each in turn.

The three Ras Al Khaimah free zones in brief

These profiles of each RAK free zone are written for the choice, not as summaries. Each ends with the question that usually decides whether the zone is right for you.

RAKEZ: the general and industrial RAK free zone

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone was formed in 2017 when the emirate combined RAK Free Trade Zone and RAK Investment Authority under one body; the former RAK Media Free Zone was absorbed too. On 20 August 2026 RAKEZ announced 50,000 active companies from more than 100 countries. Its reach runs from coworking desks in the Al Nakheel and Al Hamra business zones to industrial land in Al Ghail, Al Hamra and Al Hulaila, plus a dedicated Academic Zone for education providers.

What makes RAKEZ different from almost every other UAE free zone is that it describes itself as a licensing authority for “free zone and non-free zone businesses”. A non-free zone entity is licensed by RAKEZ and the RAK Department of Economic Development and can trade directly on the Ras Al Khaimah mainland. So one authority and one portal can set you up either as a free zone company or as a mainland company.

• Legal forms: FZ-LLC with 1 to 50 shareholders and a general minimum share capital of AED 10,000 in the RAKEZ FAQ, higher for listed activities (for example AED 150,000 for industrial); branches of UAE and foreign companies.
• Licences: commercial, general trading, e-commerce, service, industrial, educational, media, individual/professional and a freelancer permit; non-free zone entities hold commercial, industrial or professional licences.
• Space: coworking and flexi desks, serviced, standard, executive and shell and core offices, warehouses from 150 m², land from 2,500 m² and male staff and labour accommodation.
• Watch for: RAKEZ’s FAQ still mentions a 51% UAE partner for some non-free zone licences and mainland branches, which conflicts with Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021. Get RAKEZ’s written position for your activity.

The deciding question: do you need to sell directly to UAE customers, or hold goods, land or a large workforce? If yes to either, RAKEZ is usually the best free zone in Ras Al Khaimah for you. Full detail is in our RAKEZ company setup guide.

Innovation City: the technology RAK free zone (formerly RAK DAO)

Innovation City began as RAK Digital Assets Oasis under Ras Al Khaimah Law No. 2 of 2023 and relaunched under its new name in October 2025, widening its focus from digital assets to technology in general. Its regulations, the Innovation City Companies Regulations 2023, continue to apply. It markets itself as an AI-powered free zone, with AI placed first among AI, Web3, gaming, robotics and digital health, and in July 2026 it announced a sovereign AI data centre offering GPU compute to its licensees.

• Legal forms: company limited by shares (1 to 50 shareholders), company limited by guarantee for non-profits, branch, public company under markets laws and DAO association under the DAO Association Regulations 2024. No published minimum capital; the Authority sets it “from time to time”.
• Packages: Idea AED 6,600 (no visa), Seed AED 13,200 (one visa, capped at one), Startup AED 15,400 (one included, up to four), Growth AED 22,550 (dedicated desk, up to four). Extra visas AED 4,400 each.
• Setup: online, without a physical presence to incorporate; “as little as 5-10 working days”, with same-day licensing for many activities.
• Watch for: Innovation City states that it “is a commercial freezone”. Any activity within the federal Capital Market Authority’s mandate, including regulated virtual asset services, needs a full CMA licence or approval before it starts.

The deciding question: is your product technology, and will your team stay at four visas or fewer? If yes, Innovation City is the natural Ras Al Khaimah free zone for you. See our RAK Innovation City free zone guide.

RAK Maritime City: the port-side RAK free zone at Saqr Port

RAK Maritime City is the free zone area attached to Saqr Port in northern Ras Al Khaimah, licensed by the RAK Maritime City Free Zone Authority and run within RAK Ports, the government port group. RAK Ports describes “several million square metres of available land, complete with waterside access”, with 4 million square metres “immediately available”. Its current expansion, Saqr 2.0, adds deeper berths, a heavy-lift pad and wide road corridors for oversized cargo.

• Legal forms: FZE (one shareholder), FZC (two or more), branch of a foreign company and branch of a UAE company, with names ending RMC FZE, RMC FZC, RMC BFC or RMC Branch.
• Licences: industrial and commercial under RMC’s May 2026 registration guidelines; general trading appeared on a 2016 archived page, so ask.
• Space: waterfront plots, warehouses and cold stores, open yards, site offices at Saqr Port and private jetties on large plots.
• Watch for: no published licence fee, visa allocation or processing time. Heavy annual compliance: insurances, a Civil Defence certificate, an Environmental Protection and Development Authority (EPDA) certificate, a RAK Police camera certificate and audited accounts at every renewal.

The deciding question: does your business need a quay? If not, RAKEZ’s industrial zones are simpler and publish their prices. See our RAK Maritime City free zone guide.

Ras Al Khaimah free zone or mainland?

The general trade-off between a free zone and a mainland licence is covered in our free zone vs mainland guide. For a Ras Al Khaimah free zone it has a twist, because the biggest free zone authority also issues mainland licences.

The rule of thumb for a Ras Al Khaimah free zone decision: if most of your revenue will come from UAE customers who want to buy from a locally licensed seller, look first at a RAKEZ non-free zone entity or a mainland licence in the emirate where those customers are. If your customers are abroad, online or other free zone companies, a free zone entity is usually the better fit. If your team and clients are in Dubai, read our Dubai mainland company formation guide before you commit to Ras Al Khaimah.

Ras Al Khaimah free zone cost: how to read the prices

Two of the three Ras Al Khaimah free zones publish package prices; RMC quotes per project. A package price is a useful starting point, but it rarely equals your first-year bill. Read every package against the list below.

Published entry prices of the Ras Al Khaimah free zones, side by side

On these published figures, the cheapest licence without a visa in any RAK free zone is RAKEZ’s AED 6,000 instant licence or Biz Starter, and the cheapest price that includes one visa is Innovation City’s Seed at AED 13,200, against RAKEZ’s all-inclusive at AED 14,000. Those are not like-for-like: RAKEZ’s all-inclusive package allows up to three more visas and guarantees the same renewal price, while Seed is capped at one visa and its terms were marked as a limited-time offer. Innovation City’s Seed also allows only technology activities.

The Ras Al Khaimah free zone cost lines packages often leave out

• Immigration file and E-Channel. RAKEZ’s FAQ lists E-Channel registration at AED 2,200 once, plus an AED 5,050 refundable deposit and AED 1,200 a year to renew. Innovation City says its AED 4,400 extra visa fee includes E-Channel, entry permit, status change, medical, Emirates ID, insurance and stamping. RMC says only that immigration file fees apply.
• Visa deposits. RAKEZ’s Operating Rules allow a refundable deposit of AED 2,000 per non-GCC sponsored employee.
• Medical test, Emirates ID, health insurance and Workers Protection Insurance for every visa, unless the package says they are included.
• Share capital. RAKEZ’s general AED 10,000 minimum rises to AED 150,000 for industrial activities and higher for some regulated ones. Innovation City and RMC publish no minimum.
• Attestation and translation of corporate shareholders’ documents.
• Outside approvals, such as health, media or environmental clearances, and the Capital Market Authority for regulated activity.
• Rent paid upfront. RAKEZ offices, warehouses and land usually need the full term’s rent at the start; RMC land rent is negotiated per project.
• Audit. RAKEZ requires audited accounts from every company within six months of year end (AED 2,500 fine if late). RMC checks audited accounts at renewal. Any company claiming Qualifying Free Zone Person status needs audited statements anyway.
• Year-two renewal. Only RAKEZ’s all-inclusive package guarantees the same renewal price among the offers above.

We do not publish our own fee here. Government and free zone fees are passed on at cost, and our fee is quoted in writing before we start; our fees page explains how we price. When we compare Ras Al Khaimah free zone cost for a client, we put the package, the missing lines and the renewal on one page, which is usually where the real difference between zones shows up.

Visas and residency across the Ras Al Khaimah free zones

All three Ras Al Khaimah free zones sponsor residence visas for their licensees, and all three use the federal system of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). A Ras Al Khaimah free zone visa is therefore not a Dubai GDRFA visa, and the residence file number begins with 6, the Ras Al Khaimah code. You can live in Dubai on it, but some Dubai services ask which emirate issued the file. Our ICP vs GDRFA guide explains the practical differences.

How many visas each Ras Al Khaimah free zone allows

The pattern across the Ras Al Khaimah free zones is simple. A desk gets you one to four visas in any Ras Al Khaimah free zone. More than four people means a real office, a warehouse or land, which in practice means RAKEZ or RMC. If your hiring plan is uncertain, choose the space for where you expect to be in 12 to 18 months, because downgrading a RAKEZ facility to a flexi desk forces you to cancel every visa above one.

The RAK free zone visa sequence

1. Immigration file and E-Channel registration for the company, handled by the zone as sponsor. See our establishment card guide.
2. Pre-approval where required. RAKEZ’s FAQ says investors, partners and managers of all nationalities need pre-approval; RMC needs RAK Immigration pre-approval for a new individual shareholder or manager.
3. Entry permit for someone outside the UAE, or a status change for someone inside. At RAKEZ, an existing UAE residence visa must be cancelled before the new entry permit is issued.
4. Medical fitness test for applicants aged 18 and over; see our medical fitness test service.
5. Emirates ID biometrics; our Emirates ID typing service covers the application. On RAKEZ’s standard package biometrics are done in Ras Al Khaimah; Dubai biometrics are only on its VIP package.
6. Health insurance and Workers Protection Insurance, then the residence visa and Emirates ID.

Only one processing time is published across the Ras Al Khaimah free zones: RAKEZ’s VIP new visa package is completed “in less than four days”. Innovation City and RMC publish none.

Owners, families and Golden Visas in a RAK free zone

• Shareholders. At RAKEZ a single shareholder takes an investor visa and multiple shareholders take partner visas; shareholders are not obliged to take a RAKEZ visa if they hold another. In every zone a resident owner uses one place in the quota.
• Families. Visa holders sponsor spouses and children through ICP under the federal salary and housing rules.
• Golden Visa. Investors and entrepreneurs who meet the federal thresholds can apply separately; see our Golden investor visa service.
• Long absences. After more than six months abroad, a resident with over 30 days left on the visa needs an ICP entry approval before travelling, as RAKEZ’s visa advisory reminds its clients.

For visa-only work on an existing company, our free zone visa service handles new visas, renewals and cancellations.

Tax in the Ras Al Khaimah free zones

Corporate tax for a Ras Al Khaimah free zone company

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

• keeps adequate substance in the zone;
• earns qualifying income from the activities in Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 (issued on 28 August 2025, which repealed Ministerial Decision No. 265 of 2023 with effect from 1 June 2023);
• keeps non-qualifying revenue within the de minimis limit, the lower of AED 5 million or 5% of revenue;
• prepares audited financial statements, meets transfer pricing rules and has not elected to be taxed at the standard rates.

How that plays out differs by Ras Al Khaimah free zone. Manufacturing and processing of goods, trading of qualifying commodities, logistics services and distribution of goods in or from a designated zone are qualifying activities, which fits RMC tenants and RAKEZ’s industrial zones well. Software development, SaaS subscriptions, consulting and most digital services sold to third parties are not on the list, so a typical Innovation City start-up or a RAKEZ consultancy should plan for 9% above the threshold. Small Business Relief is available to eligible businesses for periods ending on or before 31 December 2029, but not to Qualifying Free Zone Persons, so a small service company may be better off outside the regime. A RAKEZ non-free zone entity is a mainland company and cannot be a Qualifying Free Zone Person at all.

Every new Ras Al Khaimah free zone company registers with the Federal Tax Authority within three months of incorporation for a company formed after 1 March 2024 (FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024); late registration carries an AED 10,000 penalty. Our corporate tax registration guide walks through the portal.

VAT designated zones among the Ras Al Khaimah free zones

VAT registration is mandatory above AED 375,000 of taxable supplies in any zone. In a designated zone, certain supplies of goods within or between designated zones can fall outside UAE VAT when the zone’s security and customs controls are met; services, and goods sold into the mainland, are taxed normally. The Ras Al Khaimah entries on the Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017 list, as reproduced in the secondary copies our guides used, are:

RAKEZ’s own flyer says “three districts” are designated, which matches the three industrial zones; its business zones, where most coworking and starter packages sit, are not. Innovation City is not on the list. Because the Federal Tax Authority’s page could not be read automatically, all three guides relied on secondary copies of the list. Check the current FTA list before you plan a supply chain around it.

Customs in the Ras Al Khaimah free zones

A RAK free zone company that imports or exports goods needs a customs code with Ras Al Khaimah customs. Goods leaving a 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 local and GCC sales of goods it makes, which depends on GCC rules of origin; confirm with customs before you price.

Trading with the mainland from a Ras Al Khaimah free zone

No Ras Al Khaimah free zone gives a free zone company an automatic right to trade on the UAE mainland. What each Ras Al Khaimah free zone allows:

• RAKEZ. A free zone licence is “valid only in the Free Zone Area” (Rule 9.2), and sales outside go “through an agent, representative, distributor or its parent company” (Rule 13.4). RAKEZ offers two ways around it: a non-free zone entity licensed with RAK DED, and a dual licence that combines a free zone licence with a branch licence of the same company. RAKEZ’s FAQ statement that a mainland branch needs 51% Emirati capital conflicts with current federal law; confirm the conditions.
• Innovation City. Regulation 9 of its Companies Regulations says a company must hold every licence the competent UAE authorities require before doing business “inside or outside the Zone”. Digital services sold online are the core of most licensees; a physical presence or regulated product on the mainland needs the relevant emirate or federal licence.
• RAK Maritime City. The archived RMC licence page was blunt: licensees “are not allowed to operate in the UAE outside RAKMC premises”. Finished products go to UAE buyers “through a local distributor or a local agent”, or through a sister company on the mainland.

What about Dubai? Dubai’s Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025, with the Department of Economy and Tourism branch licence and the Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit (announced by the Dubai Media Office at AED 5,000), was written for companies in Dubai’s own free zones. A Ras Al Khaimah free zone company that wants to operate directly in Dubai should ask the Department of Economy and Tourism which licence applies to a free zone company from another emirate, or compare a Dubai licence from the start.

How to set up in a Ras Al Khaimah free zone, step by step

The order of steps is broadly the same in every Ras Al Khaimah free zone. What changes is which steps carry an official time, and how long the steps outside the zone’s control take.

1. Pick the Ras Al Khaimah free zone, legal form, licence and space. For RAKEZ, decide free zone or non-free zone first. For Innovation City, check whether any activity needs the Capital Market Authority or the Central Bank. For RMC, start with a land or facility enquiry to RAK Ports. Time: your preparation.
2. Pre-approvals. RAKEZ pre-approval for investors, partners and managers; RAK Immigration pre-approval at RMC; KYC and due diligence at Innovation City. Time: not published.
3. Application and documents. RAKEZ’s Portal 360, Innovation City’s online application, or RMC’s application form with a business plan and the UBO, sanctions policy and source of wealth declarations. Time: not published.
4. Payment and lease. Package or quotation paid; lease or facility agreement signed. RMC signs the land lease with RAK Ports.
5. Licence. RAKEZ instant licence “in 5 minutes”, Biz Starter “in 24 hours”, others “a matter of days”; Innovation City “as little as 5-10 working days”; RMC not published. The general u.ae statement is that free zone applications are approved within 14 working days.
6. Immigration file and visas through ICP, as above.
7. Bank account. The bank’s own onboarding; see our corporate bank account guide.
8. Tax and beneficial owners. Corporate tax registration within three months; VAT above the threshold; beneficial owner filings under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023 (our UBO register guide explains them).
9. Start operating. RAKEZ’s Operating Rules expect operations within 60 days in an office, 90 days in a warehouse and 18 months on vacant land. Land projects at RAKEZ and RMC add development permits, HS&E or EPDA clearance, Civil Defence approval and, at RAKEZ, an Operation Fitness Certificate before occupation.

In our experience the licence is rarely the slow part of a Ras Al Khaimah free zone setup. Attesting a foreign parent’s documents, outside approvals, visas and the bank account usually take longer than the zone’s own steps.

Ras Al Khaimah free zone documents checklist

Attestation rules differ between the Ras Al Khaimah free zones. RMC says UAE corporate documents need a UAE notary and foreign ones need legalisation to UAE embassy level, in English or Arabic. Innovation City asks for documents “duly attested as per the jurisdiction of registration”. RAKEZ accepts powers of attorney attested by the UAE embassy or consulate. For a foreign parent, the usual chain is notarisation, legalisation or apostille, UAE embassy attestation and Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation; our document attestation service runs it.

Ras Al Khaimah free zones in practice: four composite 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 founder who needs one visa

A marketing consultant moving to the UAE wants a company and residence at the lowest published price. Two Ras Al Khaimah free zones fit: RAKEZ’s all-inclusive package at AED 14,000 with one visa and a fixed renewal price, and Innovation City’s Seed at AED 13,200 with one visa capped at one. Marketing consultancy is not a technology activity, so Innovation City would need the activity mapped carefully or would not fit at all. RAKEZ also leaves room for up to three more visas. We chose RAKEZ, checked the activities against the package limits before payment, and planned for 9% corporate tax above AED 375,000 because consulting is not qualifying income.

Case 2: an AI start-up with two founders and a hiring plan

Two founders building an AI product want to hire two engineers within a year. Innovation City’s Startup package (AED 15,400, one visa included) plus extra visas at AED 4,400 each reaches the cap of four exactly. The fifth hire would force a move, so we mapped the hiring plan against the cap on day one and compared a RAKEZ serviced office as the fallback. Their product needed no Capital Market Authority licence; if it had involved client assets or token exchange, the CMA application would have come first.

Case 3: a building materials trader comparing two RAK free zone options

A trader imports tiles and aggregates for Gulf contractors. Tiles arrive in containers; aggregates by bulk vessel. For the tiles, a RAKEZ warehouse in Al Hamra Industrial Zone gave storage, an office, visas for a small team and designated zone status, with published starter prices. The aggregates would have fitted RMC’s quayside model, but RMC publishes no fees or visa rules, so the trader asked RAK Ports for an itemised quotation before deciding. Mainland sales in either case go through a distributor or a mainland entity.

Case 4: a European fabricator opening a yard

A fabricator of offshore modules needs a waterfront plot and a large workforce. Only one RAK free zone, RMC, offers quay access. The parent chose a branch (RMC BFC), so its certificate of incorporation, board resolution, memorandum and certificate of incumbency were legalised to UAE embassy level, and a business plan was filed with the UBO, sanctions and source of wealth declarations. The visa quota and labour housing were settled with RMC before the lease was signed, because RMC publishes no allocation rule.

What circulates online about Ras Al Khaimah free zones that is not true

How to verify every Ras Al Khaimah free zone figure in this guide

Free zone company setup in Ras Al Khaimah: how MIRDXB PRO helps

MIRDXB PRO is an independent PRO and company formation consultancy in Al Barsha 1, Dubai. We are not RAKEZ, Innovation City, RMC or RAK Ports, and none of them lists us as an agent or official partner. We act for you: we compare the Ras Al Khaimah free zones against your plan, prepare the file and run the government steps.

What we do

• Compare each Ras Al Khaimah free zone (RAKEZ, Innovation City and RMC), and Dubai or Sharjah options, against your activity, visas, space and customers.
• Check activities against each zone’s list and flag outside approvals, including the Capital Market Authority.
• For RAKEZ, weigh a free zone against a non-free zone entity and get RAKEZ’s written position on ownership.
• Prepare and attest documents for individual and corporate shareholders.
• Follow the application, licence, immigration file, ICP visas and Emirates ID to completion.
• 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.

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 Ras Al Khaimah free zone, the published fees, the items to request on the quotation and our own fee.
3. You approve, we collect documents, file with the zone 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

Free zone, ICP and other government fees are passed on at cost, with receipts. Our own fee depends on the zone, the structure, attestation and the number of visas, and we quote it in writing before any work starts. See our fees page.

Why founders use us

• We cite the official source for every rule we rely on, as this guide does, and say when a zone publishes nothing.
• We cover every Ras Al Khaimah free zone route and the Dubai alternatives, and tell you when you do not need a Ras Al Khaimah free zone.
• We handle visas, Emirates ID, medical tests, attestation and tax registration under one roof.
• 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, which provides free zone company setup support for Ras Al Khaimah zones as well as Dubai.

What we will and will not do

• We will show you the official source for each rule we rely on, and every zone quotation and receipt.
• We will tell you if 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, a visa number or a processing time that a zone, ICP, a regulator or a bank controls.
• We will not present ourselves as any free zone authority or as its agent or partner.
• We will not give tax, legal or regulatory opinions; we work alongside your tax agent and lawyers.

Free zones in other emirates

Ras Al Khaimah is one of seven emirates, each with its own zones and rules. Our free zones in the UAE guide compares them all; the emirate guides go deeper:

• Dubai free zones
• Abu Dhabi free zones
• Sharjah free zones
• Ajman free zones
• Fujairah free zones
• Umm Al Quwain has one free zone: see our UAQ Free Trade Zone company setup guide

Related guides

• RAKEZ company setup
• RAK Innovation City free zone
• RAK Maritime City free zone
• Hamriyah Free Zone company setup
• SAIF Zone company setup
• IFZA company setup
• Free zone vs mainland
• Establishment card explained

Keeping your Ras Al Khaimah free zone 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. When you are ready, our company formation support takes the file from enquiry to bank account.