RAKEZ free zone company setup: license from AED 6,000 a year
RAKEZ, the economic zone of Ras Al Khaimah, licenses a company from AED 6,000 a year and one with a visa from AED 12,000. We arrange it remotely, from $7,000 with the license.
RAKEZ Ras Al Khaimah
- AED 6,000 Basic license a year: 1 activity, no visa
- 1–5 Working days to the license
- 4 Visas in the All-Inclusive package, at most
RAKEZ, the Ras Al Khaimah free zone: what it is and who owns it
2017The economic zone of Ras Al Khaimah
RAKEZ is the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone. It was established in 2017, when two of the emirate's free zones were brought under one authority, and it belongs to the Government of Ras Al Khaimah. More than 50,000 companies from over 100 countries are registered with it.
100%A free zone and a mainland authority
RAKEZ is a free zone and a mainland licensing authority in one. A free-zone company here is 100% foreign-owned, pays no customs duty inside the zone and follows the RAKEZ Companies Regulations. The same authority licenses non-free zone companies as well, which trade on the Ras Al Khaimah mainland under the federal companies law.
6 sitesBeside Saqr Port and the airport
The zone has 6 sites. Al Nakheel and Al Hamra are business zones with offices. Al Hamra, Al Ghail and Al Hulaila are industrial zones, and the sixth is the academic zone. RAKEZ stands beside Saqr Port, the largest bulk-handling port in the Middle East, and RAK International Airport, about an hour from Dubai.
RAKEZ publishes three packages: AED 6,000 a year with no visa, AED 12,000 with one visa and AED 14,000 with up to four.
RAKEZ compared with Shams, Ajman Free Zone and IFZA
| Compared | RAKEZ | Shams | Ajman Free Zone | IFZA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emirate | Ras Al Khaimah | Sharjah | Ajman | Dubai |
| Entry license a year | AED 6,000 | AED 5,760 | AED 5,555 | about AED 12,500 |
| With one visa, a year | AED 12,000 | AED 11,760 to 14,760 | from AED 14,000 | about AED 14,900 |
| Warehouses and land | Three industrial zones | None | Warehouses at Ajman port | None |
| License in | 1 to 5 working days | 1 to 3 working days | 1 to 2 working days | 5 to 7 working days |
Shams free zone company setup Ajman Free Zone company formation IFZA free zone company setup
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RAKEZ license packages side by side
| Package | Basic | Lite | All-Inclusive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee a year | AED 6,000 | AED 12,000 | AED 14,000 |
| Activities | 1 | Up to 5 | 10, mixed across license types |
| Shareholders | 1 | Up to 5 | Up to 50 |
| Residence visas | None | 1 | 1, and up to 3 more at AED 4,000 each |
| Workspace | Co-working access | Co-working access | Compass Coworking Centre, unlimited access |
| Taken by | Holding companies and first licenses | A founder who wants the visa | A team of up to four |
What a RAKEZ company costs
Our price for RAKEZ business setup is before VAT. The dirham rows come from RAKEZ's own pages.
Free-zone company and license through us
from $7,000Get a quote- Basic package, a year
- AED 6,000
- Lite package with 1 visa, a year
- AED 12,000
- All-Inclusive package with 1 visa, a year
- AED 14,000
- Each further visa in All-Inclusive, up to 3
- AED 4,000
- Premium upgrade: bank help, tax registration, VIP visa
- AED 2,500
- E-channel immigration system, yearly renewal
- AED 1,200
- Accounting, a month
- from $350
RAKEZ zones, offices, warehouses and land
Al Nakheel and Al Hamra business zones hold shared and private offices. The Compass Coworking Centre serves freelancers and startups.
Light manufacturing and logistics, on large plots close to the main roads.
Petrochemicals, advanced manufacturing and construction materials, in facilities built to the tenant's plan.
Heavy industry: land for development and warehouses in different sizes.
Schools, training centres, universities and research bodies under an educational license.
A company moves from co-working to an office, a warehouse or its own plot and keeps its registration. RAKEZ also provides accommodation for staff and labour.
Who RAKEZ suits, and when another registry fits better
- Consultants and freelancers
- A service or freelancer license costs AED 6,000 a year with no visa and AED 12,000 with one.
- Traders and re-exporters
- Goods arrive through Saqr Port free of duty, wait in a RAKEZ warehouse and leave again. Duty of 5% falls due on goods that enter the UAE mainland.
- Manufacturers
- The industrial license, the plot or ready warehouse and the labour accommodation come from one authority. Manufacturing and processing are qualifying activities for the 0% tax rate.
- A Dubai address for your clients
- Where the city on the license matters, Meydan Free Zone and IFZA license a company in Dubai for about AED 12,500 a year. The four are set side by side in IFZA, RAKEZ, Shams or Meydan compared.
- A media or one-person license
- Shams in Sharjah starts at AED 5,760 a year and puts 5 activities on its entry license, against 1 on RAKEZ Basic.
- Holding shares and nothing else
- RAK ICC, the offshore registry of the same emirate, incorporates a holding company for AED 3,250 and renews it for AED 3,950 a year, with no office.
Rules and tax for a RAKEZ free-zone company
A free-zone company in RAKEZ is an FZ-LLC or a branch of an existing company, under rules that RAKEZ publishes.
| Rule | What RAKEZ sets |
|---|---|
| Shareholders | 1 to 50 in an FZ-LLC |
| Share capital | AED 10,000 at least, in shares of AED 1,000, and AED 150,000 for industrial activities |
| License term | 1 year, or 3 years at once |
| Activities on a standard license | Commercial: 5 from one group or 2 from different groups. Services: 2. Industrial: 2 from one group |
| Desk and visas | A flexi-desk carries 1 visa, and the office or warehouse sets any more |
| Immigration system | A company with an immigration file registers in the e-channel system: AED 2,200 once and a refundable deposit of AED 5,050 |
| Accounts | Audited every financial year and submitted within 6 months of its end |
| Sales outside the zone | Through a distributor, an agent or the parent company |
0%Tax on qualifying income
On tax, RAKEZ states that its free-zone companies pay 0% on qualifying income once they meet the conditions of a Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP). The conditions include staff, assets and spending in the zone that match the business. Logistics and the holding of shares are qualifying activities too. Other income is taxed at 9%.
VAT registration in the UAE is due from AED 375,000 of turnover, at 5%.
RAKEZ business setup, step by step
- 1–2 working days1
Package, activities, zone
You list what the company will sell and how many visas it needs. We pick the package or a standard license, the zone for its premises, and reserve the name.
- then2
Online application
We complete RAKEZ's digital application with your passports and address proof, and you sign electronically.
- 1–5 working days3
License
RAKEZ issues the license with the memorandum and the share certificate. A Basic license arrives within minutes of the application.
- 1–2 weeks4
Immigration card and visas
The establishment card takes 3 to 5 days and each visa 5 to 8: entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID.
- usually 2–4 weeks5
Bank and tax
We file the application for a business bank account in the UAE with the license, the memorandum, the ownership chart and the lease, and obtain the corporate tax registration.
- yearly6
Every year after
We renew the license without your presence, keep the books and send the audited accounts to RAKEZ within 6 months of the year end.
Documents RAKEZ asks for
Documents
Each shareholder and director
- Passport copy
- Passport-size photo
- Utility bill or bank statement, 3 months old at most
- UAE visa page, if resident
- A few lines on the business
A corporate shareholder
- Certificate of incorporation or license
- Memorandum and articles
- Certificate of incumbency or good standing
- Resolution appointing the general manager
- Passports of the beneficial owners (UBO)
You send them in your account. We check each document the day it arrives and tell you what is missing.
See the platformQuestions about RAKEZ free zone company setup
Is RAKEZ a free zone?
Yes. RAKEZ, the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, runs the free zone of the emirate, where foreigners own their companies 100%. It also licenses non-free zone companies for the Ras Al Khaimah mainland, which is why it is called an economic zone.
Is RAKEZ a qualifying free zone?
RAKEZ states that its free-zone companies pay 0% corporate tax on qualifying income when they meet the conditions of a Qualifying Free Zone Person, and 9% on other income. It also has a designated zone recognised by the Cabinet and the Federal Tax Authority, where the distribution of goods qualifies. The conditions one by one are in what a Qualifying Free Zone Person is.
Who is the owner of RAKEZ?
The Government of Ras Al Khaimah. The authority was formed in 2017 and is led by Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi as managing director and Ramy Jallad as group chief executive.
How much does a RAKEZ license cost?
AED 6,000 a year for the Basic package, AED 12,000 for Lite with one visa and AED 14,000 for All-Inclusive. A warehouse or a plot is priced by its size in your quote.
Can I add activities or visas to a RAKEZ license later?
Yes. RAKEZ adds an activity by a paid amendment of the license, which is why we put every line of your revenue on it at the start. The visa quota follows the package: none in Basic, 1 in Lite, 1 in All-Inclusive with up to 3 more at AED 4,000 each. Beyond 4 the office or warehouse sets the number.
Can a RAKEZ company trade on the UAE mainland?
It trades abroad and with other free zones from its license. On the mainland it sells through a distributor or an agent, and our page on free zones in the UAE sets out the other routes to mainland customers.
Do I have to live in the UAE to keep a RAKEZ company?
No. The license is arranged and renewed remotely, and a company on the Basic package carries no visa at all. A residence visa is nullified after more than 180 days in a row outside the UAE. The UAE Government portal lists investors with a valid residence visa among the exemptions, and staff and family keep to the 180 days.
Does RAKEZ suit a crypto or fintech business?
RAKEZ licenses software and technology companies, and a RAKEZ company can hold a fintech group. A crypto exchange or a custodian needs a regulator's license, which RAKEZ does not issue: VARA's in Dubai, the FSRA's in ADGM.
Get a quote for your UAE company
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- After the call we email you the checklist of documents for your country.
We reply by the end of the next working day with the cost and the dates for your case. The first call is free and confidential.
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Updated 19 October 2026. Reviewed by Vladyslav Drapii, Founder.
