Business Setup in Ras Al Khaimah.
Company formation in RAK from a team based inside RAKEZ — the same accountants who'll file your tax returns once the licence is issued.
- RAKEZ Partner
- Tax Agent
- Office in RAKEZ
A Cheaper Licence Only Pays Off If the Structure Is Right.
Ras Al Khaimah is one of the most cost-effective places to start a company in the UAE: more than 300 licence activities in different industries, lower licence and office costs, potential for growth in terms of facilities and infrastructure, 100% foreign ownership and Dubai an hour’s drive away. But the savings disappear quickly if the activity codes, jurisdiction or shareholding don’t fit how your business actually earns money.
That’s why we look at your customers, visas, banking and tax positions together before recommending a zone or a package.
Our office is at Explorer Business Hub, inside RAKEZ. We deal with the authority face to face, not from a desk in Dubai. With 20+ years’ experience in the UAE, we’ll set up your company, register it with the FTA and keep your books from day one.
Three Ways to Register a Company in Ras Al Khaimah.
The emirate has three registries, each with its own authority and rules. RAKEZ licenses free zone companies, RAK DED licenses mainland companies, and RAK ICC registers offshore companies that hold assets or trade outside the UAE. The right one follows from who pays your invoices, whether you need residence visas and what the company will own.
| RAKEZ Free Zone | RAK Mainland (RAK DED) | RAK ICC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authority | RAKEZ Free Zone Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone | RAK Mainland (RAK DED) RAK Department of Economic Development | RAK ICC RAK International Corporate Centre |
| Customers | RAKEZ Free Zone Clients abroad and in free zones; the UAE mainland through a distributor or a mainland branch | RAK Mainland (RAK DED) Any customer in the UAE, plus export | RAK ICC Outside the UAE only; no onshore trading |
| Premises | RAKEZ Free Zone Flexi-desk, office, warehouse or land in RAKEZ zones, including the Al Hamra and Al Ghail industrial zones | RAK Mainland (RAK DED) Premises in the emirate with a tenancy contract registered with RAK Municipality | RAK ICC None; the registered office is at the registered agent |
| Residence visas | RAKEZ Free Zone Allocation set by the package and facility | RAK Mainland (RAK DED) Allocation set by the size of the premises | RAK ICC Not available |
| How you register | RAKEZ Free Zone Directly with RAKEZ | RAK Mainland (RAK DED) With RAK DED | RAK ICC Only through a RAK ICC registered agent |
| Corporate Tax | RAKEZ Free Zone 0% on qualifying income for a Qualifying Free Zone Person; 9% on taxable profit above AED 375,000 otherwise | RAK Mainland (RAK DED) 9% on taxable profit above AED 375,000; Small Business Relief may apply to revenue under AED 3 million | RAK ICC Within UAE Corporate Tax: FTA registration and an annual return |
| Typical use | RAKEZ Free Zone Consultancy, IT, e-commerce, trading, light manufacturing | RAK Mainland (RAK DED) Retail, F&B, contracting, services to UAE clients | RAK ICC Holding companies, property in designated freehold areas of Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah |
RAK ICC is often described as tax-free. It is not: as a company incorporated in the UAE it registers with the FTA and files a Corporate Tax return every year. Before recommending a holding structure, we check that it still works with that in the numbers.
What's Included in Business Setup in RAK
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01
Registry Choice
RAKEZ, RAK DED, RAK ICC or Innovation City, chosen against where your revenue will come from.
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02
Written Structure Memo
Registry, package, visas, first- and second-year cost and the Corporate Tax outcome, on paper before any government fee is paid.
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03
RAKEZ Package & Facility
Flexi-desk, office, warehouse or land in the RAKEZ zones, sized to the number of visas you plan to hire for.
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04
Trade Name & Initial Approval
Name checked against the RAKEZ or RAK DED naming rules, reserved, and initial approval obtained.
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05
Constitutional Documents
MoA, shareholder resolutions and the UBO declaration, in the format the RAK authority accepts.
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06
Licence Issue
Activity codes that match your invoices, so the bank and the FTA see the same business the licence describes.
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07
Immigration
Establishment card, investor and employee visas, medical and Emirates ID, for you and the team you bring to Ras Al Khaimah.
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08
Bank Account
Compliance file, bank shortlist including RAKBANK, application and preparation for the bank interview.
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09
FTA Registration & Books
Corporate Tax registration, VAT where required and bookkeeping from the first transaction, handled by the Tax Agent who will file your returns.
Open the Bank Account.
In Ras Al Khaimah the licence rarely holds a company back. The bank account does, and the bank officer decides on the file in front of them.
So we collect the documents with you first: why the company exists, where the funds come from, what will pass through the account and who the authorised signatory is. For companies based in the emirate the shortlist usually starts with RAKBANK, headquartered in Ras Al Khaimah. If your profile falls outside a bank’s appetite, you hear it from us before the application goes in.
The list of documents banks request from RAK companies, sent to your inbox free of charge.
How Business Setup in Ras Al Khaimah Works
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1
Meeting in RAKEZ or online
30 minutes at Explorer Business Hub or by video: what you sell, how and to whom, how logistics works, how many visas you need and where your staff will live.
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2
Memo and quote
Recommended registry and package, first-year cost and your tax position, in writing.
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3
Application in RAKEZ or RAK DED
Trade name, initial approval, documents and licence, submitted and followed up by us locally.
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4
Residence
Establishment card, entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID and the residence visa.
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5
Bank
Shortlist, compliance file, application and the bank interview.
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6
FTA and books
Corporate Tax registration within the FTA deadline for new companies, VAT once you pass the threshold, monthly bookkeeping.
How long will your RAK setup take?
A RAKEZ licence can be issued in 3–5 days once documents are complete; visas take about 7 days, through to Emirates ID, and the bank account 2–4 weeks, depending on the bank and your profile. Send us your activity and we'll put a date against each step.
What Will Your RAK Setup Cost?
RAKEZ offers some of the most affordable licence packages in the UAE, but the final cost depends on your activity, number of visas and facility, and packages change during the year. Tell us your case and you get a full written breakdown: our fee fixed, government fees passed through at cost.
Year Two and Beyond: Running a Company in RAK
A licence quote covers the first year. A RAK company then has fixed yearly costs, and these are the ones to budget for from month thirteen.
- RAKEZ licence and facility lease renewed every year
- RAK DED licence and registered tenancy contract (mainland) renewed every year
- RAK ICC annual fee, paid through the registered agent every year
- Residence visas renewed per person, every 2 years
- Bookkeeping monthly
- Corporate Tax return within nine months of the financial year end
- VAT returns quarterly, if applicable
- Audited financial statements required for a Qualifying Free Zone Person
Each line appears in your written quote, with an amount, before you sign.
Why Founders Choose A Plus Consulting in RAK
We're in RAKEZ, not calling it from Dubai. Our office is at Explorer Business Hub, and as a RAKEZ Partner we know the packages, requirements and people. You can meet us in person.
(PDF, opens in a new tab)
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01
In RAKEZ, face to face.
Package changes, facility upgrades and visa quotas are sorted out directly with RAKEZ, not by email from another emirate.
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02
Structured by a Tax Agent.
Oxana Josan, ACCA and ATT, is registered with the FTA as a Tax Agent. She reviews the Corporate Tax position before the licence application and represents the company before the FTA afterwards.
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03
Same team during the first audit.
We keep the books and file the returns for the companies we set up, so the structure has to keep working every year, not only on incorporation day.
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04
English and Russian.
We work with you in English or Russian, whichever you prefer.
The Team
Oxana Josan
Oxana founded A Plus Consulting after 20+ years working in corporate finance, taxation, and regulatory compliance in the UAE. She holds both ACCA and ATT designations — and is registered with the Federal Tax Authority as a Tax Agent. One of very few advisers in the UAE elected to the FTA Business Advisory Group.
Duleeka Jayarathna
Big Four audit background combined with ATT UAE VAT certification and solid commercial exposure. Specialises in audit, tax compliance, finance operations and reporting. Known for her calm, thoughtful approach -a trusted partner for clients navigating complex structures.
Mylene Remolacio
8 years in UAE and Saudi Arabia practice. Specialist in financial reporting, import/export, VAT compliance for Free Zone operations, and day-to-day accounting across manufacturing and trading. Brings precision, reliability, and warmth clients notice immediately.
Client Reviews
I would like to sincerely thank Oxana Josan for her outstanding service and professionalism. From the very first contact, Oxana was attentive, knowledgeable, and supportive. She took the time to explain everything clearly and stayed in touch throughout the process. The entire experience was smooth, efficient, and stress-free — it's rare to find someone so dedicated and genuinely helpful. Highly recommend A Consulting to anyone looking for a reliable, well-organized, and customer-focused company.
Frequently Asked Questions
Choose RAKEZ if most of your revenue comes from abroad or from other free zone companies. Choose RAK mainland if you invoice UAE customers directly, need a shopfront or plan to tender for government work. We run both against your customer base, visa plans and tax position before you decide.
RAKEZ packages start from around AED 6,000 a year. With one visa, a RAKEZ company typically comes to AED 15,000–25,000 in the first year, government fees included. RAKEZ revises its packages during the year, so we price you in writing: our fees fixed, government fees at cost.
Holding shares in other companies, owning property in designated freehold areas of Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, and trade run entirely outside the UAE. It cannot trade onshore, has no office and cannot sponsor residence visas. It is formed only through a RAK ICC registered agent.
It falls within UAE Corporate Tax like any company incorporated in the UAE: it registers with the FTA and files an annual return. Whether tax is payable depends on the income and the structure, and we review both before recommending one.
A RAKEZ licence can be issued in 3–5 days once documents are complete. Visas and the bank account set the real schedule: about 7 days for visas and 2–4 weeks for the bank account. We give you dated steps once we know the details.
The licence stage runs remotely: you sign documents digitally or through a power of attorney. You travel once, for the visa medical and Emirates ID biometrics, and we fit the bank meeting into the same trip.
RAKEZ licenses most trading, service, e-commerce and industrial activities. Innovation City, formerly RAK Digital Assets Oasis, is set up for technology companies in AI, Web3, gaming and robotics. We match the zone to your activity.
For RAKEZ, a flexi-desk is enough for many packages, with a visa allowance set by the package. More visas need a larger facility: office, warehouse or land. A RAK mainland licence needs premises in the emirate with a tenancy contract registered with RAK Municipality. A RAK ICC company needs no premises.
For many service activities, yes: a RAKEZ company can invoice clients in Dubai and across the UAE. Selling goods into the UAE market is mainland business, done through a RAK mainland licence, a branch or a distributor.
RAKEZ itself does not currently require audited financial statements. However, any free zone company claiming 0% as a Qualifying Free Zone Person must have audited accounts. We prepare the books and arrange the audit with a RAKEZ-approved auditor.
What Comes Next
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Accounting & Bookkeeping
Monthly bookkeeping to IFRS standards, from your first invoice.
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VAT & Corporate Tax
Registration, returns, and FTA correspondence handled by a registered Tax Agent.
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Payroll & Compliance
WPS-compliant payroll, gratuity and HR documentation once you start hiring.
Ready to Set Up in Ras Al Khaimah?
Tell us your business activity, how many visas you need and where your customers are based. We will come back to you with a recommended jurisdiction, a suitable licence package and a written estimate of your first-year costs, with no obligation. If you prefer to meet in person, visit us at Explorer Business Hub, RAKEZ, and we will go through it together.