Offshore companies in JAFZA Offshore, RAK ICC and Ajman are built for holding structures, international trade and asset protection: no UAE office, no visas, no local trading. They are powerful where they fit, and a mistake where they do not. Cressford Chartered Accountants sets the structure up correctly, through a registered agent, with the tax and compliance realities explained honestly in writing before commitment, not a tax-free sales pitch.
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A UAE offshore company is a non-resident entity: registered in the UAE but designed to operate outside it. It cannot trade in the UAE market, rent an office under its own name, or sponsor visas. What it does well:
Owning shares in UAE and international subsidiaries under one clean parent.
Holding Dubai freehold property, in designated areas, with Land Department approval.
Invoicing and trading outside the UAE.
Ring-fencing assets and holding intellectual property.
Structuring ownership for estate and inheritance purposes.
The UAE has three offshore registries. They do similar things at different price points and reputations; the right one depends on the objective:
What is actually true today, not the sales-pitch version:
A UAE offshore company is a resident juridical person and within the scope of corporate tax. A 0% outcome is often achievable, because it earns no UAE-source income, sits under the AED 375,000 band, or its holding income is exempt, but that is a conclusion from analysis, not an automatic status.
Even at an effective 0%, offshore companies must register with the FTA; companies formed after 1 March 2024, within three months of incorporation. Missing it carries an AED 10,000 penalty.
Dividends and capital gains from qualifying shareholdings can fall under the participation exemption, with the conditions properly met and documented.
Economic Substance annual reporting was abolished for financial years ending after 31 December 2022 (Cabinet Decision 98 of 2024), one burden fewer, though substance still matters under the corporate tax rules, and the 2019 to 2022 legacy obligations remain.
The specific position is put in writing before commitment.
Corporate Tax →Where the second list applies, that is said plainly, with a pointer to the right structure rather than a sale of the wrong one.
The tax and substance position is assessed before commitment, in writing, rather than a tax-free headline that does not survive scrutiny.
The structure is set up and its corporate tax, accounts and renewals then handled by the same firm, so it stays compliant, not merely incorporated.
Offshore rules changed between 2024 and 2026 (ESR, property, corporate tax). Advice is given on today's rules, not last year's.
Office 2514, DAMAC Smart Heights, Barsha Heights (Tecom), Dubai. Engagements conducted in person or fully remotely.
A free zone company is a UAE-resident operating business: office, visas, staff and, where structured correctly, a 0% qualifying tax rate. An offshore company is a non-resident entity for holding and international activity: no office, no visas, no UAE trading.
Not automatically. They are within the scope of UAE corporate tax and must register with the FTA. A 0% outcome is frequently achievable through analysis, no UAE-source income, the AED 375,000 band, or the participation exemption, but it is a conclusion, not a status.
Annual ESR reporting was abolished for financial years ending after 31 December 2022 under Cabinet Decision 98 of 2024. Legacy obligations for 2019 to 2022 remain, and substance still matters under the corporate tax rules.
Yes: JAFZA Offshore directly, and since 2024 RAK ICC through a free-zone commercial licence, in designated areas with Land Department approval. Ajman Offshore generally cannot.
JAFZA for prestige, direct Dubai property and banking strength; RAK ICC for cost-efficient holding and asset protection, now with a Dubai property route; Ajman for the lowest-cost holding structures. The recommendation follows the objective.
No. Offshore companies cannot sponsor visas. Where residence is needed, a free zone or mainland company is the right structure.
Sometimes. Offshore banking is selective, and feasibility depends on the structure, the activity and the beneficial owners. An honest assessment is given before incorporation, not after.
Honest advice on whether offshore fits, then a clean setup for a fixed fee.