Offshore Company Formation in Dubai

BridgeWest offers full offshore company formation in Dubai. Investors can rely on our team for other services suitable for companies, such as opening representative offices, establishing branches or subsidiaries, and starting an NGO. We also provide accounting services, legal consultancy, tax planning, and tax minimization strategies. We offer the same types of services for onshore incorporation.

Offshore incorporation

Offshore incorporation refers to the setup of a company in Dubai, which is established for the purpose of carrying out business activities outside the UAE, not with Dubai residents(individuals and companies). Our services cover the registration process, the selection of a legal entity, tax registration, finding a suitable office, and many others. This emirateis considered a tax haven by a lot of foreign investors, especially by the ones willing to open offshore companies in Dubai free zones.
The main advantages of opening an offshore company in Dubai free zones are the following:

there is no personal income tax, the corporate tax is 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000 (qualifying free zone income can be taxed at 0%), and the VAT is charged at a rate of only 5% (exemptions are granted for oil producers, education, or health providers);
privacy is protected (the beneficial owner register is not public, but it must be kept and disclosed to the authorities);
there is no obligation to deposit the capital in a bank;
foreign ownership is allowed 100%;
there is no minimum share capital required in the free zones, and just a small amount of money when investing in Ras Al Khaimah.

Accounts are not filed publicly, but offshore companies must register for UAE corporate tax and keep financial records. These accounts are only presented to the shareholders.

Steps for company formation in Dubai

An offshore company is a type of company opened in Dubai by foreign entrepreneurs, with most of its business carried out outside the country where it is incorporated. The two main offshore registries are RAK ICC, in the separate emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, and JAFZA Offshore, in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone. The regulations for opening offshore companies are slightly different but not significantly.

In order to incorporate an offshore company in Dubai, the following easy steps must be considered. The name of an offshore company has to be chosen and reserved. This name cannot contain the words: Insurance, Re-insurance, or Banking in its composition. Any name of the offshore company must contain the termination ‘’Ltd.” or “Limited”.
Then, investors must submit the company registration application to the offshore registry (JAFZA Offshore or RAK ICC), and register documents and information at the Registrar, such as:

the name and address of the offshore company;
the type of business;
the name and address of the founders;
the amount of share capital;
the articles of association;
any other document the Registrar may ask.

After the registration, the company receives a certificate of registration and an identification number. Also, in the UAE, licenses are needed for performing commercial activities. There are three types of licenses: commercial, professional or industrial, obtained (for mainland companies) from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).

A bank account needs to be opened after receiving the certificate of registration. There is no minimum share capital requested at registration in the free zone; the company can choose its own authorized capital.

For companies opened in Ras Al Khaimah, a minimum share capital of AED 1,000 is required. An offshore company can be incorporated in Dubai in approximately 1 week.

Requirements for offshore company formation in Dubai

An offshore company in Dubai can be formed by at least one shareholder and can have a maximum of 50 members. This type of company must be managed by at least two directors and a secretary. Their names are kept in the register of directors from the Dubai Registration Office, but their details are not available to the public. It’s not mandatory for the general meetings of the offshore company to take place in Dubai. As a rule, any offshore company must have a local registered agent, approved by the Dubai Registration Office and the local authorities.

Services provided for Dubai company incorporation

Our consultants can assist in drafting the Articles of Association (necessary for company incorporation in Dubai). The Articles of Association of the Dubai company can be signed through a Power of Attorney. Investors can rely on us for drafting all other documents required for the incorporation of the Dubai company. These documents include: specimen signatures, special forms provided by the Company Registration Office in Dubai, passport copies etc.

We can also assist in offering a local registered agent and in setting up a bank account for your Dubai company.

Why open a company in the JAFZA free zone?

One of the ways to invest in Dubai is by setting up a company in the JAFZA free zone. JAFZA is the acronym for Jebel Ali Free Zone, where investors can benefit from the following advantages:

investors can initiate the procedure for offshore incorporation in this free zone, as per the rules of the JAFZA Offshore Companies Regulations 2018;
a company can be set up by 1 shareholder;
the company must have 2 directors and 1 secretary (one of the directors can act as a company secretary as well);
the legal entity can be established with 100% foreign ownership;
it is also necessary to keep the company’s accounts for a period of 10 years.

Similar conditions for the registration of a company are available in other Dubai free zones, but there are small differences.

Important aspects for offshore company setup in Dubai

The process of offshore company formation in Dubai can be completed in approximately 1 week. However, the registration procedures in its free zones may vary greatly, from 1 to 4 weeks. It is advised to address our consultants to be sure of the required amount of time applicable in the free zone that you prefer.

In numerous countries, foreign investors do not have to personally arrive in the respective jurisdictions for the incorporation of a legal entity, as this can be done through legal representation. This rule is also available in Dubai and in most of its free zones, but an exemption from this rule is applied in JAFZA, where investors need to personally sign the incorporation documents.

A local company must also have a registered address in this country, as well as a local bank account (for this, investors can open an offshore bank account).

Dubai key facts

The law that governs the actions of an offshore company in Dubai is the regulations of its offshore registry (e.g. the JAFZA Offshore Companies Regulations 2018); mainland companies are governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 (the Commercial Companies Law).

For an entrepreneur willing to live and work in Dubai, it’s better to open a company, but for investors who don’t want a permanent residence here, it’s preferable to open offshore companies.

Investors willing to open a limited liability company in Dubai must know that now they can set up a company with 100% foreign ownership, unlike in the past, when it was required to have 51% of the shareholders as UAE citizens.

This is now possible as per the latest governmental amendments, regulated under the Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020 (information presented by the Official Portal of the UAE Government).
Another reason to invest here is that the limited liability company in Dubai no longer requires a minimum share capital, according to the Ministry of Economy (in the past, the capital was AED 300,000). The free zones of Dubai are different zones where foreign ownership restrictions do not apply and qualifying income can benefit from a 0% corporate tax rate.
The most well-known free zones are: Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Airport Free Zone, Dubai Aid and Humanitarian City, Dubai Internet City, and Dubai Media City. The UAE has signed double tax treaties with 143 countries.
In Dubai, there are not many personal taxes; for example, there is only a 5% tax on entertainment and hotel services and a 5% residential tax. The investors are also attracted by the advantageous tax system and the cheap workforce.

Enjoying the benefits when opening an offshore company in Dubai

Setting up an offshore company in Dubai is highly beneficial for international investors. In 2025, the majority of foreign investors came from India and owned most offshore companies in Dubai, with almost 20% of total real estate offshore. Here are some other interesting facts:

having no withholding tax and a low 9% corporate tax rate is one of the solid reasons why Dubai is ideal for offshore company formation;
the fact that it can operate in multiple currencies at advantageous rates is another solid business benefit of offshore company owners;
an offshore company in Dubai is allowed to repatriate profits without taxation;
there is no need for a physical office to open an offshore company in the UAE. It is sufficient to have a registered agent in charge of various administrative & business tasks;
Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), a separate emirate, hosts one of the most appreciated offshore registries in the UAE (RAK ICC). It is known that RAK is more cost-effective for international companies;
opening an offshore company in the UAE and especially in Dubai’s appealing free trade zones is the ideal option for entrepreneurs who want to conduct their business outside this country;
privacy is important in the business climate in the UAE and anywhere in the world. Specifically in Dubai, offshore firms enjoy complete privacy, meaning that ownership information is protected. However, financial details are at the disposal of local tax authorities;
the administration of offshore companies in Dubai is not complicated. This means that reporting is easy compared to other jurisdictions. Even so, such companies must respect their business obligations;
offshore companies are easily approved in Dubai. However, it is important to pay attention to the due diligence of local banks;
setting up an offshore company in the UAE is beneficial for entrepreneurs looking for asset protection. In most cases, such business entities are used as holding vehicles for international assets, investment funds, shares, etc.

About the Dubai economy in a few lines

If you want to start an offshore company in Dubai, it is good to know a little about the economic direction of the country:

About 5.3% was the economic growth of Dubai in Q3 of 2025.
Over USD 96 billion was the GDP value in the first 9 months of 2025.
The construction sector in Dubai grew by almost 8.5% in the first three quarters of 2025. The sector contributed about 6.7% of GDP.

Bridgewest provides company setup services in Dubai. Please contact us for more information and prices. If you need legal services in Dubai, you may talk to our local lawyers.