Register a company in Innovation City

For the company, yes. The zone's primary channel is the online application: you apply, track and manage everything online, and the licence is issued digitally once approved and paid. You can also walk in to the HQ concierge team in Ras Al Khaimah. Visas are where travel starts: a residence visa follows the federal steps of entry, a medical test for applicants aged 18 and over, a security check and the Emirates ID. Corporate shareholders should also allow time to attest their documents in the country where they are registered.

Our registration work starts from $2,900; with a UAE bank account set up, from $5,400. Zone fees come on top: Innovation City publishes packages starting from AED 6,600 a year (Idea, no visa), AED 13,200 (Seed, one visa), AED 15,400 (Startup) and AED 22,550 (Growth, dedicated desk). The price page does not say whether VAT or government fees are included, so we confirm the live figures in your quote. A dependent visa costs AED 4,000 per applicant, plus an AED 3,205 deposit where the sponsor holds an investor or partner visa; renewal and extra-visa prices are not published.

Not on the zone licence alone. Innovation City says any activity within the regulatory mandate of the CMA, the federal Capital Market Authority, must be submitted to the CMA and cannot be undertaken until the entity holds the CMA's full licence or approval. The zone's legislation page lists the federal virtual-asset rules: Cabinet Resolution No. (111) of 2022 on virtual assets and their service providers, decisions of 2023 and 2026 on virtual asset platform operators and service providers, and the Central Bank's Payment Token Services Regulation. The zone does not publish which of its activities fall under the CMA, or whether a virtual-asset service provider can be licensed in the zone, so we confirm the route for your model before you pay any fee. Blockchain development and protocol infrastructure are on the zone's own list of Web3 activities.

Yes. Innovation City is the new name of Ras Al Khaimah Digital Assets Oasis (RAK DAO); the zone's news page describes the transition, and rakdao.com redirects to innovationcity.com. The two descriptions differ, though. On the Ras Al Khaimah government portal, the RAK DAO entry called it a common law free zone dedicated to digital and virtual assets companies. The zone now calls itself a commercial free zone focused on innovation and technology, with a sector list that runs from AI and Web3 to gaming, robotics and health tech. We work from its current rules: the Companies Regulations 2023 and the DAO Association Regulations 2024.

No. Federal corporate tax applies: 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above. A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on qualifying income and 9% on the rest, and for a tech company the test turns on who pays. Income from other free zone persons qualifies unless the activity is excluded. Income from mainland or foreign customers is non-qualifying revenue unless it comes from a listed activity such as manufacturing, holding shares or logistics, and the list has no general software or consulting entry; income from qualifying intellectual property is a separate category we check case by case. Sales to individuals are excluded activities. If non-qualifying revenue passes 5% of the total or AED 5,000,000, whichever is lower, the status is lost for that period and the next four. The zone's pages make no statement on QFZP status. There is no personal income tax, and VAT is 5%.

Innovation City quotes as little as 5-10 working days from first inquiry to licence, and says standard activities are typically approved within days. Its review covers activity fit, KYC and due diligence, compliance and the documents, and the licence is issued digitally once the application is approved and the fees are paid. Those are best cases. Custom activities and anything near the CMA's mandate are timed case by case, and we confirm the timing in your quote. After the licence come visas and the bank account; corporate tax registration is due within three months of incorporation.

Yes, but the bank has the final word. Innovation City says its team supports clients through to opening the corporate bank account and lists banking support among its post-licence services, but it names no banks and no conditions. Each UAE bank or EMI sets its own criteria and timeline. Expect questions on the business plan, contracts and source of funds, and possibly a meeting with the signatories. The regulations also route share capital into a UAE bank account unless the Authority approves otherwise. Our Company + Bank Account package covers the shortlist, the KYC file and the meeting.

Idea includes none. Seed includes one, and one is also its cap. Startup and Growth each include one, with a cap of four. Additional visas, premium activities and premium office space are upgradeable extras, and the zone does not publish their prices. A dependent visa costs AED 4,000 per applicant, covering the sponsor file opening and the visa process, plus a deposit of AED 3,205 per applicant if the sponsor holds an investor or partner visa. Any residence visa lapses if the holder stays outside the UAE for more than 180 days in a row, with some exceptions.

Only through an intermediary or a mainland entity. Under the federal rule, a free zone company reaches the mainland market through a licensed mainland distributor or by setting up a mainland branch or company. Innovation City publishes no mainland or dual-licence option, so we check the route for your activity before you sign. Income from a mainland branch is taxed at 9%, not at the free zone rate.

The licence is renewed with an annual return, an updated client confirmation letter and fresh copies of any expired KYC documents; the zone does not publish the renewal fee or late penalties. Every year the company holds an AGM, with no more than 15 months between meetings, and its accounts are prepared, audited and laid before the AGM within six months of year-end. The Authority can waive audits through implementing regulations, but no threshold is published. Registers of shareholders, officers and beneficial owners are kept up to date, and the corporate tax return and payment are due within nine months after the tax period ends.