Register a company in RAK Maritime City

RMC does not say, and it describes no online channel. Some steps work from abroad: foreign corporate shareholders legalise their documents up to the UAE Embassy, and MoA deeds may be signed before RMC staff, notarised in the UAE or legalised up to the UAE Embassy. RMC's checklist also asks for visa and Emirates ID copies of the manager and directors, so for a founder without UAE residence we confirm with RMC what it accepts instead. A residence visa means a medical test and an Emirates ID application in the UAE.

Our registration work starts from $2,900; with a UAE bank account set up, from $5,400. Zone fees come on top: the zone publishes no price list, so we quote its fees for your case. The only RMC set-up amounts we found sit in the Ministry's 2021 registrar profile. They are not confirmed as current, so we do not use them. We found no published Musataha land rates either. At renewal RMC charges its own fees plus an immigration file renewal fee, and cargo through the port pays RAK Ports charges, such as the RMC outbound logistics charge of AED 2.25 per MT/FRT in the 2026 tariff.

RMC belongs to RAK Ports, which runs Saqr Port; the 2026 port tariff lists RAK Maritime City FZA among the RAK Ports entities. Applications go to the RAK Maritime City Free Zone Authority, and RAK Ports describes the land as suited to the industrial and manufacturing sectors. The federal u.ae list of Ras Al Khaimah free zones, updated in May 2026, names RAKEZ and Innovation City but not RMC, which is on the Ministry of Economy and Tourism's 2021 registrar list. We confirm RMC's current terms with the authority before you commit.

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. The federal qualifying list includes manufacturing and processing of goods, ownership and operation of ships, and logistics services, but repair, maintenance or contracting fees from customers outside free zones count as non-qualifying revenue. Once non-qualifying revenue passes 5% of the total or AED 5,000,000, whichever is lower, the status goes for that period and the next four. The status also needs adequate substance, transfer pricing compliance and audited financial statements. VAT is 5%, withholding tax is 0% and there is no personal income tax.

Not on the free zone licence alone. Federal rules send mainland business through a licensed mainland distributor or a mainland branch or company, and RMC publishes no rules of its own on this, so we confirm the route for your activity before you sign. Goods moved into the mainland market become subject to customs duty, generally 5% of the CIF value, and a QFZP's mainland branch income is taxed at 9%.

RMC's 2026 guidelines list the steps but give no times. The licence comes after the document review, the immigration approval, the fees and the signing of the Musataha contract, MOA and sponsorship agreement; the NOC from EPDA, the Civil Defence certificate and any other approvals follow it. Plan time for legalising foreign company papers up to the UAE Embassy, and for any extra documents, which RMC reserves the right to request. We set the timeline in your quote once RMC confirms it; corporate tax registration is due within three months of incorporation.

You can apply, and the bank decides. Each UAE bank or EMI sets its own criteria and timeline. Expect questions on the business plan, contracts and source of funds; RMC itself asks every applicant for a source of wealth declaration. Our Company + Bank Account package covers the shortlist, the KYC file and the bank meeting, in person or by video where the bank allows, and we tell you where the application stands.

RMC does not publish a visa quota, so we confirm the number for your project. Immigration approval is part of registration and is processed by RMC, and the company signs a sponsorship agreement. Adding an individual shareholder or changing the manager needs RAK Immigration pre-approval. Each visa applicant aged 18 or over takes a medical test and applies for an Emirates ID; sponsored visas run for 1, 2 or 3 years and lapse after more than 180 days outside the UAE in a row, with some exceptions.

RMC publishes no office or warehouse product, and its registration steps include a Musataha contract, a long-term land-use right signed with the MOA and the sponsorship agreement. The land offer is 4 million sq m immediately available, plot sizes set to the project and several hundred metres of quay wall; rates are not published. If all you need is a desk, RAKEZ in the same emirate sells coworking packages, and we will tell you so before you pay.

The licence renewal file: a request letter signed and stamped by the manager, an audited financial report, the UBO and source of wealth declarations, medical insurance for all employees, property all risk, third-party liability and workmen's compensation insurance, and certificates from RAK Civil Defence (fire safety), EPDA and RAK Police (cameras). A corporate shareholder adds a good standing certificate where applicable. RMC charges renewal fees and an immigration file renewal fee. On the federal side, the corporate tax return and payment are due within nine months of year-end.