RAKEZ Free Zone Business Setup in Ras Al Khaimah

RAKEZ Company Formation Made Simple

Looking to start a company in the UAE without paying Dubai prices?

RAKEZ — the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone — is one of the most affordable and fastest-growing free zones in the country. If you want a legitimate UAE licence, a real address, and a clear path to residency without the overhead of a Dubai postcode, RAKEZ is worth a serious look.

Zounder helps you set up your RAKEZ Free Zone company with a fully guided process — from licence to visa to bank account.

RAKEZ Company Formation • RAKEZ Business Licence • RAKEZ Visa • RAKEZ Bank Account • RAKEZ Company Setup

Start your RAKEZ company formation today.

What Is RAKEZ Free Zone?

RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone) is a government-backed free zone in Ras Al Khaimah, formed in 2017 through the merger of the RAK Free Trade Zone and the RAK Investment Authority.

Today, RAKEZ is home to more than 23,000 companies from over 100 countries, operating across 50+ industries including trading, manufacturing, e-commerce, media, education, and professional services.

What makes RAKEZ different from many other UAE free zones:

• It is one of the few zones that publishes its own pricing — no hidden quotes, no agent markups on the base fee

• It offers real industrial land, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities, not just virtual offices

• It supports both free zone and non-free zone (mainland) licensing within the same ecosystem

• 100% foreign ownership with no local sponsor required

• 0% personal income tax and access to 0% corporate tax on qualifying income

RAKEZ is about 45 minutes from Dubai, close to Saqr Port and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, and often 30% to 50% cheaper to set up and renew than Dubai-based free zones.

Learn more about UAE free zone company formation.

Why Choose RAKEZ Free Zone?

• Lowest-cost UAE licence once you add a visa — RAKEZ's one-visa package at AED 12,010 is the cheapest in the UAE, below Ajman, SHAMS, and every Dubai zone

• Real industrial infrastructure — warehouses from AED 15,000/year and industrial land for manufacturing

• Fast setup — licences issued in 3–7 business days; some packages in as little as 24 hours

• 100% foreign ownership — no local sponsor or UAE national partner required

• No minimum share capital for most activities

• 0% personal income tax and full profit repatriation

• Scalable visa quota — from 1 to 200+ visas depending on your facility size

• Wide activity range — 4,000+ approved activities across 50+ sectors

• Remote incorporation — complete initial setup from anywhere in the world

• Dedicated Freelancer Permit — a lighter, cheaper route for solo professionals

RAKEZ Licence Cost 2026 — Full Breakdown

RAKEZ is one of the few UAE free zones that publishes a straight, public price list. Here are the current government fees:

Licence Packages

• Zero-visa licence: AED 6,010

• Licence + 1 residence visa: AED 12,010

• Licence + 2 residence visas: AED 18,010

• Licence + 3 residence visas: AED 22,010

Additional Costs to Budget For

• Establishment card: included in visa packages

• Health insurance (mandatory for visa holders): AED 2,500–5,000 per visa holder

• Flexi-desk: bundled into standard packages

• Warehouse or industrial unit: from AED 15,000/year (quoted on requirement)

• Accounting and compliance support: from AED 8,000/year

Realistic Year 1 Total for a Solo Founder: AED 14,535 for zero-visa; AED 26,035–28,535 for one-visa, including accounting support and health insurance

Minimum Share Capital: No minimum for most activities

Key Insight: That one-visa figure of AED 12,010 in government fees is the lowest in the UAE — about AED 1,130 below Ajman and AED 5,690 below IFZA in Dubai.

Get your personalised RAKEZ licence cost quote from Zounder.

RAKEZ Company Setup Process — Step by Step

Zounder makes RAKEZ company setup simple, for founders in the UAE and internationally:

1. Choose your business zone — RAKEZ has Academic Zone, Business Zone, Industrial Zone, and Innovation Zone

2. Select company type — Free Zone Establishment (FZE) for a single shareholder, or Free Zone Company (FZC) for two to fifty shareholders

3. Apply online — submit on the RAKEZ portal; processing begins within 24 hours

4. Choose your facility — virtual office (from AED 1,200/year), smart desk, standard office, or warehouse (from AED 15,000/year)

5. Pay licence fee — from AED 6,010 for zero-visa; from AED 12,010 for a 1-visa bundle

6. Receive trade licence — issued within 3–7 business days of full document submission

7. Apply for investor/employee visas — each visa costs AED 3,000–4,500 including medical, Emirates ID, and stamping

8. Open a UAE bank account — RAKEZ licence accepted at Mashreq, Emirates NBD, RAK Bank, and other UAE banks

Timeline: 3–7 business days for the licence; 4–6 weeks for full setup with visa

RAKEZ Visa — UAE Residence Visa Support

A RAKEZ visa gives you the right to live and work in the UAE. Zounder helps with:

• Shareholder/partner visa — self-sponsored through your RAKEZ company

• Employee visa — for staff hired under your RAKEZ entity

• Family dependant visa — spouse and children

• Emirates ID — mandatory for all UAE residents

• Medical fitness test — required for visa stamping

• Visa quota guidance — scalable from 1 to 200+ visas

RAKEZ offers one of the most streamlined investor visa processes among UAE free zones, with online portal processing end-to-end.

RAKEZ visa cost: AED 3,500–5,500 per visa for 2 or 3-year validity, plus health insurance (AED 2,500–5,000) and Emirates ID costs.

Processing time: 2–3 weeks when documents are complete on day one.

Visa eligibility, quota, and costs depend on your licence package and current UAE rules.

See our UAE visa services or RAKEZ visa page.

RAKEZ Bank Account — Corporate Banking Support

Opening a UAE corporate bank account is essential for receiving payments, paying suppliers, and building credibility.

Zounder supports your RAKEZ bank account application with:

• Bank selection guidance — RAK Bank, Mashreq, Emirates NBD, and more

• Document preparation — passports, trade licence, MOA, lease agreement

• KYC and compliance support

• Coordination with the bank

• Remote application support where the bank allows

RAKEZ has made bank account opening genuinely simple. RAKBANK has a Quick Apply digital kiosk inside the RAKEZ service centre in Al Hamra — you can complete your application on the spot without visiting a bank branch.

RAKEZ also has an MoU with Al Maryah Community Bank (Mbank), allowing RAKEZ companies to open a fully digital business account in six steps, in under 48 hours, with zero minimum balance and zero monthly fees.

Bank approval is always subject to the bank's own KYC, compliance, and business profile checks.

RAKEZ Company Setup from India — Complete Guide

Setting up a RAKEZ company from India is fully possible with a guided process.

Documents Required for Indian Founders:

• Passport copy (6+ months validity)

• Passport-size photograph

• Address proof (Aadhaar, bank statement, or utility bill)

• Business activity details

• Name options (3–5 alternatives)

• KYC and application forms

India-Specific Considerations:

• FEMA / ODI compliance — Indian residents investing abroad must file Form ODI through their bank

• DTAA benefits — India–UAE tax treaty reduces withholding taxes

• POEM risk — if management stays in India, the company could be treated as Indian tax resident

• Document attestation — corporate shareholder documents must be attested by Indian Notary, MEA, and UAE Embassy

India led the list of top investor nationalities at RAKEZ, accounting for 43% of new registrations in H1 2025.

Zounder helps Indian founders manage time zones, documentation, and UAE formalities smoothly.

Visit our company setup from India or RAKEZ setup from India page.

RAKEZ Licence Types — Complete Guide

RAKEZ offers multiple licence categories to suit different business needs:

Commercial Licence — for trading, import/export, wholesale and retail trading, general trading, and e-commerce activities.

Service Licence — for management consultancy, software development, IT services, legal and accounting advisory.

Professional Licence — for professionals providing consultancy, management, or IT services.

Industrial Licence — for manufacturing, assembly, packaging, and production activities. This is where RAKEZ really stands out from other low-cost zones.

Media and Education Licence — dedicated categories for media production, education, and training businesses.

Freelancer Permit — a lighter, cheaper route for individual professionals working solo. If you're a solo consultant, this is often the smarter starting point than a full company licence.

Branch Registration — for companies already registered outside the UAE.

Business Activities in RAKEZ

RAKEZ formally permits more than 4,000 approved activities across 50+ sectors — one of the widest ranges of any UAE free zone.

Key sectors include:

• General Trading

• E-Commerce

• Manufacturing & Industrial Production

• Logistics & Warehousing

• Media & Education

• Professional Consultancy

• IT & Technology Services

• Marketing & Commercial Brokerage

• Document Clearing & Building Maintenance

The most prominent business activities registered in 2025 were general trading, e-commerce, project management consultancies, IT, marketing, and commercial brokerage.

RAKEZ welcomed close to 19,000 new companies in 2025 — a 44% rise on the previous year — taking its total community past 40,000 companies from more than 100 countries.

RAKEZ Corporate Tax — What You Need to Know

The UAE's standard corporate tax rate is 9%. However, RAKEZ companies can access a 0% rate on Qualifying Income by meeting Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) conditions.

What Counts as Qualifying Income for the 0% Rate:

• Services provided to clients outside the UAE

• Services provided to clients based in other UAE Free Zones

• Certain regulated activities within the same Free Zone

• Passive income from Free Zone entities, such as dividends or capital gains

When the Standard 9% Rate Applies:

• Income from clients in mainland UAE

• Activities not recognized under the Qualifying Income rules

• Work that does not match your licensed activities

• Structures that do not meet Free Zone substance requirements

Real-World Example: A consultancy in RAKEZ that works with clients in Europe would generally fall under Qualifying Income. However, if that same company starts billing mainland UAE clients without updating its licence, that revenue would normally fall under the 9% rate.

RAKEZ companies must maintain operational substance within the free zone, including audited financials and de minimis monitoring.

Always consult a tax advisor for your specific situation.

Ready to Start Your RAKEZ Company?

Zounder makes RAKEZ company formation in Ras Al Khaimah simple for founders in the UAE and around the world.

Get expert help with:

• RAKEZ Company Formation

• RAKEZ Licence Cost & Packages

• RAKEZ Visa & Emirates ID

• RAKEZ Bank Account Opening

• RAKEZ Company Setup from India

Talk to Zounder today for a tailored RAKEZ setup quote.

RAKEZ licence cost starts from AED 6,010 for a zero-visa package, or AED 12,010 with one residence visa. That one-visa figure is the lowest in the UAE — about AED 1,130 below Ajman and AED 5,690 below IFZA in Dubai.