- →
-
Contact Form
-
When you need a UAE company that can sign a contract this week, a ready-made shelf company, an off-the-shelf Free Zone Company (FZE / FZCO) or Mainland LLC, is the fastest legal route into the Middle East’s premier business hub. ShelfCompanies24 maintains a live inventory of clean, never-traded UAE entities registered in the major Free Zones (DMCC, JAFZA, RAKEZ, IFZA, ADGM, DIFC) and the Mainland (DED), with paid-up share capital, valid trade licence, and clean Federal Tax Authority (FTA) record. Most transfers complete in 3 to 7 working days.
The UAE introduced federal corporate income tax in June 2023 at a standard rate of 9% on income above AED 375,000 (≈ US$102,000). Free Zones offering 0% CIT for Qualifying Free Zone Persons (QFZPs) remain a structural advantage for international clients meeting the qualifying-income criteria. Combined with no personal income tax, AED currency stability (pegged to USD since 1997), 80+ double-tax treaties, and gateway access to MENA + South Asia, the UAE is the structural choice for international holding, trading, IP-licensing and Middle-East/Asia corridor operations.
Our service covers UAE entity, Free Zone or DED filings, trade licence, registered address.
Off-the-shelf FZE/FZCO/LLC + virtual office + UAE banking introduction + visa-eligibility assessment bundled.
Most transfers within 3 to 7 working days. English/Arabic-speaking case manager.
UAE transfers can largely be executed remotely via UAE consulates or via attorney-in-fact.
We file Free Zone authority change-of-shareholder applications, trade-licence amendments, Beneficial Ownership Register updates, and FTA notifications.
A UAE off-the-shelf company is a Free Zone Company or Mainland LLC incorporated by a service provider purely to be transferred. From incorporation to sale, the company has:
| Feature | Free Zone (FZE / FZCO) | Mainland LLC | Offshore (RAK ICC, JAFZA Offshore, etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIT | 0% on Qualifying Income (QFZP), 9% on non-qualifying | 9% above AED 375,000 | 0% (offshore, no UAE business) |
| Foreign ownership | 100% | 100% (since 2021 reform, was 49% historically) | 100% |
| UAE market access | Limited (Free Zone-to-Free Zone or international; mainland trading restricted) | Full UAE market access | None, cannot operate in UAE |
| Best fit | ~70%, international trade, services, IP-licensing | UAE market operations | Pure offshore holding |
Free Zone companies that qualify as QFZPs (Qualifying Free Zone Persons) under the UAE Corporate Tax Law continue to enjoy 0% CIT on Qualifying Income. Qualifying Income includes income from transactions with Free Zone Persons, qualifying activities, and certain international trading. Non-qualifying income is taxed at 9%.
The UAE has 50+ Free Zones, each with sector specialisations. Key zones: DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, commodities, trade, fintech), JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone, logistics, manufacturing), RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, cost-effective, broad-purpose), IFZA (International Free Zone Authority, Dubai-based, broad-purpose), ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market, financial services, English common law), DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre, financial services, English common law).
A new UAE Free Zone company takes 1 to 4 weeks (varies by zone); a ready-made FZE/FZCO transfers in 3 to 7 working days.
Emirates NBD, ADCB, Mashreq, ENBD, RAKBANK, ADIB (Islamic), HSBC UAE, Standard Chartered UAE all serve corporate clients. Some Free Zones have preferred banking partners with simplified onboarding.
UAE Free Zone and Mainland LLC ownership generally entitles the owner to a UAE residence visa (typically 2-year renewable, with options for Golden Visa for qualifying investors). Visa eligibility is a major value driver for clients seeking UAE residency.
Our UAE stock sits mostly in Dubai, at DMCC and IFZA, with entities also held at RAKEZ in Ras Al Khaimah, at JAFZA, and at ADGM and DIFC where an English-common-law framework is needed, alongside mainland LLCs registered with the emirates’ Departments of Economic Development. What you buy in each case is an entity that already holds a valid trade licence, paid-up share capital and a clean Federal Tax Authority record, which is why a ready made company in Dubai transfers in 3 to 7 working days while a new free zone company takes 1 to 4 weeks. The choice between zones is the same one you would make for a new formation: the activity you intend to carry on decides the zone, and the zone decides the licence. The seven steps below are the whole transfer, and we run all of them.
Live inventory: UAE entities of various ages registered in DMCC (most), IFZA, RAKEZ, JAFZA, ADGM, DIFC, plus Mainland LLCs registered with various Emirates’ DEDs.
UAE AML rules under Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018 are rigorous. Comprehensive KYC including apostilled passport copies, source-of-funds documentation, business-purpose dossier.
Share-transfer agreements drafted in English (or bilingual English-Arabic). Free Zone authority approval required for shareholder change. Mainland LLCs require similar approval from the relevant Emirate’s DED.
Outgoing managers resign; incoming managers appointed. Filed with the Free Zone authority or DED.
Trade licence amendments, name, business activities, registered address, filed with the Free Zone authority.
The United Arab Emirates requires a beneficial owner register but does not publish it. Under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023 every mainland and free zone company keeps a register of beneficial owners and a register of partners or shareholders, and files them with its licensing authority. The threshold is 25% of the capital or voting rights, or control by other means. The data stays confidential and reaches competent authorities on request. DIFC and ADGM operate separate regimes that are equally private.
FTA tax registration updated for change of beneficial owner.
More searches for UAE company formation come from the United States than from the UAE itself, with the United Kingdom, Germany, India and France close behind, and buyers in all of them complete the purchase without travelling. Share-transfer documents are executed at a UAE consulate, by qualified electronic signature where the zone accepts it, or through an attorney-in-fact who signs in the emirate for you. Passport copies and proof of address are apostilled at home, and the KYC pack carries source-of-funds documentation and a business-purpose dossier, as UAE AML rules under Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018 require. If you are in the United States, allow the extra days for apostille and courier rather than for the transfer itself.
| Tax | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CIT, standard | 9% above AED 375,000 profit | 0% on first AED 375,000 |
| CIT, Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) | 0% on Qualifying Income | 9% on non-qualifying income |
| VAT | 5% | Mandatory above AED 375,000 turnover |
| Personal income tax | 0% | No PIT in the UAE |
| Withholding tax on dividends | 0% | No withholding |
| Pillar Two QDMTT | 15% effective for in-scope MNEs | Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax for multinationals > €750m revenue |
| Economic Substance Regulations | Compliance for relevant activities | Free Zone and Mainland entities subject |
An off the shelf company in the UAE is worth exactly what its licence and its filing record say, so check both before signing. The trade licence shows the licensing authority, the licence number, the permitted activities, the registered address and the expiry date, and it is the document a UAE bank and any serious counterparty will ask to see first. The licensing authorities provide public search of company status, so the incorporation date and the licence history of anything we offer can be verified independently rather than taken on trust. On top of that we document dormancy: annual licence renewals filed, nil corporate-tax returns with the FTA where applicable, no operational bank account beyond the share-capital deposit, no staff and no invoices issued. Ask for the licence and the renewal history before you commit, from us or from anyone else.
Most transfers complete in 3 to 7 working days from KYC sign-off. Selection and the AML check come first, then the share-transfer documents are executed and the free zone authority or the DED approves the change of shareholder, the outgoing manager resigns and yours is appointed, the trade licence is amended, the beneficial-ownership register is updated and the FTA is notified. Because the entity already holds its trade licence, nothing waits on a new licence application.
Qualifying Free Zone Person status enables 0% CIT on Qualifying Income (income from transactions with Free Zone Persons, qualifying activities listed in FTA guidance, and certain international trading). To qualify, the entity must maintain adequate substance in the Free Zone, derive only Qualifying Income or de minimis non-qualifying income, comply with transfer-pricing rules, and meet other regulatory requirements. Non-qualifying income is taxed at 9%. We assess QFZP eligibility per intended business model.
For commodities and trading: DMCC. For logistics and manufacturing: JAFZA. For cost-effective broad-purpose: RAKEZ or IFZA. For financial services with English common law: ADGM or DIFC. We map the right zone based on your business model.
Yes. UAE Free Zone and Mainland company ownership generally provides 2-year renewable residence visa eligibility. Qualifying investments may qualify for the 10-year Golden Visa. Visa processing is separate from formation and we coordinate with the Free Zone visa unit or General Directorate of Residency.
Usually not. Share-transfer documents are drafted in English or in bilingual English and Arabic, and they can be executed at a UAE consulate in your country, by qualified electronic signature where the zone accepts it, or through an attorney-in-fact who signs in the emirate on your behalf. Some free zones permit a fully remote change of ownership. The stage that can still require one visit is banking, where certain UAE banks want to meet a manager, and we confirm the position for your zone and your bank before you commit.
With a ready-made company, opening a business in the UAE is a transfer rather than a licensing exercise. You choose an entity from the live inventory, clear KYC and AML, sign the share-transfer documents, and the free zone authority or the emirate’s Department of Economic Development approves the change of shareholder. The manager is replaced, the trade licence is amended to your name and activities, the beneficial-ownership register is updated and the FTA is notified. Most transfers complete in 3 to 7 working days.
The company needs an e-commerce or trading activity on its trade licence, which makes the activity list the thing to check before you buy, since adding one later is a licence amendment. Free zones such as IFZA and RAKEZ license broad-purpose trading and DMCC suits commodities and trade. The second thing to line up is the bank, because card processing for online sales is accepted by some UAE banks and declined by others. Tell us at selection and we match the zone and the bank together.
0% on first AED 375,000 of profit. 9% above. QFZP Free Zone companies: 0% on Qualifying Income, 9% on non-qualifying. VAT 5% standard.
Want today’s UAE inventory? Contact our UAE desk, we maintain stock across DMCC, IFZA, RAKEZ, ADGM and DIFC.
United Arab Emirates is one of several jurisdictions where ShelfCompanies24 maintains pre-formed entities and active formation services. Why pick United Arab Emirates for your FZE specifically? Free zone 0%, mainland 9%, GCC base is the headline reason, but it pays to understand the trade-offs against the alternatives. Below are concrete differentiators that matter when you are weighing a structure decision against the actual operating profile of your business.
Cross-border corporate structuring in 2026 is governed by a tighter web of rules than in any previous decade. Three forces shape every decision:
For United Arab Emirates specifically: 9% federal CIT (since June 2023); 0% Free Zone QFZP regime (5 conditions to maintain); de minimis 5% / AED 5M.
Issues we routinely see when prospects come to us after attempting the process directly with local providers in United Arab Emirates:
Yes. A name change is filed with the DED/Free Zone via a directors’ resolution and a routine filing, typically clears in 48 hours. We include up to one name change as standard for both shelf-company purchase and new formation.
The United Arab Emirates is outside the EU and the EEA, so the EU directives never apply. What it does have is one of the widest networks anywhere: the Ministry of Finance reports 137 double taxation agreements concluded, most in force, covering almost every EU member state. These are full agreements, not information exchange agreements. Claiming under one normally needs a tax residency certificate from the Federal Tax Authority, and free zone companies taxed at nil on qualifying income can face questions about entitlement.
Client information is held under contractual non-disclosure plus the professional-secrecy obligations applicable to corporate-service providers in our home jurisdiction. We do not share client identity or transaction details with third parties beyond what is statutorily required (KYC reporting, beneficial-owner-register filings, AML/CTF reporting where triggered). Our internal access to client files is logged and access-restricted by need-to-know.
Material tax changes (rate moves, new minimum-tax regimes, treaty amendments) get communicated to active clients with our analysis of impact. Where the change is structural, for example the OECD Pillar Two implementation in United Arab Emirates or a domestic tax-base reform, we proactively flag clients whose structures may need restructuring and set out the remedial steps. The client is not left to discover material regulatory change from their accountant or from media reports.
No, and you should not engage anyone who claims otherwise. The Emirate Department of Economic Development (DED/Free Zone) records the actual incorporation date, which is publicly searchable and immutable. The shelf FZEs we offer have honest incorporation dates ranging from a few months to several years old; for buyers who want a longer corporate trading history, we recommend purchase rather than fabrication, since fabricated history would expose you to fraud, tax-evasion, and money-laundering charges in any reputable jurisdiction.
Engaging us for your UAE shelf FZE purchase covers the following deliverables under one service:
The deliverable scope is identical regardless of whether you are based in the EU, the US, the UK, the Middle East, or APAC, we operate the same service globally for UAE corporate setup. Optional add-ons (virtual office, accounting retainer, payroll, sector licences, transfer-pricing documentation) are scoped separately, so the incorporation or transfer work stays exactly as agreed.