Offshore company setup

What is a representative office of a foreign company?

For a foreign company to operate in the UAE they have two company setup options Start a Branch office to commence its trade activities in the country Start a Representative office as a marketing division of the parent company. The difference is that the Branch office can operate the same as the parent company whereas the Representative office can only be used for business promotion with a limited number of employees.

What are the benefits of opening a representative office?

An offshore company formation in Dubai follows pretty much the same steps as other company setups with processes like registering trade names, applying for approval, routine document verification, and opening bank accounts and office space.

What are the characteristics of an offshore company?
  • 100% ownership option to foreign investors
  • Flexibility to own a bank account
  • Business privacy is strictly maintained
  • 0% corporate tax
  • 0% personal tax
  • Only 5% is the minimum charge for imports
How is a representative office set up in UAE?

The setting up of a representative office goes through a set of formalities and paper works. Fimkin simplifies this whole process for you and helps you to find an apt location and trustable local agents for the same.

For a Representative office to start operating in the UAE, the Ministry of Economy and the Department of Economic Development must approve the branch office/representative office activities before it is issued a license to operate. This office must then be registered on the Registry of Foreign Companies at the MOE soon after. Depending upon the specific activities, there may be involvement from the Ministry of Finance and/or other federal departments.