What this area covers: IP company in the UAE
IP company is one of 6 parts of our “Company Formation” practice. It covers the full cycle from initial scoping to operational launch, run by a single named partner from our UAE practice.
What it is in the UAE: IP holding in a jurisdiction with a favourable tax regime.
How we handle IP company
The “IP company” project in the UAE is structured as a 4-stage process run by a single named partner.
Entities in 50+ jurisdictions — federal Canada, UAE Free Zones, UK, US, Estonia, Singapore, and offshore. The right entity type, the right jurisdiction, a bank account that opens on the first attempt.
The same desk that runs IP company handles your banking, bookkeeping, compliance and — where needed — your wind-down.INNOVA · Operating model
Why the UAE
The UAE is a strategic hub with a 9% corporate tax, Free Zone relief on qualifying income, and residency tied to the company structure. We work with every key zone, know the real banking onboarding timeline, and know how to avoid getting stuck on KYC requests.
A reliable regulatory environment
Banking ecosystem
Corporate tax 9% (0% on qualifying Free Zone income)
INNOVA represented on the ground
Why INNOVA
Operational differences that hold up on the 2nd, 5th and 10th project — not just at first impression.
One partner — the whole cycle
Registration, banking, tax, compliance, immigration — run by one team from start to finish.
14 years of practice
Working since 2012 through several regulatory cycles — including FATCA/CRS, the tightening of banking, and the introduction of UAE CT.
Regulator-grade documentation
Every output document is ready for audit and investor scrutiny — whatever the size of the deal.
Multi-jurisdiction within the group
Cross-border work is handled inside the group — no chain of external subcontractors.
How the work is structured
A 4-stage process led by a single named partner — from the intro call to the operational hand-over.
Initial consultation
Activity, ownership structure, tax residency and banking needs
Structure design
Choice of jurisdiction and entity type for the specific objectives
Filing and registration
Document submission, registration and issuance of certificates
Post-incorporation
Account opening, tax registration and bookkeeping
What we need from you · what you get from us
What we need from you to begin — and what you walk away with. We won't pester you with needless questions: we already have most of the answers.
- Proposed company name (1–3 options)required
- Beneficial owner ID + proof of addressall UBOs
- Director and shareholder detailsstructured form
- Description of the intended activity1 page
- Source-of-funds declarationfor KYB
- Power of attorney (for remote handling)notarised
- Certificate of incorporationoriginal
- Memorandum and articles of associationsigned
- Share register + share certificatesissued
- Tax / registration numbersregistered
- Registered-address agreement12 months
- Corporate kit (seals, registers)delivered
Four ways to work together
We don't quote a fixed price without understanding your situation — cost depends on the complexity of your case. Start with an initial call, then we pick the right format.
Intro call
A 30-minute online consultation. We discuss your situation, define the project scope, and propose a structure and timeline.
Written analysis
A written consultation with a full review of the business — tax positioning, structure options, jurisdiction comparison, banking path. Turnaround: 5 business days.
Operating roadmap
For complex situations — multi-jurisdiction structures, regulated activity, founder relocation. A full plan with stages, dependencies, deliverables and timing.
Direct execution
You know what you need — we execute. No advisory mark-up and no discovery phase.
Fill in the questionnaire
Complete the online questionnaire: it creates your account on the portal, where your structure, renewal reminders and documents will live.
Fill in the questionnaire
4 steps · creates an INNOVA portal account · 24h review.
Once you submit the questionnaire we create a portal account. Inside: your live structure, a renewals calendar (annual returns, register updates, tax filings), a document vault (certificates, share register, bank letters), a partner chat and project status. A single place for your entire operational life.
From a client
A review from a client who went through a comparable project. Verified, the engagement is ongoing.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we're asked most often. If yours isn't here, an intro call is the fastest way to get an answer.
Most “IP company” projects in the UAE run 2–4 weeks start to finish. The fastest stage is document filing; the longest is post-registration onboarding (banking, tax registration). A single named partner runs the project throughout.
From US$ 1,800 · depends on jurisdiction. The lower bound is for clean, standard profiles; the upper bound is for complex ownership structures, multi-jurisdiction projects or regulated activity. A fixed quote follows a 30-minute scoping call.
In most cases, no. The entire process runs remotely under a notarised power of attorney. A handful of jurisdictions require an in-person visit (typically biometrics for a residence permit) — we plan those as efficiently as possible.
Free zones (FZE/FZCO) give you 100% foreign ownership, 0% corporate tax on qualifying income, and setup in 3–7 days, but they can't trade directly on the mainland without a local distributor. Mainland LLCs under a DED licence trade everywhere and bid on government tenders, and since 2021 they allow 100% foreign ownership across most activities. For holding and export structures, take a free zone; for work inside the UAE, the mainland. Perimeter decides everything.
Yes, in both formats. Free zone companies have always been 100% foreign-owned; on the mainland, Federal Law No. 26 of 2020 removed the mandatory 51% UAE-national stake for over 1,000 activities. The RAK ICC offshore also allows 100% ownership with no UAE residency requirement. Exceptions remain for certain strategic sectors. We pick the optimal structure for your activity and tax profile.
A free zone trade licence takes 3–7 business days; DMCC approves an application in 5 business days, and mainland DED licensing runs 7–15 days. The steps that follow — visa (5–10 days), Emirates ID (7–14 days), bank account (2–6 weeks) — stretch the total to 4–8 weeks. INNOVA runs the stages in parallel, not one after another. That's how the idle waiting disappears.
Usually not — most jurisdictions require a registered address with an agent or office service. We provide it as part of the project for the first 12 months.
Yes. Changes to directors and shareholders are recorded in the register as needed. We handle this as part of ongoing administration.
IP company in other countries
The same service — in every jurisdiction we run. One desk, one standard.
