RAK ICC

Redomiciling a Company into RAK ICC

2026-07-01 · 6 min read · By Aureus Worldwide

Redomiciling a company into RAK ICC, formally, "continuation", lets an existing foreign company move its registration to the RAK International Corporate Centre without being wound up and re-created. The same legal entity carries on, keeping its assets, contracts and corporate history intact, but from the move onward it is governed by the RAK ICC Business Companies Regulations. This guide explains how RAK ICC redomiciliation works, why companies do it, what the process and requirements involve, and the tax and continuity issues to weigh before you start.

What redomiciliation actually means

The essential idea is continuity of legal identity. In a redomiciliation, the company does not dissolve in its old home and incorporate afresh in RAK ICC. Instead, it is "continued", the same company, with the same date of original incorporation, simply changes the register it sits on and the law that governs it.

That distinction matters enormously in practice. Because the entity continues rather than restarts:

• Its assets and liabilities remain with it; nothing has to be transferred.
• Its contracts, licences and bank relationships generally continue, avoiding renegotiation.
• Its history and track record, often important for banking and counterparties, are preserved.

Redomiciliation is therefore a way to change jurisdiction without disrupting the business, which is why it is used instead of the blunt alternative of liquidating one company and forming another.

Why companies redomicile into RAK ICC

The motivations vary, but common ones include:

• Consolidating into a reputable UAE hub. Groups that have accumulated companies in several offshore jurisdictions often want to bring them under one credible, well-regarded registry.
• Escaping a deteriorating jurisdiction. Where a company's current home has become costly, poorly regarded, or subject to adverse international listing, moving to RAK ICC can restore standing with banks and counterparties.
• Aligning with a UAE nexus. Businesses that have shifted their real activity, management or family base to the UAE may want their holding vehicle domiciled here too.
• Simplifying administration. One registry, one registered agent and one compliance framework is easier to run than several.
• Banking and substance. A UAE domicile can sit more comfortably with UAE banking relationships and substance planning.

For many groups, redomiciliation pairs naturally with using the vehicle as a holding company or placing it beneath a RAK ICC Foundation.

What is required

Redomiciliation is a two-sided transaction, so requirements arise in both jurisdictions. Broadly, you should expect to need:

1. Permission to continue out. The company's existing jurisdiction must have laws that allow a company to redomicile out. Not every jurisdiction does, this is the first thing to check.
2. Good standing and solvency. The company must generally be in good standing, up to date on filings and fees, and not in liquidation or insolvent.
3. Corporate approvals. The directors and shareholders must approve the continuation through the proper resolutions.
4. Documentation. Typically a certificate of good standing, the existing constitutional documents, registers, and evidence of ownership and directors, with documents adapted to meet RAK ICC requirements.
5. A licensed registered agent. As with any RAK ICC company, an approved agent handles the RAK ICC filing and becomes the ongoing point of contact.
6. Compliant constitution. The company's memorandum and articles must be brought into line with the RAK ICC Business Companies Regulations.

Exact requirements and documents change, so confirm the current checklist with RAK ICC through your registered agent before committing time or money.

The process, in outline

While details vary with the outgoing jurisdiction, the sequence usually looks like this:

1. Confirm eligibility, that the home jurisdiction permits continuation out and RAK ICC will accept the company.
2. Obtain corporate approvals and a certificate of good standing.
3. Prepare RAK ICC-compliant constitutional documents and the application, via the registered agent.
4. File for continuation with RAK ICC and obtain provisional acceptance.
5. Discontinue in the old jurisdiction in line with its de-registration procedure.
6. Receive the certificate of continuation confirming the company is now a RAK ICC entity.

Because steps in the two jurisdictions must be sequenced correctly, this is a coordinated exercise rather than a single filing.

Tax and compliance effects, plan before you move

Redomiciliation is a significant step with consequences on both sides of the move, and this is where advice is essential.

• Becoming a UAE entity. Once continued into RAK ICC, the company is incorporated in the UAE and should assess UAE Corporate Tax as a Resident Person, along with economic substance and beneficial ownership obligations under Cabinet Decision 58 of 2020. As with any RAK ICC company, the free zone 0% regime does not automatically apply.
• Exit consequences. The jurisdiction the company is leaving may impose its own exit charges, filings or approvals. These must be handled properly to complete a clean discontinuation.
• Continuity of records. Preserving accounting continuity across the move keeps banking and audit straightforward, our accounting team manages this transition.

Getting the tax analysis right on both sides before you file is what separates a smooth redomiciliation from an expensive surprise. Our tax service handles the UAE side, working alongside advisers in the outgoing jurisdiction.

Continuing out of RAK ICC

Redomiciliation runs both ways. Just as a foreign company can be continued into RAK ICC, a RAK ICC company can generally be continued out to another jurisdiction that permits it, provided it is in good standing, solvent and current on its obligations. This two-way flexibility is itself a reason some groups choose RAK ICC, the domicile is not a one-way door. If circumstances change later, such as the family relocating or the group restructuring, the company can move again without being wound up and re-created. Planning a continuation out is the mirror image of the inward process: obtain RAK ICC clearance and evidence of good standing, satisfy the incoming jurisdiction's requirements, and sequence the two sides carefully so there is no gap in which the company exists on neither register.

Redomiciliation versus starting fresh

Where preserving identity, contracts and history matters, redomiciliation is usually worth the extra coordination. Where the old company carries baggage you would rather leave behind, forming a fresh company limited by shares and migrating chosen assets may be cleaner. It is a case-by-case judgement.

How Aureus Worldwide can help

Aureus Worldwide helps groups assess whether redomiciling into RAK ICC is the right move, and coordinates the continuation through licensed registered agents via our company formation team. We manage the UAE-side tax and substance analysis through our tax and ESR reporting services, keep accounting continuity across the transition, and maintain UBO records afterwards. Aureus is a Dubai-based accounting and advisory firm, it is not a law firm and does not provide legal, trust or fiduciary advice, so the corporate resolutions, cross-border legal steps and outgoing-jurisdiction exit are handled by your legal counsel while we own the numbers and UAE compliance and confirm the registry's current requirements. To explore a redomiciliation, contact us.

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