Integrated corporate services across the UAE, Cyprus, and Switzerland — with dedicated advisory for each free zone and financial centre.
For most operating businesses the answer is a Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah free zone; for a vehicle that only holds shares, property or IP it is RAK ICC or, where common law matters, a DIFC Prescribed Company or an ADGM SPV; for European market access it is Cyprus; for banking and reputation it is Switzerland; and for a low-cost regional base taxed only on distribution it is Georgia, where our affiliate Polaris Corporate Services LLC operates from Batumi. Those are our four platforms; the facts below are the ones the authorities publish.
The UAE has three layers. A mainland company is licensed by its emirate’s economic department; since Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020 foreign investors may own 100 per cent of it for all but strategic activities, and it must have a physical address. A free zone company is licensed by the zone’s own authority, usually within 14 working days, and operates under a different legal framework from mainland businesses, so direct mainland sales need a branch, agent or permit. An offshore RAK ICC company is incorporated within two working days through a registered agent; it may hold UAE assets and trade internationally but is not licensed to trade onshore in the mainland unless licensed through RAK ICC’s Global Product or a RAKEZ subsidiary.
DIFC and ADGM are the financial free zones, with their own company law and common-law courts. ADGM states that a physical presence within the jurisdiction is a requirement except for SPVs, and that a non-exempt SPV formed since 12 July 2021 must appoint an ADGM-registered Company Service Provider; its 2025 fee schedule puts a standard non-financial company at USD 5,800 at registration. The DIFC’s Prescribed Company is open to any applicant unless exempt, at USD 100 to incorporate and USD 1,000 a year, with a DIFC-licensed corporate service provider as its interface with the Registrar. Polaris is not a registered CSP in either centre: we form the entity, act in fiduciary roles and handle the filings, and appoint and coordinate the centre-licensed provider that holds the registered office. Neither centre is tax-free by default; only a Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0 per cent, and only on Qualifying Income.
Among the commercial free zones, DMCC is home to 26,000 companies and licenses in around 10 working days. IFZA, headquartered in Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai, has removed mandatory office space for basic packages and issues Dubai visas. Meydan Free Zone licenses in under 60 minutes through its Fawri service and lets a company start with zero visas; Polaris is a Meydan Gold Partner. RAKEZ is the lowest-cost of the four for a business needing real premises: a facility lease is mandatory, no local partner is needed, and audited statements go to the authority each year. We are registered agent in DMCC, RAKEZ and IFZA.
Outside the Gulf, Cyprus taxes resident companies at 15 per cent from 2026, has 68 double tax treaties and an IP Box built on an 80 per cent deemed deduction. A Swiss GmbH needs share capital of at least CHF 20,000 and a representative resident in Switzerland, an AG CHF 100,000, and profit tax varies by canton. Georgia taxes a resident enterprise only on distributed profit, at 15 per cent, with 5 per cent withholding on dividends to non-residents; retained earnings are untaxed. Our Batumi affiliate registers Georgian companies; in Cyprus and Switzerland we work with licensed local partners.
We start with where the customers, staff and bank account will be, because those fix the licence and the substance. The UAE’s 9 per cent rate above AED 375,000, 137 double taxation agreements and 0 per cent withholding tax make a UAE company the default; the other three come in where a European entity, a Swiss counterparty or a Georgian base is needed in its own right.
| Jurisdiction | Headline tax | Office and substance | Suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIFC Dubai | 0% only as Qualifying Free Zone Person on Qualifying Income; otherwise 9% | Prescribed Company USD 100 + USD 1,000 a year; DIFC CSP | Holding SPVs, foundations, family offices |
| ADGM Abu Dhabi | As DIFC | Physical presence required except SPVs; non-exempt SPV needs ADGM CSP; standard company USD 5,800 | SPVs, foundations, funds |
| DMCC Dubai | UAE corporate tax; 0% possible on Qualifying Income | Flexi desk or office; about 10 working days; 26,000 companies | Commodity and general trading |
| IFZA Dubai Silicon Oasis | As DMCC | No mandatory office for basic packages; Dubai visas | Consultancies, e-commerce, small teams |
| Meydan Free Zone Dubai | As DMCC | Flexi desk included; Fawri licence in under 60 minutes; 0 visas to start | Fast Dubai set-ups |
| RAKEZ Ras Al Khaimah | As DMCC | Facility lease mandatory; no local partner; audited accounts yearly | Industrial, trading and service businesses needing premises |
| RAK ICC Ras Al Khaimah | UAE corporate tax by residence | Registered agent and office at all times; incorporated in 2 working days | Holding shares, UAE property and IP; no onshore trading |
| Cyprus EU member state | 15% from 2026; IP Box; 68 treaties | Local director and office for tax residence | EU holding, trading and IP companies |
| Switzerland Cantonal | Federal, cantonal and communal tax; varies by canton | GmbH CHF 20,000, AG CHF 100,000; Swiss-resident representative | Trading, IP and treasury companies |
| Georgia Polaris affiliate, Batumi | 15% on distributed profit only; 5% dividend withholding | Local registration; retained earnings untaxed | Regional trading and services |
EU membership, 15% corporate tax from 2026, 68 double tax treaties and an IP Box at an effective 3%. The bridge between Gulf and European operations.
GmbH from CHF 20,000, AG from CHF 100,000, a Swiss-resident representative and cantonal tax competition; banking and institutional credibility.
Dubai’s financial free zone with its own company law and common-law courts; Prescribed Companies, foundations and regulated firms.
Abu Dhabi’s financial free zone on Al Maryah and Al Reem islands; SPVs, foundations and Restricted Scope Companies under common-law regulations.
Dubai’s commodities and trading free zone with 26,000+ member companies; licences in around ten working days. Polaris is a DMCC registered agent.
Dubai free zone with a flexi desk in every licence, zero-visa starter packages and the Fawri instant licence. Polaris is a Meydan Gold Partner.
Ras Al Khaimah’s combined free zone and non-free zone authority: low-cost licences, real facilities from flexi desk to warehouse. Polaris is a RAKEZ registered agent.
International Free Zone Authority in Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai: no mandatory office for basic packages, up to three activities per licence, Dubai visas.
Answers drawn from the published rules of the UAE authorities and regulators. Each answer links to its official source. Last reviewed 5 November 2026.
Who licenses it and where it may trade. A mainland company is licensed by the emirate’s economic department, may since Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020 be wholly foreign-owned for most activities, and trades anywhere in the UAE from licensed premises. A free zone company is licensed by its zone’s authority and, in the UAE Government’s words, operates under a different legal framework because it is considered outside the mainland jurisdiction; it trades internationally and within its zone, and reaches the mainland through a branch, agent or permit. An offshore RAK ICC company is registered rather than licensed: it holds assets and trades internationally but is not licensed to trade onshore in the mainland without a Global Product or RAKEZ licence.
Sources: UAE Government portal (u.ae) — Full foreign ownership of commercial companies; UAE Government portal (u.ae) — Running a business in a free zone (accessed 3 November 2026)
No. Both centres are free zones for corporate tax purposes, but the Ministry of Finance is explicit that only a Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0 per cent, and only on its Qualifying Income; everything else is taxed at 9 per cent above AED 375,000 of taxable income. Qualifying status depends on adequate substance in the zone, qualifying activities, audited financial statements, transfer pricing compliance and a de minimis limit on non-qualifying revenue. A holding SPV that only receives dividends from qualifying participations is usually comfortable; a company selling services to UAE mainland customers usually is not. We test the position before incorporation rather than after the first return.
Source: Ministry of Finance — Corporate Tax FAQs (accessed 3 November 2026)
An ADGM operating company does: ADGM states that a physical presence within the jurisdiction is a requirement for its entities, the only exception being Special Purpose Vehicles, which use the registered office address of their appointed Company Service Provider. The DIFC position is similar in practice: a Prescribed Company is set up for USD 100 with a USD 1,000 annual licence and works through a DIFC-licensed Corporate Service Provider, while a trading or professional firm leases space in the Centre. In both cases Polaris forms the entity and appoints and coordinates the centre-registered provider, because we are not a registered CSP in either centre and hold no registered-office address there.
Sources: Abu Dhabi Global Market — Setting up in ADGM; Dubai International Financial Centre — Establish a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPVs) in DIFC (accessed 3 November 2026)
Georgia taxes a resident enterprise only when profit leaves the company. Article 97 of the Tax Code of Georgia makes distributed profit the object of profit tax and Article 98 sets the rate at 15 per cent, with a 5 per cent withholding on dividends paid to non-residents and individuals; retained and reinvested profit is not taxed. Cyprus taxes resident companies at 15 per cent on worldwide income each year of assessment, following the 2026 increase from 12.5 per cent. The UAE taxes at 9 per cent above AED 375,000 as profit arises, with 0 per cent for Qualifying Free Zone Persons on Qualifying Income. Which is cheapest depends on how much profit you distribute and where the shareholders are resident.
Sources: Legislative Herald of Georgia (matsne.gov.ge) — Tax Code of Georgia (English text); Invest Cyprus — Cyprus Tax Guide for Investment (February 2026) (accessed 3 November 2026)
Yes. The SME Portal of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs states that since 1 July 2015 every GmbH must be represented by one person whose place of residence is in Switzerland, and the same rule applies to every AG. That person must have access to the share register and the list of beneficial owners and is entered in the commercial register. The requirement is met by a Swiss-resident managing director or board member, which we arrange through our Swiss fiduciary partners; Polaris itself is not registered or licensed in Switzerland. Minimum capital is CHF 20,000 for a GmbH and CHF 100,000 for an AG, paid into a blocked account until registration.
Sources: SME Portal, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) — Legal form: Limited liability company; SME Portal, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) — Limited company: One of the most common legal forms (accessed 3 November 2026)
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