Skip to content
Get my price

Compare jurisdictions side by side

See 2 or 3 jurisdictions side by side: all-in cost for year 1 and year 2, headline tax, audit, registers and time to form. Hong Kong is a good fit for trade with China & Asia, territorial tax. Singapore is a good fit for Asia HQ, investors, treaties with around 100 jurisdictions. British Virgin Islands is a good fit for holding, JV, investment vehicle.

UAE · DMCC Free Zone compared with UAE · RAK ICC compared with UAE · Dubai Mainland: cost, tax, reporting and setup
Comparing3 jurisdictions
UAE · DMCC Free Zone flag
UAE · RAK ICC flag
UAE · Dubai Mainland flag
Free_zone · DMCC CompanyUS$4,290Year 1 all-inStart in UAE DMCC Free Zone
Offshore · International Business CompanyUS$1,390Year 1 all-inStart in UAE RAK ICC
Onshore · LLCUS$3,490Year 1 all-inStart in UAE Dubai Mainland
Cost
Year 1 all-inUS$4,290US$1,390✓ LowestUS$3,490
From year 2US$3,090US$1,000US$2,510
3-year cost (Starter)US$10,470US$3,390US$8,510
Tax & reporting
Headline tax0% qualifying / 9%✓ Best0% / 9%✓ Best9% above AED 375k
Annual auditYesNo✓ BestYes
Public registerLimitedNot publicLimited
Setup
TypeFree_zoneOffshoreOnshore
EntityDMCC CompanyInternational Business CompanyLLC
Minimum directors111
Legal systemMixedMixedMixed
Time to form2–4 weeks3–7 days3–5 weeks
Best forCommodities, trading, residency visasHolding, property in UAETrading in the UAE market
A green tick marks the stronger value in a row. Prices include government fees and, for Singapore, the resident director a non-resident needs. Yearly costs the law requires but that we quote separately are named under the figure; rows with such costs show no tick. Headline tax rates are a summary; your specialist confirms how they apply to you before you pay.

Ask about this comparison

AI answers from OCC’s published jurisdiction facts · no sign-up

Which one for your situation

  • You need a business bank account soon

    Hong Kong or Singapore. Banks usually find onshore companies easier to assess, but each bank decides.

  • You want a lower running cost

    British Virgin Islands, from US$1,795 a year based on published year-2 prices.

  • You only hold shares or other assets

    British Virgin Islands. Your home country may still tax the income, so check that first (confirm with your specialist).

  • You need it fast

    Hong Kong, typically 1–2 business days after KYC approval.

Need all three? Some owners hold one company under another. We quote the whole structure as one package. Get a structure quote

General guidance based on headline rules, not tax or legal advice. Your specialist confirms how tax residency, substance and banking apply to you before you pay.

Ask OCC

AI assistant · answers from OCC’s published prices & facts

You are chatting with an AI assistant · Chats are stored
More

Ask OCC is an AI assistant, not a person. Answers are written by an AI model from Anthropic (Claude), using our published prices and facts, and it can make mistakes. Answers are general information, not legal or tax advice. Please do not share passport, bank or card details; we remove numbers that look like them. We store chats, with those numbers removed, for 30 days, or 24 months if you send us an enquiry. Our staff may read them to improve answers and follow up on your interest; you can object at any time.

Privacy noticeTalk to a person

Hi, I’m the OCC assistant. Ask me anything about setting up a company: prices, directors, banking, documents. No sign-up needed.

Not legal or tax advice · Double-check requirements with a specialist